Before Optimus Prime and Megatron became known by those names they were Energon miners and best friends known as Orion Pax (Chris Hemsworth) and D-16 (Brian Tyree Henry). Orion’s curiosity and drive will lead them on an adventure that will change the fate of Cybertron and Transformers forever. 

For anyone who has read other Transformers related articles on my blog you will know that as a child of the 1980’s I have a special place of nostalgia for them in my heart. I adore the 1986 animated film The Transformers: The Movie and I played with my Autobot and Decepticon armies with gleeful abandon for many years. So I found myself approaching a Transformers animated prequel film where Optimus Prime and Megatron are friends very tentatively. I absolutely abhor the attitude of some fans that something can “ruin your childhood” but this was probably the closest I have ever been to actually worrying it might happen. 

It all starts rather ominously. The opening sequences play out as a rather generic buddy comedy. Orion Pax is the impulsive type that keeps getting them into trouble whilst D-16 bails them out. Slowly but surely though the film begins to layer in Transformers lore. Slotting in phrases that fans will know and love and nuggets of information that make the main characters transformation not only believable but actually something that feels like we have been missing all this time. By the time that Orion Pax becomes a Prime this sceptic was totally transformed of his opinion and onboard with Transformers One. 

The plot begins with Orion Pax and D-16 mining Energon. Cogless and unable to transform, miners are second class citizens. When Orion Pax disobeys an order during a mining collapse, he finds himself demoted alongside D-16 and his supervisor Elita-1 (Scarlett Johansson) to incinerator duty where they meet the endlessly chatty B-127 (Keegan-Michael Key). From here they find themselves on an adventure that takes in how Cybertron was formed, how all but one of its ruling class of “Primes” were destroyed by the Quintessons, how Megatron claimed his name, a search for the Matrix of Leadership and many other details that fans will absolutely lap up. All in aid of a working class revolution that makes Optimus Prime and Megatron the Lenin and Trotsky of Cybertron. 

The voice cast is mostly superb. Chris Hemsworth has a really tough act to follow given that Peter Cullen has been the voice of Optimus Prime for decades and he mostly achieves the task, save for one minor wobble at the very end where he goes for the gravelly Prime voice. Bryan Tyree Henry on the other hand nails Megatron and his fall from grace is perhaps the best facet of the movie. Laurence Fishburne’s voice is absolutely made for Transformers and he immediately lends a sense of gravitas to a key sequence that explains some Transformers history. Steve Buscemi gets the joy of being Starscream and a key plot point even explains his high pitched squealing voice. Jon Bailey gets a chance to make Soundwave his own. And Jon Hamm does a superb job as a new character called Sentinel Prime. 

The animation is superb throughout and a flashback scene that uses swirling fragments of dust and rock to create the images of the story being told is the standout moment in terms of visuals. Whilst the new villain Arachnid (Vanessa Liguori) gets a great look visually and comes across as a fierce fighter. 

I will always be skeptical that adults who did not have these toys could find this quite as enjoyable as those that did. But as far as its audience of fans and children goes this should be a thoroughly rewarding watch. Stay tuned to the very end to get one last inevitable surprise.