Title: Transformers One
Director: Josh Cooley
Voice Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Brian Tyree Henry, Scarlett Johansson, Keegan-Michael Key, Steve Buscemi, Laurence Fishburne, Jon Hamm, Vanessa Liguori
Where: In theatres near
Rating: 2.5 stars
This animated film results from a franchise stretching its origins to keep itself alive. This unnecessary prequel offers a lackluster take on how Optimus Prime rose to lead the Autobots. Directed by Josh Cooley, the film feels like a mass-produced toy—polished, predictable, and devoid of life.
The premise takes us to Cybertron, a world of shiny robots and rigid class divides. Our protagonist, Orion Pax (voiced by Chris Hemsworth, curiously bland), starts as a lowly miner yearning for more. The city of Iacon is divided into haves and have-nots, with the powerful upper class comfortably transforming at will, while the labourers like Orion are left to toil in the city's depths. It’s a thinly veiled allegory for social struggle, but one that remains disappointingly shallow. The narrative seems content to skate by on familiar beats, offering no new insights into the Transformers lore.
One of the film's glaring issues is its lack of originality. Every plot point feels like a rerun of other animated films: the underdog hero, the search for a legendary artifact, and the inevitable rise to leadership. There’s a by-the-numbers quality that keeps the audience ahead of the action, diminishing any sense of discovery. You can practically set your watch to the twists.
Character development, too, is an afterthought. Orion’s transformation from an idealistic dreamer to the leader of the resistance should be the emotional core of the film. Still, it’s hard to care about a character so thinly drawn. His relationship with future nemesis Megatron (then D-16, voiced by Brian Tyree Henry) is central to the plot, yet it's delivered with the emotional depth of a Saturday morning cartoon. Despite Henry’s best efforts, D-16’s inevitable descent into villainy feels rushed, as if the film couldn’t wait to check off the “turning evil” box.
The film’s tone swings awkwardly between earnest and juvenile. Scarlett Johansson’s Elita, reduced to the nagging “responsible female” archetype, is particularly frustrating, while Keegan Michael-Key’s B-127 provides comic relief that misses more than it hits. The humour feels forced, as if the writers are desperate to balance the otherwise hollow narrative with laughs. Even Steve Buscemi’s Starscream, a character rich with potential for scheming villainy, is squandered in a forgettable cameo.
Visually, the film shines but offers little substance beneath its polished exterior. Its cinematic universe gleams with a metallic sheen, but the setting never feels lived-in. The city of Iacon looks more like a video game backdrop than a dystopian society, and the action sequences lack the energy and creativity needed to elevate the film. The much-hyped transformation scenes fall flat. Instead of awe-inspiring, they feel perfunctory, another box ticked off on a list of franchise obligations.
At its core, the film is a reminder of how hollow franchise storytelling can be. The film is competent, sure—but also mechanical, devoid of any spark that might set it apart. The franchise deserves something more transformative.
