Starring: Anthony Ramos, Dominique Fishback, Luna Lauren Vélez, Tobe Nwigwe, Peter Cullen, Pete Davidson, Liza Koshy, Cristo Fernández, John DiMaggio, Ron Perlman, David Sobolov, Michelle Yeoh, Cheetor, Peter Dinklage, Michaela Jaé Rodriguez, David Sobolov
OUR RATING: ★★★☆☆
Story:
Action adventure sci-fi sequel directed by Steven Caple Jr. Set in the ’90s, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (2023) goes through a globetrotting adventure as the Maximals, Predacons, and Terrorcons join the battle between the Autobots and Decepticons on Earth. Noah (Anthony Ramos), a sharp young guy from Brooklyn, and Elena (Dominique Fishback), an ambitious, talented artifact researcher, are swept up in the conflict as Optimus Prime (Peter Cullen) and the Autobots face a terrifying new nemesis bent on their destruction named Scourge (Peter Dinklage).
Best Quotes
Optimus Primal: There’s a legend that precedes the dawn of our civilization. A vile god, so large and so powerful that it consumed entire planets as fuel.
Apelinq: It is now your time to lead the Maximals, Optimus Primal.
Airazor: [referring to Apelinq] His sacrifice will be our oath. To preserve the key, no matter the cost.
Breanna Diaz: [to Noah] Good luck on the interview. Don’t forget to laugh at all their jokes. White people love that s**t.
Kris Diaz: Ma, language.
Noah Diaz: You fighting this alone, or we fighting it together?
Kris Diaz: Together.
Noah Diaz: Home team?
Kris Diaz: Home team.
Reek: I choose not to purchase cable. It’s my own personal way to protest the vampiric nature of modern-day capitalism!
Noah Diaz: Okay, what are the rules?
Kris Diaz: Bros before hos. “Don’t be a problem. And don’t go looking for a problem.” Or else we’re going to…
Noah, Kris: Have a problem.
Bishop: Listen, I can’t have someone like you mess up what I’ve built.
Noah Diaz: Someone like me? You don’t know anything about me!
Bishop: I know you don’t know how to be part of a team.
Kris Diaz: Hey, look. Superman went on a bunch of interviews before he got his job on the Daily Planet. But he never gave up.
Noah Diaz: I’m not Superman, Kris. Life ain’t a comic book.
Kris Diaz: I’m just saying. You’ll get the next one.
Noah Diaz: Yoh, there is no next one. No one’s coming to save us. We’re alone in this.
'Life ain't a comic book.' - Noah Diaz (Transformers: Rise of the Beasts) Share on X
Reek: [to Noah] Your energy is really affecting my chi.
Noah Diaz: You got a robbing mixtape?
Reek: No. I got a liberating mixtape.
Reek: Hey, well, to error is divine.
Reek: [to Noah] Alright, now just like brother Reek showed you. Down the window, a little wiggle, feel that snag, and, yeah. Now we making money.
Elena Wallace: [as the ancient statue starts to break] I’m going to lose my job. I’m going to go to jail.
'I'm not following you. I'm just escaping in the same direction.' - Noah Diaz (Transformers: Rise of the Beasts) Share on X
Optimus Prime: Calling all Autobots!
Bumblebee: Yippee-ki-yay, mother…
Museum Guard: Get out of the car!
Noah Diaz: I’m trying! The car started by itself, I promise! Look, it’s not working!
Museum Guard: Get out now!
Reek: Now, that’s top-tier manifestation!
Noah Diaz: The car’s driving by itself!
'If you keep your eyes and your ears open, life will show you everything you need to know.' - Elena Wallace (Transformers: Rise of the Beasts) Share on X
Reek: You might want to slow down.
Noah Diaz: It’s not me, it’s the car! It’s possessed!
Reek: No, no, no, no. You’re just on an adrenaline high.
Mirage: [to Noah] Whoo-hoo-hoo! That felt good! Get some oil pumping, you know? Damn! I’ve been cooped up forever, dude. I can’t tell you how old it gets. “Mirage, stay hidden. Mirage, don’t draw any attention to yourself! Mirage, Big is just a movie. You’ll never be a real boy.” But that was fun, man. You’re fun, dude.
Mirage: Oh, right. This is probably a lot for you, huh?
Noah Diaz: Back up!
Mirage: [as Noah picks up a pipe to hit him] Hey. Woh. Woh. Woh. What’s with the aggression? I thought after the car chase, we were boys. Are you going to hit me?
Noah Diaz: Maybe.
Mirage: It’s like that? Tough guy. I like that. I like it a lot.
Noah Diaz: What are you? Some sort of possessed car or something?
Mirage: No. That’s not real, man. I’m an alien.
Noah Diaz: Like E.T.?
Mirage: E.T.? The little ugly guy in the basket? Look at this face! The name’s Mirage.
Mirage: [to Noah, offers his fist to bump] Give a little tap. Give me a little tap. There you go. Now we’re friends!
'Evil can never be vanquished completely.' - Optimus Primal (Transformers: Rise of the Beasts) Share on X
Mirage: Oh, great. The gang’s here.
Noah Diaz: There are more like you?
Mirage: Like me? No. But be cool so they don’t crush you.
Noah Diaz: What?
Mirage: Yeah, I’d put that pipe down if I were you.
Optimus Prime: [to Mirage] You brought a human here?
Mirage: [referring to Noah] But he’s cool, so it’s cool. Cool?
Optimus Prime: Not cool. Who are you, human?
Noah Diaz: I’m nobody. I ain’t even seen nothing. I’m not even seeing anything right now.
Arcee: [referring to Noah] Huh. He’s a soldier.
Optimus Prime: He does not look like a soldier.
Noah Diaz: I mean, you looking pretty rough yourself.
Mirage: [referring to Noah stealing the Transwarp Key] He could slip in right through one of them little doors, grab the key, leave a nice IOU, and peace out. He’s perfect.
Noah Diaz: Look, I’m not breaking into a museum for some space robots.
Mirage: Well, but what about for friendship? Or, or, or, what about for cash?
Noah Diaz: So all I got to do is walk in and out?
Mirage: All you got to do. We’ll take care of the rest. Cross my spark and hope to die. Wow! That was corny when I said it out loud.
Noah Diaz: So, y’all are robots that transform into cars, even though you’re from way out in space. But now there’s this key that opens a portal back to your home? Oh, and you know this because there’s a beacon light in the sky that I can’t see because I’m human.
Mirage: You say that like it’s weird.
Noah Diaz: It’s super weird.
Mirage: You know what’s weird? Marky Mark is leaving the Funky Bunch! I heard he’s just going to pursue acting now. That’s crazy!
Optimus Prime: The humans will always protect what is theirs. We can only trust our own kind.
Bumblebee: You can’t handle the truth!
Optimus Prime: I do not want you going to that drive-in theater anymore.
Noah Diaz: It’s not what it looks like.
Elena Wallace: It looks like you’re trying to steal museum property.
Noah Diaz: Okay, it’s a little what it looks like.
Scourge: I enjoy that look of confusion when an inferior being meets a higher power.
Elena Wallace: Hey! Stop following me!
Noah Diaz: I’m not following you! I’m just escaping in the same direction.
Mirage: [to Noah] Oh, cool. You’re still alive.
Scourge: I’m tired of little things getting in my way.
Mirage: No offense, lady, but who are you again?
Airazor: My name is Airazor. I am a Maximal. A warrior from both your past and future.
Elena Wallace: Right. So you’re a Maximal. Y’all are Autobots. What was those things that attacked us earlier?
Airazor: Terrorcons. Servants of a dark, hungry god who feeds on entire worlds to sustain himself.
Optimus Prime: Unicron.
Optimus Prime: I should’ve known better than to rely on humans.
Noah Diaz: Yoh, hold up. What, you blaming me? After you conveniently left out the part about a planet-eating monster?
Noah Diaz: Yoh. Hold up. Hold up. You want to find this other key and deliver it to the guy that just kicked your a**es.
Noah Diaz: [to Optimus Prime] No offense, but I’m not trusting my home to a guy who couldn’t even protect his. This is my planet. I’m going.
Airazor: Elena, will you lead us to this temple?
Noah Diaz: Chance to stop the end of the world.
Arcee: Actually, you’ll be saving two worlds.
Mirage: Man, they didn’t treat E.T. like this.
Kris Diaz: You know this thing?
Noah Diaz: Yeah. We’re just work friends.
Mirage: “Work friends”? You’ve been inside me.
Mirage: We’re trying to stop the end of the world.
Kris Diaz: The world’s ending?
Noah Diaz: No!
Mirage: Maybe. Sixty-forty.
Mirage: Wu-Tang is in the building, baby!
Optimus Prime: Way to be incognito.
Mirage: Aw, come on, Prime. Smile a little bit. It won’t hurt. Let me see that underbite.
Wheeljack: Sorry I’m late. I was taking in a harmonious moment between a serene butterfly and an unruffled caterpillar. Such tranquility.
Noah Diaz: That’s some Indiana Jones-type s**t.
Mirage: Yoh, Sonic. You dead yet?
Noah Diaz: No. Wait, did you just call me Sonic?
Optimus Primal: Who are you? Why are you hunting for the key?
Mirage: Yoh, Donkey Kong! Stay away from my friends!
Noah Diaz: Mirage!
Mirage: Don’t worry. Your boy’s got this.
Mirage: [suddenly Cheetor jumps onto him] Stranger danger! Stranger danger!
Cheetor: Sorry about scaring you, brother.
Mirage: Scared? Please. I’m not scared. That’s just engine oil.
Mirage: No, go ahead, keep it.
Noah Diaz: I guess it does look better on me.
Mirage: Just don’t ask what part of my body it came from.
Optimus Primal: [referring to humans] I’ve been amongst them a long time now. There is more to them than meets the eye. They are worth saving.
Elena Wallace: You’re just like him. You know that?
Noah Diaz: Who?
Elena Wallace: Optimus. I’m serious. He feels it too.
Noah Diaz: Feels what?
Elena Wallace: Like a beast of burden just trying to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders.
Elena Wallace: [referring to Optimus Prime] You think he’s some general barking orders, but when I look at him, all I see is a big brother trying to protect his family.
Optimus Prime: I am sorry, Noah.
Noah Diaz: You were looking out for your own. I can’t even be angry at you for that.
Wheeljack: It sounds like we’re all going to die.
Optimus Prime: If we are to die, then we will die fighting all as one.
Optimus Primal: Maximals.
Optimus Prime: Autobots.
Optimus Primal, Prime: Rollout!
Optimus Primal: Rhinox, Cheetor, maximize!
Noah Diaz: No, you can’t take on Scourge alone.
Mirage: Relax. I’m Mirage. Remember?
Noah Diaz: [as Mirage protects him from getting hit by Scourge] Mirage, what are you doing?
Mirage: Keeping my promise.
Noah Diaz: Mirage, no! Come on. You got to get up!
Mirage: It’s okay, Noah. Home team.
Noah Diaz: I’m not going to win this one.
Kris Diaz: But you don’t lose, right?
Noah Diaz: I wish that were true, but I can’t.
Kris Diaz: Yes, you can.
Kris Diaz: You think you’re a nobody, but you’re the strongest guy I know.
Mirage: You guys are so cute.
Noah Diaz: Mirage? You’re alive!
Mirage: Yeah. But I’m going to need you to take the wheel.
Scourge: [to Noah] You think you can take me on alone?
Optimus Prime: He is not alone.
Elena Wallace: I’m never leaving Brooklyn again.
Optimus Primal: Till all are one.
Optimus Prime: I am Optimus Prime, leader of the Autobots. We have lost the Transwarp Key and with it our ability to go home. But we have gained an ally in our battle against the forces of evil. Forces too powerful for any of us to defeat on our own. But together, we might just have a chance.
Noah Diaz: I am Noah Diaz. What is there to know about me? I was raised out in Brooklyn. I got a little bro who calls me Sonic. And if I got to help save the universe in order to save the people I love, well, then that’s what I’m going to do.
Agent Burke: We are a secret government organization. Strictly off the books. We specialize in global threats. Planetary loss prevention, that kind of thing. We’re in the middle of an ongoing war, and we’d love to have you join the fight. You and your whole team. You know, the big guys.
Noah Diaz: No idea what you’re talking about.
Agent Burke: That’s a good answer.
Agent Burke: [to Noah] Kris was right, by the way. No names over the airwaves.
Noah Diaz: [reads from Burke’s car] “G.I. Joe”?
Reek: [mid-credits line] I think all the blood, sweat and dead presidents I put into getting these car parts for you make us even steven.
Noah Diaz: It’s not that. This car is special.
Reek: This car is a jigsaw puzzle made of garbage!
Mirage: Yeah! Your boy is back! This dude said I wasn’t even going to start!
Trailer: