Transformers One (2024)

I was never a huge Transformers fan. Even when I was a kid, I didn’t care much for the Michael Bay films. I do have to give credit to the first one though. It was at least aware of how stupid it was and didn’t try to be anything more than that. Then, I saw the second and third one. I was young at the time so I wasn’t actually aware of how stupid they were but now that I’m older and take everything more seriously, all I can ask myself is, “I actually liked this crap?” They’re ridiculous and all over the place. Kind of sounds like me in a weird way. Seriously, Michael Bay really had no clue how to make a Transformers movie that didn’t try to shove gratuitous slow motion, constant explosions, product placement, or meaningless hot girls in your face. And as many people have pointed out before, sometimes I couldn’t tell who was fighting who. I mean, I’m all for tearing out a few brain cells and enjoying something stupid every now and then but these just weren’t the kind of films I felt like I could do that for. I wasn’t sure I would ever see a good Transformers movie again after that. But then I watched Bumblebee when it came out and since I now know more about the old Transformers, I was very impressed with it. It was produced by Michael Bay but that didn’t have much of an effect and it was done by people who are actually fans of Transformers. I wasn’t sure it could get better than that. But then came Transformers One. And I have to say that it was very much a fun movie to experience in the theatres. It was produced by Bay as well but again, it didn’t really have much of an effect. I have so much to say about this movie so let’s dive into why it was so good.

     The movie tells the origin story of Optimus Prime, played by Chris Hemsworth, and Megatron, played by Bryan Tyree Henry, who play these parts perfectly. If you know anything about Transformers, these guys are enemies. But it shows how they were once the best of friends and how they change the fate of Cybertron. The rest of the cast includes Scarlett Johansson, Keegan-Michael Key, Steve Buscemi, Laurence Fishburne, and Jon Hamm. I liked how the this movie took place on Cybertron the entire time and didn’t feature a single human character. And I consider that a miracle, because I don’t think I could take watching another human that has no reason to be mixed up in what goes on in the world of Transformers. The computer animation was well done and it was cool to see how they brought the world of Cybertron to life. I noticed the attention to detail in the animation and when it comes to someone like me, attention to detail is something I can’t help but notice. It was nice to see the friendship between Orion Pax (later known as Optimus Prime) and D-16 (later known as Megatron) before they became enemies. Even the comedy came through when it was needed. Unlike most of the other movies, this one actually had depth to the characters and I consider that a big improvement. I always enjoy a good movie, especially an animated one, and I sure am glad I paid to see this one.

     Again, I’ve never been a huge Transformers fan. I don’t think I’ve ever played with the toys and I’ve never seen the old show. But I always enjoy a good movie theatre experience and this film made that possible. For that reason, I give it a 9 out of 10. It felt good to see something original and not something with a formula that’s more repetitive than my own words. So whether you’re a fan of Transformers or not, it’s a fun ride to sit through and you’ll definitely get that much out of this film. I can promise you that much.