What’s It About
Described as an “origin story” set on the planet Cybertron, the film will center on the relationship between Optimus Prime and Megatron going from brothers-in-arms to archenemies, and the foundations of the factions they will lead and come into conflict as Autobots and Decepticons
MOVIESinMO REVIEW
Moviegoers immediately latched on when the Transformers movies hit theaters in July 2007. For the most part, it was a visual spectacle that brought out the nostalgia in those who played with the toys or bought them for their kids. And because of its box office totals, they kept making them every two or three years, and they got worse. So, to say, the bar and expectations were pretty low. By the time Bumblebee came out in December 2018, it had caught everyone off guard. It raked in much money to give them a reason to produce the mildly successful Transformers: Rise of the Beasts in June 2023. The main setback for all of these films has always been the interaction between the humans and the bots. It never looked convincing and always appeared to cheapen the final product’s look. This time, much like the characters that populate the Transformers world, the latest offering from the franchise, “Transformers One,” has shifted and morphed into a new shape. All the elements are there to build the shape-shifting Autobots that populated the 1984 cartoon series. Still, it is the best configuration since the original cartoons. The primary purpose in the ’80s was to use the cartoon by Hasbro to sell toys that could be twisted from robots to some type of vehicle. Toy sales also determine whether or not the cartoon will be renewed. Now, the franchise seems less like a decades-old effort to sell toys and more like a legitimate action franchise. It’s a new film that is so connected to the past that those who grew up with Optimus Prime and Megatron locked in battle will get a warm glow from it. This animated film goes back in time to Cybertron and tells us the beginning of everything, and this couldn’t have been a better choice because Transformers One is indeed a great film, enjoyable for both children and adults, thanks to a solid script, good humor, great action, and a second half that finally hits the nail on what the conflict of the franchise is all about the inability to see the other’s point of view. Nothing new here in terms of storytelling, but that doesn’t matter; this is a kid’s film, and in that regard, it does an incredible job not treating its audience as if they were stupid. Besides that, the film also works as a perfect introduction to the world and the mythology of the Transformers universe, which for many has become something that feels unapproachable and confusing, so even if this is your first Transformers film, you will not feel lost at all. It begins with the origin of Optimus Prime as a young miner named Orion Pax, voiced by Chris Hemsworth, alongside D-16, voiced by Brian Tyree Henry, who in the future will be the ominous Megatron’s best buddy to Pax. They watch each other’s mechanical backs while digging for the energy that powers the planet Cybertron. Fifty cycles ago, it flowed like water across the planet’s surface. Still, it was the death of the original heroes of the planet that ceased the flow. Orion Pax is so desperate to prove that he is more than a miner that he embarks on a quest to find a way to restore the flow. The storyline about the loss of personal freedom, the importance of friendship, and the price of unlimited power propels the offering way beyond the initial animated program. This new perspective especially helps the character of Bumblebee. On screen, in the live-action production, he could only communicate in snippets of sounds from the radio. In this film it gives him a voice as cleverly provided by Keegan-Michael Key. Bumblebee – known as B-127 – becomes a nice bit of comedy relief that had been missing from both the live-action movies and original animated offerings. The second half of the film is spectacular. It is everything that these Transformers movies should be: dark enough so that the audience can feel the stakes and the developing drama, and fun enough so that characters and audiences can see cool action sequences and not feel bad because of the bloodbath or oil bath in this case. Orion Pax (Chris Hemsworth) and D-16 (Brian Tyree Henry), the lowly miner bots without transforming cogs (only a handful of bots possess transforming cogs), live in the shadow of Cybertron’s beloved hero, Sentinel Prime (Jon Hamm). Pax is determined to find the Matrix of Leadership. This mythical artifact can restore the planet’s dried-up Energon reserves. But as they search for the Matrix, they stumble upon Sentinel’s involvement in a massive conspiracy that will not only shake the foundation of Cybertron but will eventually turn the pair’s friendship into the rivalry that defines the entire franchise. Transformers One is one fantastic surprise. Yes, it is still a film aimed mainly at kids. Still, the filmmakers are putting in the work and making every single aspect of the film have enough weight so that you, as an audience member, may feel this is a story worth telling. Visually great, all the actors are into their roles, and the story goes to really cool places. Even if, for some adults, everything is a bit too predictable, kids will love it.
OUR RATING – A BAD-ASS-A-TRON 8