BUMBLEBEE  2.9***

  Finally they made a good but not  great transformer movie. I stopped watching Michael Bay’s transformer movies after his 2^nd one because they all had become “slam-bang” action movies without any meaningful plot. Also Megan Fox ( a “hottie” and the “eye candy” in the first 2) ) was fired after the 2^nd one.  When I heard Bay was out and Travis Knight was in in for the next one, I decided to give this one a chance. . Fortunately Knight had a new concept that makes for a better transformer movie (no over the top action ,no oversexualized teen girls, and no continuous explosions all over the place),  a good film with a simple plot and heart.

Going back to the 80s to tell the story of when Bumblebee first arrived on Earth, this prequel attempts to revamp the Transformers franchise with more heart, a narrower focus and less explosions. Travis Knight finds a good balance between delivering what fans love, action, while offering a fresh take to entice back those who gave up on the franchise a few sequels ago. He partially succeeds. Anchoring the story is Hailee Steinfeld's Charlie, an 18 year old who is struggling with life, love and the loss of her father. It's an engaging turn for Steinfeld, and one that imbues this prequel with a human passion not even attempted in the previous Bay instalments. The  robotic hero is fun to hang out with.  Bee's childish antics, agile fighting style and steadfast loyalty is enduring. Also when he’s not a transformer he’s a yellow VW Beatle.

 Proving that blockbusters are not easy to get right, Knight fails to capitalize on the core emotional connection due to a string of underwhelming set pieces that, despite being shorter, still rely on the same choppy editing and topsy-turvy cinematography that has consistently cursed these movies. The 80s setting (and soundtrack) offers a welcome change of tone and the desire to produce a more character-driven entry is admirable.

It’s an entertaining film but when it comes to the story telling, it is lacking. There are scenes where the viewer is left confused, wondering or hanging. Some scenes are  repetitive and  not cut smoothly enough to be cohesive.  Hailee delivers a solid performance and is the perfect fit for the role.. The emotional component of the "missing father figure" and the "moving on" aspect is done nicely and gives the film some depth. It never threatens to break new ground and plays things a little too safe. But Bumblebee is still a fun and well-made movie that projects a nice sense of playfulness, which makes it the best Transformers film since Bay’s original.

Rated PG-13 for action type violence.