Movie Review: ‘Transformers One’

The likes of Chris Hemsworth, Brian Tyree Henry, Scarlett Johansson and Keegan-Michael Key lend their voices to this raucously entertaining and emotive new movie.

(L to R) Chris Hemsworth (Orion Pax/Optimus Prime), left, and Brian Tyree Henry (D-16/Megatron) star in Paramount Animation and Hasbro Present In Association with New Republic Pictures a di Bonaventua Pictures Production a Tom Desanto / Don Murphy Production a Bay Films Production 'Transformers One'.

Opening in theaters on September 20th, ‘Transformers One’ winds the clock further back than the usual ‘Transformers’ movies to focus on what happened before Optimus Prime and Megatron –– the respective leaders of the Autobot and Decepticon forces –– assumed those roles.

Plenty of ‘Transformers’ fans who were kids in the 1980s will have fond memories of ‘Transformers: The Movie’ And while the franchise has, in the years since Michael Bay launched the live-action/CG series of movies, varied greatly in quality, the key to success here appears is in returning the story to its animated roots.

Does ‘Transformers One’ become something special?

Chris Hemsworth (Orion Pax/Optimus Prime) stars in Paramount Animation and Hasbro Present In Association with New Republic Pictures a di Bonaventua Pictures Production a Tom Desanto / Don Murphy Production a Bay Films Production 'Transformers One'.

Prequel stories are always an uphill struggle. You’re balancing audience expectation –– since we already know that at least one of the characters will survive to go on and have further adventures, so where’s the sense of jeopardy? –– and those who would complain that turning back the clock to the early days of established characters is a form of creative bankruptcy. After all, does anyone really need to know how Darth Vader ended up in that iconic suit, no matter the tease about his past offered in the original ‘Star Wars’? And you risk being accused of cheapening stories that people love.

Spare a thought, then for the team behind ‘Transformers One,’ who have found way to take very recognizable franchise archetypes and give them a welcome coming-of-age twist. Did you ever think that Optimus Prime and Megatron might have been buddies way back before they were enemies? No? Well, the new movie is here to show you why that works as a story.

Script and Direction

(L to R) Brian Tyree Henry (D-16/Megatron), Scarlett Johansson (Elita-1), Chris Hemsworth (Orion Pax/Optimus Prime) and Keegan-Michael Key (B-127), star in Paramount Animation and Hasbro Present In Association with New Republic Pictures a di Bonaventua Pictures Production a Tom Desanto / Don Murphy Production a Bay Films Production 'Transformers One'.

The script here originated –– at least, according to the credits –– with Andrew Barrer and Gabriel Ferrari (who have the likes of ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp,’ ‘Die in a Gunfight’ and ‘Haunt’ on their shared resumes) and was then worked on by Eric Pearson (who contributed to such movies as ‘Black Widow,’ ‘Thor: Ragnarok’ and ‘Godzilla vs. Kong'). And since director Josh Cooley is a graduate of Pixar (he oversaw ‘Toy Story 4’) you’ve got to figure he had a hand in tuning the story too.

Together, the writers have put together something that is vital, entertaining and energetic (energon-etic, perhaps?) fusing the tropes of young men finding their way in the world with some of the unexplored lore of the planet Cybertron, home to the Transformers.

Perhaps more importantly, they’ve come up with credible explanations for why and how Optimus Prime and Megatron became the leaders that they did (for good and ill), and what sparked their ongoing conflict, one that spilled over to our planet.

The dialogue is witty and fun for kids, but also works for older fans who grew up with these characters. Yes, there will be those who question quite how human these robots feel, but the Transformers have always had relatable human characteristics.

Perhaps the biggest issue –– and one the creative team is mostly able to overcome –– is that this new movie represents just the latest example of the hero’s journey/find the MacGuffin journey story to hit screens. That in itself has sunk many a film that doesn’t do anything fresh or new with those age-old concepts, but here Cooley and co. find a way to graft on entertaining layers while following familiar paths.

On the visual front, the movie (with animation chiefly crafted by Industrial Light and Magic) might not challenge the best of Pixar or DreamWorks for sheer quality, style and depth, but it’s impressive enough, particularly when it ventures onto the surface of Cybertron.

Plus, while some of the fight scenes verge into the over-frenetic, there’s enough logic behind them that you won’t end up rubbing your eyes at all the CG clashes on display.

Performances

The vocal cast for the movie all does good work, with a few highlights:

Chris Hemsworth as Orion Pax

The biggest issue legacy fans of the franchise may have is in the movie replacing Peter Cullen, long the voice of Optimus Prime on the big screen. But it helps to remember that this is Prime before he was Prime. Orion Pax is a garrulous ambitious, sometimes irresponsible type who has dreams of being more than the mining worker he’s seemingly destined to be. In Hemsworth’s hands –– well, vocal chords –– he’s an enthusiastic, likeable presence and you can see how he ends up as the character we know.

Brian Tyree Henry as D-16

Brian Tyree Henry (D-16/Megatron) stars in Paramount Animation and Hasbro Present In Association with New Republic Pictures a di Bonaventua Pictures Production a Tom Desanto / Don Murphy Production a Bay Films Production 'Transformers One'.

Likewise, Henry might not have quite the vocal power of Frank Welker (Megatron’s traditional performer), but D-16 never needed to start out as the scheming, power-hungry Decepticon of the cartoons and (some of) the live-action movies. Here, he’s more subdued and thoughtful, a good friend to Orion and willing to go along with his ideas at least until they reach a true dividing point.

Keegan-Michael Key as B-127

Keegan-Michael Key (B-127) stars in Paramount Animation and Hasbro Present In Association with New Republic Pictures a di Bonaventua Pictures Production a Tom Desanto / Don Murphy Production a Bay Films Production 'Transformers One'.

Key is a proven comic performer and playing the robot who will become Bumblebee feels like the perfect role for him in the movie. He’s a chatty sort, desperate for friends (so desperate that we meet the ones he has built at one funny moment paid off in a mid-credits sting) and eager to tag along with Orion and the rest. Cooley and co. find a way to utilize his comic relief without it becoming annoying.

Scarlett Johansson as Elita -1

Scarlett Johansson (Elita-1) stars in Paramount Animation and Hasbro Present In Association with New Republic Pictures a di Bonaventua Pictures Production a Tom Desanto / Don Murphy Production a Bay Films Production 'Transformers One'.

Johansson has perhaps less to do than the others, but she’s still fun, offering a no-nonsense foil to Orion in particular and giving the world’s least encouraging pep talk at one point.

Supporting Cast

(L to R) Keegan-Michael Key (B-127), Scarlett Johansson (Elita-1), Brian Tyree Henry (D-16), Chris Hemsworth (Orion Pax) star in Paramount Animation and Hasbro Present In Association with New Republic Pictures a di Bonaventua Pictures Production a Tom Desanto / Don Murphy Production a Bay Films Production 'Transformers One'.

The cast around the leads is peppered with strong performances –– Laurence Fishburne slips easily into Morpheus mode when dishing out gobs of exposition about the hidden history of Cybertron, and helping our heroes find their new path(s). Jon Hamm, meanwhile, is the feted Sentinel Prime, the powerful leader of Cybertron whose has the planet’s best interests at heart… or does he? Hamm’s not called upon to do much more than be heroic and then something less than that, but he does it well.

Final Thoughts

'Transformers One'. Photo: Paramount Pictures.

‘Transformers One’ should prove entertaining to those who grew up playing with the action figures or watching the cartoons and the generations that have embraced the Autobots and Decepticons since then. It’s not a perfect film, with a few gaps of logic and one or two cliches still lurking, but it’s easily one of the best movies to feature the characters, and never needs human interaction to keep it grounded.

The new ‘Transformers’ animated movie has the touch. It also has the power.

‘Transformers One’ receives 9 out of 10 stars.

Transformers One

"Witness the origin."

PG1 hr 44 minSep 20th, 2024

Showtimes & Tickets

Watch Transformers One Online

What’s the plot of ‘Transformers One’?

The film depicts the origins and early relationship of Optimus Prime (Chris Hemsworth) and Megatron (Brian Tyree Henry) and how they forever changed the fate of Cybertron, the home planet of the Transformers.