Transformers One

Transformers One does not belong to a franchise that could ever be accused of subtlety, but these stylistic choices make Josh Cooley’s film far more thoughtful and ingenious than the average reboot.

[A] lot of people are going to have a grand time watching Transformers One. Sadly, I am not one of them.

This animated prequel is a refreshing entry to the Transformers franchise.

This installment definitely benefits from the low expectations instilled by its predecessors, but that doesn’t take away from how its trio of writers create a consistently humorous script brimming with witty banter and quips that mostly land.

It’s so earnest, bringing notes of freshness and innocence to a prequel that, by all rights, shouldn’t have had any.

For a familiar franchise, this feels like a new beginning.

Rather than forcing us to follow annoying humans or trying to innovate with strange changes to the lore, what the film does is deceptively simple: develop a narrative full of heart, centred on the beginnings of Optimus Prime. Full review in Spanish.

Engaging in a way the live-action offerings rarely are — and coherent in a way they almost never are — Transformers One serves up a fast-paced, humor-filled and untold origin of future rivals Optimus Prime and Megatron.

The whole thing has a visual style that feels original, and while the story hits familiar beats, it’s interesting enough that those beats feel fresh

Energetic and entertaining — and could have been even more, if the Paramount and Hasbro marketing departments hadn’t gotten in the way.