Transformers fans rejoice! Our prayers at long last have been answered. After seven middling to terrible live-action movies and the 1986 classic cartoon, Hasbro and Paramount finally strike energon with a superb origin story that will blow audiences out of their chairs. Transformers One is a mesmerizing CGI adventure chock-full of thrilling action scenes, great humor, and, gasp, a thoughtful script with powerful themes. Although geared towards children, the film addresses friendship, subjugation, betrayal, hatred, and the true meaning of heroism with surprising coherence. Raise your expectations, because Transformers One sets a new high standard for the long-running franchise.
Before They Were Enemies, They Were Friends in This Transforms Origin Story
Set “50 cycles” after the surface of Cybertron was decimated in a war with the ruthless Quintessons, sentient robots live deep underground in Iacon City, where a strict caste system prevails. Those with a transforming cog have the ability to become vehicles and engage weaponry. They are the ruling class, while robots without a cog perform manual labor. Their most important task is to mine energon, which once flowed freely like rivers, but mysteriously stopped after the Matrix of Leadership was lost in the ancient conflict.
We are introduced to the mischievous mining robot Orion Pax (Chris Hemsworth) and his exasperated best friend D-16 (Brian Tyree Henry). Orion gets into constant trouble with a singular obsession. He breaks into various restricted archives to learn everything about the Matrix. Sentinel Prime (Jon Hamm), Cybertron’s leader and the last surviving Prime, leads expeditions to the surface to find it. Every robot believes the Matrix will end their suffering and liberate the energon stores buried deep in dangerous caverns.
Elita (Scarlett Johansson), Orion and D-16’s mining shift boss, has had enough of their antics. She’s about to be promoted and moved out of the mines. Elita won’t let her chance be ruined by slacker robots. Orion fears her wrath but hatches another crazy plan to prove that lowly miners are worthy citizens. D-16 doesn’t want any part of it, but always supports and protects Orion despite his reluctance.
Shocking Revelations & Big Themes of Class Difference
The first obvious difference to past features is the human facial characteristics. Miners who can’t transform don’t have battle masks. This allows the filmmakers to make them youthful and more expressive. Orion, D-16, and Elita look like teenagers. They also aren’t nearly as big as their superior robots. Class differences are physically noticeable and play a huge part of the story. You can see and feel their earnest expressions. Orion strives to be something more than his designated station. D-16 thinks he’s a dreamer setting himself up for perpetual disappointment. To him, the best a miner can do is their job. Work hard, meet quotas, and help their race collectively prosper.
Orion and D-16’s philosophical differences become more divisive as the brilliantly executed plot deepens. History is written by the victors. Their search to find the Matrix leads to shocking truths that reframe everything they were taught. How would you react to having your belief system shattered? To say D-16 doesn’t take it well is a vast understatement. His fury evolves into burning anger. Orion notices the change but cannot temper an evolution that breaks a bond that defined them both. There’s a thin line between love and hate. The creation of Optimus Prime and Megatron, brothers turned mortal enemies, is the crux of the film and absolutely riveting.
Transformers One Balances Tones and Visually Astounds
Transformers One incorporates every old school character with clever humor. You’ll laugh out loud as B-127 (Keegan-Michael Key), a chatty trash robot, joins the gang after a series of unfortunate events. Director Josh Cooley, an Oscar winner for Toy Story 4, strikes the perfect leveling tone. The film has serious notes but never gets too dour or grim. This balance allows the levity to be more impactful once D-16’s personality changes. The screenwriters also take humorous jabs along the way at the Transformers’ 80s competition. Older fans will definitely recognize and get a kick out of the snarky slights.
Transformers One has to be seen in the best 3D theater possible. Iacon City has an amazing production design where buildings and factories are upside down. Imagine if New York City wasn’t flat but circular with trains on mobile tracks whizzing through every nook and cranny. The depth perception and visual field are stunning. We then get completely different environments as the narrative moves to the surface. Cybertron isn’t entirely mechanical or just a hunk of rock in space. Kudos to Cooley and his production team for new settings that are radically different from the previous cartoons and films.
Chris Hemsworth Is No Peter Cullen
Transformers One succeeds in being accessible to all fans. It hits the mark by taking a known product and repackaging it in a way that will please both die-hards and neophytes alike. Cooley respects the established lore but also brings a fresh perspective to beloved characters. My one quibble is that we don’t get the legendary Peter Cullen voicing Optimus Prime. Hemsworth works as Orion but just doesn’t have the gravely, authoritative baritone of the Autobot’s badass leader. In that sense, every change here isn’t always better, but the film is a total knockout. Stick around during the credits.
Transformers One is a production of Paramount Animation, Hasbro Entertainment, New Republic Pictures, Di Bonaventura Pictures, and Bayhem Films. It will be released theatrically on September 20th from Paramount Pictures.
