Transformers One First Reviews: The Best Transformers Movie Yet 

Maybe Transformers should always be animated? Outside of the rare occasion of Bumblebee, every live-action movie in the Transformers franchise has a Rotten score on the Tomatometer, whereas 1986’s Transformers: The Movie and now Transformers One are positive efforts in the eyes of critics. The first reviews of the latter, an animated prequel featuring the voices of Chris Hemsworth, Brian Tyree Henry, and Scarlett Johanson, are mostly raves. From its innovative animation to its emotional storytelling, Transformers One is exactly what you should expect it to be with a Pixar veteran at the helm.

Here’s what critics are saying about Transformers One:

Is this one of the best Transformers movies yet?

Transformers One is the best movie in the Transformers franchise since the 1986 original.
— Rafael Motamayor, Slashfilm

There hasn’t been a Transformers film with as thorough and revealing an introduction to the opposed alien-robot factions as Transformers One.
— Jeff Ewing, Collider

Transformers One is the best Transformers movie ever made.
— Jonathan Sim, ComingSoon.net

It’s the best Transformers movie ever made by a wide margin.
— Chris Bumbray, JoBlo’s Movie Network

Transformers One rejuvenates excitement for the franchise. It’s not only a great Transformers movie but a great movie in general.
— Mae Abdulbaki, Screen Rant

Consider this a franchise revitalized.
— Frank Scheck, Hollywood Reporter

Transformers One ends up exceeding all expectations… It’s obvious that the most exciting future for Transformers lies in the realm of animation.
— Andrew J. Salazar, Discussing Film

With so much that Transformers One gets right, there’s still that nagging feeling that we’ve been there, done that.
— Leigh Monson, AV Club

(Photo by ©Paramount Pictures)

How is the voice acting?

The central players all excel in developing complex characters that notably evolve with the events of the narrative.
— Jeff Ewing, Collider

The voice cast is excellent overall. Jon Hamm seems to be having an especially great time as Sentinel Prime.
— Mae Abdulbaki, Screen Rant

It benefits from Chris Hemsworth and Brian Tyree Henry’s spot-on voice performances… Their charming, brotherly chemistry helps elevate the characters.
— Casey Chong, Casey’s Movie Mania

Chris Hemsworth and Brian Tyree Henry do a good job evoking the buddy-movie chemistry needed between Orion Pax and D-16, with much of the movie playing almost like an animated version of Tango & Cash.
— Chris Bumbray, JoBlo’s Movie Network

Chris Hemsworth and Brian Tyree Henry have some big shoes to fill as two of the most iconic voices in fandom… and trust me when I say, they fill those shoes well.
— Tessa Smith, Mama’s Geeky

The impressive stand-out of Transformers One is without a doubt Brian Tyree Henry as Megatron… He conveys emotions extremely well, taking Megatron to a whole different level.
— Chalice Williams, Black Girl Nerds

Brian Tyree Henry is fantastic as D-16.
— Rafael Motamayor, Slashfilm

Who better to play Bumblebee than Keegan-Michael Key?… He is hilarious in this film.
— Jonathan Sim, ComingSoon.net

(Photo by ©Paramount Pictures)

How good does it look?

Despite the expert visual effects work done by Industrial Light & Magic, Digital Domain and others on the first five live-action Transformers films, ILM not only exceeds itself here in creating believable animated characters but makes a convincing case that photorealism is not the best aesthetic for bringing them to life on screen.
— Todd Gilchrist, Variety

The gorgeous 3D-style computer animation is a wonder to behold throughout, from the character designs (these seem the most expressive Transformers yet)… to the varied settings that make the environments seem fully lived-in. There’s so much visual imagination on display that multiple viewings seem essential to take it all in.
— Frank Scheck, Hollywood Reporter

It revitalizes the Transformers movies with a freshly animated look, similar to what Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem did.
— Jonathan Sim, ComingSoon.net

Transformers One is nice to look at. Visually, Industrial Light & Magic, the studio that did the effects for the live-action films, knocks it out of the park.
— Mae Abdulbaki, Screen Rant

The animators at Industrial Light & Magic took on the unenviable challenge of bridging the gap between the quasi-realistic renderings of the live-action films’ Transformers and the emotively cartoonish models of more recent animated offerings… They add enough colorful touches and retro-futuristic flourish to allow the action beats to read as excitingly coherent rather than cluttered.
— Leigh Monson, AV Club

Thanks to the ILM wizard’s live-action skills, the film looks as if shot with live-action cameras on an alien planet, giving it a cinematic look that feels grounded and tactile rather than overly polished and artificial as so many 3D-CG movies do nowadays.
— Rafael Motamayor, Slashfilm

The computer-generated animation looks stunning on IMAX.
— Casey Chong, Casey’s Movie Mania

(Photo by ©Paramount Pictures)

Are the action scenes any good?

The action is big and exciting and packs a wallop.
— Kyle Anderson, Nerdist

It is filled with epic action sequences that not only help to drive the story forward, but are honestly just a lot of fun.
— Tessa Smith, Mama’s Geeky

Cooley’s staging and blocking of action is ever so meticulous. Multiple action sequences, in which the heroes constantly transform in and out of their vehicle modes mid-battle, are super imaginative and memorable in the finest of details.
— Andrew J. Salazar, Discussing Film

The animation is at its best when it’s in constant motion, as with its stunning action sequences… The action scenes are exciting, never lasting long enough to become dull.
— Mae Abdulbaki, Screen Rant

The race is a highlight.
— Frank Scheck, Hollywood Reporter

If the battle finale eventually succumbs to the franchise’s customary bombastic overkill, it at least makes you care a little about who’s doing the fighting.
— Neil Smith, Total Film

(Photo by ©Paramount Pictures)

What about the script?

The writing team does a superb job of weaving established Transformers mythos into the shape of a character-driven narrative where it’s easy to like and care about our underdog protagonists.
— Leigh Monson, AV Club

The movie is much more compelling than you’d think.
— Chris Bumbray, JoBlo’s Movie Network

The visuals, as impressive as they are, wouldn’t amount to much if Transformers One didn’t also have a well-crafted story, multi-dimensional characters, and witty dialogue that brings to mind Pixar at its best. And that’s something I never thought I’d say about a Transformers movie.
— Frank Scheck, Hollywood Reporter

[It has] a surprisingly well-told story.
— Casey Chong, Casey’s Movie Mania

Transformers One is simply good storytelling.
— Mae Abdulbaki, Screen Rant

The reveals around the bots’ missing cogs, including thematic lessons around finding your own potential regardless of societal rules and limitations, are well scripted and hit home.
— Jeff Ewing, Collider

(Photo by ©Paramount Pictures)

Does it honor the lore of the franchise?

Not only does it explore untold lore and answer questions, there are a lot of Easter eggs and references to past Transformers projects.
— Tessa Smith, Mama’s Geeky

There are plenty of references to every era of Transformers, from the original cartoons to the Michael Bay movies.
— Rafael Motamayor, Slashfilm

It’s distinctive while also paying tribute to the old cartoon show and 1986 film. It’s also set in the same timeline as the modern Transformer movies, but it’s distinct enough that you really don’t have to have seen any of them to enjoy it.
— Chris Bumbray, JoBlo’s Movie Network

In an era when so many franchise films aim for easy laughs with tongue-in-cheek jabs at their own existence… Transformers One feels so refreshing just by taking every bit of its connected history seriously. This might also feel miraculous to longtime Transformers fans.
— Andrew J. Salazar, Discussing Film

Transformers One approaches the well-known characters with a degree of nuance and complexity (as well as violent finality, in a few cases) that marks the most sophisticated onscreen portrait of them to date… Expectations won’t be subverted, but the film offers more nuanced portrayals of Cybertron’s heroes and villains than ever before.
— Todd Gilchrist, Variety

(Photo by ©Paramount Pictures)

Is it funny?

It’s full of comedy that largely lands, getting legitimate mileage out of simple actions like running away, or punches, thanks to smart timing and skilled vocal performances.
— Jeff Ewing, Collider

Transformers One provides numerous witty jokes of both the verbal and visual variety.
— Frank Scheck, Hollywood Reporter

The film as a whole is frequently silly, I’d argue that’s preferable to the sophomoric, raunchy, occasionally racist humor of Bay’s live-action films.
— Todd Gilchrist, Variety

The mix of lighthearted comedy and broad humor has the feel and tone reminiscent of an overly jokey MCU-style movie.
— Casey Chong, Casey’s Movie Mania

The attempts at slapstick would have benefited from a more exaggerated style… Comedic moments feel like forced token gestures, leaning hard into kinetic hyperactivity instead of telling jokes that aren’t already stale before the punchline lands.
— Leigh Monson, AV Club

When we get a stray joke or bit of slapstick in the second half, it feels completely at odds with the rest of the movie.
— Kyle Anderson, Nerdist

(Photo by ©Paramount Pictures)

Does it also get emotional?

It’s a fun, action-packed outing with surprisingly effective emotional resonance.
— Jeff Ewing, Collider

[It has] one of the most — I can’t believe I’m saying this — heartbreaking moments ever seen in the Transformers franchise.
— Casey Chong, Casey’s Movie Mania

It gives fans an origin story filled with heart and emotion.
— Tessa Smith, Mama’s Geeky

You can’t help but get invested in the brotherhood between the two robots, and when they eventually turn on each other, it feels pretty epic.
— Chris Bumbray, JoBlo’s Movie Network

The tragedy between Orion Pax and D-16 is never sidelined in Transformers One.
— Andrew J. Salazar, Discussing Film

It feels both dramatically satisfying and emotionally engaging.
— Neil Smith, Total Film

It’s exciting to watch a new installment in this franchise and actually feel something again.
— Todd Gilchrist, Variety

(Photo by ©Paramount Pictures)

Is it mostly aimed at younger, newer fans?

Transformers One feels specifically geared towards a crowd too young for a PG-13 rating, an audience that doesn’t have a relationship with these characters and are discovering these tropes and stories for the first time.
— Leigh Monson, AV Club

Transformers One is a film that will add complexity and new emotion to the characters and factions that franchise fans love, while having enough dramatic heft for unfamiliar, new audiences alike.
— Jeff Ewing, Collider

It offers detail, solid action, and narrative depth that longtime fans will appreciate while being a nice entry point for those who are newer to the world of Transformers.
— Mae Abdulbaki, Screen Rant

This is still obviously a family-friendly animated film, but the best animated pictures can always find a way to explore mature topics as long as they treat their audiences with respect… Those walking in expecting a “children’s movie” will be shocked to see how far Transformers One goes with depicting violence.
— Andrew J. Salazar, Discussing Film

Although Transformers One is a more family-oriented Transformers movie, it does not feel like it’s pandering to young children… This movie felt like it was made for everyone.
— Jonathan Sim, ComingSoon.net

The early part of the movie is clearly aimed at a younger audience, which I thought was just okay. I’m not saying this is good or bad. I’m merely saying, it gives the movie a bit of an identity crisis.
— Kyle Anderson, Nerdist

(Photo by ©Paramount Pictures)

Are there any major problems?

There’s at least a trilogy’s worth of plot here in just one movie, and at times the pacing is simultaneously too slow as it crams all this worldbuilding and lore, and too fast as it rushes from set piece to set piece, storyline to storyline.
— Rafael Motamayor, Slashfilm

The film’s biggest issue stems from the evolution of D-16… The suddenness of the pivot doesn’t make full sense given the character’s initial set-up.
— Jeff Ewing, Collider

It rushes through D-16’s conflicted feelings, and I don’t fully believe the change… A bit more time spent on D-16 would’ve made the final moments more effective. Hopefully, the next movie will give us more.
— Mae Abdulbaki, Screen Rant

If [Scarlett Johansson’s] character had been removed completely, it wouldn’t have been detrimental, as she didn’t contribute to the film.
— Chalice Williams, Black Girl Nerds

On an Apple device? Follow Rotten Tomatoes on Apple News.