After the first five Transformers live action films, or some are calling it the Bay-verse, it has since declined in reputation. Mainly from the fans of those first five, but in a way the franchise is slowly transforming itself (pun intended). Directed by Josh Cooley, who also did Toy Story 4, and wrote for both Toy Story 4 and Inside Out, among others. Michael Bay is not entirely out of the picture as he’s been on board as a producer for Rise of the Beasts, Bumblebee, and the most recent one, Transformers One. Together with Steven Spielberg.

This is a film made for 1980s fans of the franchise, and for the newer generation. Franchise producer, Lorenzo di Bonaventura confirmed that this animation origin story is set “like 300 million years before the first Michael Bay movie.”. But the team behind One doesn’t see this as a prequel of sorts to the Bay-verse, instead they think of it as a beginning of a new line of films. Viewers can appreciate Transformers One as it can stand on its own, even without the knowledge of all the live action films, much like Rise of the Beasts and Bumblebee. Fans are hoping that this could be a fresh start for the franchise.

The voice cast includes many stars. It features Chris Hemsworth, Brian Tyree Henry, Scarlett Johansson, Keegan-Michael Key, Laurence Fishburne, and Jon Hamm. This all-star cast belongs to a beloved franchise. It is shown in a different medium. The younger generations will most likely appreciate it more, just like we did the 1980s cartoon series. This is a chance for the franchise to start anew. Also the way they started with how Optimus Prime and Megatron came to be, if this makes a spark. This could be the start of a new adventure, for both the old and the younger generation of viewers.

The moment Keegan Michael-Keys’ character was introduced, even without seeing the cast members beforehand, you can hear who was behind the voice just by hearing him talk. Before his character was introduced, the main cast was also able to deliver some laughs, and not forced comedy. It felt natural. Key’s character fits his personality all too well, it’s like a character that was made for him and his voice.

It was visually appealing. After watching the trailers, at first I thought it would be too much, with all the colors, the camera movements, explosions here and there, but they were able to control it. It was almost borderline eye-straining, the blend of action and mellow scenes were perfect. The use of aerial shots, and landscape shots were beautiful and gives the eyes time to rest.

The story was told in a good pace, and the introduction was short but the information was enough for the audience to understand how Cybertron came to be. The transition from origin to current events of the film was fluid. It was very well done that a five year old kid was able to understand it.

Unfortunately, Transformers One so far was either a flop in the box office, or at least made it’s budget according to mixed reports. With that said, I’m really hoping that this would be a brand new start for the Transformers franchise. Either they continue with a new animated film series, or revert back to its roots and go the TV series route. It’s a good watch, and I’d happily recommend it. Even if your child isn’t aware of Transformers, it’s enjoyable on it’s own