Transformers Won?
It’s safe to say the Transformers franchise has been on its ups and downs since its inception in 1984. Constantly innovating to appeal to new audiences and keep up with the times as decades go by. Amongst the pieces of media consumed by fans and general audiences alike, the Micheal Bay movies have had by far the most influence on the IP. While the films strive in cgi spectacles, they sadly struggle in executing great ideas and keeping their world building consistent throughout five movies. After 2017’s Transformers: The Last Knight bombed heavily at the box office, the brand struggled to get back to the status it once held in the late 2000s to early 2010s. While it had some of its best media since then such as 2018’s Bumblebee, it struggled to catch the appeal of general audiences with fans barely holding on.
With Bumblebee barely being able to break even and 2023’s Rise Of The Beast failing to catapult the franchise in a new way through it’s lacking style and borderline questionable setups, the franchise seemed to be at an odd place. As someone who had an ever growing love of the franchise since 2014, I was hoping the next big release would truly showcase why Transformers is still brimming with potential and to put it quite bluntly, more than meets the eye. And thankfully, we got just that with the release of this year’s Transformers One. A magnificent love letter to the franchise’s years worth of lore while also managing to be the perfect introduction for audiences new and old. To say Transformers One succeeds at almost everything previous film installments failed to do is an understatement, as it far exceeds anything previous entries could even dream of accomplishing. Telling a heartfelt story of clashing ideologies in a corrupt society while having a playful sense of joy and not being afraid to tap into heavy subject matter.
This story struck me personally on an emotional level as it’s a tale I couldn't be more familiar with in my time as a fan. Transformers Prime served as my main introduction to the franchise, a show that showcased great concepts and character conflict, with nothing better showcased than the dynamic between Optimus Prime and Megatron. The rivaling leaders have had quite a complicated history since butting heads in the 1984 cartoon, going from simple worst enemies in a saturday morning setting, to a Batman and Joker dilemma of military occupations and leadership in a early 2000s anime trilogy, to brothers in arms falling out due to clashing ideologies. The friend turned enemy archetype shockingly started out as a throwaway line in the 2007 film, only for it to somehow sprawl into the definitive origin for the rivalry. Expanding out into IDW’s comic book series, and of course the Transformers Prime cartoon as mentioned before. I always had genuine love for this backstory, the way it showcases a strong friendship breaking and how clashing ideologies can lead to greater consequences in war, almost reflective of our real world and issues we face with higher and lower class figures. So it couldn't make me happier to see it so beautifully represented in Transformers One.
Going into the film, the outcome was seen as obvious and admittedly predictable knowing the knowledge I knew, but it didn’t really matter as much seeing how the film brilliantly executes the decaying fractures. The film above all else dedicates most of its time to showing the strong friendship between Orion pax (Optimus Prime) and D-16(Megatron); showcasing the strong connection the two have and the growing decay that grows as they fight back against the higher classes that stripped them of their will and transformations. The tone has a typical almost coming-of-age vibe filled with fun laughs and brotherly bickering at the start, only for it to slowly rear its ugly head as the runtime paces out. It's a beautiful showcase of tensions rising as Orion and D-16 start to clash and go down different paths that’ll lead to who we know them as. While Orion Pax goes on an excellent arc of arrogant and reckless young bot to the rising leader we know as Optimus Prime, it's really D-16’s turn into Megatron that shines bright here. The rise of the decepticon leader is excellently paced out with the reasoning behind the fall out being conveyed wonderfully. There’s good reason many online went on a frenzy of “D-16 was in the right” due to the film conveying how he and Orion both have the same intentions just under different ideologies.
The sadder aspect of all of this however is the film not being presented in a way that is intriguing due to what can be best described as horrendous marketing. Even as someone who vibed with the first trailer day one, Transformers One suffered heavily from marketing that falsely advertised the film to a degree of avoidance, causing it to suffer immensely at the box office with it barely riding along for the weeks it was in the cinemas. It’s heartbreaking seeing as the film is a fantastic introduction to the franchise, while also being a love letter for longtime fans. Despite box office disappointments, the positive outcry from fans and critics alike can strive in showcasing the beauty of animation and a hopeful future, with every down there’s an up, and a bright future can still be seen ahead as the brand continues to innovate and grow. Transformers One stands greatly as not only the best transformers film, but also one of the best releases of 2024. Having the touch, having the power, and being the one to bring Transformers into a new light, even if the dollar dues came out less than it should have.
Writer: Matthew Silva
