Starting with The Transformers: The Movie, the toy line and cartoon series has evolved a dubious cinematic life. The 1986 animated film was a childhood classic that still holds up, thanks to its outstanding voice cast (which includes Leonard Nimoy and Orson Welles, for cryin’ out loud!) and the hand-drawn visuals that endeared us to the weekly adventures in the first place. Then came… Michael Bay and his rather outstanding first live-action film in 2003, followed by more “Bayhem”-centric sequels. Some were decent; others were just plain bad.
But when Transformers films were given different directors, such as the utterly sublime BumbleBee or the more-than-serviceable Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, we were able to focus on actual personalities and stories we could get behind rather than throwaway posturing and absolute dreck. Director Josh Cooley makes his Transformers franchise debut with the computer-animated Transformers One, an utterly joyous celebration of the property’s past, present, and future, replete with knowing nods to the fandom that’s kept it alive all these years. We finally get to see a large-screen story about the robots who would become Optimus Prime and Megatron, as this movie shows us a caring friendship between the two that, sadly, turns into the bitter rancor that has defined the series’ central conflict.
Usually, these “once friends, now enemies” stories are formulaic and trite, always wink-wink-nudge-nudging their way through their beginning steps and dropping so many hints as to how each is going to turn against the other. While we do get some references here and there, their relationship comes from a genuine respect for each other, which forms a strong foundation from which this movie positively blasts forth. Transformers One takes us back to Iacon City on Cybertron, where miners Orion Pax (Chris Hemsworth) and D-16 (Brian Tyree Henry) go about their daily task of bringing Energon – Cybertron and the Transformers’ key energy source – up from the underground to support Sentinel Prime’s (Jon Hamm) kingdom. In keeping with Transformers canon, the Primes are said to be the leaders, the gods among robots who fight for freedom and justice. However, there’s only one Prime at the start of the film, and Sentinel Prime seems to be more of a glad-handing politician than a just, committed ruler.
The Orion Pax and D-16 we meet are eons removed from the Optimus Prime and Megatron as we know them. Dropping into their lives at this point shows them to be two roughneck workers who enjoy each other’s company, no matter how far-fetched Orion Pax’s advancement schemes and well-intentioned insubordination get them both into trouble. While D-16 wants just to keep his head down, do his job, and not be noticed, Orion Pax dreams of rising above his station and bringing D-16 along with him, much to D-16’s grumpy displeasure. With by-the-book supervisor Elita-1 (Scarlett Johansson) frowning on their antics and after getting busted down to assisting a completely around-the-bend-from-working-alone-too-long trash sorter known as B-127 (a super-delightful Keegan-Michael Key), Orion Pax and D-16 get wind of Sentinel Prime’s quest to find the Matrix of Leadership, a mythic device signifying the bearer as the leader of Cybertron. And what better way to rise out of slavery than to find this for the vaunted Sentinel Prime?
The film highlights the desperation that comes with being kept in shackles and forced to work while receiving none of the benefits. It also throws askance our perceptions of Sentinel Prime, whose toxic positivity and flippant, insincere manner hide a nasty truth. Even though D-16 seems to know where he stands and what he stands for, we see flickerings of hope spread to him when he – against his better judgment – gets involved with Orion Pax’s mischief, almost believing Orion Pax can succeed while still holding back from fully believing. These two round out the recipe for this film’s social commentary, being crushed under a corporate bootheel and subject to the whims of merciless and ill-fitting judgment.
Even worse, Orion Pax, D-16, and the miners around them – including Elita-1 and B-127 – are missing their “transformation cog,” a vital part of their anatomy that allows them to be like the rest of the robot population who can morph at will into their secondary shapes. For me, this layer of the script by Eric Pearson, Andrew Barrer, and Gabriel Ferrari is more affecting than I think they could know; on the surface, it’s an impairment the foursome must work to overcome, but it also stands for how certain societies cut off any hope for individuality or self-expression. It’s not about disability or being less-than – it’s not even being given a chance to be who they truly are, much less to live up their name. There’s a lot to be said about the importance of self-actualization while working for a common good, and Transformers One says it valiantly and with purpose.
The animation team’s visuals provide strong support for the story being told, with colorful vistas which only get better as the film progresses from the robot city to the planet’s surface. It’s one of the best-looking animated films so far, with detail and nuance that enhance the exuberant spirit of the entire piece. Our hearts soar as the four make their way beyond the constructed trappings of Iacon City and into a world they’ve only heard and dreamed about; the landscapes capture us and entrench us in the belief that there’s value in their endeavor, that this is worth the fight that’s merely beginning. Thankfully, none of Michael Bay’s quick-edit proclivities have any say in what we’re witnessing, thanks to editor Lynn Hobson affording us the time to appreciate and be wowed by every sight before us.
If there’s one minor drawback to the glorious Transformers One, it’s the need for star power. While Chris Hemsworth and Scarlett Johansson fill their roles adequately and with the appropriate passion, there’s a certain “shine on” that they have, a slickness that doesn’t quite jive with their characters. It’s a hairsbreadth away from matching a puzzle piece; the color’s correct and the fit is almost perfect, but there’s something preventing it from being complete. Maybe it’s me, and I’m willing to say I’m wrong about this when I watch it again, but there’s just the smallest bit of juice missing. But don’t worry about that; Brian Tyree Henry and Keegan-Michael Key bring more than enough juice to make up for my possible misgivings. Henry gives D-16’s turn from lovingly annoyed friend to being driven by anger an impeccable range, taking us on a journey through the emotions of a robot faced with harsh truths about life as he knows it.
As B-127, Key takes this movie and runs with it every time we’re gifted his character’s appearance. He fashions the patter of the loneliest Transformer excited to have any chance of interaction with a style that has the effect of not stealing the movie from the rest of the cast, but giving everyone a little more of a glow thanks to that of his own. Don’t misunderstand me, please – the cast is terrific, but when we get to hear Key deliver hilarious lines and riffs, you find yourself wanting more in the best possible way. “Key & Peele” fans – and anyone who’s been paying attention to the internet over the last few years – might find the mention of a certain name familiar, tilted just enough to make sense for the world of Cybertron.
I apologize for any of the slightly negative thoughts in the paragraphs above, as I really don’t want to take anything away from this fantastic movie. It’s just an opinion, and I know I’m going to be proven wrong. But it in no way detracts from the incredible spectacle that is Transformers One. As a fan who was around from the first animated episode in the ‘80s, this was one of the funkiest, most awesome updates to the Transformers world, giving us a thorough story while laying in sly references to the franchise’s past. (I laughed and cheered hearing Elita-1 giving Orion Pax a verbal smackdown that directly and hilariously negates a touchstone from The Transformers: The Movie.) As a movie reviewer, being welcomed into this world filled me with a lot of joy and wonder. This movie doesn’t just revive the Transformers just to keep them in the public consciousness; it refreshes the series and makes us look at these longtime characters anew, filling us with hope for more adventures with them.
