Ok, that’s more like it.

“Transformers One” — in theaters Sept. 20 — is the first fully digitally animated “Transformers” film and the first animated feature in the enduring franchise about giant robots that convert into planes, trains, automobiles and the like in nearly four decades.

In the time since, we’ve been hit with a steady stream of live-action films from director Michael Bay and others — starting with Bays’ megahit “Transformers” in 2007 — that, while technically impressive, aren’t exactly cinematic gems.

Engaging in a way the live-action offerings rarely are — and coherent in a way they almost never are — “Transformers One” serves up a fast-paced, humor-filled and untold origin of future rivals Optimus Prime and Megatron.

What was apparent from the advanced footage of the Paramount Animation release was that “Transformers; One” was aimed less at those of use who grew up playing with the Hasbro toys and watching the original animated TV series — which led to the theatrical release “The Transformers: The Movie” in 1986 — and more toward the kids of today. That’s certainly the case, but because it’s well-made, the film should be plenty entertaining to the old guard.

Helmed by “Toy Story 4” director Josh Cooley, “One” introduces us to a couple of robots, Orion Pax (Chris Hemsworth) and D-16 (Brian Tyree Henry), who work in the dangerous Energon mines of the planet Cybertron. Although destined to become powerful leaders of the Autobots and Decepticons, respectively, and bitter adversaries, these ordinary Joe-bots are best pals who live among many others in subterranean Iacon City.

In a fun little twist, Orion is the rule breaker of the two, always dragging D along on one daring endeavor or another to prove they’re “more than meets the eye.” (That you can be something beyond how the world tries to define you is a theme used effectively throughout the movie.) In fact, we meet Orion breaking into city archives in his latest attempt to learn more about the Matrix of Leadership, a long-lost object that could help usher into a new era for the planet.

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The Matrix also is said to be the priority of the city’s beloved leader, Sentinel Prime (Jon Hamm), who soon returns from his latest quest to find it on the planet’s forbidden, allegedly too-dangerous-to-visit surface.

The following day is the big Iacon 5000 road race, a day off for workers. Orion plans to make the most of it, pulling his unwitting pal D into the contest along with him.

“If we survive this,” D bellows, “I’m going to kill you!”

“I accept those terms!” Orion responds exuberantly.

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Afterward, Sentinel is aware of the two bots and showering them with praise. However, they soon find themselves banished to Sublevel 50 — yep, that’s way down there — where they make the acquaintance of another lowly worker, the extremely talkative B-127 (Keegan-Michael Key). (The future Bumblebee, he tries to make the name “Badassatron” — said in an ominous voice — stick here and throughout the adventure to come.)

In said adventure, our three heroes are joined by a fourth, Elita-1 (Scarlett Johansson), who has a grudge to settle with Orion. (He used to work under her and got her fired. It’s a whole thing.) Like so many inhabitants of Iacon City, they were born without the cogs that allow them to transform. (Or, cough, so they believe.)

Four robots — Orion Pax, top left, voiced by Chris Hemsworth; D-16, voiced by Brian Tyree Henry; B-127, bottom left, voiced by Keegan-Michael Key; and Elita-1, voiced by Scarlett Johansson — find themselves on a dangerous quest in “Transformers One.” (Courtesy of Paramount Pictures)

When they reach the planet’s surface, they encounter dangers that include the Quintessons, a ruthless and terrifying race that fought Cyberton’s original leaders, the Primes.

As the journey continues — and the dynamic between Orion and D evolves — we meet a group of Transformers working in the shadows and led by petulant future Decepticon Starscream (Steve Buscemi), who, appropriately, immediately butts heads with D.

Working from a script from Eric Pearson and the duo of Andrew Barrer and Gabriel Ferrari, with the story credited to that latter tandem, Pixar Animation Studios vet Cooley never loses focus on the all-important relationship between Orion and D as the story brings in more characters and the action gets bigger and bigger.

Plus, joke after joke lands, thanks in no small part to the hilarious Key, but also to Hemsworth, who’s a solid choice for Orion if you’re not going to employ Peter Cullen, whose voice has been synonymous with Optimus Prime dating to those old cartoons. On the other hand — and we’re picking nits here — while the typically enjoyable Henry (“Atlanta”) works early on as D, his voice isn’t big and menacing enough once we get the character’s inevitable turn.

Brian Tyree voices D-16, the future Megatron, in “Transformers One.” (Courtesy of Paramount Pictures)

Counting among its producers Bay and Steven Spielberg, “One” is pretty technically impressive itself, boasting sequences that deliver big action thrills.

Does it matter that you can see every plot point, every twist, coming? Not when the movie is meant for kids, who are likely to be sufficiently surprised at the desired moments.

We couldn’t help but appreciate the awe of a boy in the seat next to ours who let out a hushed-but-extended “Whoa” at a payoff moment involving Orion late in the movie.

Again, that’s more like it.

‘Transformers One’

Where: Theaters.

When: Sept. 20.

Rated: PG for sci-fi violence and animated action throughout, and language.

Runtime: 1 hour, 35 minutes.

Stars (of four): 3.

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The highlights of Vikings star left tackle Christian Darrisaw have gone viral on social media this week. His extremely powerful hands at the point of attack. His incredibly quick feet in close quarters. His innate ability to effortlessly marry both together inside his 6-foot-5, 315-pound frame.

All of it helped him vaporize edge rushers Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux in last weekend’s season opener against the New York Giants, and will play a key role when Darrisaw goes to battle with star edge rusher Nick Bosa in this weekend’s game against the San Francisco 49ers.

Maybe the most important part of Darrisaw’s makeup, however, is something that doesn’t necessarily show up on film. It’s intangible. It’s on display in the way Darrisaw prepares, which, in turn, has helped him develop into an elite player at his position.

His discipline. That character trait is something Darrisaw forged as a teenager across four months at Fork Union Military Academy in Virginia. It wasn’t a recommendation. It was a requirement.

“They didn’t play out there,” Darrisaw said. “They didn’t tolerate no B.S.”

As a lightly recruited prospect out of Riverdale Baptist High School in Maryland, Darrisaw ultimately committed to Virginia Tech. The scholarship offer came with the caveat that he would attend Fork Union in the fall to fulfill a credit requirement before enrolling at Virginia Tech in the winter.

“Just having to sacrifice everything to have the opportunity to play at the next level,” Darrisaw said. “I really questioned myself like, ‘How much do I love this game?’ ”

The answer was clear to Darrisaw only after he made it through his first week at Fork Union. There were no phones, no computers, and no access to the outside world during that grueling stretch. The ethos centered on separating the strong from the weak.

“They had us doing mile runs, push-ups, pull-ups, all this other stuff,” Darrisaw said. “You saw dudes leaving left and right.”

Not Darrisaw. He came to Fork Union with a purpose, and he was hellbent on seeing it through. He quickly learned it was better to trust the process than question it whether he was competing on the football field or navigating life in the barracks.

“I got a lot of lessons out of it,” Darrisaw said. “Just the discipline and all of that type of stuff helped me grow as a man.”

Vikings left tackle Christian Darrisaw spent four months at Fork Union Military Academy in Virginia as a teenager. It helped him learn the discipline necessary to succeed at the highest level. (Courtesy of Fork Union Military Academy)

Though he thinks back on his experience fondly nowadays, Darrisaw noted that it wasn’t easy by any stretch of the imagination.

All of the perceptions associated with the military academies became reality for him overnight. The whistles being blown in the hallways at 6 a.m. The uniform that had to be worn around campus. The very specific way his bed was to be made and his clothes were to be folded.

“The funny part was there are kids that have been there since middle school,” Darrisaw said. “We’re a bunch of 18-year-olds listening to a bunch of 14-year-olds telling us what to do.”

You name the stereotype and Darrisaw probably lived it during his time at Fork Union.

Vikings left tackle Christian Darrisaw spent four months at Fork Union Military Academy in Virginia as a teenager. It helped him learn the discipline necessary to succeed at the highest level. (Courtesy of Fork Union Military Academy)

There was a specific square he had to be standing on each morning when the drill sergeant arrived at his door. They would then march to breakfast as a group before returning to their respective rooms to make sure everything was spick and span. The smallest infraction was met with consequences.

“It could be a crease in the bed or the hoodie could be folded wrong,” Darrisaw said. “It was pretty crazy, and it definitely taught me a lot.”

The demand for excellence carried over to the football field where Darrisaw honed his abilities in the trenches and helped Fork Union finished with a 9-1 record. That part of it came much more natural to him. He performed so well in his role, in fact, that a handful of schools wanted back in on his recruitment.

Not that Darrisaw ever considered switching up on Virginia Tech. That’s simply not how he’s wired.

“He committed to them, and once Christian commits to something, he ain’t going nowhere,” said Caesar Nettles, the former head coach at Riverdale Baptist. “That’s who he is, and that ain’t ever going to change.”

As he progressed through the trials and tribulations at Fork Union on and off the field, Darrisaw was unknowingly preparing himself for the next chapter in his life. That’s kind of the point.

“The guys who buy in like Christian did accelerate from the discipline we have in place,” said Frank Arritt, the former offensive line coach at Fork Union, who now serves as head coach there. “We focus on the development of the full man when they’re here. It isn’t all about football because there’s more to life than that.”

That said, even after Fork Union finished up its schedule, Darrisaw still had a little more football to partake in. The program puts on a combine annually that attracts upwards of 200 college coaches. It concludes with everybody forming a circle with a couple of players going mano-a-mano in the middle.

“It’s basically some Bear Bryant stuff,” said Vance Vice, the former offensive line coach at Virginia Tech, who now serves in that role at UNLV. “You learn a lot about guys in that moment.”

After watching Darrisaw go again and again and again, Vance knew he had something special on his hands. The tenacity followed Darrisaw to Virginia Tech, where he was a starter from the onset, then to the Vikings, where he has established himself as a foundational piece of the future.

As he reflected on his career this week, Darrisaw pointed to Fork Union as an inflection point. The four months that could have broken him only made him stronger

“I’m grateful for it,” Darrisaw said. “I wouldn’t change anything about the path I took to get here.”

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What to know when the Vikings play the San Francisco 49ers at noon Sunday at U.S. Bank Stadium::

Vikings vs. 49ers
When: 12 p.m. Sunday
Where: U.S. Bank Stadium
TV: CBS
Radio: KFAN
Line: 49ers -5
Over/Under: 46.5

Keys for the Vikings

— Can they keep quarterback Sam Darnold upright? That will be the biggest question. It was clear watching Darnold play against the New York Giants in last week’s season opener that he’s more than capable of finding open receivers if he has time to operate. That might be easier said than done against the 49ers. Obviously it helps that Darnold has the luxury of throwing to star receiver Justin Jefferson, who has proven throughout his career he can change the game at a moment’s notice.

— The pressure the Vikings were able to generate against 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy last season was a big reason they came out on top. A consistent pass rush got Purdy off his game and he looked rather uncomfortable as the Vikings pulled the upset. If defensive coordinator Brian Flores can follow a similar script this time around, the Vikings might be able to do it again.

Keys for the 49ers

— Never mind that 49ers backup running back Jordan Mason performed so well in the season opener. The presence or absence of top running back Christian McCaffrey will play a big role in this game. If he’s available, the Vikings will absolutely have their hands full. If he’s not available, the 49ers will need another solid performance from Mason, which is far from a guarantee.

— It will be interesting to see how 49ers edge rusher Nick Bosa fares against star Vikings left tackle Christian Darrisaw throughout the game. Both players are among the best in the NFL at their respective positions so the matchup should provide some fireworks.

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