Bumblebee review

[fardell24]

Bumblebee
A prequal or the beginning of a reboot? I'm not certain. But then the continuity between the Bay-directed films was very loose anyway. But this film has a better plot than any of the Bay films (apart from the first? Maybe it's a tie). There are two main characters, who are developed through the course of the film. Bumblebee, and Charlie Watson. There are also Charlie's family, her friend Memo, the Decepticon persuers and Sector 7. (Optimus Prime barely appears, but he does play a role).
Bumblebee (or rather B-127), is sent to Earth by Optimus Prime to protect the planet and to set up an Autobot base. He is damaged by two Decepticon scouts upon arrival and has to hide. Charlie repairs him. The bonding between the two of them as they spend time together is done very well, especially given her backstory (more on that below). That Charlie wants to protect him from the Government (and the Decepticons) is very believable. This is the heart of the film, making it more enjoyable than if it was just about Decepticons chasing Bumblebee the entire running time.
It is definitely good writing. But what is more good writing is that Charlie is still grieving for her father as the film begins, even as her mother seems to have moved on. (And makes a confrontation between the two later in the film very believable.) It is this grief that leads Charlie to bond with Bumblebee (even giving him that name, rather than B-127), rather than being afraid of him (as Memo turns out to be when he accidentally sees him in robot mode). Charlie being close to Bumblebee then leads her to want to rescue him when Sector 7 comes for him.
That portion of the film is also well written, with Sector 7 planning to turn on the Decepticons once Bumblebee had been found. The younger Simmons barely plays a role, but Agent Burns is a good character. That Burns would let Charlie and Bumblebee get away is believable. Overall it is a very good film. One worth seeing. 9.25/10.