Since the first animated Transformers movie debuted in 1986, the franchise has produced a relatively small lineup of films — eight in total, with a ninth on the horizon. Despite the films being somewhat of a mixed bag, we know they make money. Based on that alone, it’s safe to assume the Autobots and Decepticons will keep rolling onto the big screen for years to come. Whether you’re brand new to the universe or planning a rewatch, here are the best Transformers movies.
Best Transformers movies as of 2026
There are a few ways to pick the best Transformers films. You can judge them purely by how entertaining they are, or by their storytelling and overall quality. As most fans know, however, those two metrics don’t always meet. Still, part of the fun of this franchise is simply enjoying the ride. Here are our picks listed by release date.
The Transformers: The Movie (1986)
Sometimes, the original really is one of the best, and in this case, we have to hand it to this animated classic directed by Nelson Shin and written by Ron Friedman. We’d be remiss not to put it on our top picks for the best Transformers movie out there. Created as a bridge between Seasons 2 and 3 of the 1980s TV series The Transformers, The Transformers: The Movie takes us to the year 2005, when the evil Decepticons have taken control of Cybertron. The Autobots are prepping a counteroffensive to take back the planet, but a brutal surprise attack leads to devastating losses. (Spoiler: RIP Optimus Prime. Ugh.) What follows is a high-stakes mission as the surviving Autobots face not only the Decepticons but also Unicron (voiced by screen legend Orson Welles), the devourer of worlds.
Unlike most kids’ movies, this one took some real risks. Long gone are the days when filmmakers would kill off a beloved character to shake up the story. We miss the truly evil villains, too. No one said a redemption arc is necessary. The Transformers: The Movie had no doubts about that. The film famously kills off its heroic leader early on and doesn’t shy away from darker themes like war, loss, and even execution. By today’s standards, it’s surprisingly violent for a movie aimed at kids.
Beyond storytelling basics, The Transformers soundtrack is a standout, and the animation is impressive, especially considering it came from a studio primarily focused on TV. If you want to feel like a kid again, this is the one to watch.
Transformers (2007)
Say what you want about Michael Bay (and you can say a lot), the first Transformers is still arguably the best. Even for its weaker points, it’s tough to beat pure mid-2000s nostalgia. You can call that bias if you want. Now, is this film exceptional? No. Did it win awards? Aside from MTV and Teen Choice Awards, zilch. But you can throw it on anytime and let the 2007 wave wash over you.
Transformers kicked off Paramount’s live-action series with Shia LaBeouf as Sam Witwicky, an average high schooler, and Megan Fox as Mikaela Banes, Sam’s crush who ends up joining him on the adventure of a lifetime. The movie opens with some foundational backstory — necessary, since the reboot pulled in a lot of new fans who had never even heard of Transformers before. We learn that a civil war on Cybertron has devastated the planet, with the Autobots and Decepticons both searching for the AllSpark. This powerful object is the source of Cybertronian life and can be both the creator and destroyer of worlds. It also happens to be lost somewhere on Earth, waiting to be reclaimed by the Decepticons or the Autobots, each for very different purposes.
Sam gets pulled into the conflict after buying a used Camaro that turns out to be Bumblebee (voiced by Mark Ryan), an Autobot scout sent to protect him. Before long, more Autobots arrive on Earth, including Optimus Prime, voiced by Peter Cullen, who famously voiced the character in the original 1980s animated series and the first animated Transformers movie. Together with Sam and Mikaela, they set out to stop Megatron and the Decepticons from getting their hands on the AllSpark and wiping out humanity.
Bumblebee (2018)
Arguably tied for the best Transformers movie, this 1987-set prequel gave us a soft reboot for the franchise after a series of misfires between 2009 and 2017. It’s also one we don’t mind rewatching more than once. Considering the strength of this, we aren’t sure why director Travis Knight hasn’t been involved in the other films.
Directed by Travis Knight and written by Christina Hodson, Bumblebee follows an Autobot warrior known as B-127. After the fall of Cybertron, B-127 escapes to Earth and hides out in a junkyard. Damaged and on the run, our lead shape-shifting Autobot takes refuge in a California junkyard in the form of a crusty old yellow Volkswagen Beetle. That’s where our hero meets Charlie (a fabulous Hailee Steinfeld, as usual), a teenager still grieving the loss of her father. When her uncle gives her the car for her 18th birthday, Charlie begins fixing it up until, crunch-crunch-crunch, transformation. This unbelievable moment leads to an unlikely friendship, but a new threat emerges as the Decepticons infiltrate Earth.
Though there’s still plenty of action to put those Dolby speakers to work, Bumblebee trades in longer action sequences for character development and direct inspiration from the original material. Travis Knight, the CEO of Laika Animation and a fan of the 1980s G1 series, loaded Bumblebee with as much tribute as possible in the design. It’s a breath of fresh air in a series that’s felt stale for a while. Bumblebee raked in $468 million at the box office and holds an impressive 91% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (2023)
The most recent Transformers movie, Rise of the Beasts, is a solid franchise reboot set in 1994. We will say it expands the Transformers universe by introducing the Maximals, Predacons, and Terrorcons — animal-inspired robotic factions alongside the classic Autobots and Decepticons. For example, we get Optimus Primal, a primate-inspired bot. We have to shake our heads at the stroke of creative genius there, and then let out one long sigh. Still, considering what we have to choose from, we’ll still put this in our top five.
The story follows ex-military electronics expert Noah Diaz, played by a solid Anthony Ramos, who grounds the film in a much-needed way. Diaz gets caught in the middle of a battle when ancient Transformers factions awaken in Brooklyn. Directed by Steven Caple Jr., Rise of the Beasts is one of those movies that gets away with pretty much everything. It’s not excellent or even terrific — but it’s manageable. The action sequences deliver, the characters are likable enough, and we can’t help but enjoy animals more than cars as the shift vessels.
The film received mixed reviews and was considered a box-office disappointment, earning $441.7 million worldwide against a budget of nearly $200 million. The letdown at making over $220 million on a movie should give you an inkling of how much money they expected to make, which again hints at why they keep making these films.
Transformers One (2024)
Did anyone expect an animated film to reclaim the depressing letdown of Rise of the Beasts? We have to hand it to Josh Cooley (though we should have had a little more faith considering he directed Toy Story 4. The screenplay by Eric Pearson, Andrew Barrer, and Gabriel Ferrari provided us with one heckuva backstory between Optimus Prime, once known as Orion Pax (voiced by Chris Hemsworth), and Megatron, formerly known as D-16 (voiced by Bryan Tyree Henry). This is a classic friends-to-enemies tale, a trope we all know can quickly bring a film down. However, in this team’s capable hands, Transformers One takes us on a journey of how this friendship began to fracture.
We have to give this one a third-place ranking thanks to great storytelling, animation, and a smart backstory. The first half has a bit of that Marvel movie feel in its banter, which definitely adds to the entertainment value. We also get to see our other favorite, Bumblebee. This time, we get to know him a bit more as a junkyard sorter who’s a little overzealous. And while we already know he’s one of the good guys from earlier entries, this film gives us just enough of a different perspective to wonder if maybe, under slightly different circumstances, he could’ve ended up on Megatron’s side. If you want to read more about Transformers One, you can check out this review.
How we chose the best Transformers movie
For this list, we tried to strike a balance between spectacle and substance. A few entries were easy to cut; Revenge of the Fallen (2009), Age of Extinction (2014), and The Last Knight (2017) didn’t quite make the grade. As for our other criteria, we considered what makes the films in the franchise more satisfying to watch, as well as why — action sequences, character development, rewatchability, etc.
View original article here Source