Before they became sworn enemies, Orion Pax (the future Optimus Prime) and D-16 (Megatron) were best friends at the bottom of society on the planet Cybertron. Toiling away in the mines all day, Orion longed for a more exciting life, while D was content with his position and was happy to follow the orders of  their leader, Sentinel Prime. But when Orion’s latest attempt to get attention landed the duo in hot water, they accidentally discovered a dark secret, one that shook the very foundations of their society to its core. How each of them dealt with this revelation forever determined their fates.

By now, you’ve most likely heard that Transformers One hasn’t been making as much money as it was anticipated to. Intended as the first entry in a trilogy, Paramount had a lot of hope for this one, to say nothing of confidence, holding early screenings as far back as July in order to build up hype. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough. With the critically adored The Wild Robot already bringing in big bucks for DreamWorks Animation and Universal (seriously, why are we getting two animated flicks about robots released within a week of each other?), it seems safe to say that the planned sequels are now in serious jeopardy.

Which is a shame, since Transformers One is not only a great movie, but it might also be the most accessible entry in the franchise to date. While longtime fans are clearly the target demographic here, new audiences should also have a very good time, as the lore is presented in an extremely digestible manner here, never becoming overly complicated and allowing for its robot leads to be able to breathe (and yes, since Transformers can in fact drown, presumably they do some form of breathing).

Because, believe it or not, Transformers One is quite character-driven, with the relationship between Orion and D-16 being the driving force behind everything. In fact, it almost functions as a tragic love story, albeit not on a romantic level (although I’m sure the fanfiction will say otherwise), but one with the inevitably of a doomed companionship, giving the film a surprisingly melancholy tone.

This is not to say that it isn’t also a ton of fun, as it absolutely still is. In any case, some still may be taken aback by the level of emotional depth on display here, but hey, no one should have really expected otherwise with Oscar-winning director Josh Cooley (Toy Story 4) at the helm, balancing the comedy and drama like a pro.

Playing no small factor in the movie’s success is the cast. I know, I know, some people like to gripe about so-called “celebrity voices” supposedly dominating animated features right now, but really, I can’t imagine anyone having any complaints here. Everyone just sounds so perfect for their part, whether it’s Keegan-Michael Key’s borderline mad Bumblebee, or Steve Buscemi’s glorified yet delightfully slimy cameo as fan favorite Starscream.

But really, the movie belongs to Chris Hemsworth as Orion and especially Brian Tyree Henry, who gives a performance for the ages as D-16. I’ll admit that, ironically, he was the only bit of casting I had been initially concerned about, given he was used as the “wacky” comic relief in two recent Godzilla and Kong blockbusters. But have no fear, Megatron stans. Henry is simply phenomenal here, his vocals filled with strength, intensity, and unpredictability, to the point where when his character finally does snap, it will leave you feeling genuinely uneasy.

I also have to mention how well Transformers One plays for multiple generations of fans. There are Easter Eggs aplenty, particularly from the original 80s cartoon, including appearances from some more obscure characters like the Quintessons, as well as giving Elita-1 a major role. But there’s also love for the Michael Bay outings (even if the argument that this somehow works as a prequel to those films is hogwash).

At one point, Sentinel Prime uses his giant sword from Dark of the Moon. At another, Bumblebee dons a battle mask. Yet none of this is ever done in a manner that will become distracting for more casual viewers, so you’re never going to have to explain to your mom who doesn’t know a “Transformer” from a “Go-Bot” what exactly is going on.

This is the first fully animated movie in the series since the original 1986 one, and while it doesn’t reach the insane level of energy that film had from a visual standpoint, it’s not really trying to do so, either. Transformers One looks incredibly smooth, particularly during the action sequences, with each zap, punch, and laser blast leaving the desired shot of adrenaline. This was apparently done with a mix of traditional computer animation and motion capture technology, but speaking for myself, I at least wasn’t able to tell the difference. No one is going think it looks like The Polar Express.

Hopefully this won’t be the last we see of this take on the characters, as all of the ingredients are in place for any potential follow-ups to truly be something special. Transformers One does everything that an origin story should do, and might just be the most entertainingly satisfying animated film of the year so far. During the spectacular finale, after a moment that had my small weekday evening crowd applauding, a child across the row from me gleefully exclaimed “now this is a cool movie!” Couldn’t agree more, kiddo!

		Transformers One Paramount Pictures and Hasbro September 20, 2024 100 minutes Rated PG Directed by Josh Cooley