It’s go time! Transformers One officially hits theaters today for everyone in the USA. There have been fan screenings for the last couple weeks, and I personally was able to attend the NYC Premiere earlier in the week as well, so we are going to be sharing our thoughts here today. There will be some spoilers inside, we’ll mark it big when they begin so you can skip over them and check the pictures.
Still non spoilery – The movie tells the origin of the Transformers in a new way, set on Cybertron before the Autobots and Decepticons began, while Optimus and Megatron are still friends. It’s a high budget animated film, staring Chris Hemsworth (Optimus Prime), Brian Tyree Henry (Megatron), Scarlett Johansson (Elita-1), Keegan-Michael Key (Bumblebee), Jon Hamm (Sentinel Prime), Laurence Fishburne (Alpha Trion) and Steve Buscemi (Starscream). On top of all that, directed by Josh Cooley of Toy Story 4 fame.
Overall it was a great ride, so let’s dig in and share our thoughts. Several of the TFW2005 members will share, and we’ll add in new ones as the rest of the team sees it.
We encourage everyone to hop on over to the 2005 Boards once you’ve seen it and share your thoughts. You can join the (spoilers!) discussion here (ONE of many).
You can check and grab tickets for your local theater over on TransformersMovie.com, which you should do right now, then come back. 🙂
Read on for thoughts and pics!
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TFW2005 Reviews Transformers One
Tony_Bacala – Owner/Admin
The Transformers flick I’ve been waiting for! Great heart, great remixing of lore without just rehashing what we’ve seen multiple times. Top tier animation, great storytelling. We get a deep dive into pre-war Cybertron. Tons of cameos. Lots of lore nods, deep cut, even when it isn’t the focus. The folks who put this together did their homework. They embraced what came before while creating something new, rather than just doing what they wanted to do and shoehorning in easter eggs for people like me. The first half was a little extra happy-go-lucky for me personally, but I can see how it works for the kids. The second half went full 180, getting heavy and quickly. Almost too quickly. The Ron Burgundy “Well, that escalated quickly” gif kept popping in my head. For me, that’s what I wanted. What it did in the end is really emphasize how these friends split, how the planet split, and why. And why this coming “Great War” is so devastating, on a personal and planetary level.
The only ding for me was the design used for the bots. On screen, they flow, it’s all done well. Animation is executed top tier. But the design, especially in the faces, isn’t my thing. But not everything needs to be my thing, I get that. Actual movie aside, in stills and quick trailer scans, it looks like a G rated kids film. Once you get in there, it isn’t (still kid friendly tho, right up to the line). Give me this, modern video game launch trailer level graphics, and push it to hard PG-13. Combine the War for Cybertron games with this, and that would have been my (almost) 50 year old personal perfection.
But like I said it doesn’t need to be all about me, and this was a great film! 9/10 for me. See it on the big screen if you can, lots of fast moving action and awesome wide pan shots of Cybertron that will shine better than on our TVs. Roll Out!
Black_Convoy – News Team Lead
I was lucky to be invited to a test screening in August, and then I attended my local fan screening here in Peru.
While the first time I was really impressed with the movie, being a test screening with my local theater representatives, we were no more than 15 people. The real test of the potential of this movie was during the fan screening. The theater was full, and it was quite the experience, with 3 rounds of claps and shouts during some key scenes. All fans left really pleased and talking about the movie. Then I was sure of something…
This is very good story, not only because it’s about Transformers, this is a great movie perse.
My reasons why you should watch this movie now:
* It’s not related to any other universe. A very fresh start, enjoyable for old-timers and newcomers. You can watch it with your family or friends and have a great time together. No need to know anything about the franchise, but full of delicious references for hard core fans.
* This movie has got emotion. You can get attached to any of the characters after a few minutes. I felt the same magic as I had with G1, I shouted with the characters, I suffered with them, I felt their brave hearts and frustration.
* The pace of the movie is very well executed. Don’t let the trailers fool you. This is not a comedy or “Cars with robots”. The movie starts with laughs, jokes, funny situations….then slowly… without you noticing it, you will be in the middle of a tragedy, surrounded by treason and war. This is no kid’s movie in several ways.
* The enemy is really more than meets the eye. How do you start a war without Autobots and Decepticons? The new enemy (or enemies) really works as a force of evil and it’s the spark that will ignite the clash between the main characters.
* A great balance between humor and action. Transformers One is sure fun, with a fine humor well placed and smart. No easy humor here! Action scenes are top, with some incredibly amazing clashes on the screen. No time to blink!
Transformers One is a very great new approach to the origins of our beloved transforming robots. My favorite Transformers movie of all time? Let’s just say, that after I watched it for the first time, I wanted to watch it one more time, and after my second time, I still wanted to watch it. It’s like that very favorite toy in your collection that you always play with from time to time and still gives you the same satisfaction as the very first time.
Go to the theaters with your friends and family, you won’t regret it.
optimusfan – Forums Administrator Lead
I was fortunate to attend one of the advanced screenings of Transformers One with my son last month. I went in cautiously optimistic, having heard good things about it beforehand, and I came away thoroughly impressed. The high-quality action caught me off guard, the humor landed well, and most importantly, I really enjoyed the story.
Action – Admittedly, I didn’t have any particular expectations for the action going into this movie, but I was quite impressed with what they delivered. The action is snappy and relentless at times, yet I was still able to follow the movements of individual characters despite the rapid cuts. I’m not usually one to be dazzled by action sequences, but there were several moments of incredibly well-choreographed and directed action that made me mumble, “Oh, wow,” to myself. I’m really looking forward to seeing it again—and perhaps owning a copy—so I can rewatch and fully digest some of the action more thoroughly.
Humor – Transformers One is, quite frankly, a pretty funny movie, with numerous great lines (beyond just those featured in the trailer) and visual gags. Thankfully, the humor never felt cringeworthy—no urinating Autobots or dog-humping scenes here! As expected, the always funny Keegan-Michael Key drives much of the comedy, but several other characters get their share of amusing moments as well. However, despite the humor, the movie isn’t a comedy. It becomes progressively more serious in the second and third acts, transforming (or is it converting?) from a buddy comedy to the tragic origin story of Optimus and Megatron.
Story – Speaking of the story, I was really impressed with how it was handled. Villain origin stories rarely get the time they need to develop properly, but this is easily one of my favorites, along with Doc Ock’s in Spider-Man 2. The relationship between D-16 and Orion Pax feels believable, as do their respective transformations into Megatron and Optimus Prime, given the circumstances presented in the film. The story and tension ratchet up throughout, culminating in a third act that’s earned its spectacle. The whole affair is executed far better than I expected.
Lastly, special shoutouts to Airachnid for oozing cool throughout the movie, Elita-1 for being so different from what I expected, and Steve Buscemi for portraying a beleaguered Starscream with perfection.
All in all, Transformers One is in contention for my favorite Transformers film to date, with nostalgia-driven TFTM86 also in the running. However, TF One is undoubtedly a better film than TFTM86, which may ultimately give it the edge. It’s definitely more recommendable to casual fans. I’ll be paying to take my family again on Friday. Go see it!
onslaught24 – News Team Member
Was very fortunate to attend an early screening a couple weeks back thanks to my local comic con and I very genuinely think this is the best Transformers movie we’ve had so far.
I went into Rise of the Beasts with much more hype and came out having cried twice, and while I didn’t shed tears here, I felt so much more as a Transformers fan. Having grown up on the Cybertron games and reading the Exodus and Exiles novels and watching Prime, I’ve heard this story told over and over again, where Pax and D-16 were once friends, but it’s never truly felt complete. They’ve just been flashbacks. This movie fully delivers on that and I think it did really well its alternate take on the beginning of this rivalry.
I’ll start the actual review by saying this: this movie has something for everyone from every part of the franchise. Some things are blink-and-miss as there’s only so much that can be crammed into one film and still have it be good, but I saw names, bots, and even just animations that alluded to every facet of this franchise (except Rescue Bots) and each one felt like it was put in there with love and appreciation. This was a true Where’s Waldo for Transformers fans with a beautiful, fun story heavily layered on top, leaving the nods like a distant Rung, or the list of names on the Iacon 5000 roster, or a very important animation mimicking that quick scene from War for Cybertron where Ironhide rips a brute in half over his head, scattered for die-hards to find and get excited about without having to pause and stare at the audience saying “Remember THIS guy??”
The friends-to-enemies storyline was also beautifully done in a way that didn’t feel rushed at all, showing that growing divide through little interactions and the differences in their responses to things big and small. It also keeps that moral grey area intact when Orion and D-16 have fully diverged from one another as both are in the right, and I can guarantee this movie will have you cheering for both, especially if you’ve been holding THAT grudge since 2011 like I have.
I was surprised by the extra little swears outside of “Badassitron” but they’re well-earned, so other than that this is a perfect movie for families AND hardcore fans regardless of how long you’ve been a fan, and I can’t wait to see it again tonight with friends!
Wrap Up
We’ll add more over the weekend if our team would like to share. Until then, hit the 2005 Boards to discuss all things Transformers One. Can check the News and Rumors forum here, or the Transformers Movie forum here. Spoilers will be mixed in everywhere. Assume they’re lurking around every corner, even though we try to mark them.
We’d like to thank Paramount, Hasbro, their PR teams, and of course the creators of the film and toys for a fun ride, both on Tuesday at the premiere and for the flick in general. This is the direction we need to go – scaled up for adults, or down for the kids, but this is the way. Hit that theater this weekend and decide for yourself! Enjoy the pics below!
