If Paramount was hoping to create some positive buzz for Transformers One before Comic-Con 2024, then the studio succeeded. On the eve of Hollywood’s annual convergence on San Diego, Paramount hosted a screening of Transformers One, and the first reactions are almost universally positive. Some of the critics even suggest that this ILM-animated film is going to outshine Transformers: The Movie, the franchise’s first animated flick from 1986.
When a movie studio is willing screen a film two months before release they know what they have.#TransformersOne is easily one of the best Transformers movies. No debate. For some it’ll be their favorite. And I’d understand why.
The film features fantastic animation by… pic.twitter.com/q0529nndlX— Steven Weintraub (@colliderfrosty) July 24, 2024
Wow. #TransformersOne is FREAKING AWESOME.
Totally honors the legacy of the franchise while also expanding and elevating it. A powerful story of friendship gone wrong with Easter Eggs galore.
This Transformers fan is very very happy. pic.twitter.com/z4QwfvV2fA— Germain Lussier (@GermainLussier) July 24, 2024
Got another winner for you — #TransformersOne. Big fan of the animation style used for this one. Great balance of CG vibrancy with texture and detail. I especially kept getting hooked on shots of the characters aboveground with those stunning landscape backgrounds.
As far as the… pic.twitter.com/ypf3DitDgl— Perri Nemiroff (@PNemiroff) July 24, 2024
Color me shocked, but TRANSFORMERS ONE is excellent. Gorgeously rendered and packed with heart, humor, and sincerity. A reimagining by people who actually care about their characters and story. Don’t let the trailer fool you, this movie absolutely RULES #TransformersOne pic.twitter.com/8ouQRWa7I3
— All Pie is Good Pie 🔜 TIFF 2024 (@Drokcomedy) July 24, 2024
Some of the reactions note that the trailer for Transformers One did not adequately convey the real tone of the film. That preview played like a buddy-action comedy with Optimus Prime and Megatron in the leading roles. Apparently the film will take a deeper dive into what ruined their friendship while delivering real emotional stakes.
Another common refrain in the reactions is that Paramount appears to be very confident in this movie by previewing it in its entirety just under two months away from its theatrical release. The film also sounds like it’s designed to appeal to both classic and modern fans of the franchise.
Paramount showing #TransformersOne screenings TWO MONTHS early is a massive vote of confidence and damn it is it justified. Engaging story, stunning visuals, legit laughs, AND some tear-jerking gravity? Come on. The best Transformers theatrical experience I’ve had. Massive W. pic.twitter.com/GJfc3kzI0I
— Liam (@LiamTCrowley) July 24, 2024
#TransformersOne is going to make both old & new fans smile real BIG!! This silly family adventure slowly turns into a dark, gripping origin for Optimus & Megatron. Gorgeous animation, creative fight sequences, and an EPIC third act! Not perfect, but a solid great start for more. pic.twitter.com/NTGxM3hDGD
— Cris Parker (@3CFilmss) July 24, 2024
Chris Hemsworth stars in the movie as the voice of Orion Pax/Optimus Prime alongside Brian Tyree Henry as D-16/Megatron, Scarlett Johansson as Elita, Keegan-Michael Key as B-127/Bumblebee, Laurence Fishburne as Alpha Trion, and Jon Hamm as Sentinel Prime. Transformers One will hit theaters on September 20.