My Transformers knowledge was non-existent prior to this new animated feature. My childhood was more wrapped around the heroes of Marvel Comics instead of the robots from Cybertron. As a newcomer to this franchise, I wasn't sure what to expect out of Transformers One but was intrigued by the overwhelmingly positive reviews. What I experienced wasn't just the perfect gateway into this universe but also a fantastic film.
SPOILERS BELOW
Transformers One explores the origin of these characters, something that to my research had never been touched on before. The film begins with the exploration of Cybertron and where we see Optimus Prime (Chris Hemsworth) and Megatron (Brian Tyree Henry) as miners, prior to their infamous rivalry and the core of the series. The first half feels like an exploration of this world. We see the dangers that the miners experience while additionally seeing the sporting events and the way the civilians idolize the original "Primes" a group of heroes who are regarded as gods. It presents a unique society that helps new fans understand a realistic depiction of a new world.
The film's second half follows the revelation that their current leader is a false god who murdered the true gods. As a new fan it's a shocking twist that immediately sets high stakes and a tonal shift in the story. The film becomes dark; we learn the miners had their bodies tampered with at birth to make them be permanently lower class and they are forced to work to death to pay off the leader's hidden deal with an enemy group. In this tonal shift we see the ways our four heroes change, specifically Megatron.
Megatron starts as a fanboy of the original Primes, a best friend of Optimus and a follower. He's skeptical about the desire to become more in life and prefers where his life is at. Following the twist, he becomes aggressive and hurt. The phrase "I need to kill him" referring to their leader is muttered throughout. His desire isn't to take over or destroy humanity, it's to kill the man who took away his transformation cog at birth and lied to him for years. Megatron's reasoning is understandable, he wants justice for being deemed inferior by the leader he once looked up to.
The opposite of this arc is Optimus Prime. He is equally hurt by the revelation but instead of the need to kill, he wants to show the world what has happened, he wants righteous justice compared to vengeance. It's the difference between protesting and rioting in regards to changing the world. Both ways are understandable and Optimus Prime struggles the most to get his way understood by the outcasts who had to flee for their own safety.
The dynamic between our two leads is an extremely compelling part of the film. Optimus Prime and Megatron begin as best friends and "brothers" but as the story unfolds their morals come into the way and ultimately divide them. It's heartbreaking to watch as within the hour and 40 minutes runtime, the film manages to perfectly showcase this brother ship and its downfall.
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