Transformers Franchise Ranking

With the release of Transformers: Rise of the Beast, I figured it would be a good time to share my thoughts and ranking of the 7 Transformers movies. The Transformers films are a franchise that I would consider Junk Food movies. They are big, loud, and really entertaining but are not very good in terms of a comprehensive plot and logic. I have always had enjoyment with these movies. They are good turn-off-your-brain dumb fun movies. The action and special effects are also all pretty well done. There is never a dull moment in these movies. They are not high-quality cinema but in the end, I am here to watch giant robots punch each other in the face. With that being said, here are my thoughts and ranking of the 7 Transformers films.

7. Transformers: The Last Knight

Michael Bay's last entry into the Transformers franchise is definitely the worst in the franchise. Before the release of this movie, Paramount shared that the Transformers writers went away on a retreat and came back with 17 different movie ideas for Transformers. This movie felt like they crammed all of those ideas into one movie and called it good. There are so many different storylines that it is impossible for one to be good. Optimus Prime trying to find Cybertron, Prime turning evil, Cybertron invading Earth, King Arthur, and Transformers are being hunted by the government, just to name a few. This movie has no focus and jumps around to too many different plot lines that the whole movie is just a mess. There is no reason why all of these plots should be one film as some of them aren't even remotely connected to others. It also has a mess of dialogue as it literally spends 5 minutes talking about how long it has been since Mark Wahlberg has had "whoopie" (the character's words, not mine). The characters themselves are all super bland and pointless with none of them getting any sort of arc. Even the action is super forgettable with no fun sequences. In the end, this is a disaster of a Transformers movie and not a good way for Michael Bay to go out of the franchise.

Grade: D+ Score: 4/10

6. Transformers: Age of Extinction

This Transformers movie is not much better than its sequel but gets the spot above because it pretty much is so bad that it loops back around to being good. Plus you can't really go wrong with Dinosaur robots. This movie tries to cram two disconnected stories together and try to make one cohesive plot, Transformers being hunted by a bounty hunter and Transformers being created by humans, which do not work together at all. The bounty hunter plot has one villain while the human plot line has another. Neither are in the film at the same time so it basically feels like two different movies. Both of these stories would be fine on their own but just do not make any sense being together in this movie. This movie is also way too long with a run time of almost 3 hours with only about 2.5 hours of material. It has way too much going on for the story they wanted to tell. Just like the last movie, this one makes some really poor choices in terms of dialogue. They literally stop the movie just to explain why it's ok for an adult to be dating a minor. A concept they put more thought into than the actual plot of the movie. The characters in this movie are a bit more memorable but only because of how poorly written they are. Overall, while this film does loop around to the point that it is so bad that it's good and gives quite a bit of entertainment, it is still a big dumpster fire. Then again, it made over a billion dollars so what do I know.

Grade: C Score: 5/10

5. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

Revenge of the Fallen is a significant step up from the previous two on this list. Though, it is still not a great movie. This movie has some interesting elements, with Sam going away to college and the Transformers working for the army. These are both compelling and natural directions for the movie to go. We get to see both Bumblebee and Sam cope with not having the other around. The missions that the Transformers go on with the army are also a lot. I also like the direction they took Optimus Prime. It gives the other characters a chance to grow and learn how to do things without him. However, there are a lot of stupid elements as well. Megatron being revived because they couldn't come up with another villain, Sam's mom getting high off of pot brownies and a horny transformer that can turn into a human are just a few of the choices that really knock the movie back. As a whole, The first half of this film is actually pretty solid. But about halfway through, there is a complete switch and the movie goes into full bonkers mode and is absolute chaos that just does not work or make sense. The movie turns into a treasure-hunting film in the middle and then just has an absolutely chaotic final battle. None of these things in the second half really work. If its second half was as good as its first half, this would be higher on the list. In the end, this movie starts off strong, but then completely falls apart by going way over the top.

Grade: C+ Score 6/10

4. Transformers: Dark of the Moon

This Transformers movie is a significant step up from the previous Transformers films on this list and the first one I would go positive on. The story is a lot more straightforward, the battles are a lot better and the villains are much stronger. While this film does have quite a bit of ridiculous moments in it, it is still a lot of fun. The battle in Chicago is probably the best out of all of the Transformers movies, giving moments to shine to both the human and transformer characters. It is also really cool to see Leonard Nimoy in this movie as a Transformer. One of the moments that doesn't really work is Sam's whole job subplot and relationship. Sam at his job feels way out of place with the rest of the movie and none of it really feels like it works. I also couldn't really buy into Sam's relationship with his new girlfriend, Carly. There is no explanation for why he isn't with Mikaela (the Megan Fox character). Carly doesn't add anything to the story and just kind of is there. I also felt that she and Sam did not have much chemistry together. All in all, this is a pretty good Transformers movie with just a few unsuccessful plot points that keep it from being great.

Grade: B Score: 7/10

3. Transformers

The first Transformers movie is one of the best Transformers movies. This movie is the most straightforward of the Transformers movies working as a boy and his dog story, or in this case, a boy and his car story. The action doesn't seem too over the top but still enough so that it's enjoyable to watch. The Transformers and Sam are all really fun to watch with each having some great moments. There are some pretty funny moments with Sam in the first half of the film with him trying to figure out his car. I also enjoyed the Army character. They all bring in a lot of energy and are always fun to watch. The main issue with this movie is there there are way too many characters and stories in the first half. There is Sam with the Transformers, the soldiers being chased by a Decepticon, and the computer hacker trying to figure out what the Decepticons are. In the second half, all of these characters come together along with a bunch of others that tag along and it just becomes too much to keep track with half of the characters not adding any value in the final fight. I also felt the movie was just a hair too long. Had they tightened things up by about 15-20 minutes, I think it would have been much smoother. Overall, this is the best of the Michael Bay Transformers films, it just had a few too many issues to keep from the top two spots on this list.

Grade: B Score:7.2/10

2. Transformers: Rise of the Beasts

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts is a significant step up from the Michael Bay era of Transformers movies. The story here is much simpler, the action is less "boomy" and the characters are more likable. This movie gives a much more streamlined story and doesn't go overboard with the number of subplots and side characters. Mirage is a really fun addition to the franchise. He has such a fun energy and always has some fun one-liners or jokes. The action in this movie is also a lot of fun. It is still over the top but it isn't absurd like a Michael Bay film. The human characters are also a lot of fun. They both have their own goals and personality and something about them that just makes them fun to watch. Finally, the addition of the Maximals was so cool. I really liked seeing the robot monkey punch the bad guy in the face. There are a few things that keep this from number one. The first issue is that it does take a good while to get going. We don't get any Transformer action for about 30 minutes. The movie's villain was also a bit generic. He didn't have anything to him that made him stand out. I also felt that the Maximals were underutilized. I wish they would have had a larger presence in the film. Finally, I felt that the CGI was a bit questionable at times. In the end, this was a fun Transformers film that kept me entertained but had a few too many issues to allow it to be the number-one film.

Grade: B Score: 7.4/10

I. Bumblebee

The best Transformers movie is actually the spinoff film of the franchise. It is a much simpler film than every other film in the franchise. It doesn't have any of the over-the-top action the other films have as this film only has 3 transformers that are important to the story. This movie is very reminiscent of E.T. as it is set in the 80s and features a lost alien. The bond between Charlie is one of the most compelling parts of the movie and is also very similar to that in E.T. We get to see Charlie expose Bumblebee to a lot of fun aspects of Earth culture which leads to a few fun Breakfast Club references. Charlie, on her own, is a pretty compelling character. We get to see what her goals are and her whole struggle with losing her dad. The fight sequences in this movie are also pretty great as they are a lot more focused and not so loud. I also really enjoy the whole Bumblebee rescue sequence towards the end of the film where we really get to see Charlie shine. Finally, this movie delivers a lot of sweet moments between Bumblebee and Charlie that just make it feel more and more like a classic 80s movie. In the end, this is a great Transformers movie that pays a nice tribute to E.T. and is a solid addition to the franchise.

Grade: B+ Score: 8/10