It’s been a long time since I’ve enjoyed a Transformer film. Bumblebee is the only one, every other entry has been a test of patience. With bloated runtimes, unmemorable characters and confusing action scenes they’ve not had a good track record. Now we come to the first animated cinematic Transformers film Transformers One. How do things roll out?
Transformers One is an origin story, it tells the tale of a young Optimus Prime and Megatron before they took on the mantles that made them famous. Audiences are introduced to Orion Pax (Chris Hemsworth) and D-16 (Brian Tyree Henry). These two cogless miners fall into the centre of a major event on their planet of Cybertron and will be transformed from mere miners to icons from the city of Iacon.
Transformers One is possibly the best Transformer film I have ever seen. It has the campiness of the original 80s cartoon with an intenseness from the modern cartoons mixed with a level of lore taken from the IDW comics and it all mixes into something truly enjoyable.
The world of Transformers One is an imaginative and vibrant one. The characters are full of personality thanks to the quality of animation. Longtime fans will even be treated to loving nods with appearances of many beloved characters known from the franchise. It’s not intrusive though, it just feels like the world is filled with these interesting figures and some of them we know because we’re fans.
Transformers Roll Out!
What starts out as a simple story about friendship steadily turns into something far more profound. Hemsworth is an excellent Orion Pax, his evolution from troublemaker to leader is genuine and well-written. However, it is Bryan Tyree Henry who gives the standout performance. Watching D-16 turn from a dutiful and obedient miner to a revolutionary is incredible. He brings a weight to his performance that only one other actor who has played Megatron has also done, I’m of course talking about Frank Welker.
Regarding the supporting cast, there are several less interesting characters. Keegan Michael Key’s B-127 at times represents the Bayism’s that have haunted this franchise for a long time. This is where most of the issues of the film stem from. The occasional return of the Bayisms. Gratuitous violence and the dialogue that surrounds it. Thankfully it only comes out fully in the third act. For the most part, he is still an enjoyable character. There is also Elita-1 played by Scarlett Johansson. She is given the thankless job of the character who corralls the troublemaking boys. She’s a no-nonsense character and could have been given more but unfortunately, it does feel like she’s the token female character.
Ultimately, I have to reiterate that Transformers One is the best Transformers film ever. It finally showcases on the big screen a nuanced and emotional story about friendship, betrayal and war. I cannot recommend this film enough.
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