Transformers has been a part of the pop culture zeitgeist for over forty years now. These two have been portrayed differently, from the 1980s animated television series to Michael Bay’s live-action movies. During that time, we had never learned the troubled history behind the franchise’s two most iconic characters: Optimus Prime and Megatron. Now, Transformers One looks to tell the origin behind their centuries-long blood feud, and director Josh Cooley takes the opportunity to explore their history fully.
Although the iconic voices of Peter Cullen and Frank Welker aren’t voicing Optimus Prime and Megatron, Chris Hemsworth and Brian Tyree Henry do a great job as the younger versions of these characters. Hemsworth is as charismatic and noble as Orion Pax, and Henry’s menacing and sympathetic portrayal of D-16 makes the film work. As a result, their friendship is the emotional heartbeat of the story. As the story progresses, you’ll be surprised at how invested you are in these younger versions of the characters and become witnesses to their rise as leaders and their split.
Along the way, the film also introduces us to the younger version of two key Autobot officers: Bumblebee and Elita-One. As you might expect, Keegan-Michael Key’s performance of B-127 (Bumblebee) gives the movie a lot of humor. Key gives Bumblebee a light-hearted and adorable nature with his incredible comedic talent while maintaining Bee’s core values of loyalty and bravery that fans will recognize. Also, Scarlett Johansson provides an equally likable performance as Elita-One. Johansson perfectly straddles the line between warm and authoritative to give the role the commanding presence it needs.
Transformers One delivers an electrifying movie that entertains and captivates audiences of all ages thanks to its breathtaking action, stunning animation, and strong performances.
Having said all that, Transformers One does have some flaws. First, the dialogue and storyline can get a little formulaic. At the same time, the film doesn’t develop some of the non-core characters as one would hope. I’m not expecting them to go into everyone’s backstory, but seeing more of how they came to be would be nice. Nevertheless, these are just minor complaints in an otherwise fantastic movie.
Although One relies heavily on Transformers lore, the movie still manages to balance catering to long-time fans and making itself accessible to newcomers. For fans, the film has a ton of Easter eggs and references that’ll make any fan smile. However, for newcomers like children (this is an animated movie, after all), the plot is simple enough for anybody to follow. This allows the old generation and the new to enjoy the film regardless of their familiarity with the franchise.
Overall, Transformers One rolls out with an electrifying movie that entertains audiences of all ages thanks to its breathtaking action, stunning animation, and strong performances. Even though it has some minor flaws, it’s still a fantastic film that’ll entertain you from start to finish.
Rating: 4/5 atoms
Transformers One hits theaters on September 20th.
