Entertainment
Billion-Dollar Sci-Fi Franchise Kickoff Hits Netflix, It Changed Movies Forever
By Chris Snellgrove
| Published
As a film franchise, Transformers hasn’t exactly been more than meets the eye lately. The excellent Transformers One bombed at the box office and the live-action Rise of the Beasts was a middling mess that couldn’t achieve the critical or commercial glory of its earlier predecessors. It’s obvious that this franchise needs to (ahem) transform into something better, but until that happens, nostalgic fans will always have the hits from yesteryear. Case in point: you can now watch Transformers on Netflix, the initial Michael Bay masterpiece that took the world by storm.
Transformers fans have plenty of content to watch on Netflix right now, but there’s still something very special about this first live-action film. The movie tells the story of Spike Witwicky, a high school student whose first car turns out to be a transforming alien robot. Soon, the young man is caught in an ancient struggle between robotic rivals, and whether or not he can help the heroic Optimus Prime defeat the malevolent Megatron will ultimately determine the fate of the world.
While the real stars of Transformers are the titular robots, fans tuning into this movie on Netflix may be pleasantly surprised by how many big names are on deck to represent our human characters. Shia LaBeouf plays Spike, and his girlfriend-turned-partner-in-crime is played by Megan Fox. Josh Duhamel plays a heroic Army captain, John Turturro plays a weaselly government agent, and Jon Voight plays the Secretary of Defense.
Of course, longtime Transformers fans may be interested in what’s more than meets the eye…specifically, the voice actors behind this Netflix action classic. Original Optimus Prime voice actor Peter Cullen returns for his character’s live-action debut, and he squares off against Megatron, the dastardly Decepticon voiced by Hugo Weaving. Fan-favorite traitorous trash-talker Starscream, meanwhile, is played by voice-acting legend Charles Adler.
While old-school Transformers fans were happy to see the return of Cullen as Prime, those watching this film on Netflix might have mixed feelings about the new designs of their favorite heroes and villains. Personally, I’ve never been a huge fan of the decision to make all the bots look like robotic insects, and giving Optimus a mouth just feels downright wrong to this G1 fanboy. Some of the new transformations are great, though…I can’t deny that Bumblebee is much cooler as a Camaro than a Volkswagen, and Megatron is certainly more fearsome as a fighter jet than a pistol that someone else has to fire.
Transformers came out back in 2007, the same year that Netflix first began offering streaming services rather than just mailing out DVDs. At the time, the reception was mixed: on Rotten Tomatoes, the movie has a critical rating of 57 percent, with critics mostly praising the action and dissing the characters as unbelievable. However, it has an audience rating of 85 percent, indicating that this movie was a hit with both hardcore fans of the franchise as well as general audiences.
And that appeal transformed (so to speak) into major success at the box office. Against a budget of $145–200 million, the movie earned a whopping $709.7 million, kicking off a sprawling franchise filled with live-action sequels and prequels. That franchise goes off the rails almost right away (the first sequel, Revenge of the Fallen, might as well be a war crime), but this first film is worth revisiting because it provides a perfect combination of spectacle and sentimentality.
Will you find Transformers to be more than meets the eye when you stream it on Netflix, or will you decide Michael Bay’s film looks like something Ravage left in Soundwave’s litter box? You won’t know until you “roll out” and stream it for yourself. Just think of it a bit like The Matrix: as long as you can forget the awful films that came out later, you can enjoy this first entry as a nearly perfect sci-fi masterpiece.
Entertainment
Best Mothers Day gifts: Show mom some love
Mother figures are the backbone of the world. Yours may be your biological mother, or maybe she’s your mother-in-law, your best friend’s mom, or simply someone whose motherly instinct has helped you through hard times.
Moms teach you the adulting necessities, give advice even if the problem is your fault, and above all, they put up with your shit and (almost) never complain.
The game plan here isn’t just to snag the last bouquet at CVS just so you’re not the kid who forgot Mother’s Day (but definitely also get flowers). And you don’t even need to spend a lot of money. (Peep our list of Mother’s Day gifts that cost less than $50. Want even more cheap gift ideas?
Skip the generic mugs and show your appreciation with a gift picked just for her: Whether it’s something to make a part of her life easier, something she’s mentioned wanting in passing, or simply something to make her feel like a damn queen, you can’t put a price on everything she’s done for you, but heartfelt gifts certainly help.
After all, they say “No matter how hard you try, you always end up like your mother.” But is that even a bad thing?
Entertainment
Ban subscriptions and get Microsoft Office 2024 for life for just £121
TL;DR: Grab Microsoft Office 2024 Home and Business for PC or Mac for just £120.54 through June 1.
You wouldn’t keep paying for Netflix if you could own your favorite shows, right? So why are you still subscribing to Office apps you use every day? Microsoft 365’s price keeps going up, but there’s finally a way to break free — and it’ll cost you way less in the long run.
Microsoft Office 2024 is the answer you’ve been looking for. Instead of monthly payments, simply pay £120.54 once and be set for life (reg. £188.37). It’s that simple. And, yes, this lifetime download works for PC or Mac.
What’s included?
This license comes with:
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Word
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Excel
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PowerPoint
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Outlook
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OneNote
The newest version of Microsoft Office is a little different from Microsoft 365. But just because you’re switching to a lifetime license doesn’t mean you’ll miss out on some of the most recent updates. Word and Excel both still have AI integrations for text suggestions and smart data analysis, and PowerPoint still has improved tools for recorded presentations.
Once you’ve redeemed your purchase, you can install your apps on one computer. After that, they’re yours to use however you want. No more subscription fees or sudden price hikes to worry about.
Why rent when you can own?
Mashable Deals
Get a Microsoft Office lifetime license on sale for £120.54 with no coupon needed.
StackSocial prices subject to change.
Entertainment
Wordle today: Answer, hints for May 9, 2025
Oh hey there! If you’re here, it must be time for Wordle. As always, we’re serving up our daily hints and tips to help you figure out today’s answer.
If you just want to be told today’s word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for today’s Wordle solution revealed. But if you’d rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.
Where did Wordle come from?
Originally created by engineer Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner, Wordle rapidly spread to become an international phenomenon, with thousands of people around the globe playing every day. Alternate Wordle versions created by fans also sprang up, including battle royale Squabble, music identification game Heardle, and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once.
Wordle eventually became so popular that it was purchased by the New York Times, and TikTok creators even livestream themselves playing.
What’s the best Wordle starting word?
The best Wordle starting word is the one that speaks to you. But if you prefer to be strategic in your approach, we have a few ideas to help you pick a word that might help you find the solution faster. One tip is to select a word that includes at least two different vowels, plus some common consonants like S, T, R, or N.
What happened to the Wordle archive?
The entire archive of past Wordle puzzles was originally available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it, but it was later taken down, with the website’s creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times. However, the New York Times then rolled out its own Wordle Archive, available only to NYT Games subscribers.
Is Wordle getting harder?
It might feel like Wordle is getting harder, but it actually isn’t any more difficult than when it first began. You can turn on Wordle‘s Hard Mode if you’re after more of a challenge, though.
Here’s a subtle hint for today’s Wordle answer:
Gibberish.
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Does today’s Wordle answer have a double letter?
There are no recurring letters.
Today’s Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with…
Today’s Wordle starts with the letter T.
The Wordle answer today is…
Get your last guesses in now, because it’s your final chance to solve today’s Wordle before we reveal the solution.
Drumroll please!
The solution to today’s Wordle is…
TRIPE.
Don’t feel down if you didn’t manage to guess it this time. There will be a new Wordle for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we’ll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.
Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today’s Strands.
Reporting by Chance Townsend, Caitlin Welsh, Sam Haysom, Amanda Yeo, Shannon Connellan, Cecily Mauran, Mike Pearl, and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.
If you’re looking for more puzzles, Mashable’s got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Not the day you’re after? Here’s the solution to yesterday’s Wordle.
A'ja Wilson has no shortage of motivation after Aces' early exit in '24
Best Mothers Day gifts: Show mom some love
