66
Metascore
39 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 83IndieWireLiz Shannon MillerIndieWireLiz Shannon MillerWhat Bumblebee does best is remember that this is a franchise for the young, and embrace that fact without any shame while also still delivering on the action. There’s no self-importance, no grafting of ultra-patriotism and too-dense mythology onto what should be a simple narrative.
- 81TheWrapWilliam BibbianiTheWrapWilliam BibbianiBumblebee is, again and easily, the best “Transformers” movie. Heck, it’s probably the only genuinely good “Transformers” movie, with nary a caveat to be found. But it’s also a lively and earnest 1980s nostalgia trip, made with affection for the era and its characters and its soundtracks and its storytelling styles and, yes, even its toys.
- 80EmpireJames DyerEmpireJames DyerAn impassioned ode to both the toys and their era, this, at last, is the Transformers movie we’ve been waiting for.
- 80The TelegraphRobbie CollinThe TelegraphRobbie CollinAs a toy-advert movie full of artistry and heart, it’s as slyly progressive as it is shamelessly nostalgic.
- 80Total FilmKevin HarleyTotal FilmKevin HarleyDespite the odd awkward tonal gear shift, Knight’s origin story makes refreshingly light work of its uphill climb, fuelled by wit and warmth. And – crucially – with better songs on the retro-tape deck.
- 70IGNJim VejvodaIGNJim VejvodaThe Transformers franchise gets a much needed tuneup in Bumblebee.
- 70Los Angeles TimesJustin ChangLos Angeles TimesJustin ChangThe ending packs a lovely surprise, not because you don’t see it coming, but because for once you’re not simply grateful that it’s arrived.
- 70The Hollywood ReporterJustin LoweThe Hollywood ReporterJustin LoweThe selection of Oscar-nominated animated feature film director Travis Knight (Kubo and the Two Strings) to helm the prequel turns out to be spot-on, as he exhibits an instinctual sense for the film’s requisite action quotient while attentively crafting the central characters’ emotional arcs.
- 70Screen DailyTim GriersonScreen DailyTim GriersonDirector Travis Knight does his best to balance clattering spectacle with a modest girl-and-her-robot tale. He’s assisted mightily by Hailee Steinfeld, who infuses this uneven action film with significant soul.