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Movie poster for Transformers One (2024)

Transformers One

“Witness the origin.”

2024
1h 44m
PG · English
Director: Josh Cooley
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Overview

The untold origin story of Optimus Prime and Megatron, better known as sworn enemies, but once were friends bonded like brothers who changed the fate of Cybertron forever.

Cast

12 people
Photo of Chris Hemsworth as Orion Pax / Optimus Prime (voice)

Chris Hemsworth

Orion Pax / Optimus Prime (voice)

Photo of Brian Tyree Henry as D-16 / Megatron (voice)

Brian Tyree Henry

D-16 / Megatron (voice)

Photo of Scarlett Johansson as Elita-1 (voice)

Scarlett Johansson

Elita-1 (voice)

Photo of Keegan-Michael Key as B-127 (voice)

Keegan-Michael Key

B-127 (voice)

Photo of Jon Hamm as Sentinel Prime (voice)

Jon Hamm

Sentinel Prime (voice)

Reviews

3 min read

Transformers One rescues a bruised franchise from its own noisy habits by remembering that giant robots only matter when their arguments hurt. For nearly two decades, big-screen outings involving Cybertron have treated mechanical warfare as an excuse to pulverize human cities into unintelligible gray dust. By returning to the homeworld before the exodus to Earth, director Josh Cooley strips away the military hardware fetishism and frantic human sidekicks, replacing them with a remarkably lucid tragedy of brotherhood.

Trading live-action rubble for a tightly wound animated origin story, latestnetflix.com argues, gave the franchise room to breathe, especially with a vocal ensemble that understands how to play intimacy inside an action spectacle.

Transformers One

Cooley, an animation veteran with a long tenure at Pixar, brings an instinct for clean spatial geometry and emotional legibility that this property has desperately lacked. The 104-minute science-fiction adventure clocks in with the briskness of a classic buddy movie before allowing the shadows of inevitable civil war to lengthen across its metallic landscapes. Instead of treating Optimus Prime and Megatron as eternal monoliths of good and evil, the screenplay introduces them as Orion Pax and D-16—two low-ranking comrades bonded like brothers who stumble upon a foundational lie at the heart of their society.

Their search for a vanished artifact unravels the political mythology of Cybertron, forcing both friends to reckon with betrayal from above.

Audience Opinions

Broad evidence
Audience 6.9/10
"An acclaimed animated prequel that explores the Cybertron origins of the Autobots and Decepticons, earning some of the strongest early reception in the franchise."

Directed by Josh Cooley, this 104-minute animated sci-fi adventure digs into the origin story of the conflict between the Autobots and Decepticons on Cybertron. Viewers and reaction channels have tuned in for the star-studded voice cast led by Chris Hemsworth as Optimus Prime, Brian Tyree Henry as Megatron, Scarlett Johansson, and Keegan-Michael Key as Bumblebee. Early critical reception has been overwhelmingly positive, with the animated prequel launching to 91% to 92% on Rotten Tomatoes—hailed as the highest score in the franchise, alongside a solid 6.9 out of 10 audience rating from over 1,700 voters on SensCritique.

What viewers praise
  • Franchise-Best Early Reception Early reviews and reaction channels celebrate the film's strong critical launch, hitting 91% to 92% on Rotten Tomatoes as a high mark for the franchise.
  • Cybertron Origin Story and Voice Cast Fans engage deeply with the Cybertronian backstory of Optimus Prime, Megatron, and Bumblebee, voiced by Chris Hemsworth, Brian Tyree Henry, and Keegan-Michael Key.
Common complaints
  • More Measured General Audience Rating While early critic scores reached above 90%, broader community voting on SensCritique settles at a more moderate 6.9 out of 10 across 1,749 votes.
Recommended for
Fans of Transformers lore wanting the Cybertron origin of Optimus Prime and Megatron Viewers looking for a brisk 104-minute animated sci-fi action adventure Audiences who enjoy ensemble voice casts led by Chris Hemsworth and Brian Tyree Henry

Full Plot (Spoilers)

Spoiler warning

This section contains the full plot, including major story reveals. Overview above stays spoiler-free.

Buzz & Rumors

Public reports

Inside the Cybertron Reset: What the Transformers One Trail Actually Reveals

Stepping back to the very beginning of Cybertron's central feud requires a distinct creative pivot, and Transformers One (2024) bets heavily on an all-star voice booth to pull it off. Directed by Josh Cooley, the 104-minute animated science-fiction adventure clocks in as a critical success, holding an 89% Rotten Tomatoes score alongside a 6.9/10 rating across 1,749 votes on SensCritique. latestnetflix.com's read is that trading live-action rubble for a tightly wound animated origin story gave the franchise room to breathe, especially with a vocal ensemble led by Chris Hemsworth, Brian Tyree Henry, and Scarlett Johansson.

A Pixar Veteran and a New Optimus Prime

Behind the camera, the project leans on animation pedigree. Josh Cooley, born May 23, 1979, is an American director, screenwriter, and animator best known for a long tenure at Pixar Animation Studios before taking the helm of this United States feature production. Rather than rehash modern Earth battles, the narrative explores the untold origin story of Optimus Prime and Megatron, unpacking how sworn enemies were once friends bonded like brothers who permanently altered the fate of Cybertron.

The casting roster is stacked with recognizable voices:

  • The Frontline Trio: Chris Hemsworth, Brian Tyree Henry, and Scarlett Johansson headline the billing, with Hemsworth specifically tapped by the director and producer to step in as the new Optimus Prime.
  • The Extended Ensemble: Keegan-Michael Key joins the top-billed quartet, backed by a deep bench featuring Jon Hamm, Steve Buscemi, Laurence Fishburne, Vanessa Liguori, Jon Bailey, Jason Konopisos-Alvarez, Evan Michael Lee, and James Remar.

Sequel Hopes, Streaming Moves, and Thin Tabloid Smoke

When it comes to behind-the-scenes friction, recording-booth divas, or salary disputes, the retrieved evidence is noticeably thin. Public coverage in these snippets centers on promotional rollouts—such as cast featurettes and BAFTA discussions on choosing Hemsworth for Optimus Prime, rather than on-set drama. We do not have full interview transcripts in the search snippets, so any speculation about contract numbers or studio clashes remains unconfirmed.

What is on the record points toward forward momentum and franchise building:

  • Producer Ambitions: Producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura and director Josh Cooley have fielded interview questions surrounding sequel hopes and a G.I. Joe confirmation, though the brief snippet leaves the exact mechanics of those future plans under wraps.
  • Streaming Window: Following its theatrical run, Yahoo Entertainment noted that the non-MCU franchise outing for Johansson and Hemsworth arrives on Netflix in October.

Entertainment rumors and trivia aggregated from public reporting. Treat speculation as unverified unless a cited source confirms it.

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