Bumblebee Review: 6 Ups & 4 Downs

1. Bumblebee Himself

The most incredible thing about the film is simply Bumblebee himself. After years of Transformers films being made by a man who actively hated the property and turned all of its characters into hateful murderers, this film delivers heroic Autobots that audiences can actually care about. And with Bumblebee, it delivers a hero audiences are bound to fall in love with.

The best scenes in the movie are those that are shared by Hailee Steinfeld's Charlie and Bumblebee, bonding and developing together as characters. Knight treats these scenes with all the tenderness and compassion of something out of The Iron Giant or E.T. and it works wonders.

The incredible visual effects by ILM have also given Bumblebee the most expressive eyes and face a Transformer has ever had. Bee spends a good chunk of this movie unable to talk or even use his radio for communication, making his movements crucial for expressing emotion. In clearing out the eyeline of the character, his eyes become much more articulate and capable of communicating both to Charlie and to the audience.

There's even a scene in the third act that addresses the violence and destruction of Bay's films head on and critiques it for not being an accurate representation of who the Autobots are, and after spending so long in Bay's universe, it feels so great to see the franchise finally getting back to what makes Transformers truly Transformers.

Are you excited to see Bumblebee? Share your reactions below in the comments thread.