Bumblebee - Movie Review

Starring Hailee Steinfeld, John Cena, John Ortiz, Jorge Lendeborg Jr., Jason Drucker, Pamela Adlon, Stephen Schneider, Len Cariou, Glynn Turman, Edwin Hodge, the voices of Angela Bassett, Justin Theroux, Peter Cullan and Dylan O'Brien.
Written by Christina Hodson.
Directed by Travis Knight.

★★★

Hailee Steinfeld (True Grit) stars in what is easily the best Transformers movie to date. It's a prequel to Michael Bay's five films, featuring Bumblebee on his initial landing on Earth in 1987. After narrowly escaping a couple Decepticons, he has no memory and no ability to speak. There he befriends a girl with her own issues.

I liked how the movie leans into 1980's cinematic cliches. The mean girls from school. The militant jock-villain. Big Government's desire to kill aliens first, ask questions later. A good song changing everything. When Bumblebee is fumbling around a house, it had a distinct Harry & the Hendersons vibe.

I can't help but think that giving screenplay duties to Christina Hodson (Shut In) as opposed to Dudebro McSplosions contributed to it being the first Transformers movie with a heart. Someone give her the He-Man live-action movie. We'll know then that Teela, Sorceress, and Evil-Lyn will be characters that actresses would want to play besides for just the paycheck. (And who knows. John Cena as He-Man? I digress.)

Aquaman wins final box office weekend of 2018

For the weekend of December 28-30, 2018, Aquaman was the clear winner and it's on pace to outgross Justice League. It's already at $750 million worldwide.

Mary Poppins Returns didn't have the big upfront it would have liked, but it appears it should be able to have similar longevity to The Greatest Showman.

Bumblebee is doing about what it was designed to do. If it hits $100 million domestic, great, but its real business will be overseas.

The new releases from Christmas Day haven't been able to make a splash. Vice boasts a great cast, but how many film-goers really want to watch a two-hour rage screed about how what an evil mastermind Dick Cheney is? Doesn't quite have the bipartisan appeal of Adam McKay's previous political comedy-drama The Big Short. (I still want to see it.)

Holmes & Watson is one of the worst-reviewed films of Will Ferrell's career, and it will die an ignominious death.

In limited release, the three new ones all made between $15k-$21k per screen. They are On the Basis of Sex, starring Felicity Jones as young RBG; Destroyer, a gritty undercover drama starring Nicole Kidman; and Stan & Ollie, starring Steve Coogan and John C. Reilly as Laurel & Hardy during the final years of their career.

Opens January 4
ESCAPE ROOM with Deborah Ann Woll, Taylor Russell and Tyler Labine.