Transformers One: The BEST One Yet!

I waited a long time to write this review, and the moment has finally come to share with you all my thoughts on the newly released film for the Transformers franchise, Transformers One. I can tell you right now this is not going to be a short review, so here’s a quick summary: 

Now, if you’re ready for the details, keep reading down below!

Synopsis

Optimus Prime was Orion Pax before the Matrix of Leadership was bestowed upon him. Megatron was D-16 before he rose into the Decepticon leader. Most importantly, they were brothers. Once fighting side by side, they unfortunately started developing different ideologies for how Cybertron should be saved. Faced with multiple obstacles, heartbreaking truths about their own heroes, and making some unlikely friends along the way, we get to see how it all started before it all fell apart.

What Worked for this film

The voice acting in this movie is phenomenal. I cannot imagine any other voices that could have pulled off what this amazing cast did. It was obvious everyone was enjoying their roles along with their time in the booth. I will be lending my voice to the already thousands of people who are praising Brian Tyree Henry for his outstanding portrayal of D-16/Megatron. I also need to give Chris Hemsworth a shout out for being a young Orion Pax and not a voice actor trying to imitate Peter Cullen. Everyone knows Peter Cullen is the true Optimus Prime, but Chris Hemsworth clearly did his homework. Scarlett Johanson and Keagan Michael Key did great jobs to Elita-1 and Badass-a-tron, I mean Bumblebee as well.

The fight scenes also have to be highlighted in this movie. There is one scene in particular that left me feeling like I needed to watch it over and over again just to grasp how well it turned out on screen. It has great pacing, we received story/exposition with either a fight scene or an action scene to follow. The animators of this film deserve HIGH PRAISE for the ability to capture the movements of Cybertroians and their ability to transformer

What Needs Improvement

My only critique for this film actually has nothing to do with the movie, but instead the marketing. In Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, I thought the trailer looked great, but gave away too many moments that would have otherwise been sweet surprises when we finally watched the film. For Transformers One, the movie was marketed as if it were for kids which would have been fine if it was indeed meant for kids. I’ll be honest, there are some dark scenes in the movie (one where a Transformer is literally ripped apart by someone’s bare hands) and I think the marketing team could have done a better job letting the adult audience know they would have received more from this film than the kiddos. When I went to see the movie, there were kids there and even a few of the jokes were clearly directed for a certain age group. Let’s remember, folks, that animation films don’t automatically make the movie geared for children - the adults, especially long-time Transformers fans, will love this movie! 

Verdict: I LOVED this film and you will too!

There is still time to go to the theaters and watch this movie. If you’ve ever attended one of my lives on Tiktok, then you know Transformers is Mr. Voyager’s number one fandom - and in its own right holds a special place in my heart, too. This movie has everything you want to see in a great, replayable movie: heart, comedy, action, lessons, and a great adventure. Transformers One adds an amazing breath of fresh air to the franchise and sets us up for a well deserved sequel (maybe a trilogy if we’re lucky). Even though it felt like a love letter to the fans, it is a great entry for anyone who is ready to take a space bridge into Cybertron. Take time to go see it in theaters before it moves to streaming - you won’t regret it! Transform and roll out!