Transformers Review One: More in Real Eye Quality

Is Transformers One the best Transformers movie ever made?

In recent years, the Autobots and the Decepticons have kept their war for Cybertron and the future of Earth on the silver screen focused on the live-action world. Not since Transformers moviereleased in 1986, we saw Optimus Prime and Megatron fight in theaters in the animated realm. Thanks to the success of the live-action films, Paramount has decided to explore the animated Cybertron again with a prequel film that explores the friendship between Orion Pax and D-16, the future leaders of the Autobots and Decepticons. In this new CG-animated film, Paramount has created one of the best Transformers films to date, injecting new life into the franchise in an unexpected way.

Taking place long before the Autobots and Decepticons came to Earth, Transformers One focusing on the future Megatron and Optimus as they fulfill their roles as “mining robots.” Instead of fighting for their future, both are trying to do their best in a society where both cannot change and are looked down upon thanks to their stations in life. Set out on a quest that introduces them to both good and bad robots, Transformers One details how the two main characters become the Autobot and Decepticon leaders we get to know and explains what breaks up their friendship.

Transformers One a very strong story telling the friendship between Orion and D-16. Their personalities bounce off each other well, not only thanks to the writing, but also thanks to the vocal talents of Chris Hemsworth and Brian Tyree Henry, respectively. Taking on the role of Optimus is a tough act to follow, given Peter Cullen’s amazing performance, but I was amazed by Hemsworth’s work here, both injecting his own identity while making worthy fill-ins for Optimus’ routine. go-to voice actor. The same can definitely be said for Henry’s work as D-16 as the previously innocent robot begins to turn to the dark side and doesn’t feel like a different character to what we see. The fall from grace for Megatron and the rise to heroism for Optimus feels completely organic, creating an incredibly tragic story of how these best friends lose their relationships and form an army that joins a war without end There are precise moments in the film’s runtime where you, as a viewer, can witness the “birth” of both Optimus Prime and Megatron and both feel deserved due to a strong set-up.

Of course, even though Orion and D-16 are the main characters of the film, that doesn’t mean they are alone in their quest to learn about the dark secrets of Cybertron’s existence. The friends are joined by Elita-1 (Scarlett Johansson) and Bumblebee (Keegan-Michael Key), who are in search of the leaders. The film itself gives these supporting characters more than enough to work with, especially in the case of Bumblebee, who is used well in the running time as comic relief for the film. A lot of Key’s jokes come across well in his performance here, and Key’s execution and timing of his comedic timing never repeats itself.

Transformers One the story ventures into some meaningful and surprisingly dark territory, making it a great story for new and old Cybertronian fans alike. The threat facing D-16 and Orion Pax is one that is not so easily dispatched and both seem to have very different approaches to how to deal with that threat. For old fans of the franchise, there are some serious Easter Eggs that never feel heavy handed and give Transformers fanatics more than a few reasons to re-watch the animated film to see if they can see some familiar faces during some running time. Without spoiling anything, Transformers One not only does it lay out the origins of Optimus Prime and Megatron, it also gives viewers interesting backstories for some of the biggest characters in the franchise.

As for the animation itself, Transformers One a great movie to watch. The CG animation used by Paramount here is a style that works effortlessly to bring Cybertron to life. Unlike the live-action films, this is a film with no one to talk about and, in all honesty, it benefits from this strategy in terms of its animations and story. The emotions coming from Orion, D-16, and the entire supporting cast are resonant here thanks to pitch perfect animation. Along with its characters, Cybertron as a whole is a feast for the eyes here and at times the terrain is too intense for the best.

I’d be remiss if you didn’t call this the best Transformers An animated film from the 1980s. If this is the future of the Transformers franchise, then Autobot and Decepticons fans have a bright future to look forward to indeed.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Transformers One It will be in theaters on September 20.