As I walked out of the theater, I could hardly believe what I had just seen. After so many years, it seemed the unthinkable had finally happened…
Transformers One was an adaptation worthy of the franchise!
The (massive) Transformers phenomenon
To understand why this movie feels like a miracle, we need to travel back several decades and grasp why Transformers is such an important franchise. It all began in 1983 as a toy line created by Hasbro in collaboration with Japan’s Takara Tomy.
It was only natural that this fantastical world of mechas would draw inspiration from Eastern culture.
But Hasbro knew they couldn’t rely solely on toys. As they’ve done with many other franchises, they expanded Transformers into other media. By 1984, they launched an animated series alongside a comic book line. Transformers wasn’t going to be just another toy line - Hasbro was determined to make it the definitive toy line.
What they aimed for - and achieved - was a multi-billion-dollar franchise. But even then, they couldn’t have predicted everything that would follow.
A leviathan is born
Of course, Hasbro expected Transformers to become a beloved product with a niche following. What they couldn’t have predicted was that it would grow into a cornerstone of 1980s pop culture. Alongside franchises like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Star Wars, the world went wild for them.
In hindsight, it’s the most predictable outcome: you had a generation obsessed with cars and giant robots. How could the world not fall in love with Transformers?
Robots that transformed into cars, weapons (and just about anything you could imagine) didn’t just grow in popularity- they grew in narrative complexity. The Transformers universe expanded to unprecedented levels, introducing new characters, intermediate factions between Autobots and Decepticons, and a well-defined mythology.
There may not be a singular "Bible" that chronicles the genesis of the Transformers, but their origin story has become universally recognized in pop culture. It stands on par with iconic narratives like Peter Parker becoming Spider-Man or Superman’s arrival on Earth.
With countless spin-offs and animated series under its belt, the franchise’s leap to the big screen in 2007, under the direction of Michael Bay, felt like a beacon of hope. This was an opportunity to bring Transformers to an even wider audience, and for die-hard fans to see their beloved characters brought to life in live action.
What could possibly go wrong, right?
A Chapter Best Forgotten
In 2007, Transformers entered a long period of stagnation. The initial film - while not bad - launched a cinematic saga that progressively worsened with each installment.
The face of Transformers became so distorted that the franchise turned into a meme, as did its director, Michael Bay. The other projects Bay involved himself in didn’t help his reputation much either, and before long, the once-prestigious saga sank to a notably low point.
For a time, it seemed as though Transformers would never receive a cinematic adaptation worthy of its legacy. To make matters worse, a series of bizarre creative decisions - including a highly questionable crossover with Angry Birds - caused fans to lose faith entirely.
I’ll admit that I enjoyed the first few films, but I say without shame that I fell asleep during every movie that followed Dark of the Moon. The cinematic, artistic, and narrative choices in each subsequent film kept outdoing themselves—but not in a good way.
When the definitive reboot, Transformers One, was announced, there was little reason to hope for something different. The animation looked stiff, and the tone seemed overly childish. It appeared destined to join the long list of failed adaptations - this time in animated form.
So, I grabbed my bucket of popcorn, took a deep breath, and walked into the theater with zero expectations.
Not the movie we deserved, but the one we needed
The surprise I experienced was beyond words. It was…exactly what the franchise needed - and so much more. This is the perfect reboot, one that finally allows us to leave behind the bitter memories of the last decade while laying a strong foundation for the cinematic universe they plan to build moving forward.
This is a film that knows exactly what it wants to do - and it excels at it. It doesn’t aim too high, but it aims just high enough to be a memorable movie. Every doubt I had before walking into the theater slowly faded away as the film progressed.
The animation and visual style proved to be a bold artistic choice rather than a questionable one. It perfectly supports the tone and the story elements introduced throughout the movie.
Watching this feels like a breath of fresh air - a stark contrast to Michael Bay’s overly elaborate, complex, dark (and borderline edgy) designs that caused headaches for toy designers and audiences alike. The designs here are simple but aesthetically functional, aligning perfectly with the tone of the story and its characters.
The film also smartly abandons unnecessary human drama to focus on what truly matters. Who would’ve thought that in a Transformers movie, people would actually want to see - ahem - TRANSFORMERS? This simple yet brilliant decision breathes new life into the movie.
Most notably, the film reimagines its protagonists in a way that reminds us why they were beloved 40 years ago. It portrays them as complex characters with well-grounded motivations, grappling with the balance of good and evil in a way that feels authentic. The result? A memorable conflict filled with heroic moments, compelling disputes, and visually stunning battles.
The comedy is also masterfully executed. The film knows when to make characters funny without turning them into an annoyance. Each comedic beat is perfectly placed, making the narrative engaging and fluid. At no point does the movie feel heavy - even when leaning into its somewhat cliché story elements.
And if I began this article by saying Transformers lacked a true genesis, this movie has finally delivered one. It lands perfectly, addressing the needs of a struggling franchise and reigniting interest in it.
What made me jump out of my seat was…
The credits. No, I’m not joking. As the director and main cast scrolled past, the production team credits appeared -and there it was, a name I never expected to see:
Michael Bay was the lead producer of this film.
How was it possible that the man who had seemingly doomed the franchise in the first place was now part of its redemption?
I debated this at length with my movie companion, who also leapt out of their seat upon seeing Bay’s name on the screen. Amid the confusion, irony, and sheer disbelief, we landed on a few key conclusions.
1. The importance of credits
As viewers, we’re often naive when it comes to credits. That string of names we usually ignore contains vital information about the creative minds behind a project and can tell us a lot about the DNA of the film.
2. This isn’t an uncommon phenomenon
Steven Spielberg, for instance, served as executive producer for the Jurassic World saga. While this role differs slightly from hands-on production, it still raises questions - how could such a brilliant mind be involved in something as lackluster as those films?
But the core of our debate boiled down to one last thing…
3. Michael Bay isn’t as awful as we think
Well, maybe he is. Let’s settle on a 50/50 split. Or perhaps 70/30 (against him). But looking back on his career, it’s undeniable that he’s had his moments - and he definitely understands a thing or two about how action works in cinema.
Bay’s role in directing and producing Armageddon - now considered a classic - and Pearl Harbor are milestones worth noting. His involvement in titles like The Purge saga and A Quiet Place is, at the very least, intriguing.
Sure, he’s a master of ridiculous plots, over-the-top sequences, and nonsensical storylines. But he also excels in crafting dynamic action scenes and leveraging cutting-edge visual effects. His accolades in VFX speak for themselves, and his action sequences are often the high points of his films.
And while Bay has more Razzies than Oscars, his dedication to pushing technical boundaries in filmmaking - particularly in the realm of special effects - deserves some credit.
Say what you will about the live-action Transformers films, but you can’t call their fight scenes boring. With Transformers One, however, we finally have a film that not only delivers thrilling battles but also pieces them together into a polished, cohesive masterpiece.
I never thought I’d say this…
But thank you, Michael Bay.
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