Brothers-in-arms Orion Pax and D-16 become sworn enemies Optimus Prime and Megatron.
Director: Josh Cooley
Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Brian Tyree Henry, Scarlett Johansson, Keegan-Michael Key, Steve Buscemi, Laurence Fishburne, Jon Hamm
Release Date: September 20, 2024
Genre: Animation, Action, Adventure, Family, Fantasy, Sci-Fi
Rated PG for sci-fi violence and animated action throughout, and language.
Runtime: 1h 44m
Review:
Transformers One is a rather impressive revitalization of the franchise by bringing it back to the animated realm on the big screen and smartly putting the focus back on the bots. Josh Cooley's film possesses an engaging energy from start to finish as we follow the tragic journey of our central pair. The animation is vibrant with each frame pulsating with life as he gives Cybertron an updated look that is still familiar enough to satisfy longtime fans but fresh enough to attract new fans as well. It’s a tightrope he manages to traverse for the majority of the film's runtime with plenty of Easter eggs scattered throughout while still managing to tell a solid story. It’s fun and light for a large portion of the first half before the story shifts thematically as we see Pax and D-16's worldviews diverge in starkly different ways. Even though you know where the story is going, the script handles it so well that it makes sense in an organic way that leaves far more shades of grey on both sides. There's a tangible amount of nuance at play as the whole thing unfolds which gives it far more emotional impact than you'd expect from this franchise. There's plenty of heart baked into the script but strong vocal performances from Chris Hemsworth and Brian Tyree Henry make it all click. Hemsworth is appropriately youthful, curious and heroic as the pre Prime Orion Pax. He and Brian Tyree Henry share solid chemistry together which makes their brotherly relationship work especially with D-16 serving as a solid counter point to Pax's wide eyed optimism. Henry does subtle vocal work as he establishes his character as a true believer who ultimately has the rug pulled out from under him. Their dynamic together is subtly drawn even as the lighter action adventure portion of the film dominates the first two acts before the ultimate payoff. Scarlett Johansson and Keegan-Michael Key are solid but a bit underserved by the script in supporting roles. Johansson's Elita is the kind of strong willed, fearless character she could play in her sleep. There's a definite sense that there was a lot more to the character than what we're given but she's definitely got plenty of room to grow in future installments. Keegan-Michael Key is fun in spots as the motor mouth comedic relief in the form of Bumblebee but there are moments where his take on the character boarders on grating as its clearly aimed at the younger members of the audience. Jon Hamm, Steve Buscemi and Laurence Fishburne round out the supporting cast with each doing well in limited screen especially Hamm who's perfectly suited to the traitorous Sentinel Prime. Once it's all said and done, Transformers One proves to be one of the more pleasant surprises especially for an unabashed die hard fan like myself.
B+
