Everyone has heard of “Transformers.” The brand is associated with toys, shows, and films. The “Transformers” film series has always been known for its reputation as the ideal popcorn movie, where you shut your brain off and watch cool stuff explode on the screen. However, this year, Paramount brings a new entry to the franchise that blows everything else out of the water. 

   “Transformers One” is an animated prequel set on the planet of Cybertron focused on Orion Pax(Chris Hemsworth) and D-16(Brian Tyree Henry) and how they went from friends to foes. It ditches the mood of previous live-action films of the franchise and goes for a more comedic, colorful mood, geared towards younger audiences. It has a Rotten Tomatoes rating of 89%, rated Certified Fresh. 

   Older viewers also have something to look forward to in this movie. “Transformers One” returns to its Generation 1 roots and brings back the retro, 80’s Transformers design. This is why, initially, the animation style can take some time to get used to, but by the time the plot truly picks up – around the halfway point – the audience will have already gotten used to it. Although sometimes the characters can look like plastic, the action sequences are chaotic fun. 

   The plot is the standard friends-turned-enemies type, as spoiled by the synopsis. Instead, it pours its thoughts into the buildup to the climax. The protagonists’ journey is well-paced and tugs at the viewers’ heartstrings as they watch how Pax and D-16’s friendship fractures. Not a single moment was wasted even with the film being over one hour and 44 minutes long. The climax blew me away, as it managed to balance emotion with action, heavily assisted by the score composed by Brian Tyler. 

   This is a small nitpick, but sometimes the dialogue used generic lines. “This is all my fault!” said every other protagonist. The comedy was on point, although near the conclusion it got serious. Only Bumblebee was consistently comedic. 

   The ending was satisfying and leaves space for sequels. The morals of Orion Pax and D-16 bring many thoughtful questions to the audience, focusing on themes such as liberty and autonomy. 

  “Transformers One” is one of the best movies this year, delivering an exciting theatrical experience with quality never seen before in the “Transformers” franchise. 

  It deserves a 9/10.