Transformers One

The animated film is a surprisingly enjoyable one

The Transformers franchise has constantly delivered unwatchable slogs. Diminishing box office returns, lack of story ideas, and the exit of Michael Bay as the franchise director have left the IP rudderless. Efforts such as the enjoyable Bumblebee (2018) didn’t hit with fans, and the main franchise is starting to poke plot holes in its continuity with Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (2023). As such, Paramount poached Pixar director Josh Cooley to deliver the franchise’s first animated theatrical film in nearly 40 years with Transformers One (2024).

Transformers One takes place on planet Cybertron, and we follow young Optimus Prime and Megatron who were best friends before becoming the franchise’s nemeses. In these early days, the duo go by the names Orion Pax (Chris Hemsworth) and D-16 (Brian Tyree Henry), are not yet able to transform, and are working as lowly miners. The two friends embark on a quest to find a lost artifact, with their mining boss Elita (Scarlett Johansson) and trash-bot B-127 (Keegan-Michael Key) tagging along.

Cooley recognized that viewers wanted to watch the robots, not human beings as protagonists. The switch from Earth to Cybertron fans out possibilities to play with lore and visuals. Cooley shifts his focus to a character-driven story, whose center is the friendship and diverging paths of Orion Pax and D-16.

I had zero expectations for Transformers One, given the franchise track-record and lazy title, but Cooley brings a patient storytelling, appealing characters, and effective humor. Transformers One also brings an animation style that both impresses with how it crafts the metal surfaces of our characters, while also maintaining its distinct cartoon side. The action sequences, not only were more comprehensive and choreographed than the CGI splatter live-action films delivered, but they are also surprisingly bold and brutal for a family film.

The voice acting ranges in quality, Key as B-127 teeters on the edge of obnoxious, but his risks also deliver some of the best laughs. Hemsworth and Tyree Henry showcase a winning chemistry that sells their friendship. However, it was hard to buy the lead voice actors as their iconic characters, it felt as if they were playing other original robot characters instead of the franchise stalwarts.

Transformers One’s plot takes a predictable and cookie-cutter adventure story. You can time the beats and twists to perfection if you’re a veteran movie-goer, and the film can’t resist an ending shamelessly setting up a sequel, albeit it wasn’t intrusive enough to dilute the surprisingly gripping finale.

In the end, Cooley does the impossible and makes an enjoyable and engaging Transformers film. The switch to animation favors the robot-centric world, while the friendship and character focus enhances the stakes and narrative journey. If you look past the appallingly poor title of this film, you will find a decent enjoyment behind.

7.3/10