Transformers One rejuvenates excitement for the franchise. It’s not only a great Transformers movie but a great movie in general. There’s a lot to love — from the character dynamic between Orion Pax (Chris Hemsworth) and D-16 (Brian Tyree Henry) to the thrilling action and gorgeous animation. Transformers One is an origin story for Optimus Prime and Megatron, so it’s not a requirement to have seen everything that came before to understand the story. As a film that’s meant to kick off a trilogy of movies centered on the aforementioned two, Transformers One is a strong first entry.
Directed by Josh Cooley from a screenplay by Andrew Barrer, Gabriel Ferrari, and Eric Pearson, Transformers One is set on the Transformers planet of Cybertron. Orion Pax and D-16 are best friends who mine Energon, the fuel that keeps Cybertron going. Orion is set on finding the Matrix of Leadership, which carries the power of Cybertron creator Primus, which was stolen during a long-ago war that killed the primes. Orion and D-16 try to prove themselves, but quickly find something far more sinister is going on, and must recalibrate after obtaining shocking new information.
Transformers One’s Animation Is Beautiful
The animation style makes the action scenes really pop
Transformers One is nice to look at. Visually, Industrial Light & Magic, the studio that did the effects for the live-action films, knocks it out of the park. The artwork is imaginative and distinctive. The film may be set on one planet, but each part of Cybertron has a distinct look. From the dark edges of the mines, which are a contrast to the colorful individuality of the Transformers designs, to the fluid sharpness of the planet’s surface, the animation doesn’t hold back.
The animators’ use of light is also spectacular. At one point, Orion stands tall amid a dim background, the blunt buildings upside down behind him as the light streaming in from the corner surrounds him. In another scene, Elita (Scarlett Johansson) kneels against a reddish-pink sky that highlights her armor. But the animation is at its best when it’s in constant motion, as with its stunning action sequences. The use of color and space makes the action stand out, and our eyes are drawn to every detail. The action scenes are exciting, too, never lasting long enough to become dull.
Transformers One Tells A Cohesive Friends-To-Enemies Story
Though D-16’s transformation feels a bit abrupt
I came into this movie with as little detail as possible, and I was pleasantly surprised by how upsetting the big revelation turned out to be. Transformers One does a good job setting up Orion and D-16’s friendship, as well as their differences. The former is energetic, hopeful about finding the Matrix of Leadership, and confident that it’ll change his life. While Orion is unbothered about breaking the rules, D-16 is more hesitant about stepping out of line. He’s not as hopeful as his friend, resigned to making the most of his life as a miner.
The filmmakers have created a fully realized world, and I appreciated that the focus was on the Transformers themselves and not on any human.
The characters’ differences are what makes them such good friends; they complement each other, though that begins to change the more they learn the truth about their world. The film sets up the characters’ origins quite nicely, and I was quickly invested in their friendship. And while I understood where D-16’s anger was coming from, his transformation is still more abrupt than it should be, primarily because it comes so close to the end of the film that we don’t get to sit in the moment before the final battle begins.
It rushes through D-16’s conflicted feelings, and I don’t fully believe the change. Transformers One’s post-credits scene sets up more to come, but a bit more time spent on D-16 would’ve made the final moments more effective. Hopefully, the next movie will give us more. But this critique doesn’t deter Transformers One from being an overall enjoyable film. The filmmakers have created a fully realized world, and I appreciated that the focus was on the Transformers themselves and not on any human.
The story is rich, the world is lived-in, and the voice cast is excellent overall. Jon Hamm seems to be having an especially great time as Sentinel Prime. Brian Tyree Henry gives dimension to Megatron’s journey, while Hemsworth proves a worthy Optimus Prime, his storyline being the most robust of all the characters. Keegan-Michael Key is bubbly and bursting with energy as the lovable B-127, aka Bumblebee, and the rest of the supporting cast make a good impression, even if some of them have more limited screentime.
The folks at Paramount Pictures should be proud of this one. Transformers One is simply good storytelling. It offers detail, solid action, and narrative depth that longtime fans will appreciate while being a nice entry point for those who are newer to the world of Transformers.
Transformers One will be released in theaters on September 20. The film is 104 minutes long and rated PG for sci-fi violence and animated action throughout, and language.