It’s time for audiences to roll out into theaters again with Transformers: Rise of the Beasts. This is the seventh movie of the Transformers series, starring Anthony Ramos and Dominique Fishback as two people who team up with the Autobots to save Earth. The Transformers live-action film franchise has had a long history beginning with Michael Bay’s original film in 2007.
Here is our Transformers movie ranking.
7. Transformers: The Last Knight (2017)
Easily the weakest installment of the franchise is Transformers: The Last Knight. Michael Bay officially bit off more than he could chew with the fifth movie in the series. Although he successfully changes up the formula a little in this one by having Optimus Prime become Nemesis Prime, he forgets how to make an action movie fun. The story is overstuffed, the characters are boring, and Bay contradicts the lore that he set up himself in the original film. With its constantly shifting aspect ratios and mindless action, it’s a wonder that Oscar-winning actor Anthony Hopkins agreed to be in this film.
6. Transformers: Age of Extinction (2014)
Although none of Bay’s sequels are particularly strong, Age of Extinction was the beginning of the end for his stint as the franchise director. An overly long blockbuster with so many explosions and idiotic moments, this movie is running on steam for 2 hours and 45 minutes. It has a few fun action sequences and gets some mileage out of Mark Wahlberg being an overprotective dad, but it squanders all of it with annoying characters and blatant product placement.
5. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009)
Revenge of the Fallen had its script impacted by the 2007-08 writer’s strike. It is apparent that the filmmakers were trying to find an excuse to put together a story after the first film, and it ultimately does not make sense. Sam Witwicky getting possessed with knowledge by a shard of the All-Spark (despite carrying it throughout the predecessor’s finale) leads to hilarious moments. The movie features grotesque humor and absurd plot points and is the peak of Bay’s cynical, sexualized directorial style.
4. Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011)
A mild improvement over Revenge of the Fallen, Transformers: Dark of the Moon continues to make poor decisions. There are still too many subplots and characters, but from a story perspective it is more robust than the weaker films in the series. It has an exciting final action set piece, but everything besides the last 45 minutes can be tedious, with a shoehorned subplot surrounding a love triangle with Sam, his new girlfriend Carly, and her boss Dylan.
3. Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (2023)
Directed by Steven Caple Jr., Rise of the Beasts is one of the stronger films in the series. It brings in two likable lead characters alongside Autobots, Maximals, and Terrorcons. It’s an entertaining summer action film with a lot of humor and an adventure at its center. The issue is how formulaic a lot of the film feels. Although it removes Bay’s brash humor and color palette, it strips away his personality too. This movie can feel like a mid-tier Marvel Cinematic Universe movie with how familiar it feels. However, ultimately, it’s hard not to have fun seeing metal machines battle each other in this film.
2. Transformers (2007)
The one that started it all is one of the best films in the series. It captures a lot of excitement with the story of Sam Witwicky, his crush on Mikaela Banes, and getting a new car named Bumblebee. It’s an action-packed film that throws a lot of fun at the screen without being overbearing. It’s exciting, and it builds the world of the Autobots and the Decepticons excellently while featuring all of Bay’s trademarks.
1. Bumblebee (2018)
When the series desperately needed a reboot after The Last Knight, they called in Kubo and the Two Strings director Travis Knight to helm a prequel about the fan-favorite character Bumblebee. This is a bit of an origin story, as we learn how he lost his voice, how he got his name, and how he learned to speak with the radio. This is an excellent movie that serves as the first Transformers movie to capture that adolescent 80s nostalgia, with characters that you care about as much as the robots. Although the film can be too reminiscent of films like E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial and The Iron Giant, it follows the formula well, with Hailee Steinfeld as a wonderful lead.
