If I had a nickel for every time a prequel to a long defunct franchise, which I cared very little for, ended up being the best film in the series, I'd have two nickels. Which isn't a lot, but it's weird that it happened twice, right?
Transformers One
Directed by Josh Cooley
Starring Chris Hemsworth, Brian Tyree Henry, and Scarlett Johnansson
To be clear, I haven't seen anything that says One is canon to Michael Bay's series of big-blow up Transformers films but hey, why not make the Phineas & Ferb, two-nickels joke when you can?
Transformers One takes us back to the planet of Cybertron, long before Optimus Prime became Optimus Prime, and Megatron became Megatron. Here they are buddies Orion Pax (Hemsworth) and D-16 (Henry), who work in the Energon mines of the city of Iacon (All these names sound silly to me but I'm sure they're business as usual for you diehard fans). Pax is a rebellious, free-spirit with big dreams for himself and his home planet, while D-16 is more uptight and by-the-book.
One day the two friends come across a lost distress signal from The Primes, the long-lost Defenders of Cybertron. Together they, along with fellow miners Elita-1 (Johansson) and B-127/Bumblee (Keegan-Michael Key) go on a mission to the uncharted surface of the planet, uncovering information that will shape their future and change Cybertron forever.
This is a well-made prequel. The story beats may seem familiar but there's so much that makes this film *sigh* more than meets the eye (The first of two times I will make that joke). First of all, the relationship between Orion and D is incredibly fleshed out. Their best friends-from-work-turned brothers relationship is the core of the film and it might not have worked if the script didn't give it the proper attention. Hemsworth and Henry also have great chemistry and completely...(I am so sorry)...transform into their respective roles.
I never knew that Transformers had so much lore, and I understand that it all sounds like very silly, almost cliche', science-fiction to the uninitiated. It did to me writing just the first few paragraphs of this review, and I've already watched the film. But One does a great job of initiating new fans into this world while also giving longtime fans plenty to enjoy. Never does the script get lost in exposition. It's short, simple, and sweet...as is the whole film, which barely clocks in under two hours.
The animation is very sleek and eye-catching. The environments aren't groundbreaking but they're perfect for a Transformers film. The world the animators built just works. Additionally, the lighting in some particular shots is very impressive. However, what really stands out is the animation of the characters, or I'll say the main characters. They're so colorful and vibrant. They look like robots but their faces are so expressive and human. These are qualities I feel like get lost in the translation to live action in the other films. A lot of the background characters and extras just fall into "generic robot" category.
(Author's Note: I feel like there were some Easter Egg appearances of other Transformer characters I didn't pick up on, because I know next to nothing about this franchise. But there were some shots that felt like "Yeah...thats somebody noteworthy.")
The voice cast is superb, many who are no strangers to animation. Hemsworth does great at making Orion Pax his own without impersonating Peter Cullen. It is very much Hemsworth's voice that you will hear but there's a lot of passion and energy in his performance. The same goes for Brian Tyree Henry as D-16. Henry has that natural "big bro" voice and cadence about him, but he seamlessly juggles his performance between the light and the dark, as D-16 goes down a sinister path. Keegan-Micheal Key is delightful as Bumblee. He doesn't go over the top with his comedy, although some jokes run on too long. Scarlett Johansson is sweet and sassy as Elita-1, and has natural chemistry with her fellow Marvel alumnus Chris Hemsworth. Jon Hamm is a standout as Sentinel Prime, and Laurence Fishburne is giving his best Lauren Fishburne as Alpha Trion.
Last thing I want to say is that film has guts. What do I mean by that? It has the guts to go dark, to not undercut serious moments with jokes, and to stay unapologetically true to its source material. These are things I just feel like we don't see much of in film adaptations of popular franchises, or animated films in general.
Transformers One did something I never thought possible. It got me to care about Transformers. This is a well-crafted, well-acted, well-animated prequel, that fans old and new can enjoy. I know a lot of people love to see life-size Transformers fight it out and destroy Chicago or whatever city the Bay films take place in, and I'm sure there are many people that would dismiss this film as inferior to them because it's animated. Regardless of the medium, what One does that sets it above those other films is that it puts. Story. First. At the heart of this film is a story of two friends, brothers, fated to become enemies.
Yeah on the surface, it's a film about alien robots that can become muscle cars, but trust me...it's more than meets the eye. Publish Review.
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