Surely, a new Transformers movie paired with a Linkin Park resurgence in the same year, cannot be chalked down to coincidence? Is the universe plotting a comeback tour for our collective nostalgia? Nearly 40 years since Hasbro first rolled out the first Autobots and Decepticons, Transformers One — the first animated franchise outing since 1986’s ‘The Transformers: The Movie’ — ambitiously rewinds the gears to their origin that roars to life like an operatic tale of betrayal, class struggle, and the tragedy of friendship undone. After years of the franchise being bogged down by Michael Bay’s heavy-handed, explosion-laden spectacles, Josh Cooley (of Toy Story 4 fame) steps in to steer the ship back to its mythological origins. Transformers One trades the earthbound chaos of previous installments for a return to Cybertron, a world that’s part Orwellian dystopia, part retro-futuristic dreamscape.
Sam Witwicky and the gang of self-righteous humans aren’t around to spoil the frame anymore — just a roster of robots reeling from a brutal war with the Quintessons. Cooley and his team of screenwriters (Eric Pearson, Andrew Barrer, and Gabriel Ferrari) take the liberty of digging deep into the mythos of Hasbro’s toy trunk, brushing off familiar tropes with just enough flair to make them feel fresh again. The narrative narrows in on the nascent relationship between Orion Pax (the future Optimus Prime) and D-16 (soon to be Megatron).
Their storied friendship, filled wi.