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The sequel to Bumblebee, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts is the seventh live-action Transformers film, released in 2023.
Set seven years after the previous film, the Autobots have been stranded on Earth, unable to go home and help Cybertron. On one night, the Autobots detect an energy surge that they recognize as the Transwarp Key, an artifact that can return them home... just as Mirage makes contact with a human, Noah Diaz, setting both on worlds on a collision course with the past and the future.
Directed by Steven Caple Jr. Produced by Paramount Studios, Skydance, Hasbro, New Republic Pictures, di Bonaventura Pictures, and Bayhem Films. Distributed by Paramount Pictures.
Tropes used in Transformers: Rise of the Beasts include:
- Adaptation Dye Job: Unicron's optics are orange, when they're usually green or purple.
- Adaptation Species Change: Nightbird is a fully-fledged Cybertronian instead of a human-built drone.
- Adaptational Angst Upgrade:
- Unlike every other time across the Transformers mythos, this Optimus Prime doesn't like being stuck on Earth with no way home.
- In Beast Wars, Optimus Primal did not have a Dark and Troubled Past. Here he's one of the few survivors of his planet, mourning the death of his mentor. And whereas Beast Wars implied the Maximals came from a bountiful technocratic society, albeit with some Crapsaccharine World overtones, here their planet gets eaten by Unicron.
- Adaptational Badass:
- Mirage displays the ability to hold multiple alternate modes.
- Despite being the face of the Maximals, most versions of Optimus Primal are actually Almighty Janitors. This one is the leader of the whole faction. Well what's left of it.
- Unlike in Beast Wars, where the Maximals were human-sized and were blown apart pretty easily (though it was difficult to fatally damage them), these Maximals are the size of the Autobots and implied to be stronger than them.
- Terrorcons are usually easily-killable Mooks, being dangerous more for being able to Zerg Rush their enemies than anything else. These Terrorcons are dangerous killers, being able to overpower Optimus Prime's elites.
- Adaptational Jerkass: Optimus Prime who is much more snarky and dismissive of humans than usual. Though some comments suggest that this a Jerkass Facade and he's yet to grow into his more compassionate Friend to All Living Things mindset.
- Adaptational Niceness: Mirage was always an Autobot but he's usually a haughty elitist and the Cybertronian equivalent of old money. Here he's much more affable and not even close to classist.
- Adaptational Villainy: Nightbird and Battletrap go from simple Decepticons to servants of Unicron.
- Adaptational Wimp: Traditionally, Unicron does not actually need to eat planets, he's just that much of a dick. This version actually does need to eat an energon rich world to sate his hunger.
- Alien Arts Are Appreciated: Bumblebee and Mirage both enjoy human films.
- Always Someone Better: Thanks to Unicron's power, the Terrorcons to the Autobots.
- Ambiguous Situation:
- The ending of Bumblebee had seven Autobot escape pods touch down on Earth to meet Optimus and Bumblebee. Mirage, Arcee, Stratosphere and Wheeljack only account for four pods. What became of the other three Autobots is not mentioned.
- The Maximals being from the past and the future. The film heavily implies they're from the Autobots' relative future but it's never outright said. Though Word of God confirms the intent is for them to be time travellers.
- Ancient Aliens: Averted. Optimus Primal outright credits the Pyramids of Giza and the Nazca lines to human ingenuity.
- Armor-Piercing Question: Though both the Maximals and humans are disappointed by Optimus Prime's focus on Cybertron, Airazor outright asks if, were the Maximals in Prime's place, would they not act in the exact same way? Primal's silence speaks volumes as to his answer.
- Ascended Extra: When was the last time Mirage had any plot relevance?
- Bad Future: The Maximals are implied to come from one.
- Badass Bookworm: Elena Wallace. She's much smarter than her bosses at the museum and able to gleam the Transwarp Key's override shutdown.
- Big Brother Instinct: Noah's sole motive is to get enough money to fund his younger brother's healthcare. Elena notes that Optimus Prime has the same protective instinct towards the Autobots.
- Both Sides Have a Point: Optimus Prime and Noah's debate about saving Cybertron and saving Earth. Neither one are wholly wrong in their arguments but neither are wholly right. Optimus even acknowledges this later on.
- The Cameo: 60 Minutes host Lesley Stahl cameos as herself in the end interviewing Elena.
- Casual Interstellar Travel: The Transwarp Key can open a space/time portal to energon rich planets.
- Composite Character:
- Scourge is a huntsman and servant of Unicron like in Transformers Generation 1 but his appearance and status as an Evil Counterpart to Optimus Prime is more akin to his depiction in 2001's Robots in Disguise.
- Mirage has an alternate mode more akin to Jazz and a personality more akin to Hot Rod.
- The Maximals are a mix of their depictions in Beast Wars (being time travellers stranded on Earth) and Beast Machines (their more techno-organic designs and Optimus Primal's more shaman-esque qualities).
- Crossover: As a Sequel Hook, Noah is recruited into G.I. Joe.
- Deal with the Devil: The Terrorcons made one, serving Unicron in exchange for their lives.
- Death Is Cheap: A surge of raw energon introduced into their system can bring back a deceased Cybertronian.
- Demoted to Extra: For the first time in the movies, Bumblebee has only a minor role to play as he's dead for most of the film.
- Evil Versus Evil: Judging by the Predacon and Decepticon logos that Scourge has affixed to himself, the Terrorcons don't limit their evil to Autobots and Maximals.
- Forgotten Fallen Friend: No one seems particularly torn up over Airazor's death or the offscreen deaths of the Maximals she was leading.
- The Ghost: For once in a Transformers film, there are no Decepticons.
- Healthcare Motivation: Noah is trying to raise enough money to pay for his younger brother's healthcare treatments.
- Humans Through Alien Eyes: Optimus Prime's mindset. As Mirage explains to Noah, it's not that Optimus hates humans, it's that he's never taken the time to learn about them and is largely projecting his anger at being stuck on Earth onto them.
- Invisible to Normals: The Transwarp Key's energy operates on a frequency that humans can't perceive.
- It's Personal: Optimus Prime's crusade against Scourge for killing Bumblebee.
- Mythology Gag:
- The Maximals are from a new version of Jungle Planet.
- Scourge's stolen emblems include Predacons, the Cybertron Elite Guard and the Wreckers.
- Optimus summons the Autobots via "Calling all Autobots!", the same rallying cry he used in Transformers: Age of Extinction.
- Mirage briefly turns into a Ferrari, his alternate mode in Transformers: Dark of the Moon, and an F1 car, his traditional alternate mode.
- Scourge name-drops Primus for the first time in the live-action films.
- Like in the original comic, Unicron relies on heralds to do his bidding when he can't foot the massive energy bill to traverse interstellar distances instantly.
- Nice Job Fixing It, Villain: The Terrorcons activating the Transwarp Key catalyzes the energon ore, allowing Bumblebee to come Back From the Dead.
- Obviously Evil: Scourge is a rusted over warrior painted in shades of black and grey with menacing orange running lights. Even his alternate mode spews out black smoke.
- Powered Armor: When critically damaged, Mirage turns himself into one for Noah.
- Real After All: The Autobots didn't think Unicron was real until the Maximals told them so.
- Sealed Evil in a Can: Unicron is trapped in a distant galaxy in the future. The Transwarp Key would allow him to travel anywhere he wants.
- Sequel Hook: At the end, Noah is invited to join G.I. Joe.
- Slapstick Knows No Gender: Being female does not spare Nightbird from a variety of comical injuries.
- Shout-Out:
- Mirage mentions he's watched Big. Noah compares him to the title character from E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial soon after.
- Noah and Kris' codenames for one another are "Sonic" and "Tails". Mirage is "Knucles" while Optimus Primal is "Donkey Kong".
- There's No Place Like Home: Optimus Prime's goal is to use the Transwarp Key to get back to Cybertron. Though justified as his intent is to subvert the Decepticons's fascist grip on his homeworld.
- Truer to the Text:
- Compared to Transformers: Dark of the Moon, Mirage is a much more faithful update of his G1 self, having his iconic blue and white paint and his actual name. He's also got his hologram powers, something usually given to Hound.
- Unicron is shown in his traditional monster planet form rather than being Earth's core like in Transformers: The Last Knight.
- Unexplained Accent: Noah openly questions why Wheeljack would have a Mexican accent when he lives in Peru. He gets no answer.
- Warts and All: Optimus Prime, much to Optimus Primal's shock.
- Worthy Opponent: Though he is the stronger of the two, Scourge clearly enjoys throwing down with Optimus Prime.