What are the Transformer movies in order? Thinking about diving into the Transformers films? Or maybe you want to do a rewatch that actually makes sense this time? Perfect. These movies can feel like a nuts-and-bolts jumble, live action, prequels, spin-offs, and a fully animated origin film. Totally understandable if it feels confusing. So let’s break it down, super casual and no spoilers.
Transformers (2007)
This is where it all began. Michael Bay launches the cinematic Transformers world with giant CGI robots battling on Earth, and Shia LaBeouf gets caught in middle of it. Back in 2007 it was a wild ride, especially seeing Optimus Prime and Megatron show up on screen and their battle. It felt huge in theaters, and this is where everyone got hooked.
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009)
Two years later second film crashes in with even more action. Bigger robots, flashier CGI, and more of that Michael Bay chaos. Some folks loved it for the spectacle, others rolled their eyes at the storyline, but either way, the fandom kept growing.
Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011)
Movie three brings the action to space…and the moon. It keeps the sense that these films are all about “more is more.” By this point the movies were less about the story and more about skylines exploding and robots flying everywhere. Still, it’s a one-way ticket if you started with the first two.
Transformers: Age of Extinction (2014)
Here’s where things take a weird turn. Same universe, new cast, Mark Wahlberg replaces Shia. We get dinosaurs that transform (Dinobots, if you must know), and everything feels a bit reboot-y while still trying to stay linked to the original trilogy. Critics hated it but fans watched anyway, it made over a billion bucks. Go figure.
Transformers: The Last Knight (2017)
Band name or movie title? Hard to say. This one is peak “we’ll throw medieval shit into a sci-fi robot movie and call it art.” It felt like the franchise was running out of gas, mixing in history, knights, human conspiracies, if it did not make sense, that was kinda the point. Still, the Minions had nothing on the diehards clicking refill popcorn rounds.
Bumblebee (2018)
A breath of fresh air. Directed by Travis Knight, not Bay. It’s set in the 80s, a softer, sweet story: a teenage girl and her VW Beetle with attitude. Critics actually liked it. It’s not a direct sequel, it’s more like, “hey let’s hit reset and make it cute.” A lot of fans say, “This is where it should’ve paused.”
Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (2023)
Fast-forward to 1994, new villains, Maximals and Beast Wars style robots join the party. It feels like a sequel to Bumblebee, with fresh faces and another change-up in tone. Definitely less Bay-esque, but still plenty of action. Some critics thought it tried too hard, but parts of the fandom cheered it on.
Transformers One (2024) Animated prequel
Okay now this is a curveball: an animated prequel telling Optimus and Megatron’s origin story on Cybertron. No humans, just robot drama, voiced by names like Chris Hemsworth and Scarlett Johansson. This thing is surprisingly good, critics said, though box office wasn’t massive. Worth a watch if you wanna see how two hero-and-villain legends began.
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Watch Order Breakdown
Release Order (what fans saw first):
- Transformers (2007)
- Revenge of the Fallen (2009)
- Dark of the Moon (2011)
- Age of Extinction (2014)
- The Last Knight (2017)
- Bumblebee (2018)
- Rise of the Beasts (2023)
- Transformers One (2024)
Timeline Order (story-based):
- Transformers One (2024) — Cybertron origin
- Bumblebee (2018) — 1987 Earth
- Rise of the Beasts (2023) — 1994 Earth
- Transformers (2007)
- Revenge of the Fallen (2009)
- Dark of the Moon (2011)
- Age of Extinction (2014)
- The Last Knight (2017)
Some of the prologues go nuts with history, dinosaurs, medieval knights, even moon landings. It’s like every film throws in random historical flashbacks because, why not?
Bumblebee and Rise of the Beasts pulled a character-first reboot vibe. Critics liked them more than the Bay guru Mainstream stuff.
Transformers One kind of split the fandom, you either loved the homage to the toy origins, or you missed the big CGI spectacle.
A Reddit fan pointed out how each subsequent film earned less at the box office, even something like Rise of the Beasts did less than the originals
The Transformers films are not just movies, they’re a rollercoaster. Sometimes wild, often noisy, always entertaining if you let yourself just enjoy the ride. And hey, who doesn’t want to see giant robots smashing around?