Listen to the new album from Charming to the Last!
Listen to the new album from Charming to the Last!

Transformers One

Transformers One




Rated PG-13 - for sci-fi violence and animated action throughout, and language.
Director: Josh Cooley
Starring: voices of Chris Hemsworth, Brian Tyree Henry, Scarlett Johansson, Keegan-Michael Key, Jon Hamm, Steve Buscemi, Laurence Fishburne
Running Time: 1 hour, 44 minutes
Theatrical Release Date: September 20, 2024

READER RATING:   


Plot Summary

The untold origin story of Optimus Prime and Megatron, better known as sworn enemies, but once were friends bonded like brothers who changed the fate of Cybertron forever. (from IMDB)


Film Review

If there's any franchise that will probably never see an end, it's Hasbro's Transformers. Birthed as a toyline in the 80s with an afternoon cartoon series that pretty much doubled as half-hour-long toy commercial -- and a good one at that, don't get me wrong; the show's great! -- Transformers have continued to intrigue and entertain youth (and the now-adults who grew up with them) for forty years. After an animated feature film in 1986 (which also wiped the character slate clean to introduce all new Transformers... something that proved to be a big mistake), and seven live action films since 2007, Transformers returns to the big screen with its first animated film in 38 years, titled Transformers One. One takes us back to the planet of Cybertron where we meet some of our favorite characters before they became who they're most known to be...

Transformers One
From the first trailers for Transformers One, I was worried. The trailers largely played out more like spoofs of Transformers than something to take seriously. While they were enough to get the attention of my 13-year-old son, I felt like I'd seen enough from them to be fine with never seeing it at all (or at least waiting till I heard feedback from trusted sources). In the movie, the story revolves around Optimus Prime and Megatron before they were... Optimus Prime and Megatron. Optimus's original name was Orion Pax, before receiving the Matrix of Leadership, but, to my knowledge, there wasn't much lore surrounding Megatron's origin. For this film, he starts out as a miner, alongside his best friend Orion Pax, called D-16. The two long for more in their lives than just being lowly Energon miners, and it's some careless antics from Orion that lead the two to finding one of the original Primes, Alpha Trion, which sets them on a fateful path to ultimately becoming Optimus Prime and Megatron. This story is literally the birth of the Autobot and Decepticon factions, and shows just why Megatron turned into the vengeful foe we all know him to be.

As an 80's kid, it's tough to hear any voices coming out of Optimus and Megatron that aren't Peter Cullen or Frank Welker, respectively. They're both giants of the cartoons from the 80's, and their voice talents helped make those characters as iconic as they are today. Thor's Chris Hemsworth steps in as Orion Pax, stripping away his native Australian accent for an American one, while comedic actor Brian Tyree Henry is a truly bizarre choice for D-16. I had no idea how on earth Brian could possibly voice such a force as Megatron - especially since I know him most as an ultra corny character from both Godzilla v Kong movies. He's mostly fine as D-16 here, but when he inevitably becomes Megatron later in the film, it just does not work. If there's a sequel to this film, I'd hope they'd at least use a vocal effect to make him sound more menacing because, as it is, he just isn't (or perhaps recasting him might be the best option). And while we're on the subject of voices or performances that don't work, we need to talk about Bumblebee. Now, how Bumblebee is presented here is probably not entirely the fault of Keegan-Michael Key. Bumblebee was always a noble character in the original series - heck, even in the live action movies - and always stood valiantly by Optimus's side. Here, Bumblebee is pretty unhinged, talking incessantly, and acting completely childish and goofy. It's a complete reimagining of the character, and I can't say it works... at all. In discussing the film afterwards, my son agreed he didn't like how they handled Bumblebee, and we also agreed that, if they really needed a comic relief character like this, they could have created an entirely new character instead. All the other vocal performances are actually quite good - from Laurence Fishburne as Alpha Trion, to Steve Buscemi as inspired choice for Starscream, to Scarlett Johansson's tough-girl performance as Elita-1.

Transformers One
While watching the movie, I kind of just couldn't wait till they got through the whole journey to becoming their official forms, as it didn't feel quite like a Transformers movie - to me, at least - until they did. It's a fine idea to show their origin, but I've never exactly found myself begging for a movie that serves as their origin story. (And the comedic handling of the characters detracts from their iconic personas some.) However, when our heroes finally become the legends they're meant to be, the movie really finds its groove, and delivers what could arguably be one of the most epic fights in Transformers history. So while there's plenty to nitpick about Transformers One, the movie does deliver in unexpected ways. Everything is also perfectly set up now for a possible "Fall of Cybertron" kind of story in a sequel -- before their fateful crash-landing on Earth, like in the original TV series -- which has me fully interested in that kind of film. I'm eager to see some of the Autobots we know and love to rise up in the ranks, and to see another entirely-Transformers-centric tale... something we have not seen in a feature film since 1986 (and even then, there were some humans; there isn't a single human in this movie!).

The animation for the movie is quite good, and has a different style to it. The only thing that seemed odd - and kind of added to the "spoof" feeling from the trailers - is the way the characters are given soft, human-like mouths for talking. It doesn't quite make sense given that they're metal machines, but I suppose it's a minor gripe. To me, it just makes it seem a little more like Playskool versions of the real Transformers or something. We caught the movie on IMAX (2D) and the big screen presentation surely added to the scale of the movie. Overall, I think the style worked fine for the film, even if it's not likely to "wow" anyone visually.

Transformers One
For the content, the movie is the first PG-rated Transformers outing since 1986, and it mostly fits within that rating. The most profanity comes from Bumblebee as he refers to himself as "Bad*ss-a-tron" seven times. It's played for laughs, but I doubt many parents will want their little ones walking around saying "Bad*ss-a-tron," even if it is just meant to be humorous. Otherwise, there are 2 uses of "h*ll," both from Elita-1, a possible "d*mn" from Orion, and one use of "My G-d" from Orion. It's possible there's more, but it wasn't too clear given the loud sounds during the action sequences. Oh, and Orion Pax tries to flip-off Darkwing with the middle finger, and we see him start to raise it before the screen cuts away as Darkwing punches him. Speaking of violence, there is quite a bit of action violence. Bumblebee has "knife hands" that he uses to cut some bots into pieces, Airachnid has giant spider legs she uses to repeatedly beat on foes in a stabbing motion, and we see several sequences where bots are executed (mostly during a flashback) by being shot and killed. Later in the film, we see one bot tear another bot in half at the waist and then we see their eyes flicker and go dark. And in an emotional sequence, a bot takes a blast to the chest and we see a significant portion of their chest missing as they presumably die.

While I "feared" the worst with Transformers One, based on its lackluster trailers, I have to admit it wasn't quite the trainwreck I anticipated, and at times, I even found myself enjoying it. It's hardly the "best" Transformers film (although, I'm not even sure which one is at this point) OR the worst, and tonally it's all over the place -- they really need to pick a lane -- but it's a step in the right direction, at least. I'm a little surprised to say I'd actually be interested in seeing a follow-up to this one.

Oh, and there IS a post-credits scene all the way at the end of the movie that fans of Megatron might want to stick around for.

- John DiBiase (reviewed: 9/20/24)

 

 

Parental Guide: Content Summary


. Sex/Nudity: None.
. Vulgarity/Language: 7 uses of the "a" word (as "Bad*ss-a-tron"; 2 "h*ll," 1 possible "d*mn," and Orion starts to raise his middle finger but is punched and we never see it fully extended.
. Alcohol/Drugs: None.
. Blood/Gore: None, although some may find a scene where a bot is blasted in the chest and a big hole is shown, or a moment where a bot is torn in half, somewhat jarring.
. Violence: There is a lot of action violence. Orion and D-16 frequently get knocked around and in scuffles with other bots. In the beginning of the film, Orion is chased by other bots until he hides to evade them; Orion and D-16 jump into a big race event that they're not permitted to be involved in and they get knocked around, while other bots crash into things as well. At one point, D-16 falls and Orion helps him up as he limps along; Darkwing punches Orion; Bee accidentally slices up a robot when he realizes he has "knife hands." We see him slice up some other bots as well, including a door; Airachnid pounces on several bots and attacks them with her large spider legs; We see a prolonged flashback that is shown as clouds of dust or particles forming Transformers for the sequence. We see several bots attacked and killed by being shot by a blaster. It appears that one of the bots is beheaded just off screen as well; Alpha Trion fights off some attackers; A train is demolished by terrain that continues to suddenly rise into the air; A bot fights another bot and threatens them with a large arm cannon; A bot attacks another bot, trying to kill them. A third bot jumps in the way, taking the shot and getting a large piece of their chest blown away. As they fall into an abyss, a bot grabs their hand, saving them. But the bot then lets go, allowing the injured bot to fall into the abyss; A bot tears another bot in half at the waist and we see wires and such exposed. We then see the victim's eyes go dark as they die; Two bots fight a vicious battle with punching, kicking, and weapons like an energy ax; And lots of other action violence.

 

Disclaimer: All reviews are based solely on the opinions of the reviewer. Most reviews are rated on how the reviewer enjoyed the film overall, not exclusively on content. However, if the content really affects the reviewer's opinion and experience of the film, it will definitely affect the reviewer's overall rating.

To find out why we don't typically review R-rated movies, click here

 

 

go to main Movie review page
go to Video and DVD review archive

 

                 
StudioBook: Book Recording Sessions. Find studios and artists to work with.

Search JFH




This Friday, October 11, 2024
ALBUMS
Clear Convictions Endure (independent)
Decayed Existence The Beginning Of Sorrows [Rottweiler]
Down East Boys Something To Shout About [Sonlite]
Flame Neo Ethos [Extra Nos]
homage homage [Integrity]
lydi lynn Desert Dream - EP [Gotee]
Tamela Mann Live Breathe Fight [TillyMann]
Maverick City Music, Songhouse MAVHOUSE - EP [Tribl]
Heath McNease Out of the Hollow (independent)
Ashtyn Michael Live At The Garden - EP [Integrity]
Power Wolves Demos, Experiments and Mishaps [Charon Collective]
Shout Praises Kids Creo En Ti - EP [Integrity]
Ian Yates Kingdom [7 Core]
Darlene Zschech Testament [Integrity]

SINGLES
2 Minute Minor No One Gets Out Alive - Single (independent)
adamariz PROMO (ft. NOT KLYDE & Jericko) - Single [Syntax]
Micah Barbosa Looking For You (feat. Luke Barbosa) - Single (independent)
Jeremiah Bligen Remains - Single [Syntax]
Sam Bowman El Dorado - Single [DREAM]
Brave Days Tulip - Single (independent)
Paul Demer Your Favor Was Enough (Psalm 13) - Single (independent)
Fire From Heaven Through Day and Dark (feat. AJ the Metalhead) - Single (independent)
Glae Horde - Single [Broken Curfew Records]
Good Weather Forecast One More Time (Kings and Queens) - Single [DREAM]
Hrada Asphyxiated (feat. Damien) - Single (independent)
Tiffany Hudson The Wonderful Blood - Single [Elevation]
iNTELLECT Authentic Currency (Remix) - Single [Polished Arrow]
No Treaty Deep - Single [Charon Collective]
Blessing Offor All Over The World - Single [Capitol CMG]
Fernando Ortega Jesus, Bread of Life - Single (independent)
R.kitect Knuckle Up - Single (independent)
Relentless Pursuit War with the World (feat. Eric Castiglia) - Single (independent)
Resurrected Divinity Death Bed Revelation (feat. 10SCOOPS) - Single [God’s Basement Records]
Small Voice Just & the Justifier - Single (independent)
SNT. VINCENT MUERTOS (ft. Giovani & Arias) - Single [Syntax]
Sunday Service Choir Go Tell It - Single (independent)
TAYA Come Into The Light - Single [Capitol CMG]
John Van Deusen Trebuchet - Single [Tooth & Nail]

Next Friday, October 18, 2024
ALBUMS
Futures Altars - EP [DREAM]
Brandon Hixson Room with a View (independent)
Aodhan King Beyond Us [Capitol CMG]
Newsboys Worldwide Revival - Part II [Capitol CMG]

SINGLES
City Students Worship Outside Your Love - Single (independent)
Dreamers Adoration - Single [DREAM]
LO CLOUD Sleepwalker - Single (independent)
Jim "Soni" Sonefeld Light of Joy (Gloria) - Single [Vere]



For all release dates, click here!
 



Check out the new album from Taylor Holland Armstrong!



Listen to the new Album From Millennial Reign!

Check out depositphotos for royalty free images