TEEN MOVIE Interview/Review: Transformers One by Luca Hrvatin
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When asked about his favorite part of the Transformers franchise during our sit-down interview, director Josh Cooley instantly went back to the original toys and how much he loved playing with them as a kid. It was clear that Cooley, as well as the rest of the team that worked on this film, has a deep love for the franchise, a franchise that defined many childhoods and sparked the imaginations of children across the globe. This love can be felt through every frame of Transformers One, which takes the franchise back to its roots. Gone are the days of realistic and gritty live-action Transformers, as we return to goofy heartfelt fun, as we follow the origins of the Transformers we have known for the past four decades. Transformers One, while predictable, is extremely entertaining, with beautiful and unique animation, and good voice performances by a star-studded cast, which all combine for a solid film that can be enjoyed by all, regardless of your level of familiarity with the Transformers.
Coming in at just 104 minutes, Transformers One keeps it short and sweet. The first act moves slowly as we get acquainted with our main cast of four lowly mining bots, but once the film steps on the gas, it doesn’t look back, delivering a fast-paced plot that keeps your attention. The plot unfolds predictably, especially if you have any knowledge of Transformers, but that is far from a slight against the film. The plot is incredibly well executed, nailing every high and low, especially in a high high-octane third act that while many will see the plot points coming, doesn’t stop the emotional and dramatic beats from hitting hard.
Transformers as a franchise has varied massively when it comes to visuals. From the cartoony and stylized original 1984 run, to the more gritty and “realistic” vision of the Transformers in the Michael Bay films which dominated the box office throughout the 21st century. This film goes back to the roots visually, delivering character designs that stay much more in line with the 1984 television show, while still delivering a unique take on the franchise. There are some incredible visual moments in this film that will stick in your mind long after the runtime is over. The action scenes are very energetic, with different color lasers zipping through the air as we follow our characters' transformation from cars to robots to somewhere in between.
The group that we follow revolves around four main characters, Bee, Elita, Megatron, and Optimus Prime. Bee and Elita serve as solid supporting characters, and while Bee can be a bit over the top with his humor, enough of the flurry of jokes land to keep him from being annoying. The core of the film is the relationship between Megatron and Optimus Prime, as they start out as lowly miner bots; Orion Pax and D-16. We follow this duo as they grow in strength, but grow apart in ideals, as they have radically different views on how to tackle the many issues the plot throws at them. Their friendship is well developed during the start of the film so their friction and tension later hits hard.
The main thing that sets this film apart in a sea of animated movies, action movies, franchises, and sequels is the heart put into the film. Not a single line or scene rings hollow or as a studio-mandated addition to sell merchandise (even though I’m sure this movie will be very profitable on that front). The film is funny, but takes its plot seriously and doesn’t undercut its emotional beats with jokes. Through and through, this movie is made by people who love Transformers and want to give the people a true and faithful movie that follows in the original series footsteps.
Overall, Transformers One is an enjoyable movie that kids and parents can both get something out of, delivering a quick and fun adventure that still packs enough of an emotional punch to leave an impact and keep you thinking about the movie well after you have left the theater. It has rejuvenated a franchise that seemed to have run out of ideas. I recommend it to all ages and am excited to see what the team does next.
TRANSFORMERS ONE is 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. In the first-ever fully CG-animated TRANSFORMERS movie, TRANSFORMERS ONE features a star-studded voice cast, including Chris Hemsworth, Brian Tyree Henry, Scarlett Johansson, Keegan-Michael Key, Steve Buscemi with Laurence Fishburne, and Jon Hamm.
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