Jongnic Bontemps bridges old and new rather brilliantly with his score for Transformers: Rise Of The Beasts, with the composer’s enjoyably versatile new themes for the Maximals, Autobots and Terrorcons joining forces rather seamlessly with fan favourite motifs from the Steve Jablonsky and Vince DiCola eras of the franchise, altogether making for a not perfect but pretty damned entertaining sequel soundtrack.

It’s been rather a long time since we last heard Steve Jablonsky’s magnificent theme for the Autobots. Six years in fact, with its last appearance being in one of the closing cues for Transformers: The Last Knight entitled “Calling All Autobots”. It didn’t appear at all in the 2018 Bumblebee movie (scored by Dario Marionelli) and after that with rumblings of franchise reboots abound I worried we’d heard the very last of it. Hope though sparked at last with the (then) upcoming release of new Transformers movie Rise Of The Beasts, as while it seemed initially the film’s creators were going in a wholly different musical direction with new composer Jongnic Botemps, a surprise was in store as Steve Jablonsky then tweeted out a picture of himself and Bontemps in March of this year with a Transformers-based collaboration teased. After that, let’s just say that my interest levels went up rather considerably for the new movie (and I was pretty intrigued already by a new composer scoring a Transformers film). Anything to hear that Autobots theme again, as it is genuinely one of my favourite pieces of film music. So, with expectations set and excitement abound, the question – now that we finally have the new album in our hands – is of course; does the Autobots theme return? Without spoiling too much about the score review ahead I will simply say; yes, yes it most certainly does.

The album begins with “The Maximals”, and an awful lot happens in the track’s opening seconds. A rather demonic-sounding electronic screech opens the piece – presumably for the fearsomely villainous Terrorcons of the film – before some very Transformers-y SFX briefly plays, and then loudly thunderous brass kicks into play introducing the first of Jongnic Bontemps’ new themes for the movie; the Maximals motif. This ten note piece happily plays in full heroic form in its debut cue here, and overall it’s not only a pretty decent theme in its own right, but its style and heroism makes it sound like it’d fit right at home in Steve Jablonsky’s thematic Transformers world too – which is always a plus. The Maximals motif then thunders through several optimistic renditions in this enjoyably three minute setpiece before coming to a crashing crescendo close at its end. Subsequent cue “Unicron/Scourge” though then does something completely unexpected; it goes back in time, all the way back in fact to 1986, to Vince DiCola’s epic score for animated film The Transformers: The Movie as Bontemps lovingly reprises DiCola’s theme for Unicron. It’s an unexpected thematic cameo for sure but a welcome one, and the way it weaves almost effortlessly inbetween Bontemps’ Terrorcon motif and Transformers-y SFX ideas here is quite simply a joy to listen to.

The sub-minute “Autobots Enter” opens with some very DiCola-esque electronics before then seguing into a brand new 4-note motif for the Autobots themselves, and I know what you’re thinking; another theme for the Autobots? What about Steve Jablonsky’s? And yeah, it’s a fair question. Jablonsky’s will appear in good time, but having another theme for the Autobots here in addition is a.. curious decision for sure. In fairness though it is a fairly decent motif, being pretty memorable right off the bat here as it charges heroically into frame on loudly grandiose brass. The subsequent “What Are You?” then reinforces this new motivic idea with a few quieter, more solemn playthroughs of the theme before “Museum Heist” then reprises the DiCola-style 80s electronics once again, this time in a much stealthier, more heist-y manner. “Battle At Ellis Island” then gives us a first proper taste of rapidity with the score’s first major action setpiece; here the Terrorcon’s screeching motif leads an explosively frenetic orchestral charge, with Bontemps’ new Autobots theme making a dramatic appearance on stern brass towards the end of the two minute track. “Fallen Hero” up next then switches things up initially with loudly worrisome vocals, before the new Autobots motif then briefly reprises on quietly sorrowful strings.

Whistling Peruvian woodwinds take centre stage in “Arriving In Peru”, with the now emphatically upbeat new Autobots motif playing enthusiastically alongside on loud brass. Wondrous vocals then occupy much of the two and a half minute “The Cave”, with quietly optimistic brass also playing the new Autobots theme alongside gentle hints toward 80s-y DiCola-esque electronics. The first of Steve Jablonsky’s contributions toward the Rise Of The Beasts score is then up next with “Switchback Chase”, a four minute and rather frenetic action setpiece. Tensely rapid brass and percussion thunder through in the opening seconds of the cue, setting a dramatic pace that’s then continued by Bontemps’ Autobots theme charging into centre stage on additional, louder brass. From here it goes head-to-head with the Terrorcon screech motif through much of the track, with the Maximals theme also making a brief appearance towards the end. Overall, stylistically this track does a pretty fantastic job of grounding the score firmly back in Jablonsky-esque Transformers territory just in the way it sounds, though sadly no motifs from the original movies reprise here as yet.

That DiCola-y, 80s-esque stylistic aesthetic returns in “The Village”, with the aforementioned electronics playing in enjoyable harmony alongside a hopeful orchestral rendition of Bontemps’ Autobots theme through much of the track. The Maximals motif then roars heroically into centre stage in “Saving Elena”, with dramatically grandiose brass keeping the pace frenetic for a further minute or two until slower, downtrodden strings then bring the track to a quietly solemn close. “One Last Stand” though then surges the score back up into more optimistic territory with an increasingly hopeful take on Bontemps’ Autobots theme, with “The Final Battle Begins” then charging straight back into the fight as both the new Autobot and Maximal motifs join forces and go orchestrally head-to-head with the fearsome Terrorcon screech for three ferocious action minutes. “Unicron Approaches” then dives back into the electronic world of 1986 as Vince DiCola’s Unicron motif once again reprises in full villainous mode. “Home Team” then hammers a potential defeat home initially with quietly downtrodden strings before the Autobots then leap boldly back onto centre stage at the end of the track on a thunderous orchestral crescendo.

With the album fast approaching its end action setpieces “Volcano Battle” and “No Matter The Cost” lead a final musical charge, with the new Autobots theme held emphatically high on loud brass and deafening percussion against the electronic Terrorcons motif across both tracks, and the Maximals makingly a briefly optimistic appearance towards the end of the latter cue. “Till All Are One” though is where things then really start to get interesting; it’s a Jablonsky track, and it opens quietly and almost ominously, but worrisome percussion then quickly gives way to loudly hopeful brass playing Bontemps’ Autobots theme and then, brilliantly – it’s “Arrival To Earth”! Just when you started to worry they wouldn’t appear, Jablonsky’s classic theme from the 2007 Transformers movie bursts into frame so heroically it’s as if it never left, and it’s not the only one. Subsequent and standout cue “Humans And Autobots United” (also by Jablonsky) opens with a powerfully orchestral and vocal rendition of the composer’s “Optimus” motif playing alongside Bontemps’ Maximals theme, before suddenly the moment I’d been waiting for finally comes – the Autobots theme returns. It plays only once on this album but its a brilliant once, with the theme playing loudly and heroically alongside Bontemps’ own Autobots motif (and one final “Optimus” burst) and some very DiCola-esque electronics before the track then draws to a fist-pumping close.

Overall, Jongnic Bontemps’ loudly thunderous score for Transformers: Rise Of The Beasts isn’t perfect, but damn if it isn’t entertaining as hell. The action music, while perhaps bordering on the side of generic at times in its loud RCP-esque percussive and brassy style is actually made quite enjoyable the rest of the time with the composer’s frankly excellent use of themes (both new and old). Bontemps’ new motifs for the Maximals and the Autobots for example are really fun, with both being utilised extensively and versatilely throughout the score (the Autobots theme in particular excels at this) not to mention the fact that in their grandiosely orchestral style they sound like they’d be completely at home in a Steve Jablonsky Transformers score. And speaking of which, much to the delight of Transformers fans everywhere I’m sure – including me – the maestro himself does indeed return here too, and while his classic themes don’t reprise as much as you’d probably like them to – they do play and play well where it counts. Bontemps doesn’t stop there with the thematic cameos either as Vince DiCola also makes a surprising appearance both with his classic 1986 Unicron motif and very 80s-esque electronic style, with the latter being utilised rather excellently in the all encompassing standout track “Humans And Autobots United”, where everything thematically and stylistically old and new comes together for one pretty incredible soundtrack sendoff. In essence then, if you need selling on this score – just hit play below there. You won’t be disappointed.

Score: 7.5/10

Standout Cue: 24. Humans And Autobots United

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