‘Transformers One’ Review: Animated Origin Story Reveals There’s More to the Series’ Central Conflict Than Meets the Eye

As a movie buff who grew up with Optimus Prime and Megatron battling it out on my television screen, I can say that “Transformers One” has truly taken me back to my childhood roots. It’s been decades since I last watched those iconic cartoons, but this film has managed to capture the essence of those characters in a way that feels fresh and modern.

When “The Transformers: The Movie” debuted in 1986, created by Nelson Shin, it had a significant impact. It wasn’t so much for being an entertaining spin-off of a well-known toy line as it was for daring to eliminate a key character, Optimus Prime, to make way for new ones. The demise of this heroic Autobot leader left a deep scar on a generation of young viewers, prompting the toy company Hasbro to save Duke from a similar fate in “G.I. Joe: The Movie,” which was released the following year. For nearly four decades, it has served as a barrier, preventing many family-friendly cartoons from raising the stakes excessively. Fortunately, “Transformers One” largely disregards the impact of its predecessor’s legacy.

In the first cinematic installment of the franchise since the last one, director Josh Cooley avoids mass slaughter of Cybertronian beings. This is important because “Transformers One” sets up the ongoing battle between Autobots and Decepticons that has been a recurring theme across various animated series, movies, and spin-offs, ever since the toy line was first introduced. Despite delivering the action and fun associated with Hasbro’s transforming robots, “Transformers One” offers a more nuanced and complex portrayal of these characters compared to previous on-screen representations. This is one of the most sophisticated depictions yet.

Through their characters as Orion Pax and D-16, Chris Hemsworth and Bryan Tyree Henry portray two robots who will eventually transform into Optimus Prime and Megatron. Ambitious to elevate themselves beyond their present roles as Energon miners on Cybertron, Orion envisions a future where they rise above their current status and contribute significantly to their society. In contrast, D-16 exhibits caution and concern about disrupting the established order, even if it means continuing in a monotonous, unglamorous existence.

Despite not having the component that enables these robots to transform, Orion enters them into a victory race, hoping to catch Sentinel Prime’s (Jon Hamm) attention, who is the only remaining Prime left after his fellow Primes were destroyed by the merciless alien species, the Quintessons. His plan works initially, but Sentinel Prime’s interest quickly fades, leading them to end up in a lower social tier than before. This time, they are accompanied by B-127 (Keegan-Michael Key), a fellow outcast, and Elita-1 (Scarlett Johansson), their disgraced former superior, on their journey.

To make amends for past mistakes, Orion, D-16, and their counterparts journey from their city of Iacon to the planet’s surface in search of the legendary Matrix of Leadership, a powerful artifact said to restore the energy supply on Cybertron. However, they uncover a complex web of deceit that spans back to the time of the Primes, with consequences that impact nearly every Cybertronian’s identity. Equipped with this revelation, they bravely return to Iacon City to share the truth with their fellow citizens, all the while pondering how to proceed once the truth is fully disclosed.

As a film enthusiast, I must admit that the visual effects wizards at Industrial Light & Magic, Digital Domain, and others truly outdid themselves in the first five live-action “Transformers” movies. However, in this latest installment, Industrial Light & Magic goes above and beyond by creating lifelike animated characters that challenge the notion that photorealism is the only way to bring these characters to life on screen. This argument was previously advocated by Travis Knight in the 2018 film “Bumblebee,” while Steven Caple Jr.’s “Rise of the Beasts” chose to distance itself from Michael Bay’s chaotic, complex machinery, opting instead for a more faithful representation of the original cartoon characters. Let’s not forget that these are androids transforming into vehicles – if we’re willing to suspend our disbelief enough to watch the film, then seeing them with identifiable faces rather than a blur of pixelated metal is a significant improvement.

As a passionate cinephile, I must say that Cooley, the brilliant mind behind “Toy Story 4″ and an Oscar-winning director, doesn’t just simplify the familiar outlines of our beloved heroes and villains. Instead, he crafts a visually striking and harmonious universe where these characters are not only physically but also metaphorically finding their footing in this world. The screenplay by Eric Pearson, Andrew Barrer, and Gabriel Ferrari offers a younger Cybertron than we’ve ever witnessed before, and characters who are still in the process of becoming. This unique setup leads to a fascinating transformation for Orion and D-16 – they may lack the unwavering authority of Optimus Prime or the cold calculation of Megatron, but as they delve into their origins, they react in ways that are both true to the established lore and incredibly relatable.

The situation echoes the characters Caesar and Koba from “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes.” One strives to promote and uphold the finest qualities in their environment, while the other bears a pain so profound it’s difficult to forget or pardon. The clash between these contrasting viewpoints is powerful enough to shape the central conflict that has dominated most Transformers lore.

Amidst the intricate philosophical aspects lies breathtaking visual spectacle. For instance, a serpentine track mysteriously appears in a treacherous loop-de-loop during the intense race for first place. Additionally, towering buttes and mountain ranges emerge unexpectedly, resembling geometric screensavers, as Orion, D-16, and their fugitive comrades scan Cybertron’s landscape. In constructing his ‘bot-centric dystopia filled with heroic scenes and fast-paced action sequences, Cooley incorporates captivating impressionistic moments that will enthrall both longtime fans (most likely parents) and children already enamored by Optimus and Megatron.

In this rephrased version, let me highlight one exceptional casting decision: Steve Buscemi as the perpetually whiny Decepticon Starscream, a choice reminiscent of Orson Welles as Unicron in “The Transformers: The Movie.” The rest of the cast, from Hemsworth and Henry to Hamm portraying the charming Sentinel Prime, are all ideally suited for their respective roles. Some viewers might find Key’s rapid-fire Bumblebee amusing, but if the overall humor in the film leans towards silliness at times, I contend that it is better than the immature, raunchy, occasionally racially insensitive humor prevalent in Bay’s live-action Transformers movies.

At any age, expectations won’t be subverted, but the film offers a more nuanced portrayals of Cybertron’s heroes and villains than ever before, and it furthermore does not pull punches when it comes to the, let’s say, conclusive fates of certain characters. Even so, in an era of more sophisticated animated offerings and the collective seasoning of audiences since 1986, Cooley’s film seems unlikely to prompt the kind of backlash that its predecessor faced. In fact, “Transformers One” holds up well in a particularly robust year for high-quality animated fare: released in close proximity with “The Wild Robot,” another story of machines run amuck, its material may not seem as obviously emotional, but for a viewer who was first traumatized by “The Transformers” 38 years ago, it’s exciting to watch a new installment in this franchise and actually feel something again.

2024-09-12 16:19

‘Transformers One’ Review: Animated Origin Story Reveals There’s More to the Series’ Central Conflict Than Meets the Eye

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