COUNTDOWN: 12 incredible Transformers One scenes – The Source Report

COUNTDOWN: 12 incredible Transformers One scenes

It may not have set the box office alight in quite the way many hoped, but regardless, there’s little doubt that Transformers One was one of the major highlights of 2024.

The film is an unadulterated love letter to the ‘robots in disguise’ franchise from start to finish, and that becomes all the more apparent as additional behind-the-scenes details are revealed. It also contained some of the most exhilarating and memorable moments we’ve seen in Transformers fiction… well, ever! So, whilst it’s hard to narrow that down to just a few highlights, here are 12 key examples from the masterclass animated feature to celebrate.

#12: Meeting B-127

Of all the main cast, B-127 is undoubtedly the most significant source of comic relief, and that’s never better exemplified than when we first meet him after Orion Pax and D-16 are shunted down to garbage incineration duty on Cybertron’s sub-level 50. Immediately making a first impression thanks to his non-stop talking and incredible hit rate of one-liners, Keegan-Michael Key’s motormouth performance really makes this scene work from start to finish, making us fall in love with the self-styled ‘BADASSATRON’. Oh, and that’s to say nothing of his “co-workers”, EP-508, A-A-Tron and, er, Steve.

#11: The Iacon 5000

One of the joys of Transformers One is seeing Cybertronian life before the planet was reduced to a war-torn wasteland, and the energetic Iacon 5000 scene arguably does this best of all! Jam-packed with high-speed action and featuring an unprecedented number of background bots (not to mention lots of name nods), so much of what happens here clues you into how this society functions whilst delivering the thrills simultaneously. Seeing Orion Pax and D-16 struggle to keep pace with a legion of transforming robots is great fun, even if the eventual outcome is somehow inevitable.

#10: Travelling to the surface

Whilst most of the film is spent in the underground cities of Cybertron, once the action heads above ground, the tone shifts significantly, and the story gets well underway. However, that’s not the only element making this memorable scene significant, as it’s also a visual tour de force, showcasing the kind of jaw-dropping cinematography that meant it was a shoo-in to shove in the first trailers. The colour palette is intense, the synthwave vibes are off the chain and our cast is as captivated by it all as we were on first viewing. Magnificent.

#9: Alpha Trion vs the Trackers

Despite limited screentime, Alpha Trion certainly makes a big splash in Transformers One, from being one of the major catalysts lurching the overall plot forward (more on that in a moment) to showcasing a surprisingly stunning history lesson (and more on that!). Yet it’s also worth mentioning how, despite his advanced years, this old-timer can still handle himself in combat, as capably demonstrated by him taking on a fleet of Sentinel Prime’s Trackers single-handedly in one of the most ruthless battle scenes of the entire film. Beast mode FTW!

#8: Meeting the High Guard

By the time we meet the High Guard, a former band of Iacon warriors, it becomes incredibly clear that things on Cybertron will never be peaceful again. This unruly ragtag bunch adopt a policy of survival of the fittest – the strength of one bot over another – which swiftly becomes the downfall of their current leader, Starscream, after he underestimates the captured D-16. The whole sequence is filled with menace and foreboding, leading up to the moment when D’s cannon erupts violently from his arm, and things really take a turn. It’s one of several points in the film where the audience gasps in shock as Orion glares at his friend in utter disbelief.

#7: Alpha Trion’s flashback

Another cracking Alpha Trion moment comes when he reveals the real history of Cybertron to our unsuspecting crew of miners. However, rather than simply tell them of Sentinel Prime’s betrayal, he shows them firsthand using sand-like particles to recreate the whole event visually. From start to finish, it’s a stunning sequence that feels aesthetically unique in Transformers fiction as we witness the Primes’ last stand in full glory. I’m sure I’m not the only one who wants to see more of this era!

#6: “High Guard: eject!”

As Sentinel Prime moves to assassinate his captives back in Iacon, the final act extended action sequence begins in style as Elita-1 and the High Guard attempt to sneak into the underground city aboard the train before being spotted by Airachnid. Sentinel’s troops intercept, and we can’t help but cheer as Soundwave utters the immortal line “High Guard: eject!” and the soon-to-be Decepticon troops begin pouring out of the train and transforming to jet mode in quick succession. It may only be the start of a long fight, but this moment is spectacular in every sense!

#5: Elita-1 vs Airachnid

Following swiftly from the above, another standout beat of the final act is Elita-1 single-handedly taking on Airachnid in a brief but memorable action sequence! After Orion devises a plan to use the memories of Sentinel’s right-hand bot against him, he urgently instructs Elita to “not break her“, which his comrade says is “easier said than done“! Cue a high-speed mid-air battle sequence that sees Elita switching suddenly between modes and claiming the upper hand like the warrior she was clearly always meant to be – although she insists she is being very gentle!

#4: Revelations

Given the nature of this film and that it was clear some disastrous revelation was likely the catalyst for the inevitable rift between Orion Pax and D-16, everyone watching knew that a scene precisely like this was on the way, especially after it was so heavily teased in the trailers. Yet the moment itself is even better than we hoped for, landing like a gut punch as our protagonists each react to Alpha Trion’s truths in very different ways and none more harshly than D-16. The atmosphere is tense, the lighting is moody, the mood is sombre, and come D’s sudden, shocking outburst that he wants to kill Sentinel Prime, nothing is ever quite the same again. The road to becoming Megatron has begun in spectacular fashion.

#3: Orion talks to the miners

We don’t meet Optimus Prime and Megatron in their final forms until later, but it’s fair to say the seeds of both characters are sewn earlier in the film. Megatron is essentially born in the cave when D-16 learns of Sentinel’s betrayal. Yet in Orion Pax’s case, the first time he really ‘becomes’ Optimus is when he returns to Iacon to speak with his former miner comrades. It’s a rousing moment as he kneels down in his hulking new form and offers hope, inspiring the many familiar faces in the crowd to want to follow him to a better future. This is Optimus Prime, and it was a wonderful thing to witness.

#2: One shall stand…

OK, they may not say the iconic words from the classic 1986 film, but come the final act of Transformers One, we not only get the face-off between the two leads we were all hoping for, but more than that – it’s one of the best Optimus Prime vs Megatron fights ever, and no joke. The team behind the film has stated they wanted this to feel more like two Transformers fighting than just a regular human punch-up, and in that regard, this whole sequence is a huge success! The action is so slick yet intricate, creatively using the characters’ transforming ability as they twist and turn between modes repeatedly in their attempts to outmanoeuvre one another, showcasing a range of additional special abilities as they go. It leaves us with a scene which is enjoyable and rewarding to watch over and over for all the many small moments that are easy to miss on an initial viewing, with the culmination being the reveal of Optimus’ energy axe for the first time. Sublime stuff.

#1: “Arise, Optimus Prime!”

Surely there could be no finer choice for the top spot of the list, eh? After all, this sequence is precisely what Transformers One was leading to, everything it promised it would be and yet, somehow, still more! The precise moment Orion Pax steps in front of D-16’s cannon and is shot through the chest will, in this writer’s humble opinion, go down as one of the most impactful scenes in Transformers history, landing with the kind of audience shock and awe which meant you could quite literally hear a pin drop in the cinema on every viewing. That it builds to a staggeringly beautiful sequence with stunning visuals and music makes it all the better, as the symmetry and parallels of Optimus Prime and Megatron’s respective ‘births’ are powerful beyond belief. It’s the best moment of the entire film and will undoubtedly live on in many fans’ minds for years to come.

So that’s our list! What were some of your favourite moments from Transformers One?

TTFN

About Sixo

Transformers collector from the UK, collecting vintage G1/G2, CR/RID, UT & Masterpiece/3P. Find me at twitter.com/SixoTF or on YouTube at youtube.com/SixoTF

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