It’s been 17 years since the first live-action Transformers movie by Michael Bay that kicked off a reintroduction to some legendary characters to a whole new generation of fans. But as entertaining as those films were, many fans of the original series were hoping for something a bit closer to the source material. Lo and behold, their prayers have been answered in the most unexpected way, in the form of Transformers: One: the best modern Transformers movie to date!

Whether studios, The Academy, or anyone else wants to admit it, animated installments in franchises have proven even better than their live-action counterparts in recent years. In 2018 we got Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. Last year we got Across the Spider-Verse, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem. Even on television, X-Men ’97 proved to be one of the best Marvel Studios projects in recent years, if not ever (sorry, Keith!). Transformers: One completely continues that trend, becoming a far more entertaining, funny, and captivating adaptation of these characters than any film in the franchise since 2007, once again further proving the power of animation as a serious medium for telling terrific, compelling stories.

Transformers: One takes the story back 3 billion years before Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, and Megatron even set foot on Earth. We discover the younger versions of these characters before they received their legendary monikers, with Optimus going by Orion Pax (Chris Hemsworth), Bumblebee going by B-127 (Keegan-Michael Key), and Megatron going by D16 (Brian Tyree Henry). We are also introduced to future Autobot, Elita One (Scarlett Johansson) and Sentinel Prime (Jon Hamm), leader of Iacon City. When Orion, B-127, D16, and Elita discover things aren’t what they seem in Iacon City, they are set on a journey to find The Matrix of Leadership, and in the process, discover their true destinies, which will reshape the future of Cybertron.

The first thing that Transformers: One does better than any Transformers film in the modern era boils down to two words: character development. Not that Bumblebee’s character development wasn’t good, mind you. It was probably the only live-action Transformers film that truly focused more on the characters than the set pieces. But Transformers: One has proven itself the blueprint now for how to do both. And in this case especially, the film successfully gives fantastic character arcs to Orion Pax and D16.

The movie poses these characters as friends before their bitter, eternal rivalry escalated into war. We get to see glimpses of an ambitious, hopeful Orion Pax, doing everything he can to try and prove himself. But also how he tries to do everything he can to stand up for his best friend. He has a strong sense of justice, and cares about the well being of others, but also acts like a reckless idiot at times. Hemsworth does a terrific job portraying a sense of youthful energy and bravado in Orion Pax. In many ways he was the perfect choice for this character with that alone on paper. However, what makes Hemsworth’s performance shine even more is how he goes from sounding like himself, albeit with an American accent, to gradually sounding more and more like Peter Cullen as the movie gets closer to its finale. That is incredibly impressive. It’s a terrific turn from the actor, because it also increases the impact of the character development Orion Pax goes through on his journey to ultimately become Optimus Prime by the end of the film. Very impressive, indeed.

Equally as impressive is Henry’s performance as D16, and perhaps even more so. The character’s journey from Pax’s risk adverse friend to the ultimate evil of the franchise in Megatron. Henry’s such a good actor, able to balance comedy and drama so brilliantly, that this transition is, not only believable, but utterly heartbreaking as the character descends further and further into darkness with every choice and revelation. This movie actually gets you to understand and sympathize with Megatron by the end of the film, being a character that felt hope the most, only to have it be taken away from him, and what Henry does beautifully is build up the character as a funny, but complacent individual with sky high expectations that gradually get worn and beaten down to the version of the character we see, who believes aggression and hostility are the only ways to liberate one’s self. We know he’s wrong, but much like Orion Pax, we, more than anything, just want him to be okay. But unfortunately, dramatic irony is a thing, and we know better what’s going to happen down the line.

In addition to Hemsworth and Henry, Key gives a terrific and hilarious scene-stealing performance as B-127. He’s overly hyperactive, desperate, and yet extremely lonely. But in a way that’s just super innocent. It almost reminded me of a Transformers-version of Robin Williams’ Genie (of course not as great, but similar vibes). Whereas, on the opposite side of things, Johansson, while pleasant, doesn’t do too much to distinguish Elita from, essentially, herself and her own voice. Of the heroes she’s definitely the weakest of the four, but still fun. Someone has to be the straight man to this gang of clowns.

We definitely can’t talk about Transformers: One without talking about the gorgeous animation as well. The vibrant colors of the characters, combined with the imaginative futuristic settings of Cybertron are simply stunning. Getting to see rivers of Energon flowing, and roads being constructed out of thin air is absolutely breathtaking. There’s one set piece in particular — the Iacon 5000 — that is just so much fun! Now granted, being set in Transformers lore means there are limitations to the visual designs one can have within the film. Cybertron needs to look like Cybertron. The characters have to look accurate to the characters we all know and love. So there’s not as much creative liberty here as there would be, say The Wild Robot. But that doesn’t diminish the wonderful cartoonish style of the film, paying playful homage to the origins of this franchise all the way back to the ’80s cartoon — but with a 2024 twist of course.

Speaking of the lore, the one thing that I think will finally satisfy Transformers fans everywhere is its faithfulness to the mythology. All of the origins of these characters and Cybertron are quite faithful to the Transformers lore. We see Quintessons, we see the original Primes, we see stories of the creation of Cybertron and Primus. None of these aspects were remotely touched upon in any of the live-action films. But Transformers: One goes hard with these details and the mythology, and it’s reasonably accurate. I’m sure hardcores might nitpick a bit. But compared to what we’ve seen in the past 17 years? I think this is absolute gold!

If there’s anything I need to be critical about it’s that the movie does take about an act to get going. Some things can come across a bit childish earlier on, and not all the jokes land. But this is, of course, meant to appeal to kids as well as adults. As such, it builds with every act, leading to a final act that is just absolutely epic. By the end of the film, I had a major smile on my face. But I will admit I was honestly skeptical based on the first few minutes of the film. Just keep in mind, it starts off fine, and gets great by the end.

Overall, Transformers: One is a genuinely good time at the movies. It’s by far the most epic, mature Transformers film to date with brilliant animation, non-stop laughs, and stunning action. However, most importantly, how it treats these legendary characters feels incredibly fresh and redefines their story in a grander and more emotional way! Beautiful, bold, and amazing, it’s a blast from beginning to end, and hands down, the most fun I’ve ever had watching any Transformers movie!

Overall Score: B+