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Movie · Action, Sci-fi · 2018 · PG-13

Bumblebee: parents' guide

11+our pick

Best for ages 11 and up. Rated PG-13 for sequences of sci-fi action violence.

A warm, 1980s-set Transformers adventure that works for tweens and older kids. Charlie, a teen still grieving her father's sudden death, befriends a damaged robot hiding as a VW Beetle. The robot battles are loud and destructive, Bumblebee is captured and tortured, and two people are zapped into goo, but there is little blood. A mean girl taunts Charlie about her dad, and the friends get back at her by wrecking her car. Language includes two s-words and a sprinkling of 'damn' and 'hell.' It's much lighter than the other Transformers films and fine for most kids 11 and up.

What's in it

Violence

Moderate

Frequent robot fights with blasters and explosions; robots are crushed, sliced in half or executed. Two people are hit by a weapon that liquefies them, a soldier's face is cut and bleeding, and Charlie is thrown around and shocked unconscious.

Language

Moderate

Two s-words and one 'ass,' several uses each of 'damn' and 'hell,' frequent 'oh my God,' plus 'crap,' 'freakin'' and a crude reference to male anatomy.

Sex and nudity

Mild

Charlie's neighbor Memo has an obvious crush on her; they hold hands and she kisses his cheek. A boy strips to his boxers to cliff-dive, a few males go shirtless, and Charlie's mom kisses her live-in boyfriend.

Drinking, drugs and smoking

None

No drinking, smoking or drug use. Charlie's mom only wonders aloud whether her overexcited daughter is on drugs.

Scary or intense scenes

Moderate

Bumblebee is hunted by soldiers and two Decepticons, has his voice box torn out, and is chained up and tortured. Charlie's grief for her father is a real thread, with tearful scenes about his death.

Sensitive topics

  • Death of a parent
  • Bullying

Worth talking about

Charlie and Memo take revenge on the girl who mocked Charlie's dad, and there are no consequences. Was it fair, and what else could she have done?

Where to stream →

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Checked October 13th, 2026 against Common Sense Media, Plugged In, movieguide.org. The age is our judgment, not an official rating, and every family draws its lines differently: read the notes, not just the number. Spotted something we missed? Tell us. How we rate.