REVIEW: ‘Transformers One’ is a Fresh New Take on the Franchise

The untold origin story of Optimus Prime and Megatron, Transformers One may be one of the best Transformers movies to date.  Prior to them becoming the fearless Optimus Prime and the evil Megatron, audience goers are taken back to a time when these bots weren’t archenemies. Back to a time when they were just two Energon-miners on Cybertron, going by the names of Orion Pax (voiced by Chris Hemsworth) and D-16 (voiced by Brian Tyree Henry). With no transformation cog to help them transform, these two find adventure in all sorts of ways, mostly ways that get them into trouble. When one of their adventures find them stumbling onto a huge cover-up, the pair must team up with the stubborn Elita (voiced by Scarlett Johansson) and the chatty B127/Bumblebee (Keegan-Michael Key) if they hope to save Cybertron before it is too late.

Directed by Josh Cooley, this movie is a fresh take on the Transformers franchise. It brings fans back to the beginning while also not ignoring the new fans experiencing the Transformers for the first time. Filled with nostalgia the writing team behind the movie have created a storyline that is enjoyable for all ages. Visually stunning, the animation team went above and beyond with this one. They beautifully mixed designs from past Transformer animated entities with their own designs to help create a vibrant story. Unlike past Transformer animated series, the animators on this movie were also able to have these characters emote on screen. The audience could tell exactly what the character was feeling without having to rely on the voice actor to do it.

At times it was hard to forget that it was Hemsworth behind the voice of Orion Pax and Johansson behind the voice of Elita. Neither really did much to alter their original voices so they would not be recognizable. In most cases this would ruin the movie, but it doesn’t. The story is so wonderfully written that you easily forget the voice behind the character. You are too engrossed by what is unfolding on screen to care.  Key is absolutely wonderful as B127. He brings a voice to a character that has been mainly silent, or speaking via radio, to the big screen. His vocal performance was one of the best in the movie. Henry, though, may have the best vocal performance. Unlike his vocal counterparts, Henry alters his voice to fit the journey of his character. As the movie unfolds, you can hear Henry changing the tone in his voice as D-16 gets angrier and angrier.

Transformers One is definitely a movie to see in theaters. Whether you’ve been a fan for years or a newcomer to the franchise, everyone will find something to like about this movie. It is the perfect stepping stone to a new beginning for the franchise.

Grade: A