Forty years ago, the world was introduced to Hasbro Toys / Takara Tomy's action figures and animated series, Transformers. The story follows two alien robot factions, the Autobots and the Decepticons, fighting for control of their planet, Cybertron. Over four decades, the franchise has created toys, shows, comic books, and feature films-both animated and live-action-and has made over $25 billion in revenue. The latest property, a movie from Hasbro and Paramount Animation called Transformers One, is set to hit theaters nationwide this Friday. Bringing together an origin story with great vocal talent, the film is sure to be a success with critics and audiences everywhere.
Orion Pax (Chris Hemsworth; Thor: Ragnarok) and D-16 (Bryan Tyree Henry; Bullet Train) are cogless Autobots who work in the mines extracting Energon, which gives the Autobots energy. Once free-flowing on Cybertron, this resource is now buried deep below the surface since all but one of the Primes were killed fighting in the war. Sentinel Prime (Jon Hamm; Mad Men) and his troops go to the surface to look for the Matrix of Leadership that would bring Energon back but have been unsuccessful thus far. However, when Orion Pax, D-16, and Elita-1 (Scarlett Johansson; Black Widow) accidentally end up on the surface, they find out the truth about the war, Energon, and Sentinel Prime.
While Transformers One does feel like a very well-animated Saturday morning cartoon, the plot is well thought out, and the writing is smart and funny. The jokes are perfectly placed, and while there are a number of them, they don't overrun the whole storyline. The origin story of how these two friends became the mortal enemies we know today is interesting and offers a backstory most of us have never known before.
The animation is outstanding, with immaculate lines that offer intense details on every frame of the film. The colors have a range of hues that provide deep and rich visuals throughout the movie and will be eye-catching for younger audiences. The creativity utilized to create the train to the surface and the surface itself is a testament to the animation team, as their hard work is evident throughout Transformers One. The only moments that were off-putting to me were when Airachnid (Vanessa Liguori; The Sopranos), Sentinel Prime's henchman, was on screen and when Sentinel Prime met with Cybertron's enemies, as these creatures looked like creep-crawly bugs that grossed me out.
The voice cast is excellent, with Hemsworth giving a pre-Optimus Prime his deep and solid voice with a slight vibrato underneath. He commanded attention every time he spoke, with only the occasional resemblance of Thor sneaking in. Johansson sounds like Black Widow throughout, but Tyree Henry changes his tone as his character morphs into Megatron. Keegan Michael Key (Wonka) plays B-127 (a.k.a. Bumblebee), and his voice sits in a higher register than the others, making B-127 seem more childlike and full of bubbling energy. Steve Buscemi (Fargo) and Laurence Fishburne (The Matrix) round out a cast of strong acting talent.
Transformers One gives fans of the franchise something a little different to sink their teeth into while still having entertainment value for the younger audience members. The movie moves along at a solid pace, even though the plot falls on old tropes to get us to the outcome, and there are laugh-out-loud moments scattered throughout to break up some of the seriousness of the story.
Rated PG, Transformers One offers something for both young and old audience members, and with a good story, jokes that land well, and excellent animation, this is a fall treat for families to enjoy together.
Grade: A-
