WARNING: Spoilers for Bumblebee.
Here are the biggest spoilers from new Bumblebee movie. The sixth movie in the Transformers franchise, Bumblebee is a prequel set in 1987, 20 years before the events of Michael Bay's five explosive movies starring Shia LaBeouf and Mark Wahlberg.
This new take on the robots in disguise is directed by Travis Knight (Kubo and the Two Strings) and centers on Optimus Prime's most-trusted lieutenant, Bumblebee, who while in hiding on Earth befriends teenager Charlie Watson (Hailee Steinfeld). What follows is basically How To Train Your Iron Giant, as Bee and Charlie form a delightful friendship as they try to escape Decepticons and the US military.
Related: Transformers Complete Movie Timeline, From 4.5 Billion BC To 2018
Bumblebee is a genuinely fantastic film - not just the best entry in the Transformers franchise by a long margin, it's one of the best films of 2018 full stop. As such, you should definitely go out to the theater and see it as soon as possible. But for those of you who like to be prepared ahead of time, or if you're just curious as for what goes down and what it could mean for the future, we've still got you covered. Here are the biggest Bumblebee spoilers.
- This Page: The Transformers In Bumblebee
- Page 2: Bumblebee's Ending
10. The Autobots Are Evacuating Cybertron
Bumblebee opens on the Cybertron action sequence that's been the focus of the later trailers. This is actually the Autobot evacuation of their homeworld; the Decepticons are on the march and forcing the good guys into escape pods. Naturally, it's a fraught, tense action setpiece, and it frames the story of the film; B-127 is sent by Optimus Prime to scout out Earth to see if it's a suitable home for the Autobots.
We return to the sequence later in Bumblebee, getting to see Optimus in proper, desperate action.
9. The Cybertron Opening Includes So Many Transformers
The Cybertron opening is a big, frantic battle that will thrill any fans of the franchise not just because of how it evokes the original cartoon, but the sheer number of iconic Transformers that appear.
Along with Bumblebee and Optimus Prime, the Autobots feature Arcee, Wheeljack, Brawn, Ratchet and Ironhide, while the Decepticon attackers include Shockwave, Soundwave, Starscream and Ravage. Even though Bumblebee doesn't have as many main Transformers in the story, this opening five minutes offers more than enough G1-bang for your buck.
Related: Bumblebee Reveals Full Optimus Prime G1 Movie Design
8. Bumblebee's Voice Is Dylan O'Brien
This one was sadly openly spoiled well ahead of Bumblebee's release, but nevertheless is one of the film's coolest aspects. During the Cybertron opening and initial arrival on Earth, Bumblebee has his voice, provided by The Maze Runner's Dylan O'Brien. This is lost when Blitzwing viciously rips out Bee's voicebox.
Those who've seen all the Transformers films may notice something of a plot hole here. In 2017's The Last Knight, Bumblebee also spoke with his original voice, but there it was provided by sound designer Erik Aadahl.
7. Shatter and Dropkick Kill Cliffjumper
The main two villains of Bumblebee are Decepticons Shatter and Dropkick, triple-changers who are on the hunt for B-127. The film makes clear that they mean business right away, with the duo introduced killing classic Autobot Cliffjumper. It's not a pretty sight either; the pair are interrogating him on a moon by Saturn, then after getting Bumblebee's distress beacon (and thus having found their prize) they mercilessly slice him in half vertically.
Related: How Much Did Bumblebee Cost To Make?
6. The Decepticon Plan Is To Trick Autobots Into A Trap On Earth
Shatter and Dropkick aren't just looking for Bumblebee, they want to use B-127 as a means to create a trap for all escaped Autobots; the plan is to amass Decepticons on Earth and turn it into a trap for the survivors of Cybertron.
To achieve this, they form an alliance with Sector Seven (the Transformer-monitoring government agency from Michael Bay's films), tricking the humans into thinking they're the good guys so they can use their satellite network. It's implied that this is also how Sector Seven learns about Transformers (and, although the base is under the Hoover Dam, no mention to Megatron or the AllSpark is made).
Page 2 of 2: Spoilers For Bumblebee's Ending
5. Agent Burns Isn't Anybody... Yet
One of the most discussed characters in Bumblebee before release was John Cena's Agent Burns, with a range of fan theories about how he could play into the wider Hasbro mythology. Bumblebee is expected to be the start of a new era for Transformers, one that sees it begin to cross over with the likes of G.I. Joe and M.A.S.K., and Cena would seem like an obvious fit - it's been suggested he's Calhoun Burns or Duke.
If Cena does have a bigger role in Hasbro's movie future, however, Bumblebee doesn't reveal it. Agent Burns is just Agent Burns, a military commander who hunts down B-127 but eventually sees the error of his ways and helps the Autobot escape.
Read More: Is John Cena A G.I. Joe in Bumblebee?
4. Bumblebee Becomes A Camaro At The End
Bumblebee spends the majority of his solo movie in the form of a Volkswagen Beetle, a design he copies after his memory-wiping fight with Blitzwing. This is his classic G1 design that fans of the original toys will remember. However, don't expect him to keep it in the sequel - at the end of the movie, Bee goes on the run and to do so switches up to a 1977 Chevy Camaro. This is the same vehicle design he had at the start of the Michael Bay Transformers films, a rare moment of direct connectivity.
3. Bumblebee Leaves Charlie... And She Fixes Her Father Car
The emotional core of Bumblebee is his and Charlie's relationship, with each helping the other through a difficult time: he's lost his home and is on the run; she's grieving for her father. Together, they find a new lease of life, but after defeating Shatter and Dropkick, they must heartbreakingly part ways (although Bumblebee does play "Don't You Forget About Me" from The Breakfast Club, one of his favorite films, to lighten the mood).
The lessons aren't forgotten though. At the very end, as part of the credits sequence, Charlie fixes her father's car, getting to keep part of him with her.
2. Optimus Prime & Other Transformers Arrive At The End
Bumblebee doesn't have a post-credits scene per se, but right after Travis Knight's director credit, a couple of short scenes play. The first sees Bumblebee and Optimus Prime, who's now on Earth, discussing humanity as seven more Autobots crash through the atmosphere. This teases many more adventures to come, although the identity of the newly arriving good guys is kept a mystery.
1. Bumblebee Doesn't Reveal If It Connects To The Michael Bay Films
One of the biggest questions about Bumblebee is how it connects to the Michael Bay Transformers films. Is it a prequel, a proper reboot, or something in the middle? The answer after the movie remains up in the air; for every attempt to connect to Bay's films (Megatron was cut to maintain canon and Bee becomes a Camaro at the end), there's a plot hole (the Transformers have never been to Earth before, and the final scene contradicts the 2007 film). It would seem to be a soft reboot, opening the door to a future that lightly avoids the earlier movies. Indeed, putting aside narrative, Bumblebee goes to great efforts to distance itself from the director's typical Bayhem and has uniformly redesigned the robots in disguise.
