Welcome back to the blog readers. If you know me, you would know that animated films are not normally my cup of tea, because I normally feel as if they are just a gimmick that gets old really quick. Some films feel genuine like Inside Out (2015) and its 2024 sequel (which is my favorite animated film of all time and the highest-grossing film of the year). I have had my eye on this film for a while now and have been interested in it since I learned of the cast. Would I be rewarded for my interest? Stick around to find out.
Transformers One was directed by Josh Cooley from a screenplay by Eric Pearson, Andrew Barrer, and Gabriel Ferrari and a story by Barrer and Ferrari, based on Hasbro's Transformers action figures. The film features the voices of Chris Hemsworth, Brian Tyree Henry, Scarlett Johansson, Keegan-Michael Key, Steve Buscemi, Laurence Fishburne, and Jon Hamm. In the film, two miners and best friends named Orion Pax and D-16 go on an adventure that will forge them into the fiercest of enemies.
I would like to admit that I am a fan of the Transformers franchise, especially the live-action films. Although I can find some positives in (and am more forgiving than most of) Michael Bay's last few films, not a lot of people did. And go easy on me because it is only my opinion on this matter. In terms of this film, I stated in the introduction that Inside Out 2 was my favorite animated film of all time, and it took 3 months for that title to be overtaken by this film. From the stellar voice performances to the emotional story, this film is almost as perfect an animated film as I could have hoped for. Just mail the producers the Oscars now.
The first vocal performance I want to praise is that of Chris Hemsworth. We all know for the better part of 40 years, Peter Cullen has been the voice of Orion Pax/Optimus Prime and regardless of who took over, we would have to get used to them. Enter Thor himself: Chris Hemsworth. We were worried he would wind up doing an impersonation of Cullen, but not only is Hemsworth's performance inspired by and is a tribute to Cullen's, it is a vocal performance that is his own. I found his performance to be genuine, raw, and emotional at the same time. Pete would be proud, and I think we may have an alternative to him if that time ever were to come.
Next, I need to talk about Brian Tyree Henry's vocal performance as D-16. Normally, the man most associated with the voice of the bot later known as Megatron is Frank Welker, but Tyree Henry is an Academy Award-nominated actor, so I had faith that he would make the character his own. And that is exactly what he did in this film. At first, in the first half of the film, you can see that Tyree Henry does make the character his own. A performance that is witty, passionate, and also genuine to the character makes D-16 an interesting character to watch. When we get to the halfway point of the film and the other shoe drops, he gives an absolutely horrifying and rage-filled performance that makes D-16/Megatron one of the more compelling performances of the year. It is here where his performance is inspired by Welker's as I can hear a little of Welker in Tyree Henry.
I do want to next talk about the main theme of the film, and that is trauma. Mainly, what trauma can do to people. Now I am not the only person who will be bringing this up, because John Campea was the first person I know who did. He mentioned what trauma and anger can do to even the best people. And one other thing to note has to deal with the differing philosophies. Something happens at the halfway point of the film that changes how both main characters see things, and each of them have a different reaction to this event. Orion Pax generally sees the good in people even when others cannot, so he is a more reasonable person. Meanwhile, D-16 has a different reaction that sees him scorned, betrayed, and left with vengeance. And by the end of the film, he embraces the rage and goes down a different path than he thought he would.
In conclusion, Transformers One is a fantastic animated film that features stellar voice acting (especially from Chris Hemsworth and Brian Tyree Henry) and a truly emotional story that might just move even the most cynical. Thank you all for reading, and I will see you for the next post.
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