Transformers One (2024) Paramount/Sci-Fi-Action RT: 104 minutes Rated PG (sci-fi violence and animated action throughout, language) Director: Josh Cooley Screenplay: Eric Pearson, Andrew Barrer and Gabriel Ferrari Music: Brian Tyler Cinematography: Christopher Batty Release date: September 20, 2024 (US) Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Brian Tyree Henry, Scarlett Johansson, Keegan-Michael Key, Steve Buscemi, Laurence Fishburne, Jon Hamm, Isaac C. Singleton, Vanessa Liguori, Jason Konopisos-Alvarez, John Bailey, Evan Michael Lee, James Remar.
Rating: ***
I considered skipping the computer-animated prequel Transformers One for the same reason I’ve recused myself from reviewing all future Super Mario sequels. I didn’t think I was the right person to review it. Then I saw all the good reviews. I also heard a lot of buzz about it being closer in spirit to the 1986 animated film The Transformers: The Movie than the live-action noisefests that have been infesting cinemas since 2007. That’s when I did an about-face and reserved a spot for a Saturday matinee. I’m glad I did. It’s actually a pretty good flick.
Transformers One is directed by Josh Colley who pulled off a remarkable feat with Toy Story 4 five years ago. He made the material feel fresh even though it had been nearly 25 years since the first one came out. He does it with Transformers One as well. Here’s a property that’s been around since the 80s. It started out as line of toys, robots that transform into motorized vehicles (e.g. cars, trucks, planes, etc.). Then it became a popular cartoon that kids rushed more from school to watch every afternoon. It just grew from there with comic book series, spin-offs and live-action movies. Colley brings the series back to its roots by telling us about how the war between the Autobots and Decepticons began.
The plot actually focuses on two bots, Orion Pax (Hemsworth, Thor) and D-16 (Henry, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire), best buds who are more like brothers. They work as Energon miners on Cybertron which is currently under the leadership of Sentinel Prime (Hamm, Top Gun: Maverick) who claims he’s trying to save their endangered world by locating something called “The Matrix of Leadership”. Of course, that’s total BS. We all know a despot when we see one.
There are two types of robots on Cybertron, those with transformation cogs and those without. The ones who don’t have them can’t transform and are treated as slaves. Orion believes it doesn’t have to be this way. He thinks if he can find the Matrix, it will change things for the better. D-16 disagrees. He thinks they ought not to rock the boat. That’s exactly what Orion does which lands them both in deep trouble with the powers that be.
Orion and D-16 decide the only thing left to do is make their way to the planet’s surface and search for the Matrix. They have a probable location thanks to a doohickey found in the possession of B-127 (Key, Wonka), a bot confined to the smelting department of the mining operation. He joins them on their mission as does Elita-1 (Johansson, The Avengers), the supervisor they got transferred to waste management after they broke protocol under her watch. Together, they look for the movie’s McGuffin while Sentinel finally reveals his true treacherous nature.
As the movie progresses, we see the relationship between Orion and D-16 change. Orion merely wants to expose Sentinel while D-16 wants to kill him. He grows angrier and angrier until his friends can no longer control him. It’s no secret what becomes of the two bots. They become the ones we all know as mortal enemies Optimus Prime and Megatron. It sounds a lot like the relationship between Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker in the Star Wars prequels.
I’m surprised by how much I enjoyed Transformers One. It’s a lot of fun. I’d even say it’s one of the best Transformers movies. To its immense credit, it doesn’t leave the viewer with a pounding headache afterwards. It has big action scenes, but Cooley never overwhelms the audience with a lot of noise, confusion and wild overediting. True, the plot is as silly as any Transformers film, but at least it makes sense. It also leads right into the series. Be sure to stay through the end credits for a bonus scene that sets up the war to come.
The computer-animation by ILM is extremely well done. Cooley had them create a visual style that looks realistic while still looking like it was made by artists. In other words, it doesn’t at all look like a video game. The action sequences are genuinely exciting, especially the finale which captures the spirit of an old school Star Wars film.
The voice talents do a fine job with all of the players leaning into their characters full force. Laurence Fishburne (The Matrix) shows up briefly as an elder Prime who relates the true history of Cybertron to our heroes. Steve Buscemi (Reservoir Dogs) voices Starscream, the weaselly leader of the High Guard who claims to want to end Sentinel’s reign but refuses to join our heroes in battle. Johansson imbues her no-nonsense character with strength and authority while Henry sounds more and more like a mythic hero with his dialogue. In the leads, Hemsworth is fun as the free-wheeling bot destined for greatness in a way he could never imagine.
Fans will appreciate the nods to the original source in Transformers One. At one point, somebody tells Orion “you don’t have the touch or the power” which is a direct reference to the power ballad by Stan Bush from the 1986 movie. Another scene has Elita refer to Orion’s compadres as “GoBots”, the K-Mart knock-off of Transformers. I’m sure there’s more, but you’d have to ask somebody who actually watched the OG cartoon which I didn’t. I was in high school and not interested.
I don’t know what the future holds for the franchise, but I wouldn’t mind another CA movie like Transformers One. It’s not great cinema, but it’s a good movie. It’s its own kind of art. The parents will enjoy it just as much as their kids, possibly more.
