The Transformers One trailer debuted online, and fans are not having it with the animation of the film. There were a lot of expectations from the movie by the fans, who had largely expected a more serious look at the origins of the character of Orion Pax, the identity that Optimus Prime had before he received the matrix of leadership.
However, the tone of the film is more child-friendly and comedic than serious, which caused a lot of fans to be immediately turned off of the film. The animation is also something that has gotten fans up in arms about the film, which is being compared to something that might air directly on TV on Cartoon Network.
Transformers One director talked about the decisions made for the film
The director of the film, Josh Cooley, sat down with IGN to talk about the film. To begin with, the reason they wanted to do the film with animation was because there were no human characters in it, and the film would completely take place on Cybertron, the homeworld of the Autobots and the Decepticons. He said:
“Because of where it exists in the timeline, there was no reason to have humans. So the live-action aspect of it was off the table. This whole thing being on their planet and Cybertron, which is completely made of living metal, which means that it can transform itself and move around, and that our characters are robots, it just felt natural to tell this movie in CG.”
The film’s choice of CG animation was expected to give the film an edgier look. In the day and age where films like Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse and TMNT: Mutant Mayhem exist, the interesting and unappealing visuals of the film not only caught fans off guard, but the tone of the film has also irritated fans to no end, such that it’s hard to imagine the talented cast of the film redeeming it.
Can the star-studded cast of the film save it?
The response to the film has been largely mixed, as fans expected a more mature take on the film, with a more serious investigation about the origins of Optimus Prime and Megatron. However not only has the look of the film already turned off fans, but the tone that the film displayed in its first look has also incited a largely negative reaction from fans.
The film has a very stacked cast, with Chris Hemsworth, Brian Tyree Henry, Scarlett Johansson, and Keegan-Michael Key, all of who are essaying important roles like Orion Pax (Optimus Prime), D-16 (Megatron), Elita-1, and B-127 (Bumblebee) respectively. However, despite the prestige that the cast brings to the film, it might not be enough to redeem the film from its shortcomings.
Transformers One will hit theatres on 13th September, 2024.
