Is Transformers Rise of the Beasts Suitable For Children? -

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts is now available to stream. With its availability to a wider audience, we break down whether it's suitable for kids.

Summary

"Transformers: Rise of the Beasts" is rated PG-13 for sci-fi action, violence, and language, with the violence primarily centered on the robot characters.
The film's rating is consistent with previous Transformers movies, and while violence is present, it is less brutal than some of its predecessors.
Despite explosions and intense action, "Transformers: Rise of the Beasts" is appropriate for kids, with no crude humor and a focus on themes of family.

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts may be based on the toy line created by Hasbro, but is the live-action movie suitable for kids? Directed by Steven Caple Jr. from a screenplay by Joby Harold, Darnell Metayer, Josh Peters, Erich Hoeber, and Jon Hoeber, Rise of the Beasts is the seventh feature in the Transformers franchise that began in 2007. The film series has come a long way since the days under Michael Bay’s direction, expanding to include spin-offs like Bumblebee, with Rise of the Beasts serving as both its sequel, and a prequel to the first Transformers movie.

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts is set in 1994, and is based on the 1990s TV series Beast Wars. The film — which stars Anthony Ramos and Dominique Fishback, among others — had its theatrical release in June and is now available to stream on Paramount+. The film received a middling critical reception, and currently has a 53 percent Rotten Tomatoes score based on 222 reviews. The film’s audience was much more forgiving, however, giving the sequel a 91 percent score. With Transformers: Rise of the Beasts on streaming, it’s now accessible to a larger audience, including children who may not have watched it during its original theatrical run.

Why Transformers: Rise of the Beasts Is Rated PG-13

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts is rated PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi and violence, and language. The violence primarily centers on the Transformers themselves — the robots fight each other, severing arms and other parts, and sometimes kill one another. The intense sequences refer to the Transformer battles, and the language warning is due to the characters swearing at various points throughout the film. The sci-fi action plays a pivotal role in the film, especially considering that its main characters are not the humans, but sentient machines that duke it out with each other throughout the film.

That said, Rise of the Beast’s rating is in alignment with previous Transformers films, including Bumblebee, which was also given the PG-13 rating by the Motion Picture Association for sci-fi action and violence. When it comes to any of the Transformers films, sci-fi action and violence are par for the course. The robotic beings clash often, and it makes up the core of the films’ conflicts, leading to intense sequences. When it comes to the level of violence, however, Rise of the Beasts is actually less brutal than some of its predecessors. To that end, the seventh installment mirrors the tone of Bumblebee, and is fun without being too destructive.

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts Is Appropriate For Kids

While Transformers: Rise of the Beasts contains explosions, intense action and chase sequences, the film is appropriate for children (at the discretion of parents, guardians, and any adult planning to see it with them, of course). There is no crude humor, and the violence tends to occur among the Autobots rather than the humans, limiting the gore while leaning into themes about empathy and family. Compared to the Michael Bay Transformers movies, which were aimed at, and largely catered to, an older teen and young adult audience, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts is much more suitable for kids to watch and enjoy.