In the same way that Spider-Man transposed from live action back to animation so successfully, now Transformers has done the same. Transformers One is a high-octane adventure with umpteen twists and turns, and extremely well-realised. I’d also like to think that as with Spider-Man, the same will be the case for Transformers moving forward.
This is the origin story of sworn enemies. Transformers fans will already know tyhat Optimus Prime is the supreme leader of the heroic Autobots, while Megatron is the diabolical commander of the Decepticons. The pair was once friends, but then the dynamic between them shifted, with the fate of their home planet Cybertron in the balance.
The story focuses on an adventurous mining bot called Orion Pax (voiced by Chris Hemsworth), who dreams of a better life than working in the subterranean Iacon City. He never sees the light of day and all his time is spent mining a precious energy source called Energon, supplies of which are dwindling. The original Primes have been slaughtered in a war with the ruthless Quintessons, who are now the rulers. Orion Pax doesn’t have any cogs, so he can’t transform. Therefore, his chances of rising above his lowly station are remote. Yet he’s driven to succeed, even when the odds are stacked against him.
The tale takes off from there after he finds a way to travel to the forbidden surface, dragging his “mate” D-16 (Brian Tyree Henry) with him. At stake is something called the long-lost Matrix of Leadership. Orion Pax is not the most popular bot in the stable. In fact, he’s known to be quite a nuisance, regularly disobeying orders. And yet his unconventional character is what propels him to do what he does.
I was impressed by the heft director Josh Cooley managed to imbue into this reboot of the Transformers franchise. It has emotional resonance. Let’s not forget that Cooley won the Best Animated Feature Oscar for Toy Story 4. In this case, credit must also go to the three writers, Andrew Barrer, Gabriel Ferrari and Eric Pearson. The first two collaborated on Ant-Man and the Wasp and Pearson is noted for his work on Thor Rangarok.
It turns out to be a compelling film, involving a lot of subterfuge as loyalties are tested. Given how much takes place and a rapid rate, you need to concentrate to get the most out of Transformers One, but if you do the rewards are there. The animation is outstanding. The computer artistry is next level. Importantly, the personalities of the players come to the fore and give the narrative depth.
It marks yet another winner for Chris Hemsworth, who steps in to voice Orion Pax. There’s a relaxed irreverence about him in a fun portrayal, which sees the character evolve into a force to be reckoned with. Orion Pax’s antithesis is his rule-following brother-in-arms D-16, as voiced by Brian Tyree Henry. While the pair sometimes rub each other the wrong way, their bond is deep. What I liked about Brian Tyree Henry was the way he transitions D-16.
Also standing in the way of Orion Pax at first is his by the book manager Elita-1, voiced by Scarlett Johansson. At first she’s ready to turn him in for his seeming inability to do the right thing, but in time she sees another side of him.
Transformers One is not only action-driven, but humorous. Part of that is due to the performance of Keegan-Michael Key as banished bot B-127 (aka Bumblebee).
This is one cleverly conceived and executed film that left me longing for the next instalment.
Alex First
Other reviews you might enjoy:
- Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse – movie review
- Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse – movie review
- Thor: Ragnarok – movie review
Alex First is a Melbourne based journalist and communications specialist. He contributes to The Blurb on film and theatre.