It is very tough to assess if this is the best Transformers film. We have the 86 film which was literally as G1 as it can get, if you want to go by a purist standpoint. We have Bumblebee, which was a very well made film on a smaller scale and we had the 2007 Michael Bay film which did an amazing job at showing the potential of the Transformers franchise on the big screen, focusing on scale and spectacle.
Now we have Transformers One which gives us "EVERTHING" (said in the style of Gary Oldman from Leon The Professional). So does that make it the best film? Maybe the best Transformers film? Well definitely the MOST Transformers film.
If people wanted a whole film that was like the beginning of the Bumblebee movie, this is not far from it. The art style is a bit different, but aside from that your wishes come true. And it's even more brutal and violent than that Bumblebee opening. You know what, I'll say this: Transformers One is as brutal and violent as any Michael Bay film. The big difference here though is that those responsible for the brutality are the villains and not Optimus Prime.
Overall, the second trailer gives you a good idea of what is to be expected in the film, with a progression of D-16 and Orion Pax starting as miners and then ending up "evolving" twice in the film to finally end up as Megatron and Optimus Prime. And that is both a positive and a negative.
Positive-wise, it means the film accomplishes its mission of telling an origin story for not just these characters but for their factions too within just one hour and a half. Negative-wise, it means a lot of story beats are rushed. Optimus goes from a guy who doesn't really respect the rules to the Optimus Prime we know in a few days while Megatron also goes through a significant change in parallel. So take that as you wish. I personally would have wanted more time spent on this, but I also recognize how efficient the story telling is to convey all this in a short movie for all ages.
The conflict at hand was presented in a new way and is probably the best aspect of the movie. The writers found a very clever way for Orion Pax' and D-16's views and outlooks on their world to be completely changed and it's in how they react to these revelations that we see how they go on different paths, which are familiar to any Transformers fans. It's almost maddening how this "kids film" is more mature, lore heavy, and has more depth than any of the live action films.
I mention Orion Pax and D-16 a lot because the movie really does revolve around them. Bumblebee and Elita are more one dimensional but to be faire though, we've never had two compelling character arcs in a Transformers movie ever. And while less main, Bumblebee and Elita are a fine addition to the mix. Believe it or not, Bumblebee's more humoristic personality is explained as a product of his environment and the "Badassitron" line actually has a payoff. Generally, I didn't care for the humour but it didn't take away any enjoyment of the film for me; you could easily move on from what didn't land. I also want to mention Jon Hamm's Sentinel Prime who was an excellent version of the character and the bot that surprised me most. Oh and Steve Buscemi as Starscream worked well, even though he doesn't change his voice much.
In terms of animation, this is peak Transformers. I really loved seeing the characters use their alt modes as part of their fighting styles and specific moves, like converting just some parts to use them offensively and then converting back. As a longtime Transformers fan, this was a beauty to behold.
Speaking more about the plot and characters would dive into spoiler territory so I will end the review here by saying that this is a great Transformers film, probably the best, and I encourage all Transformers fans to give it a watch.
It gets 4 golden Rodimus stickers out of 5. While great overall there were some story beats that were too rushed for me, especially in the third act, and I felt that did take away some enjoyment.
We thank Supreme Convoy for the thumbnail
