TRANSFORMERS ONE
(director/writer: Josh Cooley; screenwriters: Eric Pearson, Andrew Barrer, Gabriel Ferrari/story by Barrer & Ferrari; cinematographer: Christopher Batty; editor: Lynn Hobson; music: Brian Tyler; cast: voiced by Chris Hemsworth (Orion Px), voiced by Steve Buscemi (Starscream), Voiced by Larry Fishburne (Alpha Trion), voiced by Jon Hamm (Sentinel Prime), voiced by Brian Tyree Henry (D-16/Megatron), voiced by Scarlett Johansson (Elita-1), voiced by Keegan-Michael Key (B-127); Runtime: 104; MPAA Rating: PG; producers: Michael Bay, Tom DeSanto, Mark Vahradian; Paramount Pictures; 2024)
“It benefits from a fast pace and detailed animation.”
Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz
The animated origin story, exploring its early days, is directed as if a video game by Josh Cooley (“Toy Story 4″/”Riley’s First Date?”). It’s co-written by him and Eric Pearson, Andrew Barrer and Gabriel Ferrari. The story is by Andrew Barrer and Gabriel Ferrari. It’s a kids friendly film, making good use of the Hasbro toys it promotes. It benefits from a fast pace and detailed animation. This is the best reboot to the original 1986 Michael Bay film.
It explores the friendship — and eventual animosity — between Optimus Prime and Megatron.
The impulsive Orion Pax (voiced by Chris Hemsworth) and his stable sidekick D-16 (voiced by Brian Tyree Henry) are working as blue-collar miner droids on the planet Cybertron. Both share a hatred of their elite rulers and form a partnership.
Orion enters the duo in a competition to seek recognition from influential leader Sentinel Prime (voiced by Jon Hamm). Orion says “It’s time to show we’re more than what meets the eye.”
However, the scheme backfires and they plunge further down the ladder. This leads them to team up with fellow outsider Elita-1 (voiced by Scarlett Johansson) and the jokey B-127 (Keegan-Michael Key) for a mission that puts them face-to-face with a decaying warrior bot (voiced by Laurence Fishburne) who comforts them with words of wisdom and caution.
They’re left coping with the ongoing nasty war that decimated Cybertron, as they learn about its power structure while prepared to fight for a better life in the future.
First time viewers of the franchise might struggle trying to figure out the unique mythology and all viewers with dealing with a story-line that’s often incoherent. It all leads to the final showdown and the video game-like exciting confrontations among the gladiators.
Transformers One offers the franchise a renewed energy boost, and rewards its viewers with some witty dialogue and powerful action sequences.
I’m not a fan of the franchise, but this sequel was better than I expected.
REVIEWED ON 1/18/2025 GRADE: B-
dennisschwartzreviews.com