Transformers One is a successful origin story, while balancing being fun and humorous with being serious and compelling.
About Transformers One
Transformers One Synopsis: Before becoming Optimus Prime and Megatron, they were simply miners Orion Pax (Chris Hemsworth) and D-16 (Brian Tyree Henry) . While up on the surface of the planet Cybertron, the two discover that things are not what they seem. The two, B-127 aka Bumblebee (Keegan-Michael Key), and Elita-1 (Scarlett Johansson), must then stop a planet-wide conspiracy. One that will threaten Orion and D’s relationship – and the fate of the entire galaxy forever.
Transformers Become Animated in Transformers One
With Transformers: One, director Josh Cooley and company travel back to the beginning. Specifically, to where the entire franchise started. To achieve this, screenwriters Eric Pearson and Ant-Man & The Wasp duo Andrew Barber & Gabriel Ferrari craft a story. One that celebrates the franchise, while expanding on the world, the characters, and their personalities. This results in a fun, energetic, and fast-paced ride. That is also filled with compelling characters. Especially when it comes to Orion/Optimus and D-16/Megatron, as they become the leaders of the Autobots and the Decepticons. We see how the two started off as essentially brothers and see how it devolves. A large part of this can be attributed to the CG animation.
Animation Expansion
Courtesy of the animators at ILM (Industrial Light & Magic) and led by VFX supervisor Frazier Churchill and animation supervisor Rob Coleman, the animation looks fluid and colorful. Characters have clear expressions and move quite seamlessly. It also feels grand and larger than life. With the help of production designer Jason Schierer, the Transformers – both Autobot and Decepticons – manage to resemble their Generation 1 style. Likewise, the designs balance both the Gen 1 look while also supplying us with an organic alien look. As a result, the designs manage to blend perfectly with the landscape of the planet. Both above and below Cybertron.
Editing Through Music
Through that exploration, the film runs at a solid pace with editor Lynn Hobson bringing the film in at one hour and fifty-one minutes. Moreover, accompanying everything is a techno-heavy score by composer Brian Tyler. Blending synth-wave and a traditional orchestra, Tyler’s score provides a good soundscape to all of the action and adventure on screen. Additionally, Tyler’s score also allows for the film’s more somber. moments to breathe and take shape. All of this though, does lead into a central complaint about the film. In which, a character’s change does come a bit too abruptly. However, the screenplay itself does justifies the change.
Performances in Transformers One
When it comes to the voice cast, most of them were well-casted in their roles and gave great performances. Starting off with Chris Hemsworth as Orion Pax, at first, his voice sounds reminiscent of his other characters like Thor. However, the similarity begin to wear off. As Pax, Hemsworth embodied a lot of heart and charisma. As a result, it begins to echoes a lot of what we love about Peter Cullen’s portrayal of the character.
Furthermore, Hemsworth provides great chemistry with Brian Tyree Henry. Speaking of Henry as D-16, Henry provides a nice alternative to Pax. So much so, that when his character inevitably becomes Megatron, you can still understand his motivation. This results in Henry becoming the standout performance. Plus, Henry’s chemistry between him and Hemsworth takes on a whole new dimension.
The rest of the cast fares well. Keegan-Michael Key delivers a good amount of comedic relief as Bumblebee. Scarlett Johansson is both witty and headstrong as Elita-1. Meanwhile, Lawrence Fishburne plays the gruff demeanor expertly as Alpha Triton. Finally, Jon Hamm and Steve Buscemi are pitch-perfect as Sentinel Prime and Starscream, respectively. With Sentinel, Hamm brings out a pseudo-celebrity charisma to the performance. One that is likable one moment. But, dastardly the next moment. On top of this, Buscemi’s demeanor and voice manages to make his performance as Starscream perfect to the T. As well as lines up with how the character is portrayed in other media.
Final Thoughts
With Transformers One, Cooley and company successfully told the origin story of the Autobots and Decepticons. One that is fun. One that is energetic. And one that is fast-paced. All the while, having compelling characters and performances supporting that. Thus, resulting in one of the best entires in the franchise. Overall, Transformers One is a fun, energetic, and fast-paced entry in the franchise that serves as a compelling origin story for the Transformers.
