Paramount’s Transformers One is the newest movie in the franchise, and manages to stand on its own two feet as a refreshing take on the world of Transformers. A movie with beautiful animation, high-quality voice acting, and a story that’s a mix of the new and old, Transformers One is a film that anyone can sit down and enjoy.
Spoilers for Transformers One below.
This movie attempts to explain the history of the Transformers universe, and does so in great detail. It’s able to fit a lot of story in its one hour and 44 minute run time. No matter how little someone knows about Transformers, they can watch the movie and understand the plot easily. That being said, it also takes a lot of new elements and adds them to the lore, making for a viewing experience that also gives long-time fans a chance to enjoy.
This movie had a cast that was mostly new to the Transformers universe, with a lot of them having been fans of the franchise. Due to that appreciation, a lot of the voices are very good for their characters. “I feel like the two voice actors for Megatron and Optimus did well for their first time doing it, especially because I’m used to the two other actors,” explained Ciana Rutledge, a junior at Oakdale. Most notably, Chris Hemsworth stood in place of the iconic Peter Cullen as the voice of Optimus Prime. This received a mixed reception with fans, with some welcoming the new voice and others wishing to stick to the original voice.
Even though Hemsworth received a lot of attention, Bryan Tyree Henry’s performance as Megatron really captured viewers’ attention. The viewer can see as he turns from a calm and collected robot to a tyrannical leader, as his voice becomes gravelly and filled with rage. The downward spiral of his character is only aided by the physical transformation he goes through, which is subtle, yet very impactful.
The animation, while fairly different from other takes on the franchise, is spectacular throughout the entire film. It was a welcome change for many; “I like how it was really vibrant,” quoted Oakdale senior Isaiah Guido. “We’d see Cybertron in war in previous movies, and I feel like they did really well showing the vibrance of the city, you could just see people working and how they live and what they did in their day to day lives.” The character designs also manage to keep their basic elements while also coming across as distinct takes on the transformers. The lighting and environments add to the beauty of certain scenes, making them truly come alive on the big screen.
Even if many were very pleased with the film, there were still some criticisms to be made. Many draw comparisons to other media like Transformers Prime, discussing how they prefer certain aspects of their stories more. “I feel like I personally still like Orion being a librarian and then becoming a police officer more,” comments Guido. “I like that backstory more [than him being a miner].”
As of publication, Transformers One is still in theaters, though it has had a bit of a rough opening as it hasn’t yet made back the 75 million dollars it cost to produce. If anything about this movie sounds interesting, it’s worth a watch to support all of the talented people behind the film, and hopefully push for sequels to be released.
