Plot

During the '90s, a new faction of Transformers - the Maximals - join the Autobots as allies in the battle for Earth.

Returning to the action and spectacle that have captured moviegoers around the world, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts will take audiences on a '90s globetrotting adventure with the Autobots and introduce a whole new faction of Transformers - the Maximals - to join them as allies in the existing battle for earth. Directed by Steven Caple Jr. and starring Anthony Ramos and Dominique Fishback.—Paramount Pictures

The planet-eating Unicron (Colman Domingo) attacks the home-world of the Maximals, an advanced race of Transformers. The Terrorcons, Unicron's heralds led by Scourge (Peter Dinklage) (the leader of the Terrorcons and a trophy hunter who transforms into a black Peterbilt 359 logging semi truck), want the Transwarp Key which can open portals through space and time and can help Unicron consume planets faster. The Maximal leader Apelinq (David Sobolov) (the previous Maximal leader who transforms into a mountain gorilla and sports retractable blades on his arms) sacrifices himself to allow the other Maximals to escape the planet before Unicron devours it. Now under the command of Optimus Primal (Ron Perlman) (the leader of the Maximals who transforms into a western lowland gorilla), the Maximals flee to Earth with the key. Unicron assigns Scourge to find the Key and use it bring him to that planet.

In 1994 Brooklyn, Noah Diaz (Anthony Ramos), an ex-military electronics expert, struggles to find a job to support his ill brother Kris (Dean Scott Vazquez). Noah has job interviews with private security agencies, but his old commanding officers from the US Army tell his prospective employers that Noah is unreliable. The family is 3 months behind payments on the hospital bills and the hospital refuses treatment to Kris till the pending accounts are paid. Noah is convinced by his friend Reek (Tobe Nwigwe) to steal a Porsche to sell only to discover that it is the Autobot Mirage (Pete Davidson) (an Autobot spy who can project holograms and transforms into a silver-blue Porsche 964 Carrera RS 3.8, and briefly, into a Formula One car, a Lamborghini Countach, a garbage truck, and an exoskeleton-suit) in disguise.

Concurrently, museum intern Elena Wallace (Dominique Fishback) studies an ancient statue of a falcon bearing the Maximal symbol and accidentally breaks it open to reveal the key hidden inside. The key releases an energy pulse detected by Autobot leader Optimus Prime (Peter Cullen) (the leader of the Autobot resistance who transforms into a red 1987 Freightliner FLA semi truck), who summons the other Autobots, including Arcee (Liza Koshy) (an Autobot sharpshooter who transforms into a red-white Ducati 916 motorcycle) and Bumblebee ( an Autobot scout who transforms into a modified yellow-black 1970s Chevrolet Camaro). Mirage is contacted in the middle of Noah's attempted theft, and he is roped into the Autobots' mission to recover the key so they can use it to return to their home world, Cybertron. Noah is convinced by Mirage to help them break into the museum and find the Key.

Drawn by the key's signature, the Terrorcons arrive on Earth and attack the Autobots outside the museum, with Elena becoming caught up in the conflict. Scourge kills Bumblebee, steals the key, and retreats when the Maximal Airazor (Michelle Yeoh) (A Maximal warrior who transforms into a peregrine falcon) arrives. Airazor reveals that the Maximals have been hiding on Earth for millennium, and Scourge only has half of the Transwarp Key, which was split in two to keep it away from Unicron. Optimus insists that the key be reassembled so the Autobots can use it to return home, while Noah secretly plots with Elena to destroy the key to keep Earth safe.

Elena deduces that the other half of the key is in a hidden temple in Peru. The cargo plane Autobot, Stratosphere (John DiMaggio) (an Autobot Air-Soldier who transforms into a Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar cargo plane) takes them to Peru, where they meet with Wheeljack (Cristo Fernández) (an Autobot scientist and mechanic who transforms into a brown and white 1970s Volkswagen Type 2 panel bus), who leads them to the temple. However, the other half of the key is revealed to no longer be there. The Terrorcons attack again, and Scourge corrupts Airazor with Unicron's dark energy. Subsequently, the Autobots meet Optimus Primal and the other Maximals, who entrusted the second half of the key to a human tribe they have worked with for millennium. Optimus Primal reveals that the Maximals use the Trans Warp Key to visit young new worlds for the expansion of life throughout the Universe. Primal also tells Prime how they allied with humans who shared their world with them. And the humans helped hide the key and also look over the Maximals for hundreds of years. Primal also puts Bee to rest in the valley which is rich in raw Energon. It will take a great power to ignite the Energon which will in turn review Bee.

Scourge's corruption overtakes Airazor, whom Primal reluctantly kills at her request to save Elena. In the chaos, Noah attempts to destroy the second half of the key, but Optimus convinces him otherwise. Scourge steals it and then reassembles the two halves, erecting a tower and opening a portal above the Earth, which Unicron will soon go through.

Optimus and Noah agree to work together to protect their home worlds from Unicron. While Autobots and Maximals battle the Terrorcon army, Noah and Elena sneak in close to the Key, planning to deactivate it with an access code Elena has uncovered. During the battle, Scourge wounds Mirage, who was protecting Noah, but transforms his damaged body into a powered exoskeleton-suit for Noah so they can fight together. Bumblebee is reactivated when the key activates the Energon-infused valley. He helps the Autobots and Maximals turn the tide of the battle.

Optimus kills Scourge, but not before the latter damages the control console to prevent the portal from being shut down. Optimus destroys the key and collapses the portal, willing to sacrifice himself, but Noah and Primal save him from being sucked into the imploding vortex, which destroys the remaining Terrorcon army and leaves Unicron stranded.

In the aftermath, the Autobots, unable to return to Cybertron, proclaim Earth as their new home and vow to continue protecting it alongside the Maximals. Elena receives recognition for discovering the temple in Peru while Noah attends an interview for a security job but finds he is actually being invited to join the secret military organization G.I. Joe, who will cover Kris's health-care.

In a mid-credits scene, Noah repairs Mirage using junk Porsche parts from Reek who claims it is not road-worthy, and Noah disproves him by calling to Mirage to transform in front of Reek.