Let’s face it: Michael Bay’s live-action versions of the popular toys of the 80s were a mess. Loud, incoherent and most of the time confusing, especially for those who are not familiar with the mythology of the series. The series picked up when he walked away from behind the camera to just producing. Bumblebee was an absolute blast; even Transformers: Rise of the Beasts was a vast improvement. Now comes Transformers One, which takes us back to animation, where the films belong, and we have an entertaining origins adventure that tells us more about the Autobots and Decepticons than anything produced before.

Orion Pax and D-16 are best friends. Working the mine for an energy source to keep their planet working, they dream of escaping the darkness and danger of their world and forging a future as transformers, something they are not. Events find themselves above the surface of their planet, looking for a legendary power source that has been missing for years, only to discover the leader they have been hero-worshipping isn’t who he claims to be.

Now, I have to admit, I was never a fanboy of the series, nor did I have any interest in the toys or TV series from the 80s, so the whole Transformers thing has passed me by. Not helped by the previous films. After leaving this film, I am still none the wiser about the various names and attributes of the warring Autobots and Decepticons, but what I do know is that this is a bright, action-packed adventure that manages to keep the attention while at the same time, please the fans with its variety of characters and timeline history.

Director Josh Cooley uses CGI animation to the fullest, bringing us a world of depth and design that would be hard to produce with live-action films. He also allows his character of robots to live and breathe, with limited facial expressions but enough to cover what is needed in this movie. With the complexities of the plot, and I still am a little confused, he focuses on one key element: the relationship between Orion Pax and D-16. Brothers almost in which Orion dreams of escaping and D-16 being dragged into his mad ideas. A scene in which the robots, without the ability to transform, join a race of transformers is well executed and tells us so much about how close these two are.

We then get to see D-16 changing throughout this whole adventure. He is the one let down by hero-worshipping and feels betrayed by the events occurring right before his eyes regarding their leader, Sentinel Prime. It’s a masterstroke of character-building that clarifies why this mild-mannered robot should be so angry with those around him. It also adds to one of the more shocking moments of the movie, when you realise that there is no going back for this character.

The animation is top-notch, and the world-building is as fascinating as frustrating. Some set pieces get a little blurry as the action flies, but unlike the Bay films, you get a sense of what is happening. It never drags its feet, either. While plenty of exposition is throughout, you can enjoy the banter and surprisingly humorous moments if you can’t keep up with the intricate plotting.

The voice cast seems to fit perfectly. Chris Hemsworth brings a cheeky charm to Orion Pax, a robot who cannot help but dream of finding the hidden power source and will stop at nothing to complete his challenge. Brian Tyree Henry is the perfect compliment to Hemsworth’s charmer, but it also allows him to change his persona by the end. Scarlet Johansson gets to be commanding as Elita-1, a robot demoted because of the actions of Orion Pax and who finds herself caught up in their new adventure above the surface, and Keegan Michael Key gets most of the best lines as B-127, who later becomes Bumblebee. Along with the likes of Laurence Fishburne, Jon Hamm and Steve Buscemi, this is a decent collection of actors who have jumped aboard.

Transformers One is an enjoyable animation that should please the die-hard fans. Those looking for something undemanding may struggle with the complex storytelling, but visually, it works, and some of the gags will have you chuckling. After Bumblebee, this is the closest they have to how Transformers should be.

3 out of 5

Director: Josh Cooley

Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Brian Tyree Henry, Scarlet Johansson, Keegan Michael Key, Jon Hamm, Steve Buscemi, Laurence Fishburne, Vanessa Ligouri, Jon Bailey, James Remar

Written by: Eric Pearson, (also story) Andrew Barrer and Gabriel Ferrari

Running Time: 104 mins

Cert; PG

Release date: 11th October 2024