Before the heroic Optimus Prime and the malevolent Megatron, there were Battle Convoy and MC143 Gun Robo P38 – shape-shifting robots with clunky names. They hailed from different action figure lines, connected only by the same manufacturer, Takara of Japan.

Optimus Prime’s precursor, Battle Convoy, was part of a ‘Diaclone’ series of toys depicting human-operated vehicles that could convert into massive robotic battle armor. With the release of Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, enthusiasts wonder if we need another gigantic monkey.

Call of the Beast
Paramount Pictures

Each year since, Hasbro and Takara kept the Transformers line lively and varied, quickly moving beyond the basic concept of cars as good guys and jets as bad guys. The lineup was soon bolstered by other additions, including an obscure and distant line of Takara’s Japan-only Transformers meant to emulate Godzilla – namely, the Godmasters series. It is from this 1985 Japanese exclusive from Takara called Deathsaurus that Transformers originated Beast Wars and, subsequently – Rise of the Beasts.

With this direct link to the recent Godzilla franchise, enthusiasts can see the appeal of including the cyborg equivalent of a Mecha-King Kong in the Transformers film series and cinematic universe. Is it an obvious answer to Mecha-Godzilla from 2022’s Godzilla Vs Kong? Yes, but it’s more than that, and the big screen version of Transformers: Rise of the Beasts has a history dating back nearly forty years.

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The Generation 1 line of Hasbro Transformers toys sold well, and the intellectual property asserted its firm grip in the emerging science fiction market, particularly for young kids and what would later be known as ‘tweens.’ Not so for Generation 2. There was lackluster fan response from even the most devoted collector kid, and sales reflected a slump in the late 80s that could be blamed partly on poor choices from Hollywood as well as poor performance from the stock market. In addition, highly-popular mutant turtles perhaps had a bit to do with it as well.

Transform, Transmute, Try Again!
Paramount Pictures

After the collapse of Generation 2, Hasbro deemed that the Transformers were overdue for a drastic change. Although fans were by now used to seeing attempt after attempt to keep the intellectual property as well as the toys fresh, impending revamps proved to include an unprecedented change in concept.

Gone was the idea of robots hiding as cars and jets – this new generation of bots was equipped with shells, scales, claws, fur, and teeth. The 1996 debut of the Beast Wars concept was met with hesitance by seasoned Transformers franchise fans, who by no means had the platform of the internet to connect and voice their misgivings.

It was unclear at first what connection this animalistic iteration had to the original Transformers in series, if any. Familiar factions of Autobots and Decepticons had been replaced by Maximals and Predacons. Optimus and Megatron, metallic legends of old, had turned in their windshields and chrome for bat wings and alligator skins. Fans were left pondering what story hook could prompt such a profound transformation.

Transformers, the live-action movie from Hasbro, DreamWorks, and Paramount Pictures, proved that a toy line could not only be a viable source of motion-picture storytelling but a blockbuster hit as well. For more than twenty-five years, talented writers and artists have expanded upon the rich universe of Transformers and collaborated to tell a wide gamut of Transformers stories in comics, a visually rich medium not bound by budgets or practical limitations. The Beast Wars of the comics transferred naturally to a CGI animated series and finally to a big-screen adaptation.

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Parade of Accolades
Paramount Pictures

Not just Hasbro and Kenner but also the production companies took a bold step forward with Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, a complete reimagining of the Transformers that is simultaneously a sequel to Bumblebee and also a prequel to 2007’s Transformers.

Throughout its release, Rise of the Beasts cast and the storyline was, for the most part, embraced by a new audience of Transformers fans. Many skeptical original fans were won over by the unfolding, deeply layered mythos. Optimus Primal was not a retread of the beloved Autobot leader but rather an expressive character tingling with the challenges of command and trying to balance his instinctive, explosive temperament with constant demands for measured response and leadership.

Peter Dinklage, Michelle Yeoh, Ron Perlman, and Colman Domingo effectively blend robot and human interactions, allowing the audience to form a genuine connection with the characters, successfully striking a balance between action and drama, and steering away from the excessive and immature elements often associated with previous installments.

Though garnering only a 3.8 out of 5 in general reviews, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts rewards new viewers and long-time fans with a more engaging and captivating Transformers film. By taking viewers from the city suburbs to the beautiful grassy hills and misty mountains of Peru to the beginning of the series, the action, characters, and plot all come together to bring new hope to the Transformer franchise.