With Michael Bay’s “Transformers,” in 2007 being a smash hit, it allowed the franchise to really shine in the eyes of the public, with four sequels being pumped out to recreate the success of the first live action film since. However, with each release, the quality of each film took a hard nosedive and by the fifth entry, the world had just collectively moved on. “Transformers: The Last Knight,” in 2017 had crashed hard, which seemed to be the end of Bay’s hand in directing these movies. Three movies later and it seems Bay is ready to return to the director’s seat for more movies.
With “Bumblebee,” “Transformers: Rise of the Beasts” and “Transformers One,” being created with different creative visions and producing less than desirable results in terms of box office returns, it seems Bay is returning in hopes of bringing back old success. But is this for the best? Transformers wasn’t necessarily the highest quality cinema under Bay; however, it did leave a lasting effect on the film series, with “Bumblebee” and “Transformers: Rise of the Beasts,” clearly attempting to replicate Bay’s style without having Bay, which led to a muddled tone and feel to the movies.
With an 8th and 9th movie to be confirmed to be in the works and a “G.I. Joe,” crossover still in the air, it’s very debatable how the franchise will turn out. It’s very likely that the franchise will return to Bay’s repetitive and nonsensical style, unless he learns from past mistakes and aims to create films that try new, creative ideas, Transformers may be very well fated to fail. It’s a shame too, as “Transformers One,” was one of the best movies the franchise has seen in a while and with its failure at the box office, it’s clear that we aren’t getting anything like it in a long time. The film’s director, Josh Cooley, had stated that Paramount lacks interest in a sequel for the film. With Bay’s return, the franchise’s future is uncertain at best.
