Transformers One demonstrates that perhaps this is a franchise that might have been best animated from the very beginning. With seven live-action movies released, all of them directed or produced by Michael Bay, there was a time when a Transformers movie would be a guaranteed blockbuster smash. The 2007 installment starred a younger, less controversial Shia LaBeouf with soon-to-be household name Megan Fox and went on to become the fifth-highest-grossing film of the year. But allegations of disagreements and sexism on set led to Fox’s exit after the second film, LaBeouf left one movie later, and subsequent follow-ups lacked the characterization that made the debut so memorable. That brings us to Transformers One, the first animated Transformers feature since 1986. This prequel depicts how Optimus Prime (Chris Hemsworth) and Megatron (Brian Tyree Henry) went from best friends to sworn enemies on the planet Cybertron. The result is a genuinely funny and inspiring adventure. The pace and plot move quickly enough to keep the attention of any little ones in the audience, but the drama is actually engaging, with high-stakes and emotional pulls for an older viewer, too. And if there are any long-suffering Transformers loyalists out there, enjoy this refreshing ride. It doesn’t quite reach the heights of the Spider-Verse franchise or 2023’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, but it’s a worthy entry on its own to the new era of animated successes. PG, 104 min.