Ahead of this week’s premiere, the first batch of reviews have been released and the Transformers: One Rotten Tomatoes Score is now available, which is currently the highest of the franchise.
With 53 reviews currently accounted for, the Transformers One Rotten Tomatoes Score is at 91%. The “Popcornmeter” will become available later this week, but it only counts verified fan reviews for those who purchased tickets through Fandango.
The Transformers One Rotten Tomatoes Score beats the next best score in the franchise with Bumblebee, which is at 90%.
The Michael Bay movies and the recent Transformers: Rise of the Beasts are all considered “Rotten” and range from 57% for Bay’s first Transformers released in 2007 to 52% for last year’s Rise of the Beasts. The lowest of the franchise is The Last Knight with 16%.
Here is the list:
- Transformers One (2024) – 91%
- Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (2023) -52%
- Bumblebee (2018) – 90%
- Transformers: The Last Knight (2017) – 16%
- Transformers: Age of Extinction (2014) – 18%
- Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011) – 35%
- Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009) – 20%
- Transformers (2007) – 57%
What do the reviews say?
The reviews for Transformers One are overwhelmingly positive, with critics praising the movie’s decision to return to its animated roots. Many highlight the film’s vibrant animation, emotional depth, and the exploration of the relationship between Optimus Prime and Megatron. Critics appreciate how the film reexamines the Transformers mythos, blending nostalgia with new storytelling elements.
Several reviews emphasize the film’s success as an origin story, calling it one of the best in the franchise, with comparisons to X-Men: First Class. The movie’s themes of friendship, betrayal, and class warfare resonated with many, with some describing it as the most “human” Transformers movie to date. The humor, action sequences, and heart-filled moments were also consistently praised.
However, there are some mixed opinions. A few critics mentioned that the pacing starts slow or that the movie might be confusing for newcomers to the franchise. Some also pointed out that the film doesn’t reach the artistic heights of other animated features like Spider-Verse. Negative reviews mentioned that the film occasionally feels joyless or fails to fully integrate its themes into the narrative (see below).
The five negative reviews offer:
The story adds some nice twists to the Transformers’ mythos, and it will doubtlessly appeal to both longtime fans and their children. But while the film contains action and humor, it fails to seamlessly integrate its themes into the narrative. – World
After decades of experience with the Transformers in various forms, I have come to the following conclusion: They make better toys than movies. – ScreenCrush
Transformers One is mostly content with half-hearted puns and barely legible Cybertronian battles that could have used some major transforming before rolling out. – IGN
Fills in the backstory for the legendary “robots in disguise,” but there’s little here for viewers who come in with no investment in this universe, cinematic or otherwise. – The Film Verdict
It’s all executed competently but joylessly, with zero fun to be had as it labors across an hour and 40 minute runtime that feels both too short and painfully long. – IndieWire
Transformers One is directed by Josh Cooley and features the voice cast of Chris Hemsworth, Brian Tyree Henry, Scarlett Johansson, Keegan-Michael Key, Steve Buscemi with Laurence Fishburne, and Jon Hamm. The film will be released in theaters only in theaters starting on September 20.
