The latest piece of Transformers media, Transformers One, has been released, this time as a prequel to the beloved franchise.
Josh Cooley (Toy Story 4) directs the first animated Transformers film in years, Transformers One. One follows Cybertron miners Orion Pax (Chris Hemsworth) and D-16 (Brian Tyree Henry) as they attempt to reclaim their home planet to its former glory. Soon, they’re joined by mining supervisor Alita (Scarlett Johansson) and B (Keegan-Michael Key) in their quest to free the planet from charismatic dictator Sentinel Prime (Jon Hamm).
The story is nothing special, we’ve seen it a hundred times before. Friends find problems, friends save the day, and friends turn foes. It works for the movie, but the way the plot is executed feels disjointed, with no real thematic connection. It’s an embodiment of the “and then this happens and then this happens” complaint that so commonly paints its way across online spaces. The story does, however, serve the animation.
I’ve seen a lot of early reviews of this film compare this film to animated visual epics such as Spider-Man: Into The Spiderverse and some Studio Ghibli properties. I disagree with this sentiment. While the animation is good, it is nothing special and does not break any ground in any sense. That’s not to disrespect the workers of this film in any way, who do just great. I feel that comparing it to these animated juggernauts does a disservice to the film. There are some spectacular scenes throughout, particularly a scene with Laurence Fishburne’s character and a final glow-up for Chris Hemsworth’s Orion Pax/Optimus Prime.
Joining these cast members are Steve Buscemi (The Sopranos, Grown Ups), Vanessa Liguori, and Isaac C. Singleton Jr. (Anger Management). They’re all welcome additions but have very limited screen time in the grand scheme of the film. The voicework of the main cast is quite good, with one exception— Scarlett Johansson. ScarJo is a fantastic actress, but her work here is perhaps the most underwhelming she’s been in a role. Her dialogue and performance come across as uninspired, weak, and at times cringe-worthy, which is a sad thing to admit, having loved her voicework in 2013’s Her.
Brian Tyler delivers a great score for the film, while Quavo and Ty Dolla $ign overdeliver with a credits song. While nowhere near as powerful as a Linkin Park banger, that is still great. While I haven’t seen EVERY piece of Transformers media, I’ve seen the live-action instalments. It stands well against those, besting the Mark Wahlberg films and Revenge of the Fallen. While I prefer the other live-action films, they sit comfortably with them on the same plain of quality. What I love about this movie is its simplicity. Sure, it’s not geniusly written or spectacularly animated, but it never aims to be. The movie is content with being entertainment, and entertainment it is.
Transformers One is directed by Josh Cooley and stars Chris Hemsworth, Brian Tyree Henry, Scarlett Johansson, Keegan-Michael Key, Jon Hamm, Laurence Fishburne, and Steve Buscemi. The film is produced by Michael Bay, executive produced by Steven Spielberg, and arrives in US theatres on September 20, 2024.
Thanks for reading this review. Stay tuned for a full Transformers ranking.
