LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: When the first 'Transformers' live-action film was released back in 2007, it wasn’t just the blistering action sequences that were praised, but the charming camaraderie between Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf) and his protector Bumblebee, who spoke through the radio, was also applauded.
Fans around the world loved their friendly banter and enjoyed the human-robot relationship that delved into trust, loyalty, and most importantly friendship. The arena of friendly and brotherly relationships between humans and autobots has been a recurring theme in the 'Transformers' series, and it turns out, ‘Transformers: Rise of the Beasts,’ looks to continue this long-standing tradition.
Noah, an ex-military electronics expert is caught in the crossfire between the autobots and decepticons when he tries to steal a car which eventually turns out to be autobot Mirage. This was a complete happenstance but comparing this to the first 'Transformers' film, one finds that Bumblebee actually came looking for Sam and did not accidentally meet him. However, Sam and Bumblebee are a thing of the past. For now, ‘Rise of the Beasts' focuses on a new human-robot-friendly symbiosis with Mirage, a first-generation autobot, and Noah. Bumblebee may have to sit this one out and just focus on fighting without the threat of saving a human hanging over his head. Does this tell us that Mirage is the new equivalent of Bumblebee as far as autobot and human interaction go?
Who is Mirage?
Mirage is a first-generation autobot whose primary abilities involve turning invisible and creating illusions. He fought for the autobots in ‘Transformers: Dark of the Moon’ and helped defeat Sentinel and Megatron. His car form in ‘Dark of the Moon’ was a red Ferrari 458 Italia but in ‘Rise of the Beasts,’ he is upgraded to a silver and blue striped Porsche 911. He accidentally meets Noah and eventually turns into his sidekick. Their budding relationship is explored across the terrain as they go fighting hand in hand against the threat of the decepticon fraternity and gear up for the biggest threat of planet killer, Unicron. Noah ends up caring for Mirage and eventually helps the autobots in their cause against the evil decepticons. A plot eerily reminiscent of Sam and Bumblebee’s comradeship in the first 'Transformers' film.
Is Mirage better than Bumblebee?
Fans of the 'Transformers' series have an emotional bond with that yellow Camaro that transforms into Bumblebee when required. He is the only transformer to have a solo film to his name while the others still fight in the shadows. Despite his adoring ways, Bumblebee can still be a menacing threat to anyone who threatens the Autobots. But to say that Mirage is better than Bumblebee is extremely far-fetched. On technicality, Mirage does possess an advantage given his illusions and trick of invisibility, but Bumblebee seems to have more heart in the fight, from what the films have shown us.
Bumblebee is a fan favorite undoubtedly. If Mirage sets to dethrone him as a beloved character, he needs to have way more gravitas and screen time in ‘Rise of the Beasts’ to achieve that feat. Mirage has Noah to recreate the magic of Sam and Bumblebee, but it’s hard to forget the ones who were there first, hoisting the flags of love and friendship.
