Premiere On 3 January, Liberty Cinemas Ltd., the official distributor of Paramount Pictures in Sri Lanka, hosted the yellow carpet premiere of Bumblebee at the Scope Cinemas Multiplex at Colombo City Centre. The event welcomed Colombo’s elite and special invitees one day before the film’s official release in the island. The movie Director Travis Knight’s film about the fan-favourite yellow Autobot – Bumblebee, is a relatively simple story about a girl and her friend, who just so happens to be a rebel robot fleeing the oppressive faction of his alien race. Thanks in part to the 80’s setting, which is an awfully popular setting for movies of late, long-time fans were transported to a time when they themselves were first discovering Transformers just like Charlie, our heroine, discovers Bumblebee. The prequel nature of Bumblebee allows for a good course correction in that it gets what Transformers fans want to see. There’s a feel to that original Transformers cartoon that Michael Bay’s movie just didn’t capture, all Bay’s movies were coloured with cynicism; a very Hollywood, glossy, overly sexualised appeal to them that was just uncomfortable. Bumblebee manages to recapture that heart-warming feel of Transformers, not just its nostalgia, although that does help, but a sense of joy that Bay’s films just didn’t have. The film is easily the best we’ve seen in the franchise since the first one but that’s not saying much considering the quality of the others, but this is definitely leaps and bounds ahead of what we were subject to. The movie’s compelling new direction, dynamic new main star, and overall fresh cinematic approach really elevated the films experience. From a technical viewpoint, the movie couldn’t be more different to the older Transformers movies – the colour grading wasn’t overly saturated, there were barely any Dutch angles, and the action was framed in wide angles, making it comprehensible. The story in itself was nothing groundbreaking and its jarring similarities to E.T. were a bit troubling but the director’s obvious love for the franchise and its characters was palpable. There weren’t any annoying characters grating on your nerves (you know who), the family dynamic was simple and set up perfectly, and the staple military subplot was hammy, yet the tongue in cheek appeal was charming, performed serviceably by John Cena. But the best of all is Hailey Steinfeld’s incredibly sincere performance as Charlie, a girl trying to reconnect with someone for the first time since losing her father; Steinfeld’s performance is what really tips the scales on this film becoming the best entry in the franchise triumphing over the first Transformers movie. Overall, Bumblebee is a fun, heartfelt, and still action-filled Transformers prequel, a ray of glimmering hope for those long suffering fans waiting in the sidelines since 2007. Now that Michael Bay was forced to relinquish his throne as the overlord of the Transformers universe, fans can collectively exhale a great sigh of relief and truly hope for, not necessarily bigger, but better things. [gallery link="file" columns="2" size="full" ids="18386,18385,18383,18384"] Audience comments Steve Gomez [gallery columns="2" link="file" size="full" ids="18390"] “I’ve watched all the Transformers movies and to be honest this was very different, it felt like it came straight from the heart. One thing I really noticed was the robots and their transformations; it was actually really impressive, none of it felt too much or too little. The amount of detailing in the film was perfect – no other way to describe it other than being perfect. I’m a prop artist by profession and I notice those elements in a production and I thought everything in this movie was just smooth lines and smooth curves, unlike the other ones in the series which tend to be all sharp edges. This was like full of big blocks like Lego for kids; very feel good, very beautiful. And as for the cinema, I was impressed before the movie started – the audio preview and the pointers they gave to focus on the surround system were awesome. It’s my second time here, and it doesn’t really make much of a difference, might as well be the first time.” Duleeka Marapana [gallery columns="2" link="file" size="full" ids="18388"] “I really loved this movie and I really loved this theatre. The sounds and picture quality; everything was just perfect. Superb! This is the first time I came to this theatre, and I am definitely coming back.” Omesh Perera [gallery columns="2" link="file" size="full" ids="18389"] “I actually loved the movie and thought it was better than the very first Transformers movie and that was the best one form the series so far. That’s simply because of the fact that more than the action and the robots, it was all about the heart and Bumblebee has always been the guy with all the heart. The movie did justice to that character. And I have to say the cinematic experience is always fantastic, it’s my fourth time here at Dolby Atmos theatre, and it just gets better.” Dinakshie Priyasad [gallery columns="2" link="file" size="full" ids="18387"] “I am not exactly a fan of Transformers, but I really love this character – Bumblebee – so I decided to come see it. I thought it was a really good movie; I enjoyed it from beginning to end. I think it’s very close to us, and that’s why we really like it. It’s my fourth or fifth time at this cinema, and I’ve had this experience out of Sri Lanka and I think it’s a great opportunity for all to experience something like his within the country, for all Sri Lankans to have that cinematic feeling.”   BY Dimithri Wijesinghe Photos Indika Handuwala