Having grown a little tired of the live action Transformers movies I was delighted to learn that this new one is fully animated. That being said, and knowing I am of the generation where I was witness to the original toys and subsequent series, I was a bit skeptical at first. But now after watching it I can say that Transformers One is a wonderful, animated movie that is sure to please fans of all ages.
Transformers One is an origin story, which to my knowledge is the first time this had been attempted on the big screen. Various other series, games, and books I think have a smattering of different ideas, but nothing definitively cannon. Here we get to see the humble beginnings of the iconic, eternal adversaries Optimus Prime and Megatron. A few other well known classic characters make an appearance here as well, such as the venerable Bumblebee voiced by Keegan-Michael Key to great comedic effect, the whiny Starscream voiced by Steve Buscemi, and a new transformer named Elita -1 voiced by Scarlett Johansson.
The story takes place wholly on the Transformer’s home planet of Cybertron, and finds our heroes, before they were heroes, as mining bots. The main two characters known at this time as Orion Pax and D-16 toil away the hours mining Energon (their primary “food” source) from deep within the planet. We soon discover that many bots of their ilk lack the ability to transform as they we not created with cogs. Those that have cogs are “transformed” not just with the mechanism to become some type of vehicle, but also in the sense that they are an upgraded version of themselves even in robot form and are usually larger than the rest. The Transformers defacto leader at the moment, Sentinel Prime voiced by Jon Hamm, is out on a mission to find The Matrix. The Matrix of Leadership which made its debut in Transformers: The Movie (1986), is central to the plot of this movie as well. It has apparently been lost on the surface after a mighty battle between the Primes and the Quintessons.
The Matrix is an artifact of great power that can allow Energon to flow like water vs. it being mined and is only allowed to be utilized by a true leader amongst Transformers. The Primes are the highest-ranking individuals amongst them, and the Quintessons are an evil horde of robotic beings that seek to possess that power. After discovering a map, Orion Pax and his reluctant friend D-16 set out on a quest to help Sentinel Prime find The Matrix and restore Cybertron to its former glory. Eventually they uncover the real truth of what has been going on and must make some tough decisions that will alter the course of their lives forever.
Transformers One is beautifully rendered with a sleek animation style and is directed by Josh Cooley. Josh began his career as storyboard artist at Pixar working on such films as The Incredibles, Cars, Ratatouille and Up. He then moved up to screenwriter and supervisor for Inside Out and was soon tapped to direct Toy Story 4 for which he won an Oscar. His pedigree speaks for itself, and has transitioned superbly to Transformers One, but kudos also goes to the talented writers who have created a script that is thoroughly entertaining and surprisingly funny. The story is lighthearted overall but there is still a hefty dose of action and some serious moments as well. I for one hope this movie becomes a critical success and a launching point to reinvent the latest big screen fare from this universe in fully animated sequels that build upon what was created here.