DVD Corner

Bumblebee 4K UHD Review

“Bumblebee” is one of the ten best films of 2018.

After the fall of Cybertron, Bumblebee is sent to Earth to establish a base for the Autobots. Upon arriving (in the 80’s), Bumblebee is in immediate danger as he becomes hunted down by two duplicitous Decepticons (Shatter and Dropkick) and a secret Government agency (Sector 7) that views him as a threat. Bumblebee does meet some new friends though including a spirited teen (Charlie) who gets her first car that happens to be Bumblebee in disguise along with Charlie’s friend and neighbor Memo.

While financially successful, the bloated, noisy, and sloppy Michael Bay Transformers movies weren’t exactly what many franchise fans were hoping for. Sure, a few of the installments were entertaining spectacles, but none of them captured the joy that the comics, animated, series and toy lines brought. 2018’s “Bumblebee,” however, does just that.

When I heard Travis Knight was taking on directorial duties, I knew fans and moviegoers were in for something special. In order for the TF franchise to evolve, it needed fresh blood and Knight certainly brings a fresh perspective to the table. “Bumblebee” has everything you could want from a blockbuster and a Transformers movie. Are some of the story beats familiar? Absolutely, but there’s thrilling action set pieces, humor that actually works (love The Smiths and “The Breakfast Club” bits), heartfelt coming-of-age story elements, fun 80s nostalgia, references and appearances to Transformers mythology (the Cybertron sequence is stunning), and, most importantly, character. While Bumblebee himself is as delightful as always, the human element here is what really takes the movie to another level. Charlie is a great strong female character lead and Hailee Steinfeld is simply wonderful in the role. Ever since she stole the show in “True Grit,” it was obvious that Steinfeld was bound to be a star and “Bumblebee” definitely shows that she is. The rest of the human cast is memorable as well (particularly Charlie’s family members). Even John Cena, who I was initially concerned about, is adequate as an Agent.

Overall Thoughts: It’s a shame “Bumblebee” didn’t make as much as its predecessors due to major competition from the likes of “Aquaman” and “Spider-Man: Into The Spiderverse” because this is the Transformers movie people have been waiting for. Hopefully now on home video it will find a bigger audience because it absolutely deserves to.

Video/Audio:

Presentation: 1.78:1 2160p with HDR. How does it look? Simply put, this is the type of film that shines in 4K.

Audio Track: Dolby Atmos. How does it sound? The action, bot voices, and iconic sound FX are given the best home video audio treatment here.

Extras:
* Blu-ray copy
* Digital copy
* An exclusive mini-comic titled “Sector 7 Adventures: The Battle At Half Dome.”
* “Agent Burns: Welcome To Sector 7” – A video intro with John Cena’s Agent Burns character.
* “Sector 7 Adventures: The Battle At Half Dome”- A 9 minute motion comic.
* “Bringing Bumblebee To The Big Screen”- A 5 part extra that covers the characters, the G1 “Transformers,” the VW Beetle car, and the story.
* “Bee Vision: The Transformers Robots Of Cybertron”- This extra points out which Autobots and Decepticons make an appearance during the Cybertron sequence.
* 5 outtakes. Expect some bad John Cena humor that was thankfully not in the movie.
* 9 deleted/extended scenes including an original opening, more scenes with Charlie’s brother, and a “Gobots” joke.

March 20, 2019 - Posted by nicklyons1 | 4K UHD Review | Autobots, Bumblebee 4K UHD Review, Bumblebee Blu-ray, Bumblebee Movie, Cybertron, Decepticons, Gobots, Hailee Steinfeld, John Cena, Transformers, VW Beetle