Transformers One Puts the Live-Action Movies to Shame

The war between the Autobots and the Decepticons on Cybertron has presented itself in countless ways since the Transformers first debuted as an animated series in the 1980s. While Optimus Prime and Megatron first hit the silver screen thanks to 1986’s Transformers: The Movie, the Cybertronians took the world by storm with several live-action outings in theaters. While fan reception to the Paramount live-action series has been mixed at best, Transformers One has been widely touted as a franchise highlight. Keeping this in mind, we thought now would be the perfect time to break down how the recent animated film successfully portrayed the robots to set a precedent for the Transformers’ future.

The last live-action Transformers movie that fans experienced was Transformers: Rise of The Beasts, a film that acted like a soft reboot of the series. Taking place before many of the previous films in the timeline, the live-action movie featured the Autobots teaming up with the Maximals to take on a new threat. For the next film, Paramount is looking to shake things up once again by seeing the Cybertronians meeting GI Joe and Cobra in a crossover movie that will be unlike any other live-action film in this universe to date. 

What Works About Transformers One Vs. The Live-Action Films

Transformers One had a simple enough story but its world-building and character growth were some of the best examples of what this universe is capable of. Taking the chance to examine Orion Pax and D-16 before they would become Optimus Prime and Megatron helped to build some serious emotion in the film, even though viewers knew where their story would eventually wind up. Cybertron’s class system and dark secrets that were taking place behind the curtain weaved a mature story that, despite its PG rating, didn’t pull any punches. This darker subject matter helped in pushing the main Transformers to the forefront.

The animation employed in Transformers One was also gorgeous, making viewers believe that always keeping the Autobots and Decepticons in this medium might have always been the way to go. While technology has advanced to allow Optimus and Megatron to trade blows in the “real world”, the animation employed by Paramount felt like the right choice for both Cybertron and its inhabitants.

The Humans In The Room

One major complaint that many Transformers fans have had in the past when it comes to live-action films is that there is simply too much time dedicated to characters that aren’t Transformers. As Transformers One proves, both the Autobots and Decepticons alike had more than enough emotion and character complexity to shoulder their own stories. A fair number of Transformers stories have taken place on Earth, but some of the best Transformers’ stories would routinely not have any humans involved. This isn’t necessarily to knock the likes of Sam Witwicky and other human characters as it really comes down to prioritization of movies’ runtime. The audience always goes to Transformers’ movies to see the Cybertronians and it’s a lesson that paid off for Transformers One. 

Transformers One is arguably the greatest Transformers movie ever brought to the silver screen and it would truly be a shame if this animated universe didn’t continue in some shape or form in the future. Should this be the end, here’s hoping that Paramount will take lessons from the critically acclaimed film for the future of the franchise and when the Autobots meet the likes of Duke, Scarlett, Snake Eyes, and the other Joes. 

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