Miners Orion Pax and D-16 reside on Cybertron, tolling their days away mining the elements needed to sustain the planet, living in awe of the planet’s hero, Sentinel Prime. Despite clashing, the two are good friends, and set out on the adventure of a lifetime to escape the doldrums of their mundane miner lives, to retrieve an artifact that could save their world. But shocking revelations into the past of their world create a rift between the friends, setting them on separate courses that will forever change the fate and the status quo of Cybertron.
The TRANSFORMERS feature film series has been big business for Paramount over the past two decades ever since they released the first live-action film way back in 2007 (man, do I ever feel old saying that.) It’s been a hit and miss franchise that seems somewhat directionless, with hits and misses alike (confession time: I haven’t seen all of them). When I heard there was a new TRANSFORMERS movie coming out, only a year and a half since the last one, I can’t say I was too optimistic. Although this one was apparently an animated prequel with no ties to the previous movies.
I got up early on a Saturday morning to make the drive to AMC Town Square for this screening with mixed expectations and not much to look forward to… only to have my pessimism shattered.
TRANSFORMERS ONE is the greatest TRANSFORMERS movie ever made, with a gripping storyline, developed and likable characters, and a tragic story of two heroes torn apart when revelations on Cybertron send them down different roads. Perhaps animation is what suits this franchise best; the best prior TRANSFORMERS movie, of course, was the original one from the 1980s. This is a promising new direction for a franchise I thought had run out of gas long ago. I’d even go so far as to call this one of the best movies of 2024, words I never would’ve expected to write in this review.
The live action TRANSFORMERS movies are a bit of mess because they have no idea what they want to be, being set predominantly on Earth with a bunch of human characters that are one-dimensional who no one came to see or ultimately end up caring about. Right form the get go, TRANSFORMERS ONE avoids this major pitfall by setting the film on their home world of Cybertron, meaning humans and the Planet Earth aren’t even part of the equation (no more annoying human characters? Yay!) Instead, we get a tale of how Orion Pax (later Optimus Prime) and D-16 (later Megatron) first meet, and their early years and friendship, as well as how they met several of their allies and enemies. This is the X-MEN FIRST CLASS of the TRANSFORMERS world, giving us a gripping look into their early years, as well as the events and revelation that cause the rift, creating the rivalry between the two that has become so legendary in popular culture. In much of the other TRANSFORMERS media, Megatron feels like a big bully with no real motivation, but here the character is actually made sympathetic and relatable. When you see the friendship they once had, the ending and what we all know is coming hits even harder. Much of the humor in the film comes from B-127 (later Bumblebee), and these moments help balance out the gripping dramatic material with everything else, creating something that, while dark and desolate at times, never loses its heart.
The film intelligently relegates its story to Cybertron and never branches off world, meaning the story is even more gripping and important to our heroes. This isn’t a tale that starts off with a gripping battle and intense action violence and over-the-top spectacle. Instead, it’s a tale of two “average joes” with delusions of grandeur whisked away on the adventure of a lifetime. It starts of feeling like a “buddy comedy” of sorts, which beautifully demonstrates the bond these two once had. It was pleasing to this moviegoer to see that this isn’t just a movie that throws in everything but the kitchen sink. Pacing is top notch, and everything feels earned and with just the right amount of buildup. At times the movie becomes quite dark and violent, pushing the PG rating as far as it’ll go, but it still manages to feel family appropriate. My screening at the AMC Town Square theater’s IMAX room had a wide array of kids and adults alike, and nearly all of them were getting into it, laughing at the lighthearted moments, feeling shocks of awe when they were warranted, and cheering in triumph during those key times in the movie. Sometimes audience reactions at screenings annoy me, but this is one of the few times I was right along with them.
TRANSFORMERS ONE succeeds in world building and certainly plants the seeds for future animated TRANSFORMERS films. Unlike the dwindling Marvel Cinematic Universe where nearly every movie just feels like a commercial for what’s coming next, or in some cases what came before, TRANSFORMERS ONE feels like a coherent standalone product that’s a strong film on its own. There are hints of what could come next, but this never comes at the expense of having a good time with the movie itself. Some characters and races are relegated to supporting roles, but nearly everyone is voice cast perfectly, and I have a feeling we’ll see many of these characters and plot points unfold in the inevitable TRANSFORMERS TWO.
I thought the TRANSFORMERS franchise had been done to death (are they still planning a live-action crossover with GI JOE? Who the hell knows.) TRANSFORMERS ONE is one of the biggest surprises of 2024 with its blend of action, humor, drama, and everything in between. It’s the TRANSFORMERS movie I always wanted, but never knew I needed. The slogan of TRANSFORMERS has always been “More Than Meets the Eye,” and this is the rare film in the franchise that actually is. Adults will love it for the retro nostalgia and humor, and the kids of those adults who grew up on the franchise will love the action and colorful characters. There are no agendas on display here; it’s just an all-around action-packed good time for all. Absolute highest recommendations; it’s one of 2024’s biggest surprises at the movies!