The Transformers: The Movie (1986)

The Autobots must stop a colossal planet consuming robot who goes after the Autobot Matrix of Leadership. At the same time, they must defend themselves against an all-out attack from the Decepticons.

Director:

Nelson Shin

Writer:

Ron Friedman

Stars:

Orson Welles, Robert Stack, Leonard Nimoy

2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Norman Alden	...	Kranix (voice)
Jack Angel	...	Astrotrain (voice)
Michael Bell	...	Prowl / Scrapper / Swoop / Junkion (voice)
Gregg Berger	...	Grimlock (voice)
Susan Blu	...	Arcee (voice)
Arthur Burghardt	...	Devastator (voice)
Corey Burton	...	Spike / Brawn / Shockwave (voice)
Roger C. Carmel	...	Cyclonus / Quintesson Leader (voice)
Victor Caroli	...	Narrator (voice)
Regis Cordic	...	Quintesson Judge (voice) (as Rege Cordic)
Peter Cullen	...	Optimus Prime / Ironhide (voice)
Scatman Crothers	...	Jazz (voice)
Bud Davis	...	Dirge (voice)
Walker Edmiston	...	Inferno (voice) (scenes deleted)
Paul Eiding	...	Perceptor (voice)

Storyline

This theatrical movie based on the television series (which was also based on a popular multiform robot toyline) did not go over very well at the box office. The movie takes place in 2005, twenty years after the television series, and chronicles the efforts of the heroic Autobots to defend their homeworld Cybertron from the evil Decepticons. Both factions are seething with anger, and that hatred has blinded them to a hideous menace headed their way. That hideous menace is the colossal planet known as Unicron, who has been ready to consume anything that stands in its way. The only thing that can stop Unicron is the Autobot Matrix of Leadership, which is possessed by the Autobots and which the Decepticons, through Unicron's orders, plan to take away from them.

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Plot Keywords:

optimus prime character | megatron character | weapons fire | robotic animal | bozo as epithet | 

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Taglines:

Escape into fantasy this summer, into the incredible rock and roll adventure.

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Genres:

Animation | Action | Adventure | Family | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

PG

Did You Know?

Trivia

Although a toy was not released until 2003, an action figure of Unicron was designed, but the prototype had flimsy arms and a faulty voice-chip, and was scrapped.

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Goofs

(at around 38 mins) This is an error in timing: some of the shot marks appear a few frames before the laser bolts hit the ground, as the Autobots make a run towards the shuttles in Autobot City.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Kranix: Arblus, look! It's Unicron!

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Alternate Versions

The year following the series' ending, episodes of the animated series were repackaged for more syndicated releases. Featuring a puppet of Powermaster Optimus Prime and a boy named Tommy, one of these stories was the animated movie, shown in syndication for the first time. Broken up into three parts, referred to as Days, a great deal of time was spent with Optimus in exposition to pad out the time due to edits for television and commercials. In addition, the music video for Stan Bush's "The Touch", a favorite song used in the movie, was also included, again introduced by Puppetmaster Prime.

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Connections

Referenced in Blackcatloner: Let's Talk Movies (2016)

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Soundtracks

Dare
Performed by Stan Bush
Written by Vince DiCola and Scott Shelly
Produced by Vince DiCola and Richie Wise

User Reviews

All bow to Transformers

First of all, anyone who has left a negative comment on this movie has something wrong with them, seriously. I have no idea when I first saw this movie but I was about 6-ish. I'm now 22 and this is still a bloody awesome film. I have always been a big Transformers fan and I know I might seem a bit bias, but I own the movie on DVD and have shown it to a number of transformer illiterates, male and female, young and old and still the only people I know who have ever got a bit sick of it are my parents, as they have seen it about as many times as myself. Everything about this movie is excellent, from the new characters, to the fact that the autobots seem to suck at shooting anything ( as opposed to the usual 'bad guys can't shoot for doit'.) even down to what would be, if not for the movie it's in, one of the crappiest songs ever 'the touch', by the Loins I think. THE Battle, Primes death, the creation of Galvatron, the Junkbots, Sharkticons, Unicron, IT IS ALL GOLD!!!! Anyone who liked 80's cartoons should love this movie, and so should all your Kids, if not, I think it's time to go and get checked out by your G.P.

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA Japan

Language:

English Japanese

Release Date:

8 August 1986 (USA)

Also Known As:

Transformers: The Movie

Box Office

Budget:

$6,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$1,779,559, 10 August 1986

Gross USA:

$5,849,647

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$5,860,601

Company Credits

Production Co:

Sunbow Productions, Marvel Productions, Hasbro

Technical Specs

Runtime:

84 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1