Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.5
Overall		4.0

Bumblebee 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Bee sure to give the 'Transformers' franchise another chance with this excellent reboot.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman March 23, 2019

If there has ever been a movie franchise in dire, desperate need of restraint and a restart, it was Transformers. What began as a larger-than-life novelty on the cutting edge of digital manipulation became one of the most bloated, boring, and increasingly nonsensical franchises in film history. Michael Bay's signature style evolved from complimentary hallmark to franchise focal point, with the later films sacrificing coherent story in the name bigger special effects, film breaking humor overload, and "Bayhem" cranked up to max. It didn't help that the Transformers themselves looked nothing like they are supposed to look. Sure the CGI artistry was striking, but...what on Cybertron were this things?. Enter 2018's Bumblebee, a much more reserved and very welcome reboot that is itself not without flaws but that is a substantial step in the right direction that addresses many of the fatal flaws that ultimately brought Bay's vision for the universe to its knees. A basic origins story wrapped up in sincere human drama that plays up characters and tones down humor, Transformers that look like Transformers, and action that isn't overwhelmed by style all elevate the film to challenge Bay's original as the best and return the franchise to holding great promise for its future.

To Earth!

The civil war on the planet Cybertron is coming to an end. The world has fallen to the evil Deceptions and the heroic Autobot are forced to flee the planet and regroup. Autobot leader Optimus Prime (voiced by Peter Cullen) orders one of his most loyal soldiers, B-127 (voiced by Dylan O'Brien), to travel to a well-hidden planet called Earth, guard it from Deception attack, and await the regrouping Autobots. But, upon arrival, B is attacked by humans and Deceptions alike. His voice synthesizer is damaged, and the Autobot has no choice but to go into hiding. Soon thereafter, 18-year-old Charlie Watson (Hailee Steinfeld), traumatized by her father's death and looking to find her place in the world, arranges to take possession of a dilapidated Volkswagen Beetle that she quickly learns is more than meets the eye. Charlie and "Bumblebee," as she calls him, quickly bond, but when the Decpticons, aided by Sector 7's Jack Burns (John Cena), are alerted to B's whereabouts, Charlie finds herself in the middle of an alien war being fought on Earth.

Bay's first Transformers film was unquestionably one of the great spectacles of its time, but it wasn't exactly the Transformers movie longtime fans really wanted. The franchise' quick descent and ultimate critical crash-and-burn certainly put the onus on Paramount and Hasbro to try something else. Bumblebee reboots the franchise with a more sincere, grounded origins story that rights so many wrongs that became apparent throughout Bay's run at the top. It's a live action recreation of the original cartoon, with some liberties taken but the robots by-and-large look like the cartoon counterparts, even if there's still that necessary level of complexity beyond the surface that Bay introduced in his films. It's a nice balance between maintaining the style of the "G1" ("Generation 1") Transformers and those seen in the Bay films. Bumblebee's production design team has found a proper balance between functionality and familiarity. The film's opening battle on Cybertron will leave fans of the classic Transformers line grinning from ear to ear. Right away the film establishes its new look, grounded in the original and most familiar visual aesthetics, signaling its intention to, essentially, have its cake and eat it, too, to play the movie big and spectacular but hearken back to the classics fans know and love.

As the action shifts to Earth, the film takes on a more deliberate tone, crafting a more intimate character study rather than exploring every opportunity to accelerate momentum and fill the screen with frenzy. The film limits the number of Transformers on the screen on Earth. There are but three total that are critical to the story, Bumblebee and two Deceptions, which keeps there focus firmly on the characters but does slow the movie a little during its middle stretch. But the film wasn't made to thrive on action. It wasn't made to obliterate the senses. Bumblebee works best when it's building the relationship between the title character and this film's Sam Witwicky, 18-year-old Charlie Watson, a young girl whose life is shaped by loss, rejection, and uncertainty. Her story develops and evolves over time. Her relationship with Bumblebee allows her the opportunity to find her voice, her confidence, a sense of place and purpose. The character's slowly evolving arc works because the film allows it time to do so. It's not interrupted by extremes or overwhelmed by excess. The character is not filling a space but rather shaping the narrative. Steinfeld is good because the movie allows her to expand and explore, and her story in turn becomes an integral part of the plot. It’s not about folding every scene of hers into a hyper-stylized world. There’s a sincerity to Steinfeld’s performance because the script affords her the opportunity to develop the character and find her center, not just pose for the camera and stand in the middle of mayhem.

Bumblebee 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The included screenshots are sourced from a 1080p Blu-ray disc. Watch for 4K screenshots at a later date.

Bumblbee was digitally photographed, reportedly at a resolution of 3.4K, and finished at 2K. The image offers a noticeable, if not fairly standard, UHD boost to textures and colors over the excellent Blu-ray that make this the definitive home video version of the film, but not necessarily a top-end reference image or a significant leap from 1080p. Human skin details -- pores, hairs -- are more complexly visible, tactile, more easily and readily defined. Environments are appreciably more dense and detailed as well, including the wooded area seen during the paintball exercise that opens the film's story on Earth, Charlie's home, the carnival grounds, or the garage where Charlie spends much of her free time. The scrap yard area is of particular note, where rusted old cars and boats yield a heathy increase in detail over the 1080p image. The digital effects are polished, too, with the upscaled 4K resolution showcasing the various moving parts with a clarity and precision the Blu-ray cannot quite find. The increase in total image sharpness yields a wonderful presentation that plays very well at the larger aspect ratio, effectively pulling the viewer into the film's 1980s man vs. machine world.

The Dolby Vision color palette offers further image clarification. The improvements to depth and saturation often greatly enhance the image, particularly when it comes to the Transformers. The opening Cybertron battle offers a dazzling display of colorful characters, laser blasts, and explosions, all of which yield greater intensity and saturation over the Blu-ray. Bumblebee yellow, even under layers of caked-on grime and dirt, presents with greater boldness and tonal accuracy. One of the best examples of the Dolby Vision color improvements comes in the character's blue eyes. The shade is much brighter, deeper, and solidified by improved luminance. Colors enjoy these sort of refinements whether during bright daytime exteriors, warmly lit interiors, or nighttime scenes, where black levels depth appears more dense and accurate. Flesh tones push a little warm at times, but the image overall favors a fairly neutral palette rather than the hyper contrast from Bay's films. Light noise remains in evidence but the picture is otherwise free of serious blemish. This is a very cinematic, highly enjoyable UHD image. It's not the most dynamic on the market, but it's sharp and clear and a healthy upgrade over the Blu-ray.

Bumblebee 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Bumblebee's Dolby Atmos soundtrack delivers, just as expected from a Transformers movie. There's no shortage of intensive surround implementation, several good examples of overhead engagement, and bass is prolific throughout. Meteors scream down in chapter seven with a highlight top end movement. Helicopters rush through with discrete overhead engagement in chapter 14. Action scenes are wonderfully realized, from the opening battle on Cybertron forward, with tremendous depth to gunshots, full-use surround integration, and wide front stretch. Each action scene is an exercise in precise and potent movie soundtrack engineering. There are a few moments when depth overpowers finesse, when subtle details sound a little muted, particularly during the climactic action scenes, but these are mostly trivial shortcomings that don't interrupt the sonic flow and flavor at work. Score is large and clarity is distinguished. A number of popular 80s tracks are heard in spurts throughout, and each of them sounds better than when they were released back in the day. Dialogue is clear and detailed. It's well prioritized and maintains a firm front-center positioning.

Bumblebee 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Bumblebee's UHD disc contains no extras, but the bundled Blu-ray disc contains deleted and extended scenes, outtakes, and several featurettes. Also included is a physical glossy cover comic book entitled Sector 7 Adventures: The Battle at Half Dome. A digital copy code are included with purchase. This release ships with an embossed slipcover.

• Sector 7 Archive (1080p): Included are two extras. In Agent Burns: Welcome to Sector 7 (0:50), John Cena's character introduces new recruits to the agency. Sector 7 Adventures: The Battle at Half Dome (9:19) is the motion comic version of the physical comic included with this release.
• Deleted and Extended Scenes (1080p, 19:05 total runtime): Included are Original Opening, Drive to Karate Class, Birthday Present, Car Wash and Beetle Breakdown, Charlie Drops Off Mona and Conan, Decepticons Inspect the Armory, Drive to Cliff, Sector 7, and Appliance War.
• Outtakes (1080p, 9:32 total runtime): Included are Burns Meets Bee, War Room, There's a Door in My Way, Charlie in Trash, and Saved the World.
• Bee Vision: The Transformers Robots of Cybertron (1080p, 3:56): The opening Cybertron war scene is paused to reveal which Transformers are participating in the battle.
• Bringing Bumblebee to the Big Screen (1080p): A five-part feature.
  
  
  • The Story of Bumblebee (3:54): Filmmakers and cast discuss rebooting the franchise by focusing on Bumblebee. They also cover the Bumblebee-Charlie relationship.
  • The Stars Align (7:04): Casting Hailee Steinfeld and John Cena and the qualities each brought to their parts.
  • Bumblebee Goes Back to G1 (10:02): Modeling the Transformers from the G1 1980s variants while also maintaining some of the design cues from the Michael Bay films.
  • Back to the Beetle (6:20): A look at Bumblebee as he appears in his car form in this film. Cast and crew talk up the more welcoming character traits, the character's history in the comic books and television series, and more.
  • California Cruisin' Down Memory Lane (19:57): This piece focuses on the production design that recreates the 1980s setting and aesthetics.

Bumblebee 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Bumblebee is a movie about balance. It allows its characters to develop naturally and necessarily. The film takes its time to tell its story but isn't bloated and bogged down by needless excesses. Action is terrific but not grossly over-stylized. The digital effects are complex but the artists respect classic Transformer designs. Bumblebee proves that it's not difficult to mix fan service, spectacle, story, and heart. It's also proof that there's always a way to properly reinvent a franchise, even a tentpole moneymaker like Transformers. The film could stand to tighten its editing just a bit through the middle, but this a fine film that sets the stage for a much more satisfying Transformers series if the filmmakers can practice the same restraint and character and narrative focuses that work so well here, even if they expand the story and character roster. Paramount's UHD is excellent, featuring terrific 2160p/Dolby Vision video and super-fun Atmos soundtrack. Several extras are included on the Blu-ray. Highly recommended.