Transformers One

Tonight, on Paramount+, I saw “Transformers One,” which came out theatrically in September and on Paramount+ two days ago. How is this latest Transformers movie, which happens to be the first animated film since the one from the 80s?

In the 40 years since the first “Transformers” series premiered on TV, there have been so many animated TV shows, videos, and movies – plus six overhyped live-action films (plus a really good one, “Bumblebee”) – and now the fully computer-animated “Transformers One.”

This latest film of the “more than meets the eye” shape-shifting robots that sell a lot of merchandise for Hasbro is energetic and entertaining – and could have been even more, if the Paramount and Hasbro marketing departments hadn’t interfered.

On the planet Cybertron, all the locals are robots but aren’t all created equal. The elite of Iacon City, led by the charismatic Sentinel Prime, voiced by Jon Hamm, have the ability to change their appearance – while the rest, robots without the “cogs” that allow transformations, are mine workers digging up the “energon” that powers the planet and helps Sentinel Prime fight the ongoing war against invading aliens on the surface of Cybertron.

One of the “no-cogs” in the mines, Orion Pax, voiced by Chris Hemsworth, thinks there’s something out there better for him. He convinces his friend, D-16, voiced by Brian Tyree Henry, to enter Iacon City’s big race, something no cog-less robot has ever done successfully. Their audacity impresses Sentinel Prime, but not their mine supervisor, who punishes them to the lowest levels – where they meet a loquacious robot named B-127, voiced by Keegan-Michael Key, or Bee for short.

Eventually, Orion, D-16, and Bee end up on the surface, along with a tough robot, Elita-1, voiced by Scarlett Johansson. Up there, they learn some facts about the war, Sentinel Prime, and the ancient “Prime” robots who once ruled Cybertron. The truth, told to them by Alpha Trion, voiced by Laurence Fishburne, makes Orion determined to change things for every robot, while it makes D-16 feel cheated and wanting revenge.

The conflict between Orion and D-16 takes up the second half of this nicely animated movie. If you don’t want to know the “spoiler” – the one that is the focus of the movie’s marketing campaign – keep scrolling.

The movie, the advertising showed, is the origin story of the most important characters in the “Transformers” universe. Orion becomes Optimus Prime – the red is an early clue, and eventually the truck look is a giveaway. That makes D-16 the future Megatron, who becomes Optimus Prime’s arch nemesis for the franchise.

The bottom line, not knowing what I just mentioned makes “Transformers One” a more interesting movie – because without knowing, the audience is allowed to know these characters as they evolve. Sean P. Means said in his review, “With that knowledge, the audience is just tapping its collective feet, waiting for the inevitable reveal.”

Means continued, “The animated action set pieces are engaging, as director Josh Cooley (“Toy Story 4”) and his band of visual stylists make Cybertron a fully realized world with some interesting robot creatures living there.” The pacing is solid, and even if you don’t know what’s going on, you never lose focus.

“Transformers One” is a solid movie, and one that has set up a couple of sequels to explore the universe that the franchise’s diehard fans from childhood will want to see.

If you have been a fan of Transformers, this one is definitely for you. This animated film really brings people back to the Generation 1 robots that those who grew up in the 80s and they will get engaged. Check this out on Paramount+ because you will love it. Especially with a voice cast that includes Steve Buscemi, James Remar, and Jon Bailey.

Thank you for reading this review tonight. Stay tuned for the next installment of “Buddy Cop Month.”