Film Review: Transformers One

 

Sexuality/Nudity No Objection

Violence Acceptable

Vulgarity No Objection

Anti-Catholic Philosophy Acceptable

This is the best Transformers movie since the 1986 animated film.

The story takes place before the great Autobot/Decepticon War.  Cybertron is being ruled by Sentinel Prime (Jon Hamm) who is leading them through the crisis of energon (the source of energy for Transformers) after a brutal war with the Quintisons that destroyed all the other Primes.  As a result, the non-transforming Cybertronians have to mine the planet for energon.  This includes the daredevil Orion Pax (Chris Hemsworth) and his cautious best friend D-16 (Brian Tyree Henry).  Orion is convinced that the Matrix of Leadership is the key to saving Cybertron but that it exists on the forbidden surface of the planet.  After circumstances thrust these two friends along with the no-nonsense Elita-1 (Scarlett Johansson) and the lonely and desperate B-127 (Keegan-Michael Key) into an adventure on the surface where they will go on a journey of discovery that will change them forever.

This movie does something that I very much enjoy, which is that it uses the comedy of the first half to emphasize the tragedy of the second half.  This is also a place where I think marketing for this movie did it a great disservice.  There is a LOT of silly, PIXAR-style humor in the first half of the film.  Most of the ads focused on this tone.  As a result, I think people felt like all of the drama from these characters was being ignored.  

Instead, the fun and friendship of the first half serves to underscore the dramatic turns.  At one point Orion and D-16 talk about how they will be friends forever.  In the theater, my wife looked at me and smiled at the sweet moment, but she told me later that she was confused because I looked so sad.  Those who know Transformers lore will understand why.

I was struck by the story parallels between this movie and Plato's Allegory of the Cave.  In this film, the people of Cybertron are literally in a cave, forbidden from going to the surface.  But when our heroes do, they see the truth about how their entire lives below have been built on lies.  For one of the characters, this enables them to take on the responsibility of saving the people.  But to the other, the information reveals an utter betrayal that shatters him.  You can see the resentment over the one who brought them out of the cave because he was happy in his illusions.  

All of this comes about successfully because the character interactions are so good.  This wouldn't work if you didn't completely invest in Orion's and D-16's friendship.  The chemistry between the other characters works well.  Elita covers her insecurity with a stern bossiness, but Orion's improvisational style helps her loosen up and helps him mature.  As annoying as B-127 is, his utter sincerity brings the characters together.  These are real, three-dimensional characters that feel like the adventure and the interactions with each other change them.  Orion and D-16 are utterly transformed (pun intended) in an incredibly cathartic and satisfying way.

Director Josh Cooley gives the whole movie a feeling of technological wonder.  The action scenes are exciting.  There is a race in the first act that is both funny and fun to watch.  Brian Tyler's score is reminiscent of Tron in the best possible way: it has a synthetic feel that feels like something mythic.  

The movie wrestles with lots of oddly complex issues like truth and lies, friendship and betrayal, good and evil.  What are the limits of retaliation against those who have done evil?  And what does that cost you in terms of your relationships and your very soul.

This was surprisingly deep for what was billed as a silly kids cartoon.  But I was invested from beginning to end.  The movie set everything up for a sequel, but I fear that the box office disappointment that resulted here will prevent that from happening.

But if you would like to experience a good, character-driven Transformers movie, then this is the One.