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Remember when the original Transformers animated movie killed off its main character in the first act like it was Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho? It was a bold move for a franchise based on a kid’s toy, but as a result created a timeless work that remains mostly beloved decades later. Transformers One, the franchise’s latest animated theatrical film, doesn’t kill Optimus Prime—it instead gives him an origin—but the results are incredibly similar. The new film easily wipes away the bad taste 20 years of live-action Transformers movies may have left for some. It’s big, it’s beautiful, and it’s arguably the best Transformers movie ever.
Transformers One sets itself apart from everything else you’ve seen in the franchise by telling a never-before-seen story about its two most famous characters, Optimus Prime and Megatron. While most people know them as mortal enemies, warring leaders of the Autobots and Decepticons, in their youth, they were best friends and Transformers One explores that. How do two best friends become sworn enemies? And what makes someone a hero, or villain, in the first place?
Before they were Optimus Prime and Megatron, Orion Pax (Chris Hemsworth) and D-16 (Brian Tyree Henry) were two low-level mining robots who couldn’t even transform. On Cybertron, a planet made up of Transformers, that instantly places them below everyone else, but Orion isn’t having it. He is constantly looking for ways to better himself and his friends. That desire, and a chance discovery when they meet B-127 (later Bumblebee, voiced by Keegan-Michael Key), leads the group—joined by confident leader Alita (Scarlet Johansson)—on an adventure to find the Matrix of Leadership. Soon they’ll discover the truth of Cybertron is not what it seems and take it upon themselves to right the wrongs happening on their home planet.
The gang’s all here – Paramount In the framework of that story, director Josh Cooley (Toy Story 4) and his team juggle the developing friendship of Orion and D-16, loads of cool Transformers lore, and several epic action scenes resulting in a pitch-perfect tone that’s funny and entertaining, yet powerful and occasionally brutal too. Basically, it’s got everything you’d hope for in a movie like this, all of which happens at a breakneck pace. On top of that, in each moment, the inevitability of Orion and D-16’s relationship looms over the film. Soon, you begin to see it fray in the margins. Revelations impact them in different ways. Their philosophies begin to diverge. And, eventually, a line starts to be drawn between the two.
The balance in Transformers One is incredible, weaving all of the above in a way that never favors one thing or another. Despite what early trailers may have teased, the jokes are only there when needed. Lore is never more complicated than it has to be. And that friendship gone wrong is weaved into a much bigger, more shocking story. Then, once Transformers One gets into its third act, things get legitimately heartbreaking, adding to the drama and emotion.
Sprinkled over all that, Transformers One also has a healthy but not overwhelming adoration for its robots in disguise. The Easter eggs are plentiful, whether it’s a throwaway line of dialogue referencing an earlier movie or characters peppering the background, hinting at that future. Most importantly though, Transformers One adds a copious amount to the lore and history of the franchise, while never losing sight of the story at hand or the characters in it. Fans of the Transformers will come out with an added level of appreciation and understanding while non-fans will merely find themselves wrapped up in the metal humanity.
Megatron in Transformers One – Paramount The voice cast elevates this too, with Hemsworth and Henry shining above the rest. Some may find it blasphemous that anyone besides Peter Cullen and Frank Welker would voice these characters but Transformers One justifies it while also paying tribute. These are younger, different versions of Optimus and Megatron. In fact, they aren’t those characters at all for most of the movie. That differentiation is used as another tool for Cooley and his team to guide Hemsworth and Henry from a more naive point of view to one that’s closer to their future counterparts. It works masterfully, and doesn’t hurt that they’re supported by the likes of Jon Hamm, Lawrence Fishburne, and Steve Buscemi either.
Transformers One is that rare example of a film everyone in your family will enjoy. It’s got a story that’s surprising and emotional, with action that’s exciting and uplifting, all centered on a beautiful yet tragic tale of friends who become enemies. You’ll leave the theater on a natural high while also having plenty to discuss on the ride home. In short, movies don’t get much better than this one. It’s more than meets the eye.
Transformers One opens on September 20.
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