"Transformers One"

From 9/14/2024 press screening:

After Michael Bay left the "Transformers" series, the subsequent movies got more coherent and human. "Transformers One” goes back to the very beginning, to the origin of the wise protector and leader of the Autobots, Optimus Prime, and his archenemy, the vengeful and megalomaniac Megatron, leader of the Decepticons.

Planet Cybertron has been torn by war for centuries and the Primes died as heroes fighting the Quintessons, except one, Sentinel Prime (voiced by Jon Hamm, “Top Gun: Maverick”), who is admired and respected by all.  The Matrix of Leadership, the artifact of great power, is missing.  Sentinel Prime periodically goes on trips to the surface to look for it.  

Cybetron's population is divided into the two factions – droids who were born without cogs and couldn't transform shapes, the working class, and those born with cogs, enabling them to transform, the elite upper-class.  The working class work as miners, working hard in shifts to mine Energon, the energy source that fuels everything in Cybertron.  

Young Orion Pax (future Optimus Prime, voiced by Chris Hemsworth; “The Avengers” series, “Thor” series, “Rush”) and D-16 (future Megatron, voiced by Brian Tyree Henry) become best buddies.  Arlita (future Arcee, voiced by Scarlett Johansson; "Fly Me to the Moon," “Black Widow,” “Hail Caesar!,” “Her”) is a lead among the miners.  

Orion Pax is a rebel who goes into all kinds of mischiefs.  He refused to believe that being a miner is all there is to it and that there's something better out there.  D-16 is a rule follower and loyal soldier.  He works hard, believes in Sentinel Prime's leadership and is grateful for the relative safety and stability by working in the mines.  From time to time, he has to save Orion Pax from trouble.  In turn, Orion Pax has D-16's back. Orion Pax's tendency to find himself in trouble annoys Arlita and endangers her reputation since she's the lead.  

The Iaconrace, a high-speed and high-stake racing reserved for powerful transformers with cogs, is such an exhilarating sequence.  Spectacular computer-generated graphics, so vivid and alive, which put you in the race among these multidimensional robots. Orion Pax somehow gets him and D-16 accidentally into the race, as he wants to prove himself that, as miners, they are more than capable to compete with these elite transformers.  

The end of the race doesn't end exactly how the duo envisions and they end up in a hidden section of the mine, along with Arlita, and they run into a talkative miner, B-127 (future Bumblebee, voiced by Keegan Michael-Key).  The interactions among these young robots are hilarious.  They act like teenagers and are facially expressive.  B-127, in particular, is a riot.  

Through a series of mishaps, the quartet reach the glossy surface is bewildered by what they see and encounter.  Long story short, they find out that the lives they know all along are not what they've been told.  D-16 is particularly hit hard and shattered to his core, unleashing anger-fueled destructions.  

Since their characters are established well, it's easy to see why they react the way they do.  Even though you know how the future ends, that Optimus Prime and Megatron are forever-nemesis, you can't help but root for Megatron to stay good and for these brotherlike friends to keep their friendship. The robots have to pick sides.  The fights are chaotic, hard and fast.  

The story shows what a singular leadership can do and the power it holds.  How influential such power is in moving masses and how dangerous it is when corrupted by ego, greed, hatred, revenge or misguided sense of justice.  

“Transformers One” is a classic class warfare, friendships, trust, loyalty and betrayal.  More importantly, it's about the choice each individual makes, to find the strength and character within, to either succumb to darkness or rise above into the light for the greater good.  

Fully animated film, “Transformers One” is thrilling with high energy and heart, and may be the most human story of all. 

2024 Comic-Con "Transformers One" panel with Chris Hemsworth, Brian Tyree Henry, Keegan-Michael Key. 

"Slingshot"

What's scarier than monsters and aliens?  The human mind.  What happens when you're losing your mind in space?  

Spaceship Odyssey 1 is bound for Titan, Saturn's moon where methane is abundant and the substance can be used to help with the climate crisis on Earth.  Three astronauts are traveling billions of miles for nearly three years, where the ship will be slingshot from Jupiter to reach Titan.  

John (Casey Affleck; “Interstellar,” “The Finest Hours,” “Manchester by the Sea"), Captain Franks (Lawrence Fishburne, “John Wick: Chapter 4”), and astrophysicist Nash (Tomer Capone) go into hibernation in their individual sleep pod for 90 days.  They wake up every cycle to eat, shower, exercise, walk around and check on the ship.  

The drug-induced hibernation is heavy with side effects, causing exhaustion, anxiety and paranoia, to the point that it would lead into hallucination.  The total isolation and silence, especially after losing communication with Earth, amplifies the stake.

John begins to see Zoe (Emily Beecham) on the ship, the spaceship designer and former girlfriend,  even as he convinces himself it's not real.  When an object hits the ship and part of the ceiling pops out, but the computer diagnostics don't show anything's wrong, Nash begins to fear that staying the course would seriously jeopardize their safety.  Franks, as the captain, holds his ground and believes nothing is wrong, and instructs Nash and John to continue the journey to Titan, for the good of mankind.   

Mudslinging follows.  At the end of the day though, disobeying the captain's order is considered insubordination, and there's serious consequence, especially in space with no way out and no escape.  John has to pick a side, although it doesn't mean he doesn't doubt his choice or that he sticks to it.  

John's relationship with Zoe is shown in flashbacks, from their first chance encounter to  private moments, and differences that led to their separation.  Pay attention to the conversations, imageries, dreams and symbolisms, as they will come in handy later.  

The atmosphere contained within the sterile, greyish teal walls is claustrophobically tense, awash with extreme fear.  Soon each one of them doesn't know who to trust, as they can't even trust their own mind and begin to lose grip on reality.  Franks is very frank with his position and is forced take drastic measures.  

Who is right and who is wrong?  Which scenes are real and which ones are hallucinations?  What is reality when no one can say with certainty what they see, hear and experience is real?  The scenes are eerily executed and unnervingly acted by all three actors that you can't possibly be sure either. The scenarios and explanations are all plausible.  Everything looks and feels real; you would be hard pressed to tell who's who and what's what.

The penultimate scenes present a rationally plausible explanation about what's going on... until the final scene hits you in the head with mind-twisting veracity.  No ambiguity, “Slingshot” is bracingly gutsy and will make you question what you've believed to be true.