Rent it on Apple TV, Amazon, and Microsoft.
I have been a fan of The Transformers for as long as I can remember. Transformers are a massive staple of my childhood, from TV shows to toys. I remember crying the moment Optimus Prime almost died; I remember playing with the toys with my friends and taking ten minutes to transform them despite it only taking a few seconds on the show. Of the Michael Bay movies, the first one is the only one with at least a few redeeming factors to justify its existence, but the less said about all the sequels, the better! Bumblebee was the only outstanding live-action Transformers film, as far as I am concerned. It has the touch!
This new film, Transformers One, gets many bonus points for being an animated film (a medium better suited to this mythology) and for having a genuine heart and showing a clear direction to take this property seriously, but its overly flashy visuals (stunning though they are) combined with excessive rapid-fire editing, along with world and character designs that occasionally blend into each other too well, makes this a challenge to watch at times. Still, despite all that, the narrative is solid enough, and the dialogue is witty enough to tolerate the fireworks show visuals. Although I didn't mind the blazing styles much, I understand if some viewers need a Tylenol after watching.
For those who may not be as familiar with the Transformers as I am, they are a race of sentient robots from a distant planet who can change from humanoid to vehicle at will. In the original cartoon, which, like many childhood staples, was primarily a means of advertising toys, the robots were divided into two factions: Autobots and Decepticons, who were at war with each other over control of their home planet, Cybertron. The original series was your standard, reliable, good vs. evil dynamic with occasional bits of nuanced storylines and characters here and there. Despite being a toy commercial, the series produced compelling stories with interesting characters.
Transformers One tells the story of the events before the war, chronicling the early days of Cybertron, the dynamics of their society, and, most compellingly, the doomed friendship between the two characters who would eventually become the evil Megatron and the grand hero Optimus Prime. The story follows the exploits of two best friends, Orion Pax (Chris Hemsworth) and D-16 (Bryan Tyree Henry), who work as minors together, gathering their precious power source, Energon. Orion Pax has ambitions of becoming more than he was relegated to being and actively seeks his means of accomplishing his goal, despite D-16's insistence on finding content in their place.
Eventually, Orian Pax's curiosity leads him, D-16, and a few others to discover a frightening conspiracy that turns their perception of their place on its head, forcing them to reevaluate their attitudes toward their society and place within. With their revelations, Orian Pax and D-16 will discover where their true desires reside and how their better-informed choices will affect their destinies.
The most compelling part of the film is the character dynamic between Orian Pax and D-16. Chris Hemsworth does his best to not merely emulate the great Peter Cullen (the original voice for Optimus Prime) but channel enough of the character to make his portrayal his own. The best voice performance goes to Bryan Tyree Henry as D-16, a.k.a. Megatron, for delivering excellent emotional depth and sympathy for a character who, realistically, didn't have much to speak of before.
Make no mistake—the trailers for this film do not do it justice! Yes, there is a fair amount of comedy in the film, but there is much more dramatic nuance than the trailers would have you believe. Granted, it's still within the realm of Saturday-morning cartoonism, but it's a well-executed version. With such a decent amount of compelling narrative nuances, it's a shame that the visuals don't always compliment the story.
While the animation is top-notch, and the character designs are distinguishable enough (at least for the main characters), much of the visual presentation suffers from too much hyperactive movement, overtly uniform lighting, and excessively shiny and sleek robot and background designs. Although I didn't have much trouble distinguishing between the characters and backgrounds, I can understand some of my readers not having a similar experience. Despite my appreciation and enjoyment of most of the design elements, I felt the visuals lacked a much-needed stronger sense of contrast. Granted, it's nowhere near as overly busy and ugly as the designs from the Michael Bay movies, but it can be just as visually confusing at times.
While Transformers One may not be precisely the kind of movie I was hoping for, there is at least enough nuance and appreciation for the mythology on display to make for an enjoyable experience. Director Josh Cooley, late of Toy Story 4, shows promise for fascinating animation projects in the future. Personally, I wouldn't mind him taking on a Thundercats movie, provided he hired a different design team.
If you're a Transformers fan or at least curious, it's worth a look. However, if you're prone to headaches from flashy visuals, consider something else. Check out the original 1987 film. It still has the touch!
Ladies and gentlemen, I am TheNorm; thank you all for reading.
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