Series Recommendation: Transformers ONE

Every legend has a beginning…
This is the start of two legends…

Transformers is a complicated franchise in both the East and West with really confusing timelines, realities and toy lines. But there are two constants that appear in almost every Transformers media: the charismatic leader of the Autobot, Optimus Prime, and the fearsome leader of the Decepticons, Megatron. Transformers ONE is a movie that defy our expectation about an origin story for these two legendary figure in the franchise, and for the better.

After 7 Live-action movies, fans are tired of Transformers being, well, humongous mishmash of metals and wires with incomprehensible transformation, and the writing don’t help them either, with human drama being inserted a bit too much and sidelining the actual Transformers. Well, they finally had enough and return to the first movie that put Transformers on the map: the original movie in 1986. After almost 40 years, an animated movie is what we need to revitalize interest in the franchise.

Transformers ONE tells the tale of Orion Pax and D-16 before they became Optimus Prime and Megatron. They are both miners in the Energon mines without Transforming Cogs – that means they can’t transform. Eventually, they arrive at the surface of the planet in search of the Matrix of Leadership, but what they discover will shake the entire planet, upheaving the status quo of the entire Cybertron society and give rise to the legendary leaders of Cybertron.

+ PLOT: What set Transformers ONE apart from the Live-actions is the approach to the story. Since this is an origin story, it takes place on Cybertron, hence, no humans. The Transformers themselves are the characters in this movie and the movie let their personalities shine through. And dare I say it, Chris Hemsworth did a pretty good job as Orion Pax. The first half of the movie is pretty much Thor-ion Pax and it’s really great seeing another facet of the always serious and responsible Optimus Prime of Peter Cullen. D-16 – voiced by Brian Tyree Henry – gave the performance of a lifetime where his voice alone accurately reflect the character’s growth and energy. If you just listen to his lines, you can tell exactly when he beginning to turn into Megatron, and when he fully embrace the character.

The story for Transformers ONE is also quite well-written, The overall plot is quite predictable but it’s still well executed. If you’re a die-hard fan of Transformers, you will go “Oh I KNEW it!” a lot of the time, but it also has a lot of good moment and twists to keep the story interesting, mostly how the cast manage certain situations. It’s not the destination, but how they get there. The interaction between the characters are really what carry this show.

+ Animation: As mentioned, this is an animated film so everything is fully CGI. The film is extremely bright and colorful when we’re at Cybertron and adequately dark when it’s night time. It creates a nice contrast for the movie’s dual protagonist. Unlike the live action movie where it’s always cloudy and gloomy and bleak, we can see the excitement or the intensity through the background’s color palette.

And of course, to the main topic. And believe me when I say this: there is a CRAP LOAD of Transformers in this movie – hundreds, potentially thousands. We get to see a lot of familiar faces that we come to know and love. But this version is before the Autobots and Decepticons days, so there’s a certain uniqueness to each of them. The transformation is also very well done, with well-placed slow motion sequence and a lot of creativity with the transform gimmicks during fights. The cherry on the cake is there is a lot of homage and references to iconic poses and sequence special to Optimus and Megatron.

+ Mechanical Design: Another highlight of the movie. Orion Pax and D-16 design is very simple at the start, with very simplified limbs and appendages. When they become Optimus and Megatron, the familiar details appear and they looks pretty amazing. Although their transformed state is slightly different from the usual style we see, but it’s easily justified because they are on Cybertron now, not Earth, so their vehicle form also has to make sense on the planet and not just a literal truck or tank or jets found on Earth.

One of the unexpected design is Sentinel Prime. My man looks almost identical to the Saint of Braves Baan Gaan. And instead of red, he’s blue and gold. It carries a lot of Takara’s influence which is the origin of Transformers. And the alternate form of Alpha Trion is is super badass as well. Furthermore, there’s a certain tripple changer that will please long-time fans, especially those who loves terrorizing.

+ Music: Great scores all around. I really love the epic slow music during the character transition scenes as well as the iconic Chosen Prime scene. Overall, I think the OST is really nice.

+ Conclusion: Transformers ONE is a breath of fresh air for a franchise who is too beaten up with subpar human drama existing in its stories. The easiest and simplest solution has always been there: make.a.Transformers.movie.literally. Just put Transformers in the movie – like the video games such as War for Cybertron etc… Let the Transformers be their own character in their own story, not a vehicle to drive the human drama (pun not intended). It’s also great to see Optimus and Megatron be best buds, working with each other, tolerating each other, like true friends. Origin stories are sometimes loverlooked because it mostly just contain explanation about existing things, but TF One tackles a familiar yet never explored dynamic on the big screen. When people see Optimus and Megatron, their first thought is they will fight to the death. This movie expanded upon one of the most iconic rivalries of mecha and did it in a compelling way with engaging characters and beautiful visuals.

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