TRANSFORMERS ONE - Mark Reviews Movies

Transformers One, Paramount Pictures

Follow on Facebook | Follow on Twitter | Become a Patron

Review by Mark Dujsik | September 19, 2024

The mythology of the Transformers, alien robots that can turn into assorted vehicles and other things or creatures, is probably the least intriguing and most confounding thing about these characters. Transformers One, then, has the unenviable task of making the origin story of the robotic heroes and villains of this long-running franchise into something that, first, makes sense and, second, is at least some kind of fun.

Director Josh Cooley's computer-animated movie doesn't accomplish the first task. Then again, how could anyone make any logical sense out of these characters, whose significant trait is turning into human-made machinery and other Earth-based lifeforms without any apparent interaction with the planet? Beyond the fact that a robot on the planet Cybertron should have no concept of a semitruck or jet plane to even consider the notion of transforming into one, what purpose would these vehicles serve on that distant world, which is a technical marvel of construction and, until the defeat of the robot leaders, overflowing with a source of energy from the core of the planet in this movie?

To become caught up in what must have been a retroactive bit of storytelling for a neat concept for a toy line, of course, is almost certainly an act of folly. After almost 40 years and multiple stories in several mediums, we either have to accept the illogic of this mythology or continue to come across as foolish as the world-building itself in trying to pick apart how silly it all is. It'd be nice is more of these movies tried to meet us even halfway on this ludicrous premise. Until it becomes far too bogged down in myth and loud action sequences that far too much investment in these characters, this new installment does at least attempt to have some broad fun.

Ultimately, though, it is nothing more than an explanatory piece of storytelling, depicting how Optimus Prime, known for most of this story as Orion Pax (voice of Chris Hemsworth), and Megatron, who's called D-16 (voice of Brian Tyree Henry) for the most part here, become bitter enemies. At the start of the screenplay (written by Andrew Berrer, Gabriel Ferrari, and Eric Pearson), the two robots are best friends, bonding over their work mining for that energy source (called "energon," for those keeping track of the most unimaginative names for MacGuffins) and their shared admiration for current Transformers leader Sentinel Prime (voice of Jon Hamm).

The other Prime Transformers were destroyed in a long-ago battle with an invading army. Sentinel and his forces embark on lengthy search campaigns on the planet's surface for the Leadership Matrix, which was lost during the war and needs to be found so that the energy begins to flow from Cybertron's core again. Whatever Laurence Fishburne was paid to make these sound as if they matter during the narration of the prologue and a later outpouring of exposition, it can't have been enough, because his voice almost does pull off the seemingly impossible.

After the introduction, the movie doesn't take itself too seriously, simply watching as Orion and D-16 banter, bicker, and have some adventures, looking into clues as to the whereabouts of the Leadership Matrix and participating in a race against actual Transformers. Miners like these two and a pair of later allies, Elita-1 (voice of Scarlett Johansson) and B-127 (voice of Keegan-Michael Key), can't transform into other things, because they're missing the part that makes it possible. Sure, let's just go with it, because it makes as much sense as everything else here.

Eventually, the back story and legends take over, as the quartet uncover a vast conspiracy involving their leader, the allegedly defeated invaders, and how no one on Cybertron is really as free as they believe themselves to be. This results in a lot of action, running chases and, after the heroes receive the cogs necessary to change, driving ones, as well as more traditional fights with fists and laser blasters. There's a subversive political angle to the story, which revolves around disinformation and a philosophical disagreement between the two friends over how to bring the main villain to justice, but really, all of that is just more of an excuse for more busy and quickly edited action sequences.

The potential for fun decreases as the plot, rhythm, and humor become increasingly formulaic, with the jokes essentially amounting to cheap one-liners and pointing out that something odd has happened. If Fishburne deserves credit for making the mythology sound slightly credible, Henry deserves more for his performance as D-16, who becomes so overwhelmed by cynicism in the face of corruption that he turns into quite the violent revolutionary. In case the dialogue doesn't make that clear, his eyes glowing red after a certain point definitely will.

It's not as if one is expecting subtlety of character and politics with the Transformers, but it's telling that the flashes of such things stand out in Transformers One. That's mostly because the rest of the movie is so familiar, narratively flat, and lacking in imagination.

Back to Home

Buy Related Products

Buy the Soundtrack (Digital Download)