Last weekend, I finally saw Transformers One, a film that had been extremely well-reviewed but sadly hadn’t been too successful at the box office. And that’s a real shame because it is a fantastic movie for Transformers fans and newcomers alike.
Transformers One has a simple but extremely effective hook - the origins of its two biggest characters, Optimus Prime and Megatron. Even the most casual Transformers fan is aware of these icons. More importantly, everyone knows that they're arch-enemies. Their conflict essentially drives most of the various interpretations of the franchise. So a film that explores both their origins and their friendship is definitely intriguing.
Of course, there is a risk when telling this kind of story, especially in a single film. Exploring how friends became enemies is usually something that you’d want to take your time with. After all, to make the ending of that friendship more impactful, you have to do a good job of establishing it first.
Friends to enemies
There have been many films and TV shows that have explored how iconic enemies began as friends. My favorite example is Smallville, which spent multiple seasons exploring the friendship between Clark Kent and Lex Luthor. Transformers One tells the same story with Optimus Prime and Megatron in one film that's just over 100 minutes. Is it effective at exploring this key relationship?
Surprisingly, yes. The film does a great job of immediately establishing the friendship between Optimus Prime and Megatron (or, as they’re referred to for most of the film, Orion Pax and D-16). Each transformer is established well, and we’re introduced to these familiar characters in brand-new and refreshing ways.
What also works so well is the development that each character is given. Orion begins as someone that’s ambitious but reckless, while D-16 believes in sticking to the rules and following protocol. These are radically different takes on these extremely familiar characters. Seeing how they each develop and change into the hero and villain we all know is incredibly satisfying to see.
Worldbuilding
It's not just the characters that stand out in the film, though. Transformers One is set entirely on the homeworld of Cybertron. I’m extremely impressed with how fleshed out both Cybertron and the Transformers’ society are in this film. We’re introduced to Cybertron’s politics, its class structure – even the ways Transformers like to have fun. Again, the film does a great job of establishing all of this within a very short length of time.
I also need to mention how great the battles sequences are. They are fantastic to watch, and the animation looks amazing. The film is also extremely violent, as several characters are blown apart, sliced to bits, or even beheaded. Of course, since all the characters are robots, this makes the violence more family-friendly. But the violence still has impact because of how fleshed out and three-dimensional these robots are.
I’m massively impressed with this movie. It moves at an incredibly fast pace but doesn’t sacrifice character development or world-building. It’s thrilling and action-packed, but it also has a decent share of emotional moments, especially when the friendship between Orion and D-16 comes to its inevitable conclusion. And, thanks to excellent animation, it’s also fantastic to watch. Highly recommended for both newcomers and Transformers fans alike, and I’m only disappointed that I didn’t catch this one in theaters.