Unicron - Orson Welles! This spacegoing sphere o' fear is the "Galactus" of the Transformers universe. Unicron roams through various galaxies and devours any planets (and civilizations) that are unlucky enough to be in his path. Unicron's only weakness is the Autobot Matrix of Leadership, which ends up giving this monstrous robot an explosive case of indigestion.

Before I begin, I have an embarrassing confession to make. Up until a month or two ago, I have never seen Transformers: The Movie! Truthfully, I never even got caught up in the whole Transformers craze back in the 80's, but instead spent my time watching other extremely marketable cartoon shows, like G.I. Joe and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. So until recently, the Transformers universe was something of a mystery to me. Now that I've watched the animated movie (multiple times), I feel that a huge void in my existence has been filled. (How could I possibly have missed out on all of this when I was a kid?! For shame!)

Transformers: The Movie opens with a bang as Unicron, the film's main antagonist, sails through space toward the unsuspecting planet of Lithone. Unicron opens its mechanical maw and violently devours the entire planet and its robotic citizens, leaving behind no survivors. (Excpet for Kranix who shows up again later in the film.) After finishing off Lithone, Unicron continues sailing silently through space in search of its next meal. Meanwhile, in another part of the universe, Optimus Prime and the Autobots make preparations for an all-out assault against their nemeses, the Decepticons.

The Autobots plan on attacking from their "secret" bases on both of Cybertron's two moons, but to accomplish their mission, they need to stockpile some Energon. Optimus sends Ironhide and a group of other stalwart Autobots to "Autobot City" on Earth to get the precious raw materials they need to carry out their plan. Unfortunately, Megatron discovers their plans (via some spy footage taken by Laserbeak) and ambushes their Earth-bound shuttle. All the Autobots on board the vessel are killed (yikes, this is a bit violent for a kid's movie isn't it?) and Megatron and his followers head toward Earth undetected.

Back on Earth, Daniel and Hot Rod are relaxing by a stream and catching fish. Their afternoon lounging is soon interrupted when the hijacked Autobot space shuttle enters the Earth's atmosphere. Moments after it is discovered that Megatron and a large force of Decepticons are on board the shuttle, a massive battle breaks out between the metallic forces of good and evil. Hot Rod, Daniel, Kup, Arcee, Springer, Blurr, Perceptor, Blaster, and Ultra Magnus seek refuge within Autobot City which shortly transforms into a seemingly impregnable fortress that is armed to the teeth with laser cannons.

The Autobots fight valiantly but are quickly overwhelmed by Megatron's superior numbers. (Plus it doesn't help that Devastator is knocking on their front door with all his might.) Blaster (the anti-Soundwave) sends out a distress call to Optimus Prime on Moonbase One and eventually, the mighty Optimus and the Dinobots arrive to kick some tail! Grimlock and his fellow Dinobots (where's Snarl?!) charge in first and attack Devastator while Optimus takes care of the remainder of the Decepticon forces. Optimus proves to be a one man army and quickly turns the tide of the battle.

With a good chunk of the invaders taken out of commission, Optimus challenges Megatron to a final battle of epic proportions. ("One shall stand, one shall fall.") This is probably the most exciting moment in the film, especially for Transformers fans, as Optimus and Megatron exchange heavy blows in a no holds barred fight to the death. Though Optimus ultimately comes out on top, he is mortally wounded after Hot Rod leaps into the fray in order to disarm Megatron. With Hot Rod in the way, Optimus can't get a clear shot and ends up receiving multiple laser blasts to the gaping wound in his abdomen.

With Optimus down, Megatron strolls over to gloat a bit before finishing off the fearless Autobot leader. However, Megatron should have just shut his damned mouth and pulled the trigger, because Optimus manages to deliver a crippling blow to Megatron's chest. With the leaders on both sides badly wounded, the fight comes to an end, and the Decepticons make a hasty retreat back to Cybertron within Astrotrain. Sadly, Optimus Prime's wounds are fatal, but before the mighty Autobot leader kicks the bucket, he passes the Autobot Matrix of Leadership (henceforth known as the "AML" or "Matrix") to Ultra Magnus. (Instructions on the Matrix's label reads as follows: "Only use The Autobot Matrix of Leadership during your darkest hour. Warning: May cause corrosion or blindness when opened. Use with extreme caution." - Prime Inc.) Seconds later, Optimus flatlines and simultaneously traumatizes several generations of young children.

While the Autobots lament the loss of their leader, the Decepticons hold auditions for Megatron's replacement after Starscream tosses his damaged master (and the Insecticons) out into the cold void of space. Starscream nominates himself as new leader, which leads to a big brawl within the Astrotrain. As these metalheads duke it out for the top spot, Megatron floats silently through space and ends up coming face to face with Unicron. The cannibalistic planet offers Megatron a second chance at life if he will serve destroy the Autobot's Matrix of Leadership. After some negotiating, Megatron agrees and is refurbished into Galvitron. Along with his new team of Decepticons, made up of Cyclonus and "The Sweeps," Galvitron heads to Cybertron for a little payback.

While Galvitron is busy turning Starscream to dust, Unicron arrives on the Cybertron city limits and decides to snack on the mechanical planet's two moons. Jazz (voiced by Scatman "Hong Kong Phooey" Crothers!) manages to send a distress alert to Earth before he and his fellow Autobots on Moon Base One are ingested. Unicron's hunger is not sated by the Cybertronian satellite so he heads toward Moon Base Two. Spike and Bumblebee see the monster planet heading towards them and set the tiny moon to self-destruct. As Unicron begins munching on the moon, Spike and Bumblebee blast off and watch as the moonbase explodes within Unicron's "mouth." They think they've saved the day but are horrified to discover that the explosion didn't even dent the devourer of worlds.

Unicron rewards the two heroes' assassination attempt by sucking their ship into his gaping mouth. Back on Earth, Ultra Magnus rallies the Autobots and prepares to head to Cybertron to battle the new threat to their home world. As final preparations are made, Galvitron and his Sweeps carry out an attack on the battered Autobot City. Ultra Magnus and the remaining Autobots (except for Blaster and Snarl who suddenly disappear from this point on) hop into two different ships and head into outer space. Galvitron and his troops give chase and during the attack, both Autobot ships split up and crash-land on two very odd planets. Galvitron revels in his minor victory and returns to Unicron thinking that the Autobots and their Matrix of Leadership have been destroyed.

In the meantime, Kup, Hot Rod, and the Dinobots end up on the watery world of Quintessa. Hot Rod battles his way through deadly underwater vines and fearsome mechanical fish in order to save Kup from a giant, robotic squid! Hot Rod manages to badly wound the tentacled terror and drags Kup back to dry land to repair his damaged friend. Once back on their feet, the two Autobots begin searching for their Dinobot allies, but instead come across the planet's native denizens: The Sharkticons! Kup attempts using a friendly universal greeting ("BAH-WEEP-GRAAAAAGNAH-WHEEP NI NI BONG!") but the Sharkticons fail to reciprocate the good tidings and capture both of the Autobots. Soon, Kup and Hot Rod find themselves in prison where they share an adjacent cell with the last survivor of planet Lithone, namely Kranix.

After Kranix gives his neighbors a bit of information about Unicron, he is whisked away to stand trial before the multi-faced Quintesson judge. Kranix is judged innocent by said tribunal and is summarily dumped into a huge dunking tank full of ravenous Sharkticons. (And so endeth the life of Lithone's last survivor.) After Kranix is taken care of, Kup and Hot Rod are brought before the Quintesson rulers for judgement. Hot rod declares his contempt for their "court" seconds before he and Kup are dropped into the Sharkticon-infested waters below. These two seemed destined to become robo-fish food, but unlike everyone before them, these two are battle-hardened fighters who can transform into vehicles! So clearly our heroes are more than up to the task of battling their way out of this deadly situation.

Hot Rod and Kup give the Sharkticons a run for their money and hold out long enough for the goofy Dinobots (and newfound friend Wheelie) to arrive on the scene. Grimlock is such a fearsome sight to the Sharkticons that they decide rebelling against their masters is a much safer bet. As the Sharkticons begin their assault on their cruel rulers, the Autobots "borrow" a spiral-shaped ship and head off in search of their missing friends. Speaking of which, Ultra Magnus, Arcee, Springer, Perceptor, Daniel, and Blurr have ended up on Junkion (a.k.a. The Planet of Junk). They quickly begin repairing their shuttle with the mountains of scrap metal that is all around them, which angers the planet's natives, the Junkions!

As Wreck-Gar and the other Junkions prepare to smite the junk-thieves, Galvitron and his cronies show up to kill the Autobots and destroy the Matrix. The beleaguered Autobots' shuttle is destroyed, during the attack, so Ultra Magnus decides to make a gambit and use the AML. Ultra Magnus safely buries his friends within a heap of junk and, believing that this must surely be "their darkest hour," attempts to open up the Matrix of Leadership. Apparently darker times are ahead for the Autobots because Ultra Magnus can't get the damned Matrix open. (How embarrassing is that?!) Galvitron has a good laugh at this and blows the current Autobot leader to pieces. With the Matrix of Leadership in his grasp, Galvitron decides to keep it and use it to enslave Unicron.

Galvitron takes his prize and heads back to his master, leaving the remaining Autobots to fret over the loss of their latest leader. Their grief is short-lived however because Wreck-Gar and his minions descend upon the Autobots on Road Warrior-esque motorcycles. The Junkions attempt to capture and/or kill the Autobots in an extended chase scene (that features Weird Al's catchy song, "Dare to be Stupid") that ends after Daniel bops Wreck-Gar on the head with a steel girder. (Just to clarify, Daniel's super strength and ability to survive on a planet that has no oxygen are due to his use of an exo-suit.) Before Wreck-Gar can begin his attack anew, Kup and Hot Rod arrive on the planet and successfully attempt the universal greeting.

After a very awkward dance number, the Junkions rebuild Ultra Magnus and quickly agree to help their newly acquired friends defeat Unicron. The two robotic races hop in their respective ships (the Junkion ship is a giant piece of rusty, jagged metal) and sally forth to Cybertron. As they race to save the day, Galvitron makes the mistake of threatening Unicron with the Matrix. Unicron gets extremely pissed off at his hired hand and transforms into a gigantic humanoid robot. To punish his scheming minion, Unicron plans on destroying Cybertron before Galvatron's eyes. (This is sort of the equivalent of an angry parent smashing a child's toy as the youngster looks on helplessly.) As the giant robot begins tearing up the surface of the planet with his city-sized hands, various Decepticons and Sweeps take to the skies to battle their insanely huge foe.

The Autobots and Junkions arrive soon after and begin firing on Unicron with little or no effect. Unicron belches blue fire (Godzilla would be proud) that engulfs the Junkion ship, but those pesky junk-bots manage to repair the damage almost immediately. Unicron then turns his attention to the oddly-shaped Autobots' vessel and damages it with a laser blast. Though the ship becomes hard to handle, Hot Rod skillfully manages to steer it right through one of Unicron's eyes! (Ouch! Call a medic!) Once inside Unicron, the Autobots get separated and have a series of thrilling adventures. Kup, Springer, Arcee, and Daniel have various run-ins with Unicron's immune system. While the Autobots try and escape the wrath of Unicron's T-Cells, Daniel accidentally discovers Unicron's stomach, which is basically a huge vat of acid. This is truly the most disturbing bit of imagery in the film as a conveyor belt above the vat drops helpless robots into the highly corrosive liquid below.

The scene is made all the more nightmarish by the fact that we actually get to see several robots fall into the acid and scream in pain as they slowly dissolve! (Wow, the movie is really venturing into dark territory here.) When Daniel arrives on the scene, his father and Bumblebee (and Jazz) are nearing the acid dip. With a little luck, Daniel manages to fire a few laser blasts and knock the cover plate down on the vat before Spike and company are "digested." Elsewhere in Unicron's innards is Hot Rod who ends up crossing swords with Galvatron. The two robots duke it out, but Hot Rod is simply no match for the upgraded version of Megatron. As Galvatron attempts to choke Hot Rod to death (which would only work if Hot Rod breathed oxygen and had a windpipe), the young Autobot manages to grab hold of the Matrix and tear it from the chain around Galvatron's neck.

The power within the Matrix upgrades Hot Rod into Rodimus Prime and causes him to triple in size! Augmented with his newfound super-robot size and strength, Rodimus Prime manhandles Galvatron and throws the Decepticon leader out into the lonely darkness of space. With Galvatron out of the way, Rodimus opens the Matrix of Leadership and causes a chain reaction throughout Unicron's body. Unicron begins to double-over in pain and loses his good eye after Rodimus Prime and his fellow Autobots come bursting out of it. As the Autobots make their way to the planet below, Unicron utters a few final words ("You can never destroy my dest-i-nyyyyyy!") before exploding into a billion pieces. Though his body is totally destroyed, Unicron's head remains intact and takes up orbit around Cybertron.

As the film closes out, Rodimus Prime gives a rousing speech on the and declares that the Cybertronian Wars are over, and that he will not rest until "All are one!" Though the Autobots have won this decisive battle, their war with the Decepticons is still far from over. Some day, the war between these sentient machines will end, and when it does, Hasbro will have to find a new way to shake parents down for money. But until that day comes, the Autobots will never find true peace. (Leave it to capitalism and consumerism to keep a war raging...)

Film Review: Transformers: The Movie is by far, one of the most entertaining animated films I've had the pleasure of watching in recent memory. While it is strictly aimed at children (because children and their parent's money make the world go round), the film takes the bold (and adult) step of allowing characters to die. Within the first half-hour of the movie, Ironhide, Brawn, Prowl, Optimus Prime, and Starscream are all killed! I for one was shocked to see them all bite the dust, especially Optimus Prime. And no one was apparently more shocked by Prime's demise than the thousands of little boys and girls who bawled their eyes out after seeing Optimus go to that big truck stop in the sky.

And believe it or not, the producers of the film (Joe Bacall and Tom Griffin) were equally shocked at the angry response to Optimus Prime's apparently premature death. (In an interview on the DVD they actually seem surprised that Optimus was such a popular character. Didn't these guys run test groups or do some research at some point to find out who the favorite Autobots and Decepticons were?!) Coupled with the nightmarish visions of Unicron's inner workings, particularly the scenes showing robots getting dropped into Unicron's digestive juices, this movie must have done a number on a lot of kids during the film's initial theatrical release.

Though the movie was made to clear some space for upcoming Transformers toys (which is primarily why so many popular characters died) the film manages to have a pretty engaging storyline. The Galactus-like Unicron is the main villain of the film, but he pretty much takes a backseat until the end. What really moves the story along is the constant struggle between the Autobots and Decepticons. After the fall of Optimus, things basically go to hell for the heroes. Their base on Earth is destroyed, their leader is dead and gone, their two Moonbases are wiped from existence, and an aggressive group of Decepticons is constantly nipping at their heels. But through all of this, they stick together and keep fighting, in hopes that they can finally achieve their goal of uniting their peoples and restoring peace to their troubled planet. The colorful cast of robotic characters are voiced by an all-star cast of actors.

Transformers vets Peter Cullen (Optimus Prime, Irondhide) and Frank Welker, (Megatron, Soundwave, et al.) deliver fantastic performances and give their characters a lot of personality. Along with these two essential Transformers' voice actors, there are a lot of high profile Hollywood stars that lent their voice talents to various characters in the film. Scatman Crothers plays Jazz, radio personality Casey Kasem shows up briefly as Cliffjumper (and ironically enough, he does a countdown), Leonard Nimoy brings the evil Galvatron to life, Susan Blu (the psychic girl's mom in Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood (1988)) portrays Arcee, Judd Nelson lent his voice to Hot Rod, Eric Idle portrays the quirky Junkion leader, Wreck-Gar, the late Robert Stack voiced Ultra Magnus, and Orson Welles, the long deceased Hollywood legend, helped bring Unicron to life.

Coupled with the awesome 80's rock soundtrack which features songs by Lion ("The Transformers Theme"), Stan Bush ("The Touch" and "Dare"), Weird Al Yankovic ("Dare to Be Stupid"), and a cool musical score by Vince DiCola (who also composed the soundtrack for 1985's Rocky IV), this movie was destined for greatness from the start! In fact, if I may be so bold, Transformers: The Movie is far better than it has any right to be. The movie was made to capitalize on the popularity of a series of cool toys and ended up boasting an amazingly talented voice cast, cool, but sometimes inappropriate music, and an engaging storyline that's filled with numerous battles between giant robots and an expansive universe for all the characters to interact in. (The inclusion of various robotic races like the Sharkticons, Quintessons, and Junkions, really gives the movie an epic feel to it.)

Truthfully, after my first viewing of this movie, I was hooked. I got Transformers fever and have since watched Transformers: The Movie nearly a dozen times since I purchased it. I've even gotten myself the movie's soundtrack and listened to it for hours on end as I typed up this very movie review. (And yes, as of my writing this I have seen the live-action film that Michael Bay directed. And yes, it was very cool!) But as much as I do love this movie, I do have one minor complaint: The film makers attempted to pack way too many characters into the film's short (eighty-four-minute) running time. Some characters only show up for a split second in the background (Grapple and Snarl come to mind) while others hang out a bit longer and then suddenly disappear as the storyline progresses. (Blaster and Soundwave, I'm looking your direction.) Where did these characters go? Are they dead? Did they fall into a giant plothole and end up in an alternate dimension? I guess we'll never know.

Transformers: The Movie is an action-packed adventure that moves briskly and rarely allows viewers to stop and think about the sheer absurdity of the film's premise. Just as you begin to question how a robot can feel emotions or pain, or how a robot can be choked to death, something cool happens and erases that rational thought from your mind instantaneously. (Wow, it's almost like magic!) Though this movie is geared toward younger audiences (despite the death, destruction, and acid-pit of doom), it should easily entertain unimaginative adults and "Transformer haters" alike. Of course, that's just my overly optimistic opinion, I could be totally wrong. (Just call me "Optimist Prime.") If you're a fan of 80's cartoons, giant robots, or are looking to get a taste of the Transformers universe before you see the live-action film, then by all means, watch Transformers: The Movie. Who knows, this movie could very well turn you into a "Trans-fan!"

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So how radioactive is this tale of dueling robotic races?

Geiger Counter Reading:

- FOUR AND A HALF 'RADS' -

WARNING: This movie is VERY radioactive! Robotic warfare, a
star-studded cast, and an insanely catchy 80's soundtrack
make this animated adventure a surefire hit in my book!

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DVD Review: The most recent DVD release of Transformers: The Movie is a beautiful thing to behold. This 2-disc 20th Anniversary Special Edition contains a 16x9 widescreen print on the first disc, and a fullscreen version on disc two. Both versions have been fully color-corrected and look almost impeccable. Along with the Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound (2.0 Stereo Sound is also an option), this movie has probably never looked or sounded so good. Each disc in this special edition also boasts a ton of cool extras.

Disc one features a neat trivia feature called the Autobot Matrix of Knowledge. When this option is selected, little trivia boxes pop up as you watch the movie and deliver some nifty information about the film, the various Transformers TV series, and additional info about the characters. (Trans-fans should find this little feature very interesting.) Disc one also has an audio commentary with director Nelson Shin, story consultant Flint Dille, and actress Susan Blue who portrayed Arcee in the film. (As of my writing this, I have yet to listen to this commentary.)

The rest of the disc is rounded out with a Fan Commentary (which I haven't checked out yet either), the original theatrical trailer and multiple TV Spots, a Cinex and Credit Test (basically test footage of the opening credits), a nifty photo gallery, the unaired (in America) "Scramble City" episode of Transformers with fan commentary (it would've been nice if they made said commentary optional as I would've liked to watch this TV episode without two Transformer fans gabbing about it. However, I do have to admit that they know their stuff and provide a lot of interesting facts about the episode and its relationship to the feature-length film.), a side-by-side comparison of the film's remastering process, and finally a special sneak-peek at Michael Bay's live-action Transformers (2007).

Disc two contains an Autobot City Trivia game for use on your DVD-ROM, a promotional trailer with audio commentary, US and Japanese toy commercials (very cool and nostalgic), "Scramble City" commercials, animated storyboards, test and deleted/alternate footage with audio commentary, and finally, a trio of nifty featurettes and interviews. Included in this group of extras are the following featurettes: "Death of Optimus Prime," "Cast and Characters," and "Transformers Q&A." (The latter featurette has the producers, director, and star Susan Blu answering questions from fans.) Each one of these short featurettes contains interviews with director Nelson Shin (who is hilariously and thankfully subtitled), actress Susan Blu, story consultant Flint Dille, and producers Tom Griffin and Joe Bacal.

Each featurette is very well put together and everyone seems to have a fun time reminiscing about this (classic?) animated film. Nelson Shin steals the show, especially when he discusses what it was like to work with the late Orson Welles. Shin bluntly states that Orson was in terrible shape during the production. According to Shin, Welles' voice-work was simply awful, mainly because the rather unhealthy actor was doing a lot of wheezing and gasping during the recording of his dialogue for the film. (This was later remedied after Orson's lines were given a digital overhaul.) The interviews with producers Tom Griffin and Joe Bacall are entertaining as well, especially when they talk about the backlash caused by the death of Optimus Prime in the movie. (I still can't believe they didn't recognize the fact that Optimus Prime was a huge pop-culture figure at the time.)

This awesome DVD set is also host to four nifty Easter Eggs that aren't very hard to find. But just in case you're bad at discovering Easter eggs, both literally and figuratively, here's how you discover them. On disc one's main menu, press the LEFT function key until you highlight either the Autobot or Decepticon logo on the ever-changing menu screen. Once you do, press Enter and you will be treated to a trio of Japanese "Diaclone" commercials. (The Diaclones were a pre-Transformers toy series in Japan. Read more about them here.) To find the second Easter egg on disc one, go to the set-up menu, highlight English Stereo 2.0, then push the LEFT function key to highlight the Play button on Soundwave's chest. Hit the Enter key and you will be treated to a 2006 Comic-Con promo clip.

The other two hidden features are contained on disc two. The first Easter egg can be found on the main menu by hitting the RIGHT function key until either the Autobot or Decepticon logo on the screen is highlighted. Hit Enter and a vintage Hasbro toy commercial will play. The final Easter egg is hiding in the special features menu. Highlight "Activate Autobot City" (the DVD-ROM game), then highlight the Decepticon symbol to the left and hit Enter; You will be rewarded with a nostalgic Lite-Brite commercial! As you can see, a lot of effort was put into this particular DVD release. The audio and video are fantastic, and there's hours of stuff on each disc to keep you busy for hours! The 20th Anniversary Special Edition of Transformers: The Movie is, simply put, a must have for Transformer fans!

Starscream: "How do you feel mighty Megatron?" [Kicks Megatron]
(Reviewer's Note: Hahahaha. Starscream finally has his day in the sun, but sadly it is shortlived once Megatron returns as Galvatron.)

Optimus Prime: "One shall stand, one shall fall."

Unicron: "I have summoned you here for a purpose."
Megatron: "Nobody summons Megatron."
Unicron: "Then it pleases me to be the first."

Kup: "Grimlock! Get your noodle out of my face."
Grimlock: "Me Grimlock love Kup's war stories!"
Kup: "You're living one now."

Universal Robot Greeting "BAH-WEEP-GRAAAAAGNAH-WHEEP NI NI BONG!"
(Reviewer's Note: My only question is this - if I don't have any energon snacks to offer a giant robot, will I be crushed after using this friendly greeting? Is there a backup item I can offer, like motor oil, or spark plugs?)

Grimlock: "Me Grimlock no bozo! Me king!"

The Junkions: "Destroy Unicron! Kill the Grand Poobah! Eliminate even the toughest stains!"

Rodimus Prime: "Autobots! Transform and roll out!"
(Reviewer's Note: Sniffle... Optimus Prime would be so proud!)

• Beginning - You know, I've always thought of Unicron as the ‘Ivan Drago’ of the Transformers universe.
• 2:44 - Woohoo! This "Transformers Theme" is rockin'!
• 8:30 - Ouch! Ironhide kicks the bucket. Wait, isn't this a kids movie?
• 13:30 - Hahahaha. Starscream blasts off a bit of his foot to free himself.
• 19:25 - "You got the touch! You got the pow-wer!"
• 20:08 - Optimus Prime arrives and single-handedly saves the day. Go Optimus, go!
• 21:05 - Oof! That was a sweet uppercut!
• 22:43 - Hahahaha! "How do you feel mighty Megatron?" [KICK]
• 26:15 - OPTIMUS! NOOOOOOOOO!
• 31:19 - "Behold, Galvatron."
• 33:23 - Galvatron turns Starscream to dust! Can’t say he didn’t deserve it though.
• 45:48 - Hang in their Kup, I'm sure a robotic Captain Nemo will be along shortly to aid you.
• 57:48 - Ultra Magnus is blown to pieces! Egads! Is there no end to this animated carnage?!
• 62:00 - The Junkions "dare to be stupid."
• 64:42 - And there was much rejoicing...
• 70:17 - Ouch! I wonder if they make eyepatches in Unicron's size.
• 73:49 - Wow... this is pretty damned disturbing. (I want my security blanket!)
• 76:02 - Hot Rod's... GOT THE TOUCH! YEAH! HE'S GOT THE POW-WER!
• 79:36 - The End Credits.

Recommended Viewing:

• As of my writing this, the live-action Transformers (2007) is making a big splash in theaters. Here's hoping to see it arrive on DVD later this year. While many critics, fans, and casual viewers have complained about the film, I for one enjoyed it a lot. It's loud, it's action-packed, and a whole lot of fun to watch.
  
  
• Giant robots have always been a popular staple of science-fiction and fantasy cinema. In Full Moon's Robot Jox (1990) and Robot Wars (1993), human beings pilot giant mechanical war machines to solve disputes between the Earth's superpowers. The Japanese love giant robots and have showcased many memorable robotic menaces in films like The Mysterians (1957) (which featured Moguera), Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (1974) (and its sequels), Godzilla vs. Megalon (1974) (co-starring Jet Jaguar!), King Kong Escapes (1967) (which contains the goofy Mechani-Kong), and more recently, Negadon: Monster from Mars (2005), an all-CGI flick that features a battle between a destructive creature from Mars and a giant robot. And I'd be remiss if I did not mention, The Iron Giant (1999). In this animated film, a young boy befriends a giant robot.
  
  
• Sunbow Productions specialized in creating many memorable animated TV shows and films after its inception in 1981. Besides Transformers: The Movie, they also released several other popular feature-length films around that time including InHumanoids: The Movie (1986) and G.I. Joe: The Movie (1987).
  
  
• Over the years, many smaller robots have graced the silver screen and won our hearts. The most popular of the bunch include Robby the Robot from Forbidden Planet (1956), Johnny Five from Short Circuit (1986) and Short Circuit 2 (1988), Arnold Schwarzenegger's T-800 robotic assassin from the Terminator films (1984, 1991, and 2003 respectively), the metallic duo of C-3PO and R2-D2 from the Star Wars franchise (1977, 1980, 1983, 1999, 2002, and 2005), and of course, Tom Servo and Crow T. Robot from Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie (1996).

Useless Trivia:

• Transformers: The Movie was the last film that both Orson Welles (Unicron) and Scatman Crothers (Jazz) would ever work on. Orson died on October 10, 1985 of a heart attack in Hollywood, California. Scatman Crothers became a casualty of lung cancer the following year on November 22, in Van Nuys, California.
  
  
• After the outcry over Optimus Prime's death in Transformers: The Movie, the producers quickly made sure that they didn't make the same mistake with G.I. Joe: The Movie (1987). Instead of killing off Duke, they decided to just put him into a coma instead.
  
  
• Ultra Magnus' death in the film was originally much more gruesome. Instead of being blown up by laser fire, Magnus was supposed to be drawn and quartered by Scourge and the Sweeps.
  
  
• The character of Unicron would appear several more times in the Transformers universe. Since the 1986 film, Unicron has shown up in Transformers: Beast Wars, Beast Wars Neo, Transformers: Armada, Transformers: Energon, and Transformers: Cybertron.
  
  
• The Transformers ranked at #41 on VH1's list of "Top 100 Toys."
  
  
• Over the course of the film, Grimlock says "Me Grimlock" sixteen times!
  
  
• John Moschitta who portrays Blurr in Transformers: The Movie is in the Guinness Book of World Records for being the "World's Fastest Talker!"
  
  
• The events in Transformers: The Movie are followed up by a five-part mini-series called "Five Faces of Darkness," in which the evil Quintessons attempt to take back control of their creations: The Autobots and Decepticons!
  
  
• The Sharkticons' design was based off of a proposed Decepticon named "Gnaw." Gnaw would eventually make his debut in 2004's Transformers: Energon.
  
  
• The songs, "Nothin's Gonna Stand in Our Way" and "Hunger" are performed by a band called Kick Axe. However, they are listed as "Specter General" on the soundtrack due to the "threatening" nature of the band's name.
  
  

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Purchase the "Transformers: The Movie" Official Motion Picture Soundtrack!

Greetings "Transformer" fans! If you enjoy the music from this awesome 80's cartoon, then by all means, sample and purchase mp3's (or the entire album) from Amazon.com! This latest release features four new tracks that were not present in the original album, including a bonus cover of the "Transformers Theme" by composer Vince DiCola (which is only available on the album istelf). Pick up this great soundtrack today!

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Review posted on July 8, 2007.
(Review last updated on July 12, 2008.)

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