When Transformers One hits the 2024 movie schedule in September, fans of the robots in disguise will see how Orion Pax and D-16 went from brothers-in-arms to the archenemies we know as Optimus Prime and Megatron. The prequel is the franchise’s first animated theatrical release since 1986, and while we still have a couple of months to wait — Transformers One’s release date is September 20 — the sci-fi action movie is already making quite a splash, as those who caught an early screening are taking to social media with their first reactions.
When it premiered at Annecy Film Festival in June, Transformers One earned a huge standing ovation for Chris Hemsworth and the rest of its star-studded cast, which includes Brian Tyree Henry, Scarlett Johansson, Keegan-Michael Key and Jon Hamm. The anticipation for this origin story is only going to get more intense after reading what others have to say, too, as Gizmodo’s Germain Lussier seems to have left his screening one happy Transformers fan. The critic posted:
The mere fact that Transformers One is being screened so far ahead of its release date speaks to the confidence Paramount Pictures has in what director Josh Cooley and his team have created. Steven Weintraub of Collider says as much, tweeting:
Liam Crowley of ComicBook.com agrees, praising the cast and assuring those who have complained about the franchise’s movies spending “too much time with humans” won’t have to worry about that in this Autobot-centric story. Crowley continues:
While the above critic says Keegan-Michael Key steals the show as Bumblebee, for Perri Nemiroff, it’s Brian Tyree Henry who’s driving the story’s emotional beats. Nemiroff calls Transformers One a “winner,” lauding the animation style and writing:
Some fans were taken aback by the comedy in the trailer, and after director Josh Cooley promised there was “real danger” in the story, the early moviegoers seem to agree the trailer doesn’t quite capture everything that’s great about Transformers One. Matt Neglia of Next Best Picture says:
Brandon Slagle writes that his screening included cheers from the audience, and he is surprised by how much he likes this offering. Slagle continues:
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DesiNerd’s expectations were also exceeded, with the critic writing that fans will happy with the love shown to the franchise:
We’ll have to wait until after its September 20 release date to see where Transformers One falls in the ranking of the Transformers movies, but the first reactions are pretty promising!