Autobots and the evil Decepticons have been going against each other on the big screens since 2007 with the kickstart of the ‘Transformers‘ movie franchise. However, in its 17 years across three decades, not all of the movies have been created the same way, some lacking quality in its making and just outright disappointing fans, while the others hit it right on the spot.
The ‘Transformers‘ movies have grossed billions at the box office, but fan and critic opinions have been mixed. Some of the earlier films were praised heavily for their incredible visuals and action sequences, while the later entries faced criticism for focusing more on style than substance. Now nearing nearly two decades, the Transformers franchise has seen a lot of approaches and execution. Let’s have a look at them ranked.
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7. Transformers: The Last Knight (2017)
The fifth and final Transformers movie with Michael Bay at the help is often recognized as the weakest in his tenure. The fatigue had been set on the franchise by the fans and most agreed with the critics’ verdict of the movie being an over-bloated, nonsensical movie.
It introduced unnecessary elements, such as the Transformers having interacted with humanity as far as King Arthur’s time, and also continued the confusing storyline of humans hunting the robots. It tanked at the box office, making the least money out of Michael Bay’s movies, and to add humiliation on top, won two Razzies, solidifying its status as the weakest entry in the franchise.
6. Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen (2009)
Proving the cliche of sequels being worse than the original, the sequel to the first entry put all of its focus on the wrong things. Overwhelming action sequences which sacrificed the plot and characters tried to do too much by expanding the lore instead of building up existing foundations.
Megan Fox’s character was watered down into a mere sex symbol and new additions like the confusing ‘racist robots’ Skids and Mudflap certainly didn’t help the movie. While it has its moments, such as the forest battle, Revenge Of The Fallen, quite literally falls short as compared to its predecessor.
5. Transformers: Age Of Extinction (2014)
2014’s ‘Transformers: Age Of Extinction’ excited fans at first with the prospects of the Dinobots and others. However, it failed to deliver a truly epic Cybertron-scale story and instead got weighed down by the unnecessary introduction of the human villains.
Mark Wahlberg took over the lead from Shia LaBeouf for this entry, which was plagued by generic acting which had no real ties to the rest of the characters in the movie. The Dinobot element of the movie was underutilized and wasn’t able to save an entry that was yet again all style and no substance.
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4. Transformers: Dark Of The Moon (2011)
Shia LaBeouf’s last outing in the Transformers franchise came with ‘Transformers: Dark Of The Moon’. Dark of the Moon saw improvements like a returning voice cast and well-put-together action. Side characters were also given layers and added to the star power.
However, it continued focusing a bit too much on spectacle over story with a nonsensical plot. Rosie Huntington-Whiteley replaced fan favorite Megan Fox but didn’t pack a punch like Fox’s character did. Some great sequences like the Chicago battle makes it an upgrade from the previous entries, but still focuses of the flaw’s of the franchise under Michael Bay.
3. Transformers: Rise Of The Beasts (2023)
The latest entry into the franchise, ‘Transformers: Rise Of The Beasts,’ delivered what they promised to fans – an epic Cybertron-scale story with grit and heart. Including fan-favorite Beast Wars characters was a thrill, but the focus on the new human leads like Anthony Ramos adds life to this movie.
The humans and their bond with Optimus Prime drive a thoughtful story forward with the inclusion of amazing and massive fight sequences. The visually stunning 1994 New York setting breathes life into it and proves that the franchise is worth investing in when made right, satisfying both fans and critics.
2. Bumblebee (2018)
A surprise hit, ‘Bumblebee’ took the franchise in a whole new direction with a smaller scale 80s period spin-off focusing on the bond between Charlie, played by Hailee Steinfeld, and her new car, Bumblebee. Hailee Steinfeld nails her role while John Cena provides as a great antagonist.
It’s the first film in the franchise to get the human/robot dynamic spot on and features exciting and immersive action sequences. A breath of fresh air was paved with this spin-off that gave fans hope for the future of the franchise and what could be done with it.
1. Transformers (2007)
The movie that started the live-action frenzy of the franchise, 2007’s ‘Transformers’ is definitely the strongest entry that solidified its stance for the next two decades to come. Its amazing visuals which were ahead of its time captured the sense of wonder seeing these robots brought to life for the first time and introduced beloved characters simultaneously.
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Shia LaBeouf and Megan Fox added to the robot saga with their relationship with the robots and chemistry with one another as well. The movie executes more balanced storytelling, focusing on world-building as well as having high-octane explosions and sequences. Peter Cullen as Optimus Prime cemented its faithful adaptation and firmly positioned it to be a fan favorite frenzy.
