Transformers has become the butt of jokes in recent years, as the films have steadily lost the interest of more viewers with each release and proved that massive robot brawls can be boring when not handled properly. However, the franchise isn't going down without a fight, as the upcoming prequel, Bumblebee rolls out in theaters this December. The Transformers shake-up has Michael Bay out of the director's chair for the first time and Hailee Steinfeld as a teenage lead. The E.T.-inspired entry seeks to inject some heart into the franchise ,and it's catching the attention of none other-than Kevin Smith, who admitted the latest trailer had him a little misty-eyed. Take a look:
Based on his recent tweet, you can count Kevin Smith on board for the Transformer rebrand. The filmmaker made fun of Transformers back in 2006's Clerks II in a scene between Randal and Elias when the Michael Bay films were not yet on screen. The sequence has Elias explained to Randal how the cartoon show was a gift from God. Year later, the Clerks creator isn't joking about the franchise anymore, as he's stoked to see Bumblebee in a few months.
The film is directed by Kubo and the Two Strings director Travis Knight, who has been the lead animator for Laika films since its inception. Considering the endearing, coming-of-age stories found in these stop-motion films such as Coraline, the possibility of Bumblebee being a bit of a tearjerker is a distinct possibility. The movie centers on teenaged girl Charlie Watson living in the late '80s. She finds a yellow VW Bug in a junkyard to fix up, which ends up being a younger Bumblebee. The pair form an unlikely friendship and team up when its revealed that the Decepticons are coming back for an item the Autobot stole that they want back.
After 2017's Transformers: The Last Knight signaled a series low for the franchise, Bumblebee seems to be making some distinctive decision in hopes of keeping the property afloat. After Shia LaBeouf and Mark Wahlberg starred alongside the Autobots in the past, Bumblebee is opting for its first female lead and focusing more on developing characters audiences will care about. The movie will be the sixth film in the Transformer franchise, which started on a high note as one of the biggest films of the year back in 2007.
Bumblebee will, however, be opening alongside two other highly-anticipated films, Aquaman and Mary Poppins Returns, and it comes a little over a year after The Last Knight didn't impress many fans. With a fresh take on the series and movie fans such as Kevin Smith excited for the film, it might just do the trick. Bumblebee heads to theaters on December 21.
