7 / 10. A cute and fun addition to the franchise, with a warmth not present in Michael Bay’s Transformers outings

Bumblebee is a sci-fi action film directed by Travis Knight and written by Christina Hodson. It’s a prequel to the Transformers film series, the first not directed by Michael Bay, who remains onboard as a producer.

In 1987, Bumblebee the Autobot (B-127) is injured and on the lam from the Decepticons, after being sent by Optimus Prime to scout Earth as a possible evac site for Autobots. He hides out at a junkyard in a small California town as a battered old yellow Volkswagen beetle.

Troubled teenage car tinkler, Charlie, accidentally activates the broken Bumblebee and his homing signal. The Decepticons, Shatter and Dropkick, intercept the signal and head to Earth to hunt for Bumblebee. Charlie helps Bumblebee regain his ‘voice’ and strength.

Bumblebee has always been my favourite Transformer, he is fun and endearing. It was off putting to hear him speak near the start, I prefer the radio interpretations of his words and phrases. He stole the show though, doing the best robot becomes ‘human’ turn since the T-101 in Terminator 2.

I still get so excited when the Transformers transform, the CGI and sound effects are always excellent in the Transformers films and it takes me back to being a child in the 1980s, so the 1987 setting and soundtrack was a double delight. Hailee Steinfeld was likeable as Charlie and Jorge Lendeborg Jr. was cute as her friend, Memo. However, John Cena (Agent Burns), wasn’t great.

The family dynamic which was such a fun part of other Transformers films, especially Shia LeBeouf’s films, was present here but not to the same level of amusement. Pamela Adlon and Stephen Schneider did their best as Sally and Ron, mother and stepfather to Charlie, but I didn’t feel as connected to the humans as I did the robot.

Bumblebee is a story more about friendship and being lost, than a big action spectacle, and has a warmth not present in Michael Bay’s Transformers outings. It’s nicely directed with only a few, forgivable, cheesy moments.

There is some time with Optimus Prime at the start and in the distance at the end, in truck form, I would have liked to see a bit more interaction between him and Bumblebee. Overall, Bumblebee is a cute and fun addition to the franchise.