JP Nunez
Unlike a lot of people my age, I didn’t grow up loving Transformers. I didn’t dislike the toys or the show, but it was never something I gravitated towards. So when I watch the movies, I don’t always get all the subtle allusions, and I don’t really know how closely they stick to the source material. I just want them to be good, and from that perspective, I can tell you that the new animated film, Transformers One, is an absolute blast. It was one of the best theatrical experiences of the year for me, and I can’t wait to tell you why I loved it so much.
Transformers One was directed by Josh Cooley, and it stars the voices of Chris Hemsworth, Brian Tyree Henry, Scarlett Johansson, Keegan-Michael Key, and Jon Hamm. In the movie, Orion Pax and D-16 are best friends, but they’re just lowly miners. Unlike their hero, Sentinel Prime, they can’t transform, so they seem destined for a life of uneventful mundanity. But that all changes when they find a map to a lost artifact called the Matrix of Leadership.
They team up with two similarly low-level peons, Elita and B-127, to search for the Matrix, and when they find it, their entire world is turned upside down. They learn that the real history of Cybertron, their home planet, is very different from what they were taught, and that devastating revelation leads our two main characters down very different paths. Orion Pax goes on to become Optimus Prime, the leader of the Autobots, and D-16 transforms into Megatron, the head of the Decepticons.
As you can probably guess from the film’s premise, Transformers One stands or falls largely on the strength of the relationship between Orion Pax and D-16. It’s the story of how these insignificant nobodies became the most important figures on Cybertron, and thankfully, they’re two of the most charming lead characters I’ve seen in a while. They’re played by Chris Hemsworth and Brian Tyree Henry, and these two actors have amazing chemistry together.
They get along so well you totally believe they’ve been best friends forever, but they’re not just carbon copies of each other. They’re actually very different people, and their contrasting dispositions make for a perfect pairing. Orion Pax is an outgoing daredevil who doesn’t seem to be happy unless he’s doing something outrageous, and without fail, he always ends up dragging his more conformist buddy, D-16, into his ridiculous antics.
That personality mismatch makes for a number of genuinely hilarious moments, but it’s not just played for laughs. It also helps hammer home just how inseparable these two friends are, so you don’t just love them as individuals. You also love them as a team, and even though you know how their story is destined to play out, you can’t help but root for them to remain brothers forever.
Orion Pax and D-16’s bittersweet dynamic is the heart and soul of Transformers One, and it’s far and away the best thing about the movie. Seeing these two characters succeed and then drift apart is thrilling and heartbreaking in all the right ways, and perhaps even more importantly, their arcs are completely believable.
In particular, I was a bit worried that D-16’s transformation into the villainous Megatron would feel rushed and contrived, but thankfully, it makes perfect sense. I’m not going to spoil the reason for that metamorphosis, but I will say that you totally understand why this guy harbors so much hatred in his heart. It’s something that could turn anybody into a monster, so even though his methods are obviously wrong, his cause is 100% just.
On top of those two great leads, Transformers One also knocks it out of the park with its side characters. Both Elita and B-127 are a hoot and a half as well, but B-127 is hands down the better of the two. In fact, he almost steals the movie. As most of you probably know, he eventually turns into the mute Autobot Bumblebee (but not in this film), but here, he’s a non-stop chatterbox who doesn’t know when to shut his mouth.
And unsurprisingly, he’s the funniest character in the entire movie. I could probably write a whole article about all the hilarity he brings to Transformers One, but I’ll limit myself to two (non-spoiler) examples. For starters, this guy gives himself a ridiculous nickname that turns into a great running gag, and secondly, there’s an amazing meta moment that takes its cue from the actor who voices B-127, Keegan-Michael Key. I’m not going to tell you what it is, but if you’re familiar with arguably his most famous skit from Key & Peele, you’ll absolutely crack up when you hear it.
Last but not least, I want to touch on the action in Transformers One. Like I said, I didn’t watch the Transformers show much growing up, but I’ve seen several of the movies, and the fights in this one are just as good as the live-action films. In fact, when they really got going, I almost forgot this movie was animated, and I mean that as a compliment. Both the animation and the fight choreography are so realistic you can easily lose yourself in the moment, and when that happens, the whole question of live-action or animated simply becomes moot.
In case you couldn’t tell, I had an amazing time with Transformers One. It had me smiling from start to finish, and when the big emotional beats came, they hit just right. I haven’t seen all the Transformers films, but I’ve seen enough to know that this is the best one yet. It’s just that good, so if this even remotely sounds like something you’d enjoy, I suggest running to see it as soon as you get the chance.
Transformers One is set to hit theaters on September 20.
