With five films, Michael Bay couldn’t do it. The solo Bumblebee movie couldn’t do it. Transformers: Rise of the Beasts was fun, but still just missed it. The “it” being an entertaining Transformers movie that is creative, exciting, and one that captures the spirit of the Hasbro toys that have delighted fans for 40 years. Written by Eric Pearson, Andrew Barrer, and Gabriel Ferrari and directed by Josh Cooley (Toy Story 4), Transformers One, is the film that breaks the mold. This is a grand entertainment full of humor, action, and fun and a film that doesn’t insult its intended audience, nor the adults that will bring them to the theater.

This is a movie that gets back to basics. The first cinematic incarnation, 1986’s Transformers the Movie, gave fans what they wanted in terms of action, but wasn’t a strong enough film to carry itself into “classic” territory, beyond its nostalgia. Bay’s five films were overblown, shaky-cam, messes saddled with horrible scripts that did a disservice to fans. Kids who grew up on the Transformers deserved more than being pummeled with incomprehensible images for two hours. Transformers One is acutely aware of the two key ingredients for success; remove the humans and return to animation. With no unnecessary human characters to muddy the story, making this an animated origin tale of the beloved characters allows for unlimited possibilities. The filmmakers take hold of the potential and give fans a visceral and highly entertaining movie. That the screenplay manages to achieve a palpable emotional pull is all the more impressive.

Transformers One introduces us to Orion Pax (Chris Hemsworth) and his best friend, D-16 (Brian Tyree Henry). The two are mining robots who work in the bowels of planet Cybertron. One of their “higher-ups” is Elita (Scarlett Johansson), who Orion has a crush on. All the miners are extracting the Energon that fuels transformers. These are skills miners cannot know, as they are born without cogs; the device that allows a bot to transform. Everyone is under the thumb of Cybertron’s leader, Sentinel Prime (a devilishly fun Jon Hamm), a ruler that is more than meets the eye.

Everything changes when Orion throws himself and his buddy D-16 into a big race, hoping to show Sentinel Prime they are more than just miners. Their unsanctioned participation in the race gets them exiled, which leads the two friends to discover a dark secret that threatens to alter the fates of all who live on Cybertron.

The first half of the film has a nice jovial tone, as we meet the headstrong Orion and settle-in to his friendship with D-16. The screenplay finds some nice moments of humor, especially in the scene stealing bot, B-127, voiced by Keegan-Michael Key, who gives an absolutely hilarious performance. There is care given to building the friendships and allegiances between the main characters. As Orion, D-16, Elita, and their new companion B-127, set off on a quest to save their planet, the filmmakers show restraint. Audiences know the action is coming and realize that a certain character will fall prey to the seductive power of vengeance, putting the two friends on opposing sides. The film’s patience allows viewers to get involved in each well-crafted character. When the dark turn comes and lives are divided, director Cooley and his screenwriters want the emotions to pack a wallop. 

The voice cast does great work across the board. Hemsworth and Henry take their roles seriously, effectively portraying an infectious camaraderie. Johansson has fun with her role while Key is, indeed, the main source of the film’s biggest laughs. Add Laurence Fishburne’s unmistakably commanding voice as Alpha Trion, Steve Buscemi’s slimy turn as Starscream, and Vanessa Ligouri as Sentinel Prime’s arachnid-like enforcer, this is one impressive cast who give it their all.

The animation teams have done an incredible job. This film looks fantastic. Cinematographer Christopher Batty and the animators have given the Transformers a futuristic beauty that calls back to the incredibly rendered world of Disney’s Tron films. This film breathes with life in every corner of its frame.

It is refreshing to find this much thought put into a Transformers film. This one finally gives fans a smart beginning to their beloved characters. The script blends a tale of good and evil with a story of friendship and honor, infusing it all with an air of humor that hits at the right moments. Most importantly, it remembers to be visually stimulating fun. You can almost hear its youthful audience (and maybe a few adults)  screaming, “Cool!” as the Transformers rise up and roll out.

Chock full of creativity, well-drawn characters, beautiful animation, and not a human to be found, Transformers One is the first great Transformers movie and an origin story done right.

Transformers One

Written by Eric Pearson, Andrew Barrer, & Gabriel Ferrari

Directed by Josh Cooley

Starring Chris Hemsworth, Brian Tyree Henry, Scarlett Johansson, Keegan-Michael Key, John Hamm, Laurence Fishburne, Steve Buscemi

PG, 104 Minutes, Paramount Animation, Hasbro Entertainment, New Republic Pictures