The Downside
Truth be told there was only ONE time during the entire film where I was disappointed. And even that only lasted for a few moments on screen. The film, as I said earlier, is set in 1987 and does a wonderful job of recreating the period setting. From the costumes and set design, props and music, it really feels as if the film is a snapshot of the era. Apart from one minor detail…
Without spoiling the film for those of you who haven’t seen it yet, there is one scene set inside Charlie’s house. In there we see a games console connected to the family television. However, this console is an old Pong clone. More specifically one of the early black and white models from the mid-1970s. In 1987 the family would most likely own a Nintendo NES, a SEGA Master System (although less likely for an American family) or a home computer such as the Commodore 64 or 8-bit Atari.
As I said, it’s only a minor point but with the rest of the period detail so accurate this stuck out like the proverbial sore thumb.
Bumblebee movie and continuity
Now this is where I am genuinely confused. There seems to be an ongoing debate and internal conflict from Paramount as to the status of the film. We’ve heard reports that it is a prequel to the five previous films. It’s also been classed as the start of a new standalone reboot. Frankly there needs to be a clear, final statement from Paramount but taking into consideration the events that have taken place in all of the films to-date.
If we treat the Bumblebee movie as a self-contained continuity, and the same for the other five movies, then this makes the most sense. The timelines and major events simply don’t match up. The Last Knight mentions that Bumblebee played an important part in the Second World War, but in the Bumblebee movie we see that he only arrives on Earth in 1987. He also doesn’t get his name until that point although again he has apparently had this since his previous arrival.
Yet in contrast there is reference to the existence of Sector 7. Specifically a nod to the previous films with an appearance of what is implied to be a young Agent Simmons. It leaves a great deal of confusion and it’s no wonder that the producer can’t make his mind up. Watching the film carefully though, and the fact that not only Bumblebee but other Cybertronians also arrive on Earth at the film’s conclusion there can be no doubt that this film can not be in the same continuity as the others and must be a reboot.
Overall
Minor quibbles aside, I was genuinely surprised by Bumblebee. It’s a fun-filled romp and for me ticked all the boxes with everything I could want from a Transformers movie. It kept the look and feel of G1 without the failings of the original cartoon (sorry guys but I’m not a fan of the stories from the show!). Casting and acting was spot on and the 80s setting was almost perfect with a great soundtrack throughout.
I couldn’t wait for the previous movies to finish when I reluctantly sat down to watch them. In contrast, I was glued to the screen throughout with the Bumblebee movie. Throughout I was transfixed and I don’t think my eyes left the screen for a moment. Saying that this is the best of all the Transformers films to date doesn’t do this justice. It’s a fantastic film in its own right. Roll on Bumblebee 2!
Bumblebee is available NOW from Amazon and all good retailers.
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