After 17 years of dull, repetitive sequels, the “Transformers” franchise revs back to life with “Transformers: One,” an emotionally gripping, action-heavy animated film that offers more than meets the eye.
The new adaptation follows Orion Pax (Chris Hemsworth) and D-16 (Brian Tyree Henry), two young mining bots who daydream about becoming Transformers, the greatest warriors on their home planet Cybertron. After discovering a lost emergency message from one of the original Transformers, the best friends — alongside robots B-127 (Keegan-Michael Key) and Elita-1 (Scarlett Johansson) — race to unearth a conspiracy that could forever change the trajectory of their world. As the ragtag team uncovers more about the mystery, their destinies become clear, no matter their bond.
Aside from director Travis Knight’s “Bumblebee,” for the past seven movies, the “Transformers” series has solely relied on crude humor, monotonous action scenes and bland human characters.
To a large degree, “Transformers: One” improves upon every aspect.
It’s in its story that the film makes the most sincere refinements.
Instead of melding a story around action-set pieces, the animated flick focuses on the beating heart of its metal-infused characters, transforming 40 years of lore into a compact hour and forty-four minutes of screentime.
Whether it’s Orion’s craving for mischievous exploration or D-16’s drive for freedom, each robot feels more three-dimensional than any human character in the past seven installments.
The emotional anchor of the story relies on Orion and D-16’s brotherly bond and how their relationship changes throughout the story — careening toward their unavoidable futures as Optimus Prime and Megatron.
Their complex relationship is brought together by the powerful lead performances from Hemsworth and Henry. While Hemsworth is unrecognizable as the leader of the Autobots, it’s Henry who steals the show. The Oscar-nominated actor perfectly portrays D-16’s cautious personality to his anger-filled transformation as Megatron. It’s a performance that breaks your heart as much as it leaves you in awe. From playing Miles Morales’ father in the Spider-verse films to now this; please Henry, never stop voice acting.
The only roadblock that keeps “Transformers: One” from fully realizing the potential of its storyline is its pacing. This is a rare criticism, but the film is just too short. Despite the brisk pace that will keep viewers entertained, it will also leave them yearning for more, especially in its second act.
The first act is a wonderful introduction and the third act delivers a heart-pounding finale, yet the second act doesn’t capitalize enough on the faltering relationship between D-16 and Orion. D-16’s personality shift is a bit sudden and doesn’t allow for more breathing room between the duo during later scenes.
When the film isn’t dragging viewers through an emotional rollercoaster, it relies on B-127, known as Bee, and Elita-1 to deliver laugh-out-loud gags.
Not every joke lands, especially the continuous banter about Bee giving himself the nickname “badass-a-tron,” but when a joke hits, it hits hard. Elita’s deadpan personality bounces off Bee’s bubbly nature well, offering viewers numerous laughs, something previous entries have failed to accomplish.
Michael Bay, the director of five of the seven previous “Transformers” films, is well known for his delightful action sequences throughout his filmography. However, “Transformers: One” out-paces his metal-on-metal mayhem without breaking a sweat. No longer do the robots fight like ax-wielding barbarians. Now they fight with what their brand name entails: transforming. Using a mishmash of vehicular combat, weaponry and hand-to-hand fighting, the action scenes never grow boring, upping the ante with nearly every new sequence — especially the final fight. Although the character models can come off as uncanny at times, particularly their faces, it doesn’t take away from the film’s fluid animation and stunning production design. The cherry on top is Brian Tyler’s electrifying score that underlines each fight scene, giving every punch a new layer of impact.
While an animated film may deter some from rolling out to theaters, “Transformers: One” offers viewers a poignant story lined with exhilarating action and buckets full of heart, delivering fans a sensational film 40 years in the making.
The film was released Sept. 20 and is now in theaters.