Review: "Transformers One" animation surpasses expectations in every way

Growing up and learning that a large number of your favorite animated television programs were merely marketing gimmicks used by toy companies to increase their product sales is an odd experience on Afdah Movie. Many of the creators who were tasked with creating the plots and character development cared enough to make them unique, but most can speak to the fact that it worked. Because of this, they have endured in the hearts of their ardent supporters, and a number of them have had a comeback as nostalgia has grown in popularity in recent years. Having inspired innumerable spin-offs and motion pictures, The Transformers appears to be one of the most resilient franchises. And now, to remember the beginning of the series' central competition, Transformers One goes back in time to before it all started.

D-16 and Orion Pax are just basic mining bots; they don't have the gear needed to change. Orion has higher goals that usually land them both in trouble, but D would like to put his head down and get through each day. Finding Cybertron's long-lost power source is Orion's main priority since it would eliminate the need for Energon mines and release the Iacon City bots. Since the plot started with Megatron and Optimus Prime on opposing sides of the conflict, it has always been assumed that they are adversaries. However, there was also an unexplored sense of history between the two. This new CG-animated film imagines what some of the franchise’s most recognizable personas were like before they went to war.

Seeing how close Orion Pax and D-16 were before their ideologies changed and one of them became the Autobot leader and the other the Decepticon leader is entertaining, but it also makes me a little sad. Their relationship's chemistry were a touch off because D was typically the one taking Orion for a wild trip and would often come to his rescue when his obsession became a bit too intense. However, Orion's fervor and wit are welcome, especially in contrast to Optimus' unwavering solemnity, which he must have acquired over time as a leader forced to make tough choices. The voice cast is appropriate, with each performer giving their role the right tone. Hemsworth has such a wide spectrum, capturing the highs and lows of Orion with such honesty.

Perhaps more than any other moment, Transformers One is arriving just when the franchise most needs it. Paramount chose to reveal a new G.I. Joe crossover film even after Transformers: Rise of the Beasts completed its dismal run at the box office last year as the lowest-grossing live-action film in the series. A odd promise given at the conclusion of Beasts, it feels like it comes too little, too late, especially considering how poorly both franchises are currently doing. It's difficult to picture modern audiences caring as much for the future of Transformers in live-action, unless they are ardent Hasbro toy collectors. Therefore, it's time to abandon the disorganized Michael Bay-verse continuity and begin anew in the artistic medium of animation.