Paramount brings to us their latest film in the huge, cybernetic franchise, Transformers One. The animated film tells the story of Optimus Prime (Chris Hemsworth) and Megatron (Brian Tyree Henry), enemies who were formerly friends and as close as brothers. giving us the story of their origin and what fractures their relationship. Before they were Optimus Prime and Megatron, they were Orion Pax and D-16, miners without cogs, leaving them without the ability to transform. Orion wants to find out where the Matrix of Leadership is, as it has been lost for years, and although Sentinel Prime (Jon Hamm) is searching the surface for it, they’ve yet to succeed in their expeditions. Orion Pax is a character who is always getting himself into trouble but is also someone who cares about making the people around him happy, even if that means slightly breaking the rules to do that. This shows the beginning of the leadership qualities that we find in Optimus Prime later in his life.
The Broken Bond At The Heart of Cybertron
What helps Transformers One – one thing that stands apart from any other piece of Transformers media is that it understands the dynamic between Optimus Prime and Megatron and is able to delve into why they were friends and what breaks them apart. Megatron is a character that wants respect; he doesn’t care about power and thinks it has corrupted his planet; he wants to bring it back to a place where no one can rule and make false promises anymore, but that’s the sad story about Megatron; he only ends up becoming what he hates. A tyrant.
The brotherly dynamic between both Orion Pax and D-16 is handled well in Transformers One, with Bumblebee (Keegan Michael-Key) being introduced in the first act to help out with the humour, and Elita (Scarlett Johansson) to also temper some of the action. It’s a perfect balance of characters and voice actors who do a generally good job with their roles, though at times it can feel like I hear Keegan Michael-Key in between certain takes.
Brian Tyree Henry is the standout performer in Transformers One; his tonal shift from genuine and kind, to ruthless and menacing, is a change that happens so smoothly with his voice and is some of the best voice work coming out of this year from an animation. We all think of Peter Cullen when we talk about Optimus Prime; he’s the voice we hear in our heads, but Chris Hemsworth does a good job of portraying a younger Optimus and also has an effortless shift from a character who’s clumsy to an actual leader. It’s the shift we’ve all been waiting to see with these characters in any media, and the relationship we wanted to take a deeper look into.
Is ‘Transformers One’ The Best ‘Transformers’ Film Ever?
Transformers One is being held as the best Transformers movie, and it’s a statement that I wholeheartedly agree with, but there is more praise to give the film. It’s the best film in recent years to handle a villain’s fall from grace so well. Watching D-16 slowly feel hurt by truths and betrayals makes it incredibly captivating to watch him go down this dark path and how he handles the news compared to Orion Pax, who believes there’s a way they can handle this situation without making it worse. All of this leads into one of the best third acts from a movie this year and rivals iconic scenes from films such as Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.
Josh Cooley is the first filmmaker to handle the IP of Transformers with respect; there are references that only fans would understand, and the inclusion of the Matrix of Leadership (finally) as an integral part of the story is handled correctly, unlike the live-action movies. It’s the first time I’ve watched a Transformers movie and felt like the director behind it finally understood what the franchise meant. The story of this film is structured in a way that old and new fans will be able to understand the mythos behind the Transformers and find enjoyment in this story that they know, which will eventually have a dark and tragic ending.
Industrial Light & Magic once again shows why it’s one of the best CG houses around. The team handled the visuals of the Transformers with such care, breathing life into each new scenery and helping the large-scale action fight sequences feel like they have actual weight with every attack that Megatron or Optimus Prime may land.
Final Thoughts
Transformers One is more than meets the eye. It’s a film that tells a touching story about the fallout between two friends that leads to the eventual destruction of their planet. It’s beautifully told with outstanding voice work to match the well-written script. ILM, without a doubt, helps put the live-action Transformers movies to shame with how well they animate the world, the characters, and the grand action sequences. This is a film that handles a villain extremely well, creating one of the best fall from grace stories to touch our screens, and showing why Megatron should be talked about during discussions about who the best villains in cinema are.
Transformers One is now out in cinemas. Check out the trailer below:
