Transformers One 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Review
Score: 81
from 4 reviewers
Review Date:
Transformers One defies expectations with vibrant 4K UHD visuals and Dolby Atmos audio, offering an enjoyable animated adventure that revitalizes the franchise.
Disc Release Date
2K Upscale
HDR10
Dolby Vision
Dolby Atmos
Dolby TrueHD
Video: 92
Transformers One's 4K UHD presentation dazzles with its Dolby Vision-enhanced vibrancy and sharpness, delivering rich colors, impressive depth, and detailed imagery in both dynamic and static scenes. Despite some close competition from the Blu-ray in certain aspects, the 4K disc excels in its CG reality with vivid clarity.
Audio: 93
The 4K UHD Blu-ray of 'Transformers One' delivers an engaging Dolby Atmos track, balancing dynamic range and bass with clear dialog and immersive directional cues throughout. While some desired more low-frequency depth, the mix effectively complements the film's action and thrills, offering a near demo-worthy audio experience.
Extra: 43
The Transformers One 4K UHD Blu-ray extras provide comprehensive insights, from Optimus Prime and Megatron's origin to immersive Cybertron world-building. With detailed A-list voice cast introductions and behind-the-scenes footage on the epic Iacon 5000 race, these well-curated featurettes total about 45 minutes, complemented by a meticulously designed SteelBook package.
Movie: 78
Transformers One revitalizes the franchise with an exhilarating narrative, blending strong character development of iconic figures like Orion Pax and D-16 with stunning Dolby Vision-enhanced visuals; this 4K UHD release is a testament to Paramount's technical prowess, setting a new standard in animated storytelling.
Video: 92
The 4K UHD Blu-ray of "Transformers One" delivers a visually stunning experience, showcasing Paramount's expertise in day-and-date releases. The transition from Blu-ray to 4K is remarkable, particularly with the implementation of Dolby Vision, which increases the richness and depth of colors significantly. This enhancement accentuates the metallic sheen of the Autobots, offering viewers a shocking level of three-dimensionality where metal surfaces reflect objects with precision. The video presentation maintains crystal clear clarity with no noticeable digital artifacts, such as banding or crush, making it one of the most visually impressive 4K releases of the year.
The Ultra HD presentation of "Transformers One" features a vibrant color palette that harmonizes well with its CG animated source material. The resolution is impressive, providing refining clarity and precise sharpness throughout. Contrasts are bold, creating an impactful visual experience during transitions involving light and dark elements. Although the blacks may not reach infinite depths, they remain solid and effectively delineate shadows within the darker scenes. The Dolby Vision grade further enhances the realism by accentuating intricate details and bringing vivid accents to character designs, truly making them stand out.
The exclusive Dolby Vision 2160p transfer puts "Transformers One" in a unique position by blending near-photo-realistic imagery with heightened animation. The result is an authentic CG universe where environments feel tangible alongside slightly stylized robot characters. Detailed inspection against the Blu-ray edition reveals that while action sequences maintain higher bitrates in the 60-70mbps range, dialogue-centric scenes show a reduced bitrate, occasionally aligning closely with Blu-ray quality. Despite this, HDR's enhancements ensure a superior home viewing experience on 4K format. However, the marginal difference in quality suggests potential room for further optimization in future releases.
Audio: 93
The audio presentation of the "Transformers One" 4K UHD Blu-Ray is meticulously engineered to deliver an immersive auditory experience, leveraging the robust capabilities of Dolby Atmos. The sound design capitalizes on the surround platform to create a sonic tapestry that is both detailed and dynamic. Dialogue reproduction is crystalline, ensuring clarity amidst the explosive and action-packed sequences that define the film. The sonic environment is enriched with directional cues and ambient sounds that gracefully fill the listening space, providing a subtle complexity to the soundscape without overwhelming the listener.
The Atmos track in particular stands out, complementing the film's visual grandeur with a near demo-worthy audio performance. Key sequences, such as the race on Cybertron and the epic climax, benefit from a spatially aware sound mix that dynamically engages all channels. Sounds effortlessly swirl and move through the soundscape, maintaining energy and engagement throughout the runtime. The low-frequency effects (LFE) add substantial impact to transforms, battles, and explosions, though with slightly less depth than some might prefer.
Overall, this audio mix achieves a harmonious balance between thematic intensity and detailed soundscaping. While there is room for enhancement in the low-end frequency for added depth and presence, this does not detract significantly from what remains a thoroughly satisfying auditory backdrop that enhances the cinematic experience of "Transformers One."
Extras: 43
The 4K UHD Blu-ray of "Transformers One" comes packed with insightful extras that delve deep into the film's creative process, offering approximately 45 minutes of compelling content. These featurettes provide a rich exploration of the film’s genesis and its vibrant world, without overt brand associations. The semi-glossy SteelBook packaging, which resists fingerprinting, complements the detailed extras, showcasing iconic character illustrations and a sleek design. Notably, the highlights include behind-the-scenes insights into the evolution of key characters like OPTIMUS PRIME and MEGATRON, making this a must-watch for fans of the franchise seeking a nuanced understanding of the film’s narrative and visual accomplishments.
Extras included in this disc:
- In The Beginning: Examines the origins of OPTIMUS PRIME and MEGATRON.
- World Building On CYBERTRON: Insights from creators on rendering CYBERTRON.
- Together As One: Introduction to the A-list voice cast.
- The Iacon 5000: Behind-the-scenes look at an epic race.
- The Battle For CYBERTRON: Analysis of the film's climactic battle.
Movie: 78
"Transformers One" marks a significant return to animated form, capturing the energy and innovation that the franchise was known for in its 1986 classic. Throughout the film, the narrative delves into the origins of fan-favorite characters, with Orion Pax (Chris Hemsworth) and D-16 (Brian Tyree-Henry) leading as pre-war Cybertronian miners with dreams beyond their station. Paramount delivers an engaging origin story that is both nostalgic and fresh, avoiding the pitfalls of predictability with inventive story beats and stunning visuals. The film captivates with its unique blend of action and heartfelt character development, showcasing director Josh Cooley’s deft touch. Notably, the creative design and vibrant animation enhance the intricate details of Cybertron, making it both a visual spectacle and a compelling narrative journey.
In terms of technical execution, "Transformers One" excels on its 4K UHD release. Paramount delivers exceptional visual clarity with razor-sharp image quality that maximizes color depth and saturation thanks to Dolby Vision application. The transfer benefits from a rich color palette that accentuates the metallic sheen of the Transformers, emphasizing their three-dimensionality without any noticeable digital artifacts such as banding or crush. This remarkable presentation elevates the experience, making the film a high watermark in animated features on physical media. The Blu-ray showcases a pristine performance as well, yet it's the 4K presentation that truly becomes essential viewing for fans and newcomers alike, further solidifying it as a standout entry in the Transformers lore. This release captures both the spirit of exploration and technological prowess, offering an ambitious cinematic endeavor that could redefine perceptions of Transformers' storytelling potential.
Total: 81
"Transformers One" on 4K UHD Blu-ray stands out as a refreshing take on the beloved franchise, unexpectedly rekindling interest with a well-executed animated adventure that serves as a prequel to modern Transformers lore. The film, directed by Josh Cooley, introduces a polished narrative and well-developed characters, thanks to a talented cast featuring Chris Hemsworth and Scarlett Johansson. The combination of stunning visuals in Dolby Vision and immersive Dolby Atmos audio enhances the viewing experience, delivering crisp and vibrant images alongside a dynamic soundstage that reverberates with thrilling intensity. The 4K combo pack steelbook is a collector's delight, merging style with substance.
The move away from live-action to an animated format, reminiscent of the cartoon origins, injects new life into the series. This shift allows for playful exploration of familiar themes without the burden of tedious live-action sequences, appealing to both new fans and long-time followers. Paramount's attention to detail in production is notable, offering a visually rich presentation through the 2.39:1 HEVC aspect ratio and an array of language options, ensuring accessibility for a global audience.
Despite its somewhat meager box office performance and limited bonus features, "Transformers One" on 4K UHD is a commendable effort that repositions the franchise favorably. It successfully provides a wholesome viewing experience that resonates across generations. This release is not just a testament to the enduring charm of Transformers but also a hopeful glimpse into the potential future of animated interpretations. Highly recommended for its technical brilliance and engaging storytelling, it's a must-watch for Transformer enthusiasts seeking quality entertainment beyond the conventional cinematic fare.
AV Nirvana review by Michael ScottRead review here
Video: 100
Things are razor sharp and crisp as a digital 100-dollar bill, but it’s the colors and the reflections that really make this thing....
Audio: 90
Extras: 50
Movie: 80
You see, the Autobots have fought a long and hard ward against an invading species known as the Quintessons, but the conflict left them with only Sentinel Prime out of all the great primes that fought...
Total: 80
Color me extremely shocked to find a rather fun animated adventure that world well as a sort of redone “prequel” to most modern day Transformers lore....
Blu-ray.com review by Martin LiebmanRead review here
Video: 100
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Audio: 100
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Extras: 50
Inside the border on the front is a picture of Optimus, facing forward, with a light-emanigting circle center chest where the Matrix goes, with a handful of character shadows walking forward in it....
Movie: 80
See the 'Special Features and Extras' section of the review below for more on the SteelBook's look and feel....
Total: 80
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High-Def DigestRead review here
Video: 80
But when it’s just Orion Pax and D-16 chatting about life, the bitrate craters into the low 20s and the only thing separating the 4K from the Blu-ray is the extra HDR enhancement....
Audio: 100
That race, the transport trains, and all of the Transformers that can fly, there’s tons of overhead activity that dips and swoops up and down through the channels....
Extras: 20
There’s the rather puffy EPK “making-of” that does offer relevant info, but the other featurettes are a little more focused and interesting....
Movie: 80
Bumblebee and Rise of the Beasts were edging in that direction, but Transformers One got them there in a way that only animation could pull off....
Total: 80
From cartoons to comics to toys and video games to live-action feature films, there’s been a wide range of stories, lore, and creative decisions when bringing these characters to life....
AVSForum review by Ralph PottsRead review here
Video: 96
Contrast is boldly applied, which provides plenty of pop to the image during scene transitions that blend light and dark onscreen elements....
Audio: 88
It applies it when appropriate and combines discretely placed directional cues with supporting ambience that fills the listening area nicely....
Extras: 60
• World Building On CYBERTRON — Hear from director Josh Cooley, the production design team, and the visual effects team about rendering the colorful world of CYBERTRON in a way that fans have never seen...
Movie: 80
The film opens by detailing the formation of Cybertron, beginning with Primus, who sacrificed his life essence to become the planet Cybertron....
Total: 81
Ralph Potts AVS Forum Blu-ray Reviews Reference Review System: JVC DLA-NZ7 4K Ultra High-Definition Laser Front Projector (Calibrated with Calman color calibration software and Portrait Displays C6 HDR2000...
Director: Josh Cooley
Actors: Chris Hemsworth, Brian Tyree Henry, Scarlett Johansson
PlotOn the vibrant world of Cybertron, an age-old civil war rages between the Autobots and the Decepticons. Optimus Prime leads a diverse team of Autobots committed to protecting the universe. Optimus, previously a humble archivist named Orion Pax, experiences a profound transformation that sets him on a path to become the hero we know today. Meanwhile, Megatron, leader of the Decepticons, seeks to harness the planet's energy source, Energon, to further his tyrannical ambitions. As tensions mount, Optimus discovers an ancient artifact that hides untapped power capable of tipping the balance in their conflict.
Caught within this struggle are Elita-1, a skilled warrior dedicated to defending her home, and Jazz, a fast-talking Autobot with unmatched agility on the battlefield. They embark on a perilous mission to safeguard Cybertron's last free city while unraveling secrets of their pasts. Their journey brings surprising alliances and devastating betrayals. As battle lines are drawn, destiny intertwines Optimus and Megatron in a final showdown that threatens to tear their world apart. In the face of overwhelming odds, choices must be made that will echo through generations, setting the stage for a future where peace or chaos hangs delicately in the balance.
Writers: Eric Pearson, Andrew Barrer, Gabriel Ferrari
Release Date: 20 Sep 2024
Runtime: 104 min
Rating: PG
Country: United States
Language: English