A Girl and Her Big Yellow Robot

I’ve never been a ‘Transformers’ fan either as a kid or an adult, and the number of ‘Transformers’ movies I’ve seen -- before ‘Bumblebee’ that is -- can be counted with one finger of one hand (the very first one back in 2007 in case you're wondering).  However, the trailer of the new ‘Transformers’ spin-off ‘Bumblebee’ (the sixth installment in the ‘Transformers’ franchise) intrigued me because it promises to be an entirely different kind of movie altogether compared to its predecessors, one which does not aim to pummel the audience senseless with CG-heavy, non-stop action sequences whizzing by across the screen so fast with the barest hint of a plot that we become numb and simply stop caring.

Like the movie it pays homage to (a Spielberg movie about some alien who wanted to “phone home”), ‘Bumblebee’ is set in the 1980’s and is as endearing as it is nostalgic.  The story of a mechanically-inclined outcast teenage tomboy who loves to tinker with cars (Hailee Steinfeld) and her big yellow alien robot (Autobot B-127), which she christened “Bumblebee” because it transforms into a bright yellow 1967 Love Bug in disguise (Transformers, Robots in Disguise!), the movie centers on the special bond and friendship between the two protagonists as much as their attempts to prevent nefarious Decepticons from invading and destroying Earth.

While its story treads familiar territory, ‘Bumblebee’ possesses such heartwarming touch that it’s simply impossible not to love.  The movie perfectly blends drama and action, never losing sight of the humanity of its main characters.  ‘Bumblebee’ is also a love letter to the ‘80’s, infused with so much pop-culture references and music from this beloved era of my youth that I couldn’t give it anything less than the highest grade possible.  Rated at 93 percent “fresh” on Rotten Tomatoes, it appears the critics feel the same way.

Grade: A+