Transformers One just works.

I don't think I need to tell you that Transformers One is one of the best animated films of the year, which, despite having a rather mediocre marketing campaign, managed to gain relevance by dint of the word of mouth effect, and which seems to be a ray of hope within a franchise that has been characterized by inconsistency in terms of quality since Michael Bay decided to take charge of the technically impressive live action film in 2007.

A much more interesting question would be: Why does it work so well? Is the adaptation of the animation a half-assed way of telling a story that evidently didn't need to be in live action? Is it understanding that the key to Transformers was to give importance to the robots that should always be the center of the narrative? Or was it simply easy to stand out next to the multiple disasters that were presented in movie theaters last decade, despite the fact that they were a box office success.

The answer is simple: yes to all of this, to a greater or lesser extent. And the film directed by Josh Coley has an impressive ability to get rid of all the uncomfortable pretensions that used to affect the series, taking its essential notes and reintroducing them in a forceful way for a new market, this, obviously, without alienating the most passionate fans, who will appreciate very well the tact with which its premise has been handled.

In Transformers One we basically see the origins of Optimus Prime and the birth of his rivalry with Megatron, as well as the division that exists between the Autobots and Decepticons.

Although it may sound formulaic and generic (especially if we consider the current mania that many intellectual properties have to create forced prequels) Transformers One does not feel so much like an origin story, but rather like a very important piece of a story that we eventually hope to know more about.

I was never a fan of Transformers and for this reason I find the film's ability to keep us hooked to be praiseworthy, something that is achieved by having a range of characters with solid personalities without neglecting the quality of the multiple action scenes. The animation is beautiful, the cast is full of Chris Hemsworth or Scarlett Johansson who do an excellent job, and despite the fact that many comedy moments land badly in general it is a fun and emotional film in almost equal amounts.

It was certainly a pleasant surprise.

This score was taken from my Letterboxd account.