(Credits: Paramount Pictures)

The year was 2023, and the Transformers franchise roared back onto the big screen with Transformers: Rise of the Beasts. And now, Netflix has decided to add this superhit to its catalogue. And why not? The movie practically screams “blockbuster movie night”.

It is good news for all those who missed it in theatres. This is your chance to dive into giant robots, the ultimate ’90s nostalgia, and a villain so big he makes Earth look tiny.

Now, about the story, it kicks off in Brooklyn, and the year is 1994. Noah Diaz (played by Anthony Ramos) is just trying to make ends meet when he decides to boost a Porsche. Classic bad idea, except this one is worse than usual. Why? Because the Porsche is actually a Mirage. It is a chatty, wisecracking Autobot voiced by Pete Davidson. One minute, Noah is trying to steal a car; the next, he is roped into an intergalactic battle.

Meanwhile, across town, Elena Wallace (Dominique Fishback) discovers a mysterious key while working at a museum. The catch is that it is not just any key; it’s the Transwarp key. This little thing can open portals in space and time, which means everyone wants it. Cue the Autobots rushing to claim it and the villains, the Terrorcons, trying to snatch it first. And just when you think the fight could not get bigger, we meet their boss: Unicron. Imagine a planet-sized monster that literally eats worlds. Yep.

The Autobots do not have to do this alone, though. They team up with the Maximals, a squad of Transformers that can morph into animals. So now we have Optimus Prime (voiced by Peter Cullen, the OG legend) joining forces with Optimus Primal (Ron Perlman) and Airazor (Michelle Yeoh). Robots, gorillas, falcons – the film has everything for the perfect recipe of chaos, but the fun kind.

The cast is stacked: Ramos brings the heart, Fishback brings the smarts, Pete Davidson brings the laughs, and then you have Peter Dinklage as Scourge, Colman Domingo as Unicron, and Michelle Yeoh being effortlessly iconic. It is half action movie and half voice-acting flex.

Directed by Steven Caple Jr, Rise of the Beasts feels like a reset for the franchise. It ties into Bumblebee from 2018, nods to the Michael Bay era, and still manages to stand on its own. The action is, of course, huge, and the CGI is slick. But what keeps the human story grounded is the banter.

And the best part? You do not need to be a hardcore Transformers fan to enjoy it. Whether you grew up with Optimus Prime toys or you are just here for the Pete Davidson jokes, it is the kind of big and loud and over-the-top fun that Netflix weekends are made for.

So yeah, Autobots are back. Maximals too. And they have brought enough mayhem to keep your group chat buzzing. Transformers: Rise of the Beasts is streaming now, and it’s time to roll out.