The Transformers are back on the big screen with “Transformers One”, the first animated movie in the franchise in nearly four decades. This new entry marks a significant departure from the live-action Transformers movies, many of which were commercial successes despite their questionable quality. With “Transformers One” hitting theaters, we’ve taken the opportunity to revisit the entire franchise and determine the best Transformers movies ever. Get ready for some surprises as we dive into the ranks, from the bottom of the barrel to the top of the heap.
9. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009)
It’s difficult to know where to begin with “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen”. Even Michael Bay and the screenwriters have expressed regret for this particular entry. While there are a few truly bad Transformers movies on this list, none quite reach the depths of this one. Much of the blame rests on the shoulders of Bay and screenwriters Ehren Kruger, Roberto Orci, and Alex Kurtzman. They struggled to create believable human characters, let alone giant robots. Someone within this group also thought it would be hilarious to give Devastator robot genitalia – a decision that, needless to say, didn’t land well. However, the biggest reason “Revenge of the Fallen” crashes to the bottom of the list is the introduction of the twins, Mudflap and Skids. Imagine every Black stereotype amplified to eleven, and that still wouldn’t capture the offensive nature of these characters. They came across as racist caricatures, a fact Bay has attempted to deny. Despite his denials, it’s almost impossible to view these characters as anything other than ugly racial jokes. It’s no surprise that the films never featured them again.
8. Transformers: The Last Knight (2017)
One of the recurring problems in Bay’s Transformers films is the constant attempt to rewrite the franchise mythology. Instead of streamlining things, they create an incomprehensible mess. “Transformers: The Last Knight” tries to shoehorn Arthurian myth into the backstory, with underwhelming results. While it is somewhat interesting to see Optimus Prime temporarily turn into the villainous Nemesis Prime, the film’s true villain, Quintessa (Gemma Chan), lacks any real life. This was Bay’s final Transformers movie, and he aimed for a grand finale. However, the film concludes with a bizarre, nonsensical reveal. This is just one of many reasons why subsequent Transformers movies largely ignored Bay’s continuity.
7. Transformers: Age of Extinction (2014)
For his fourth Transformers movie, Michael Bay attempted a soft reset with “Transformers: Age of Extinction”. Following the events of “Dark of the Moon”, all Transformers on Earth are hunted by armed forces, and the Autobots’ human allies are gone. In their place, Bay introduces inventor Cade Yeager, played unconvincingly by the alleged human Mark Wahlberg. The story is disjointed and confusing, with another Transformer, Lockdown, arriving on Earth to capture survivors while the franchise’s most consistent villain, Megatron, becomes Galvatron in the most boring way imaginable. The introduction of the Dinobots was a source of excitement for fans, but true to Bay form, he spoiled the reveal of Optimus riding a Dinobot in the trailer and poster, and then failed to give the Dinobots any personality.
6. Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011)
The premise of “Transformers: Dark of the Moon” is that everything we knew about the moon landing was a lie. The real Buzz Aldrin (yes, the actual astronaut) confirms that something powerful from the Transformers’ home world, Cybertron, was left on the moon. Leonard Nimoy also returns to the franchise as the voice of Sentinel Prime, who promptly betrays the Autobots and leads a full-scale Decepticon invasion of Earth. Unfortunately, you won’t be particularly invested in the human characters, and this is the last appearance of Shia LaBeouf as the Autobots’ friend and ally, Sam Witwicky. Subsequent films don’t even bother to mention what happened to him.
5. Transformers (2007)
Michael Bay’s first Transformers movie was his best, but it’s far from the pinnacle of the franchise. There are aspects of this film that work well, particularly the more serious tone it maintains before the Transformers reveal themselves. Then, suddenly, it becomes goofy as Jazz can’t help but breakdance while introducing himself. One of the reasons this film works better than Bay’s sequels is that it was still loosely based on the comics and animated series that came before it. The action is often incomprehensible when the Autobots and Decepticons fight, but they look good when standing still. Of all of Bay’s Transformers movies, this might be the only one with any genuine heart as Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf) befriends Bumblebee and tries to woo Mikaela Banes, played by Megan Fox in her first major starring role.
4. Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (2023)
The most recent Transformers live-action movie, “Transformers: Rise of the Beasts”, seems to have finally learned a lesson that Bay’s films never absorbed: we only care about the bond between human characters and Transformers when there’s a reason to care. The film goes to great lengths to establish Noah Diaz (Anthony Ramos) as a man trying to do right by his family before he stumbles upon the Autobots. Mirage (Pete Davidson) makes endearing attempts to befriend Noah, while Optimus Prime remains disdainful of humanity. The film doesn’t quite succeed in convincingly justifying Elena Wallace (Dominique Fishback) as the second human sidekick of the Autobots. However, the debut of the Maximals clicked in a way that the Dinobots didn’t, largely because they retained their distinct personalities. This film also did a much better job at teasing the ultimate villain, Unicron, than Bay did in “The Last Knight”.
3. Bumblebee (2018)
“Bumblebee” stands as the gold standard of live-action Transformers movies, thanks to its excellent script and cast. Setting the movie in the 80s was the right call, and Hailee Steinfeld is terrific as Charlie Watson, a teenager dealing with the grief of her late father by restoring an old, damaged car that turns out to be Bumblebee. Compare the bond between Charlie and Bumblebee to the superficial connection Bumblebee had with Sam in the previous films. This movie succeeds because Steinfeld convincingly portrays emotion while sharing the screen with a robot that isn’t really there. The highlight of the film is the prologue on Cybertron, where the Autobots and Decepticons have never looked better. John Cena also stars in this film as Jack Burns, a federal agent who distrusts both Bumblebee and the Decepticons who came to Earth to find and destroy him. This is an exciting and heartfelt film, exactly what the live-action movie reboot needed.
2. Transformers One (2024)
The stroke of genius behind “Transformers One” is that it didn’t need to be live-action to tell the story of Optimus Prime and Megatron before they were mortal enemies. Instead, Orion Pax (Furiosa’s Chris Hemsworth) and D-16 (Eternals star Brian Tyree Henry) are like brothers at the beginning of this film, even if they don’t always see eye to eye. This is a reimagining of the previous origin stories used in other Transformers mediums like comics, TV shows, and video games. What truly makes it shine is the way it gives Orion and D-16 distinct points of view throughout the movie. The script helps us understand where both of them are coming from before their bond is irreparably broken by the choices they have to make. “Transformers One” is now playing in theaters.
1. The Transformers: The Movie (1986)
“The Transformers: The Movie” might be the most magnificent toy commercial ever made. The creative team behind the original Transformers animated series used the film to phase out the first set of characters while introducing all-new heroes and villains that would soon be available in toy stores. The filmmakers weren’t aiming to make a classic, but this is by far the best of the Transformers movies because it has genuine emotional stakes as well as an apocalyptic threat in the form of Unicron. The late Orson Welles may not have thought much of his final role, but even in his weakened state, Welles’ voice conveyed Unicron’s sense of menace and grandeur. Leonard Nimoy also lent his voice to the upgraded form of Megatron, who was renamed and remade as Galvatron in one of the film’s most visually striking scenes. Perhaps the most impressive aspect of the film’s animation are the small details, especially when Unicron consumes his first world during the opening minutes. It’s just as astonishing as any anime from that era, and “The Transformers: The Movie” holds up remarkably well after nearly four decades. It may be the nostalgia pick, but it remains the Transformers film to beat.
