If
you’re
a
fan
of
the
Transformer
films
already,
you
will
be
delighted
with
a
hearty
dose
of
nostalgia
here
but…
Mayur
Sanap
adds
a
caveat.
I’m
not
a
huge
Transformers
fan,
but
I
don’t
deride
the
franchise
either
because
these
films,
however
ludicrous
they
are,
hold
a
certain
spectacle
to
them.
There’s
something
about
these
gigantic
autobots
and
the
wizardry
of
cool
visual
effects
that
make
for
some
giddy
popcorn
entertainment.
But
after
the
recent
lacklustre
trend
of
Michael
Bay
directed
live-action
films,
we’ve
got
to
the
point
where
no
one
expects
anything
particularly
good
from
the
Transformers
films.
So,
how
does
Transformers
One,
the
latest
addition
to
this
expanding
film
franchise,
make
things
any
different?
First
off,
this
is
the
first
theatrical
animated
feature
film
since
Bay’s
first
Transformers
from
2007.
And
unlike
the
live-action
films,
which
depict
these
advanced
alien
super
machines
as
ferocious
combatants,
Transformers
One
takes
us
to
the
backstory
of
these
beloved
characters.
In
a
refreshing
change
from
its
usual
noisy
rumble,
we
get
to
see
the
transformative
journeys
of
two
chief
characters,
Optimus
Prime
and
Megatron,
which
is
essentially
an
origin
story
for
these
OG
characters.
It
only
helps
that
there
are
no
human
characters
here
to
detract
us
with
their
sappy
dramatics.
Hence,
no
Shia
LaBeouf
or
Mark
Wahlberg
or
Megan
Fox.
Yet,
Transformers
One
suffers
from
a
very
routine
story
that
ends
with
a
basic
and
expected
rise-of-a-hero
template,
benefitting
intermittently
only
from
its
eye-popping
visuals.
Set
on
Cybertron,
the
home
planet
of
Transformers,
the
story
revolves
around
the
friendship
between
Orion
Pax
(voiced
by
Chris
Hemsworth)
and
D-16
(voiced
by
Brian
Tyree
Henry).
In
sync
with
their
Autobots
shenanigans,
they
break
protocols
and
embark
on
a
journey
to
the
surface
in
the
hunt
for
the
Matrix
of
Leadership,
which
is
an
artefact
of
great
power.
They
are
unexpectedly
joined
by
two
other
robots,
B-127
(Keegan-Michael
Key)
and
Elita-1
(Scarlett
Johansson)
on
this
adventure.
However,
their
mission
finds
a
new
direction
when
they
learn
the
truth
about
their
master
Sentinel
Prime
(voiced
by
Jon
Hamm).
This
sets
the
new
course
of
action
as
they
build
a
team
together
and
swear
to
seek
revenge
against
Sentinel
Prime.
As
they
move
forward,
Orion’s
morality
clashes
with
D-16’s
intense
hostility,
which
ultimately
leads
to
their
epic
clash.
What
hurts
Transformers
One
is
its
struggle
to
maintain
the
balance
between
emotional
weight
of
the
story
with
obligatory
action
set
pieces
that
are
sprinkled
throughout
the
narrative.
Director
Josh
Cooley
of
Toy
Story
4
fame,
who
has
also
co-written
Inside
Out,
relies
on
the
fact
that
we
already
know
what
and
who
the
Transformers
are
as
almost
no
time
is
spent
on
character
development.
As
a
result,
the
action
is
fast
paced
but
without
any
real
emotional
engagement
with
characters.
While
the
story
is
mostly
generic,
the
cool
graphics
keeps
you
engaged
for
most
of
its
runtime.
The
character
design
is
a
highly
stylised
art
and
probably
a
lot
of
attention
was
spent
on
creating
smooth
fluid
animation
and
movement.
But
again,
it
isn’t
as
inventive
as
Into
the
Spider-Verse
or
as
ground-breaking
as
Kubo
and
the
Two
Strings.
The
voice-overs
of
Transformers
One
don’t
pack
any
excitement
either.
Chris
Hemsworth
had
big
shoes
to
fill
in
as
he
takes
the
baton
from
Peter
Cullen,
who
immortalised
the
voice
of
Optimus
Prime.
But
his
voice
feels
oddly
jarring
for
this
character.
Scarlett
Johansson,
whose
signature
voice
was
put
to
such
good
use
in
The
Jungle
Book,
Isle
of
Dogs
and
Her,
is
surprisingly
bland
as
Elita.
Neither
does
the
character
have
much
edge
in
the
broad
view.
It
is
only
Keegan-Michael
Key,
who
seamlessly
infuses
humour
and
heart
as
B-127
(which
becomes
the
much
loved
Bumblebee),
even
though
his
comedic
gags
feel
like
a
rip-off
from
a
Marvel
film.
In
the
end,
if
you’re
a
fan
of
these
films
already,
you
will
be
delighted
with
a
hearty
dose
of
nostalgia
here,
mainly
because
of
the
presence
of
Optimus
Prime.
But
if
you
feel
this
franchise
is
vapid,
well,
then
there’s
nothing
about
Transformers
One
that
would
change
your
mind.
Transformers
One
Review
Rediff
Rating:
