Transformers: The Movie
1986 Directed by Nelson Shin
Synopsis
One shall stand, one shall fall
It is the year 2005. The war between The Autobots and Decepticons has escalated all the way to Cybertron, which the Decepticons have reclaimed. The Autobots, without Optimus Prime after a conflict on Earth takes his life, must now face a destiny they know nothing of. Megatron and a group of forsaken Decepticons have been reformed by the ultimate transformer, a planet consuming demon known as Unicron into even deadlier warriors. Now Galvatron, Scourge and Cyclonus must destroy The Autobot Matrix of Leadership for Unicron's glory or suffer the horrific destruction of Cybertron. However, Optimus Prime has decreed that an Autobot will rise from his rank and use the power of The Matrix to light the darkest hour of the Autobots. With Hot Rod facing responsibility for Prime's death, he feels he may be able to use the power of the Matrix to turn the tide of the Cybertronian Wars and stop Unicron. Until all are one, the future of the Autobots and Decepticons is uncertain.
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I'm having a very hard time reconciling my opinions on this movie with the fact that what I like most about it was born out of a clear attempt to sell more toys. Namely, the killing off of numerous well-known and loved characters. Despite any nefarious underpinnings, it is a ballsy move. And it’s a move I can almost forgive due to the fact that I was the perfect toy-buying age when this was released and ended up owning exactly zero of the characters from the movie. So suck on that, Hasbro.
Putting umbrage and nostalgia aside, The Transformers: The Movie is an incredibly entertaining film. The stakes are high, the pace never lets up, and the world-building is always…
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Let me be clear, I know The Transformers: The Movie is not a five star film but to me, and a whole generation of men who grew up in the ‘80s, it very much is. Some may call it a cynical and money grabbing exercise used solely to sell a brand new line of action figures to gullible children, whereas others (i.e. me) would say it is an affectionate swansong to much loved characters and a galaxy spanning adventure of epic proportions.
The decision to kill off more than 50% of its original characters was undoubtedly driven by commercial gain yet it is still an incredibly bold and brave decision. As the backlash at the time proved, fans were not…
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It is not only a film about giant transforming robots, it is a snapshot of the 80s. An action orientated, violent science fiction film with a pounding soundtrack from Stan Bush.
The franchise has never surpassed this moment. Everything works from the plot to the world building. The animation has dated, but the Japanese style suits the whole concept.
Filled with memorable one-liners, an emotional death and brutal robot violence, Transformers: The Movie entertains as much as other 80s action films. -
For a small generation of kids, Transformers: The Movie was every bit as important and Star Wars was to their older siblings. In terms of raw spectacle it was a mind-blowing trifle of 80’s hair metal and futuristic-looking robots from the year 2005, featuring giant squids, transforming cities, planets devouring other planets, and the death of the Autobots’ heroic leader Optimus Prime – an audacious move that caused kids to cry for hours. Sure, it was simply the result of toy manufacturer Hasbro doing a little spring cleaning so that they could unleash a new line of toys, and sure the whole endeavour is constructed with as much TLC as you might find in the average episode of the Jeremy Kyle Show, but none of that mattered to the slack-jawed 8 year olds watching the relentless slaughter. If you were one of them, this is probably still one of your favourite films.
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My all-time favorite movie. It has a huge place in my heart. An annual viewing present I give to myself each year on my birthday. It truly gets better every single time I watch it. There's no way I could ever out grow this one. This film has it all... great characters, an amazing soundtrack and a better plot than all three of the Michael Bay movies put together.
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Holy deus ex machina, Batman!
I'd say this film could benefit from 10-20 minutes more of exposition in order to justify what's going on (maybe that was in the series?) but that would mean watching 10-20 more minutes of this schlock. Aside from an unexplained and unjustified victory against an unmotivated antagonist the plot further suffers from massive pacing issues. Break neck speed one minute, segues into irrelevant situations the next and to top it all off the action comes off as filler to justify the 80 minute runtime.
It's the 80's too, so Transformer has its fair share of cheese. The caveman-esque 'dinobots', a horribly out of place Eric Idle and a transformer who seems to be wired up…
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i love this film, oh ever so much. more heart than the new ones, oh it's got the touch
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This review reportedly contains spoilers. I can handle the truth.
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Hasbro executives’ swift decision to replace most of the original characters, all by the halfway point of the film, for a new toy line would ultimately prove the death knell for the series, with the television show only lasting a full season after the film’s release before being rebooted in the second of many future incarnations. However, the film itself adds more depth to the overall story. The risks are greater, the adventure more dangerous, and as a true statement of 80‘s children’s films, no character is safe. A who’s-who of famous names introduce us to new characters and by today’s standards, the film’s imagination and spirit make for a pleasant viewing experience, if you can get past watching all your favourite characters snuff it in the first 30 minutes.
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Through the dreamlike haze of childhood recollection this movie will always be better than the Chevy commercials Michale Bay directed while sniffling coke off an 8x10 photo of Megan Fox.
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Still better than the Michael Bay films. And also, one star is for the Greatest Soundtrack For Any Film Ever In The World Ever
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I'm having a very hard time reconciling my opinions on this movie with the fact that what I like most about it was born out of a clear attempt to sell more toys. Namely, the killing off of numerous well-known and loved characters. Despite any nefarious underpinnings, it is a ballsy move. And it’s a move I can almost forgive due to the fact that I was the perfect toy-buying age when this was released and ended up owning exactly zero of the characters from the movie. So suck on that, Hasbro.
Putting umbrage and nostalgia aside, The Transformers: The Movie is an incredibly entertaining film. The stakes are high, the pace never lets up, and the world-building is always…
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Quite possibly one of the greatest movies (not just animated) of all time, with a badass soundtrack.
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Fuck off Michael Bay.
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Holy deus ex machina, Batman!
I'd say this film could benefit from 10-20 minutes more of exposition in order to justify what's going on (maybe that was in the series?) but that would mean watching 10-20 more minutes of this schlock. Aside from an unexplained and unjustified victory against an unmotivated antagonist the plot further suffers from massive pacing issues. Break neck speed one minute, segues into irrelevant situations the next and to top it all off the action comes off as filler to justify the 80 minute runtime.
It's the 80's too, so Transformer has its fair share of cheese. The caveman-esque 'dinobots', a horribly out of place Eric Idle and a transformer who seems to be wired up…