Transformers One is coming at a time when the franchise arguably needs it the most. Even after Transformers: Rise of the Beasts ended its disappointing box office run last year as the lowest-grossing installment of the live-action films, Paramount decided to announce an upcoming G.I. Joe crossover movie. It’s a promise made at the end of Beasts that strangely feels like too little, too late — especially when neither franchise is doing particularly well at the moment. Unless you’re a diehard Hasbro toy collector, it’s hard to imagine modern audiences caring as much for the future of Transformers in live-action. Hence, it’s time to step away from the messy Michael Bay-verse continuity and start fresh in another creative medium: animation. This may come off as a surprise to many, but in its commitment to telling a bold original story through wildly vibrant animation, Transformers One ends up exceeding all expectations.
Directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Josh Cooley (Toy Story 4), Transformers One gives audiences a new jumping-on point to the franchise by taking the story all the way back to the days before the great war between the Autobots and Decepticons, and before Optimus Prime and Megatron were known as archenemies. We’re reintroduced to the two when they were respectively known as Orion Pax (Chris Hemsworth) and D-16 (Brian Tyree Henry). The duo share a strong brother-like friendship as they look out for each other in Iacon City, a historic underground metropolis on the planet Cybertron. Born without “transformation cogs” that would give them the ability to transform, as made visible by their hollowed-out chests, Orion and D-16 find themselves at the bottom of the food chain. Their only purpose is to mine energon, the power source of Cybertron, under the orders of Iacon’s fearless leader, Sentinal Prime (Jon Hamm).
Exactly “50 cycles” have passed since all of the heroic Primes were vanquished by an evil race of freakish alien invaders known as the Quintessons, leaving Sentinal as the sole survivor. Since this tragic event, leaving Iacon City to reach Cybertron’s surface is deemed too dangerous. Only Sentinal and his squadron venture out to search for the Matrix of Leadership, an ancient artifact of ultimate power handed down to the Primes by Primus (the creator-god of the Transformers that also transformed into Cybertron itself). When Orion Pax and D-16 stumble across a lost transmission that could potentially lead to the Matrix of Leadership, they butt heads on whether or not they should break protocol and escape to the surface. Though stubborn at first, D-16 is convinced to go on this reckless mission because of Orion’s hopeful dream to prove himself as more than just a “cogless miner.”
‘Transformers One’ courtesy of Paramount
In their quest to find the long-lost Matrix of Leadership, Orion Pax and D-16 recklessly drag their former superior, Elita (Scarlett Johansson), and the comical B-127 (Keegan-Michael Key), aka Bumblebee before he got his nickname, along for the ride. As the group travels further away from Iacon City, they learn that the legends they’ve been taught may not be entirely true. The dark past of Cybertron finally comes to light, forcing each of the main characters to recontextualize their whole lives. Orion Pax and D-16 are given the power to make a pivotal choice for Cybertron’s future, and this is where their brotherly bond starts to decay due to their opposing morals. They both seek to liberate their home but under different circumstances. One seeks freedom while the other seeks revenge, putting them in a painful position where the only thing standing in their way is each other.
If it wasn’t already obvious based on the plot description, Transformers One is steeped in lore. The script, penned by Eric Pearson (Black Widow) and writing partners Andrew Barrer and Gabriel Ferrari (Ant-Man and the Wasp), treats this abundant lore with great reverence. This, in return, makes all the ridiculous jargon easy to follow for newcomers. In an era when so many franchise films aim for easy laughs with tongue-in-cheek jabs at their own existence, like when Spider-Man: No Way Home makes a lame joke about Doctor Octopus’ name, Transformers One feels so refreshing just by taking every bit of its connected history seriously. This might also feel miraculous to longtime Transformers fans. Seeing Alpha Trion, an older fan-favorite character, talk about the Quintesson war on screen, and voiced by the one and only Lawrence Fishburne no less, proves that this film’s ambitions are as genuine as they can get.
Director Josh Cooley, who spent over 15 years at Pixar working as a story artist on films like The Incredibles, Cars, Ratatouille, and Up before helping write Inside Out and making his directorial debut with Toy Story 4, establishes himself as the next animation maestro with Transformers One. The CG animation provided by Industrial Light & Magic is vivid and superbly sleek, which accentuates the colorful robotic designs of the characters themselves. On top of this dazzling 3D style, Cooley’s staging and blocking of action is ever so meticulous. Multiple action sequences, in which the heroes constantly transform in and out of their vehicle modes mid-battle, are super imaginative and memorable in the finest of details. Truthfully, Transformers One could be the most thrilling animated movie of 2024. Aside from the outstanding animation and action, however, Cooley’s real key to success lies in the relationship between Orion Pax and D-16.
The tragedy between Orion Pax and D-16 is never sidelined in Transformers One. By spending plenty of time focusing on their brotherhood even before the main adventure kicks off, the movie is able to naturally traverse some dark territory with D-16’s path to becoming Megatron. This is still obviously a family-friendly animated film, but the best animated pictures can always find a way to explore mature topics as long as they treat their audiences with respect. Transformers One highlights themes of self-discovery and defining your own freedom, something that can resonate deeply with any child or adult. Plus, director Josh Cooley goes the extra mile to ensure Optimus Prime and Megatron’s origin story isn’t sanitized, fully showcasing how corrupt politics and ill-advised morals can break people apart. Those walking in expecting a “children’s movie” will be shocked to see how far Transformers One goes with depicting violence.
Although it may take a second to get used to hearing their voices, Chris Hemsworth and Brian Tyree Henry really grow on you as Orion Pax and D-16. The two showcase a brilliant evolution in their vocal performances as they take on the Optimus Prime and Megatron mantles by the end. Hemsworth’s voice goes from that of a naive, yet hopeful dreamer to a stoic leader. Henry’s voice, on the other hand, goes from handsomely sarcastic and joyous to full-on menacing. Both actors sound like they are taking inspiration from Peter Cullen and Frank Welker’s iconic, respective performances as Optimus Prime and Megatron while still adding their own flavor. Scarlett Johansson and Keegan-Michael Key also bring their signature charm and wit to Elita and B-127 but never fall into the trap of making them sound too familiar to themselves, which can’t be said for most celebrity vocal performances nowadays.
Following in the footsteps of the last animated theatrical Transformers film, 1986’s The Transformers: The Movie, Transformers One tells a riveting story that will bring together fans of all ages. With Paramount putting much thought and care into their crown jewel of a franchise once more, it’s obvious that the most exciting future for Transformers lies in the realm of animation. This rings especially true after the studio revamped TMNT in theaters last year with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem. Transformers One reminds us just how rich these characters can be when in the right hands. Let’s hope that this is only the dawn of a new era because, by the end of Transformers One, you’ll be convinced that Chris Hemsworth is Optimus Prime.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5.
Transformers One hits theaters on September 20!
Release Date: September 20, 2024.
Directed by Josh Cooley.
Screenplay by Eric Pearson, Andrew Barrer, & Gabriel Ferrari.
Story by Andrew Barrer & Gabriel Ferrari.
Based on Hasbro’s Transformers action figures.
Produced by Don Murphy, Tom DeSanto, Lorenzo di Bonaventura, Michael Bay, Mark Vahradian, & Aaron Dem.
Executive Producers: Olivier Dumont, B.J. Farmer, Bradley J. Fischer, Zev Foreman, Matt Quigg, & Steven Spielberg.
Main Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Brian Tyree Henry, Scarlett Johansson, Keegan-Michael Key, Steve Buscemi, Laurence Fishburne, Jon Hamm, Isaac C. Singleton Jr., Vanessa Liguori, Jason Konopisos-Alvarez, Jon Bailey, & Evan Michael Lee.
Cinematographer: Christopher Batty.
Composer: Brian Tyler.
Production Companies: Paramount Animation, Hasbro Entertainment, New Republic Pictures, Di Bonaventura Pictures, & Bayhem Films.
Distributor: Paramount Pictures.
Runtime: 104 minutes.
Rated PG.
Credit: discussingfilm.net
