Transformers: Rise of the Beasts hits Pluto TV on July 1

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts will stream for free on Pluto TV beginning July 1. The 2023 installment has won praise from fans who grew up in the 1990s and those who prefer Beast Wars, and it’s often regarded as one of the stronger entries in a rocky franchise.

Directed by Steven Caple Jr., the film mainly unfolds in 1994, placing it after Bumblebee (set in 1987) and before Michael Bay’s 2007 Transformers film. Debate continues over whether Bumblebee is a prequel or a reboot, but Rise of the Beasts largely holds together as a standalone story.

The plot opens on the Maximal homeworld as the planet-sized Transformer Unicron devours everything. The Terrorcon Scourge (Peter Dinklage) clashes with Maximal leader Apelinq (David Sobolov) over the Transwarp Key, a device that can tear holes in time and space; Apelinq dies but sends Optimus Primal (Ron Perlman) away with the key.

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