The Transformers: The Movie (Johnsonverse)

The Transformers: The Movie is an animated feature film based on the original Transformers toyline. It was released in the United States on Friday, August 8, 1986.
The film's storyline follows the same continuity as the Transformers cartoon. It introduces a planet-sized Transformer called Unicron who eats other planets, and is approaching Cybertron. As part of their continuing wars, the Autobots and Decepticons have a fierce battle on Earth which sees both Optimus Prime and Megatron mortally wounded. Prime is repaired by the Matrix of Leadership, and Megatron is transformed by Unicron into Galvatron. Octane (briefly) assumes leadership of the Decepticons, but is put back in his place by Galvatron. Galvatron then chases the surviving Autobots on Earth across space, splitting them up and taking the Matrix, while Novascream (Starscream's new form) leads an assault against Detroit. The Autobots find their way back to each other, and follow Galvatron to Cybertron just as Unicron transforms into robot mode and begins to eat their world. Travelling inside Unicron, Hot Rod recovers the Matrix, transforms into Rodimus Prime, and uses the Matrix to destroy Unicron.
Often referred to by fans simply as "the movie" or "TFTM", the movie was a step up in almost every area from the television series, with a more sophisticated plot, more serious treatment of war and violence, a hugely ambitious scope, a small crossover with G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, use of profanity (including an instance of Novascream saying "fuck"), and a greatly increased animation budget with well-known celebrities providing voice work, including Orson Welles (in his final film role before his death), Leonard Nimoy, Vincent Price, Judd Nelson, Eric Idle, Robert Stack, and Lionel Stander. For these reasons, the film remains very popular with children of the 1980s.
== Plot ==
A mechanical planet travels through the depths of space, attacking a metal planet which has robotic inhabitants. Robots, vehicles, buildings, and even large chunks of rock are sucked off the surface and devoured by the monstrous planet.
It is the year 1986, and the Decepticons are now in control of Cybertron. Most Autobots who remained on the planet have been killed, and the survivors, led by Elita One and Ultra Magnus, have resettled on Earth. The Autobots are preparing to launch an assault to retake the planet from hidden bases on two of Cybertron's moons. The Autobots launch a shuttle to pick up a final shipment of energon from Earth before they strike.
Plans for the attack are overheard by Laserbeak, who reports back to Megatron. The Decepticons attack the Autobot shuttle en route to Earth, wiping out its crew of Autotroopers. Using the Autobots' own shuttle, the Decepticons are able to get very close to the Autobots' base on Earth, Autobot City, before they are detected, and begin a devastating surprise attack on the unprepared city.
During the battle at Autobot City, Megatron suffers mortal injuries, and a number of others are also killed. Eventually the Decepticons retreat, but the damage suffered by the Autobots is severe.
Shortly after the battle, Prime nearly dies of his wounds, but is repaired by the Matrix of Leadership. Before he is repaired, he drops the Matrix, and Hot Rod catches it, causing it to glow. Prime relates a prophecy: "One day, an Autobot shall rise from our ranks, and use the power of the Matrix to light our darkest hour." This sequence of events is observed remotely by Unicron, the monstrous planet, who appears unusually concerned by the survival of the Matrix.
The Decepticons are making their escape aboard Astrotrain, but are too heavy for him to get them all home under his own power. After putting the matter to a fair vote, the Decepticons decide to throw their injured members off the ship to better the chance of survival for the rest, including the mortally wounded Thundercracker, Skywarp, Kickback, Shrapnel, Bombshell, Barrage, Chop Shop, Ransack, and Venom. Starscream declares that Megatron is to be repaired back on Cybertron, but Octane severely damages Starscream with a shot to the back, and tosses him out as well. Too injured to save himself, Megatron is tossed out into space by Octane, who claims leadership of the Decepticon army.
Megatron, Starscream, and the other adrift Decepticons then encounter Unicron in interstellar space. Unicron offers to rebuild Megatron and his minions in exchange for their service. After some coercion on the planetoid's part and Starscream stating they have no choice, Megatron agrees, and is reformatted into Galvatron. The other Decepticons are turned into Novascream, Cyclonus, Scourge, the Sweeps, and Cyclonus' Armada. Unicron provides them with a ship, and sends them to kill Optimus Prime and destroy the Matrix, stating that the Matrix is the only thing which can stand in his way.
Galvatron first stops at Cybertron to take reclaim leadership of the Decepticons. Octane is staging an elaborate execution for Soundwave and Shockwave for refusing to bow to him. Galvatron beats Octane within an inch of his life, but ultimately spares him because he's still useful. Almost immediately afterwards, Unicron arrives in Cybertron's vicinity and devours at least two moons—both of the Autobots' moon bases are destroyed. Under coercion by Unicron, Galvatron finally heads to Earth to kill Optimus Prime, but Prime and the other surviving Autobots flee in a pair of shuttles; Novascream and a group of Decepticons stay behind to launch a massive attack on Detroit, with Ultra Magnus, Blaster, Wheeljack, and elements of G.I. Joe leading the charge against the renewed attack. Eventually, Galvatron manages to cause one shuttle to crash on yet another metal planet (Quintessa), and detonates the other with a volley of missiles. However, the Autobots in the second shuttle escape unnoticed by separating the front portion of their shuttle just before impact.
The Autobots in the crashed shuttle, Hot Rod, Kup, and the Dinobots, find themselves separated and in a hostile environment. Hot Rod and Kup are captured by a squad of Allicons and taken before a Quintesson judge and his court. While being held there, they learn the name and nature of Unicron from Kranix, a survivor of the planet destroyed in the opening of the film, which he calls Lithone. Meanwhile, the Dinobots encounter and befriend a young, wild Autobot named Wheelie who has been living alone on Quintessa. Together, they crash the trial just as Hot Rod and Kup are fighting losing odds against the Quintessons' Sharkticons. The tide is turned, and the Autobots commandeer a Quintesson Cruiser.
The other group of Autobots has landed on the planet Junkion to make repairs, but are attacked yet again by Galvatron, who was tipped off to their survival by Unicron. During the battle, Optimus Prime tries to open the Matrix to use its power, but is unable to do so, and instead is killed. Galvatron absconds with the Matrix, taking it away to Unicron. The remaining Autobots—Elite One, Perceptor, Blurr, Springer, Arcee, Sparkplug, and Carly—are then ambushed by Junkions, the eponymous natives of Junkion, who are also giant transforming robots. This battle is cut short, however, by the arrival of Hot Rod's group in their Quintesson ship. After exchanging the universal greeting they all make friends, and the Junkions restore Optimus Prime to life; Optimus notes that, although he no longer possesses the Matrix, he can still feel its power within him. Together, the whole group travels to Cybertron to try to recover the Matrix and destroy Unicron. En route to Cybertron, Optimus is visited by the ghost of Alpha Trion, who states that he has held the Matrix for so long that its essence is permanently bound to his spark, meaning he no longer needs the Matrix to lead the Autobots.
Galvatron attempts to open the Matrix to use its power against Unicron and force his master into submission (despite Novascream's warnings that the Matrix will only work in the hands of an Autobot), but is unable to open it. Unicron, not pleased with this attempted treachery, shocks Galvatron by transforming from a planet into a planet-sized robot. Unicron plucks Novascream off his chest and swallows him, Matrix and all (after Galvatron gave it to him to get as far away from Cybertron as possible), and then begins attacking Cybertron itself, intent on destroying Primus once and for all. Shockwave scrambles the Decepticon forces to defend the planet, but they are ineffective against so large an enemy. Shortly the Autobots arrive from Junkion, and fly the Quintesson ship straight through Unicron's eye. This impact destroys the ship, and the Autobots fall out inside Unicron. Hot Rod, separated from the others, eventually runs into Novascream. Initially, Novascream is fully prepared to work with Hot Rod, but Unicron tortues him into attacking. During their fight, Hot Rod gets his hands on the Matrix and hears Alpha Trion's voice speak the words, "Arise, Rodimus Prime." Hot Rod grows in stature, adopts a much sterner demeanor, and Novascream, realizing he's outmatched, chooses to withdraw. Meanwhile, Optimus engages Galvatron in another part of Unicron, and he eventually dispatches Galvatron by tossing him through Unicron's hull out into space. Hot Rod then opens the Matrix, which fills Unicron with light and begins destroying him as Novascream orders the Decepticons to retreat.
In the meantime, the other Autobots inside Unicron have located some of their comrades from the moon bases who had been presumed dead, including Bumblebee, Hornet, Jazz, Cliffjumper, Spike, and Chip Chase. The Autobots, including Rodimus, escape through Unicron's remaining eye just as he begins to fall apart and explode. The scene then immediately shifts to the surface of Cybertron, where the Autobots have retaken control of the planet following the decimation of the Decepticons. Rodimus predicts an era of peace and prosperity, while on Earth, Optimus vows to rebuild Autobot City and bring Metroplex online, and the film closes with a shot of Unicron's severed head still floating in orbit around Cybertron.
== Voice cast ==
* Peter Cullen as Optimus Prime, Ironhide, and Streetwise
* Frank Welker as Megatron, Skywarp, Soundwave, Rumble, Frenzy, Ravage, Trailbreaker, Mirage, Sludge, Wheelie, Junkion, Blades, Groove, and Scrapheap
* Chris Latta as Wheeljack, Starscram, Laserbeak, Buzzsaw, Defensor, and Sparkplug Witwicky
* Hal Rayle as Hubcap, Snarl, Pipes, and Kickback
* Dan Gilvezan as Bumblebee, Hot Spot, and Outback
* Michael Bell as Prowl, Sideswipe, Swoop, Scrapper, Junkyard, and Duke
* Corey Burton as Sunstreaker, Brawn, Shockwave, and Spike Witwicky
* Paul Eiding as Perceptor
* Buster Jones as Blaster
* Clive Revill as Kickback
* Gregg Berger as Grimlock and Jetfire
* Arthur Burghardt as Devastator
* Scatman Crothers as Jazz
* Wendee Lee as Hornet
* Barry Gordon as Bumper
* Casey Kasem as Cliffjumper and Bluestreak
* Don Messick as Ratchet, Gears, and Scavenger
* John Stephenson as Windcharger, Huffer, and Thundercracker
* Jack Angel as Astrotrain, Ramjet and Omega Supreme
* Ed Gilbert as Blitzwing
* Marlene Aragon as Elita One
* Michael Chain as Powerglide
* Michael McConnohie as Tracks and Cosmos
* Alan Oppenheimer as Beachcomber, Seaspray, Warpath, and Breakdown
* Ted Schwartz as Tailgate
* Charlie Adler as Silverbolt
* Roger C. Carmel as Cyclonus, Motormaster, and Bruticus
* S. Marc Jordan as Onslaught
* Roger Behr as Runabout and Runamuck
* Bill Martin as Broadside
* Neil Ross as Springer, Slag, Bonecrusher, and Hook
* Beau Weaver as Octane
* Joe Leahy as Razorclaw
* Aron Kincaid as Sky Lynx
* Stan Jones as Scourge
* Judd Nelson as Hot Rod/Rodimus Prime
* Lionel Stander as Kup
* John Moschitta as Blurr
* Susan Blu as Arcee
* Robert Stack as Ultra Magnus
* Leonard Nimoy as Galvatron
* Vincent Price as Novascream
* Eric Idle as Wreck-Gar
* Orson Welles as Unicron
* Norm Alden as Kranix and Arblus
* Michael Horton as Chip Chase
* Arlene Banas as Carly
== Development ==
=== Writing ===
The Transformers television series began broadcasting in 1984 to promote the Transformers toys by Johnson Toys; The Transformers: The Movie was conceived as a commercial tie-in to promote the 1986 line of toys. The TV series featured no deaths beyond Nickel Toy characters such as the Autotroopers and Seekers (who were designed to be killed in large numbers to effectively show off each character's abilities and combat styles), and the writers had already deliberately assigned familial identities to characters for young children to associate with; however, Phil Stacker ordered that the film kill off several existing characters to refresh the cast.
Director Nelson Shin recalled: "[Stacker] created the story using characters that could best be merchandised for the film. Only with that consideration could I have freedom to change the storyline." Bob Budiansky, head writer for the TV series, advised against killing Autobot leader Optimus Prime. He said in a 2013 interview: "To remove Optimus Prime, to physically remove Daddy from the family, that wasn't going to work. I told Phil and his lieutenants they would have to bring him back but they said no and had 'great things planned'. In other words, they were going to create new, more expensive toys." In the end, Stacker retracted the order to kill off characters.
A scene in which Optimus Prime is drawn and quartered was scripted and storyboarded, but replaced with a scene of him being shot.
=== Production ===
The film's budget was $6 million, six times greater than that of the equivalent 90 minutes of the TV series. Shin's team of almost one hundred personnel normally took three months to make one episode of the series, so the extra budget did not help the considerable time constraints from the concurrent production of both the film and TV series.
Toei Animation vice president Kozo Morishita spent one year in the United States during production. He supervised the art direction, insisting the Transformers be given several layers of shading and shadows for a dynamic and detailed appearance. This artstyle was adopted by the TV series in the fourth season, as Stacker began increasing the series' budget.
The Transformers: The Movie is the final film featuring Orson Welles. Welles spent the day of October 5, 1985, performing Unicron's voice on set, and died on October 10. Slate reported that his "voice was apparently so weak by the time he made his recording that technicians needed to run it through a synthesizer to salvage it". He was also reading his lines so slowly that the audio had to be shorted to speed it up about eight percent. Shin stated that Welles had originally been pleased to accept the role after reading the script and had expressed an admiration for animated films. Shortly before his death, Welles told his biographer, Barbara Leaming, "You know what I did this morning? I played the voice of a toy. I play a planet. I menace somebody called Something-or-other. Then I'm destroyed. My plan to destroy Whoever-it-is is thwarted and I tear myself apart on the screen."
During production, several lines were changed, due to Stacker wanting the film to have more edge to it, namely the inclusion of profanity and words that wouldn't otherwise be heard in a children's movie such as "genocide", "exterminate", "war crimes", and "rape". One line in particular, said by Rumble before destroying the glass in the communications tower, originally went, "First we crack the shells, then we crack the nuts inside!"; it was changed to "First we smash the glass, then we kick your ass!", which not only fulfilled the need for more edge, but also had a better flow to it. The movie's violence was also dialed up compared to the series, as generic Autobots and Decepticons were killed in much more gruesome ways such as decapitation, bisection, vivisection, and impalement, as well as oil and other fluids being used to simulate blood; in the series, generics would merely fall back with smoke coming out of their chests, explode without leaving any debris behind, or simply crumple to the ground; the methods used in the movie to kill generics would eventually be adopted by the series at the end of the fourth season.
== Soundtrack ==
Stan Bush's song "The Touch" is prominently featured in the film, having been originally written for the Sylvester Stallone film Cobra (1986). A remix is featured in the 2012 video game Transformers: Fall of Cybertron. The soundtrack includes "Instruments of Destruction" by NRG, "Dare" by Stan Bush, "Nothin's Gonna Stand in Our Way" and "Hunger" by Kick Axe (credited as Spectre General), "Dare to Be Stupid" by "Weird Al" Yankovic, "Detroit Rock City" by KISS, and a hard rock remake of the Transformers TV theme song by Lion. Most of the incidental music was created by Vince DiCola using synthesizers, though the San Francisco scenes featured music composed by Johnny Douglas using a full orchestra, and sampling the G.I. Joe theme; this was a preview of the third season's music dichotomy, in which episodes taking place on Cybertron or in space would use a new synthesized soundtrack, while episodes taking place on Earth would continue using the older orchestral soundtrack from the first two seasons.
== Release ==
The film was released on August 8, 1986, to 2,000 screens in the United States, grossing US$70,778,559 on opening weekend. It opened at 4th place, well above initial projections. Its final box office gross of $120,849,647 made it the 4th-highest-grossing film of 1986.
The film was released in the United Kingdom on December 12, 1986, through Rank Film Distributors.
Across the decades, The Transformers has become a cult classic, which yielded a remastering, several home media re-releases, and more theatrical screenings. In September 2018, the film was screened for one night in the United States, in 450 (later increased by 300, totaling 750) theaters.
=== Home media ===
The film was animated in Johnson's Globevision format, and the trailer promises "spectacular widescreen action".
The film was originally released in 1987 on VHS, Betamax, and LaserDisc in North America by Johnson Home Video. This print of the film removes the usage of profanity said by several characters, including Rumble ("First we smash the glass, then we kick your ass!"), Starscream ("Damn you, Octane!"), Octane ("All I hear coming out of you, Soundwave, is monotone bullshit!"), Galvatron ("You're damn right it is!"), Spike ("Oh, shit! What are we gonna do now?"), and especially Novascream ("Oh, Primus, we really are fucked..."), but retains Optimus Prime's line ("Open, damn it, open!").
Johnson Home Video re-released the film on VHS in 1999. This version uses the UK master which has scrolling text and narration at the beginning to replace the cast credits, and an additional closing narration assuring viewers that "Optimus Prime will return." This narration was present in the British theatrical release. Johnson released the film on DVD on November 7, 2000, with a newly remastered print based on the US version, and restores Spike's swear.
Johnson next released a two-disc 20th-anniversary special edition on November 7, 2006. This release featured a brand-new widescreen remaster of the film, in addition to the original Globevision version. The extras include several audio commentaries, newly produced behind-the-scenes featurettes, storyboards, commercials, deleted scenes, and several episodes from the third season.
Johnson released a 30th-anniversary edition on Blu-ray and DVD on September 13, 2016, followed by a 35th-anniversary edition on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray and UltraStorage Disc on August 3, 2021. A 40th-anniversary edition will be released in 2026.
==== United Kingdom ====
The film was initially released on VHS in September 1987 by Video Gems. This print of the film uses the same master used for the UK theatrical release but excludes the swear words. The film was re-released in February 2000 by Maverick Entertainment.
Maverick would release the film on DVD in November 2001, which once again used the UK print, but used the sound master from the US DVD, which restores Spike's swear. It features an episode from the fourt season as a bonus, alongside the theatrical trailer and a picture gallery. This version was later released on VHS in April 2002, which also contains the fourth season episode. Afterwards, the home video rights transferred over from Maverick to Metrodome Distribution after TV-Loonland AG's purchase of a stake in the company.
In March and June 2003, Prism Leisure released a budget DVD release of the film. Metrodome Distribution released a "reconstructed" version of The Transformers: The Movie in September 2005, which featured a newly remastered version of the film that exposed the entire visible picture from the film's negative. The film was also released on UMD the following month.
In June 2007, Metrodome Distribution released an "Ultimate Edition" two-disc of the movie, which featured the same remastered widescreen print from the 2006 American release on Disc 1, alongside the UK version on Disc 2. Its extras include many from the Remastered edition, plus fan commentary, a fan-made trailer, interviews with Peter Cullen and Flint Dille, and several episodes from season three This was followed up with a UMD reissue and a Blu-ray release in October 2007. This release uses an upscaled version of the 2006 widescreen remaster print, although it lacks bonus features.
In December 2016, Manga Entertainment released the 30th Anniversary Edition as a limited-edition Blu-ray steelbook, and released the standard edition on DVD and Blu-ray a year later. This release uses the same master and prints from the 2016 US release, being released under license from the company. Funimation UK later reissued the Blu-ray and released the movie on 4K Blu-ray and UltraStorage Disc in October 2021, once again using the same prints and masters from the 2016 release.
== Reception ==
=== Initial reception ===
Contemporary film critics had a mostly positive tone. Critics praised the animation, soundtrack, vocal performance, and willingness to take risks and kill off beloved characters, but criticized its nature as a toy commercial. The day after release, Caryn James of The New York Times described the film: "While all this action may captivate young children, the animation is not spectacular enough to dazzle adults, and the Transformers have few truly human elements to lure parents along, even when their voices are supplied by well-known actors."
Scott Cain reported a "packed theater", but complained that "as a jaundiced adult", he "never had the slightest clue as to what was taking place" even after consulting several excited children (who assured him it didn't make sense for them either, but "who loved it anyway") and the four-page studio synopsis (which he couldn't reconcile with what he had seen). He was disappointed that he couldn't identify the voices of several famous actors and concluded that "non-stop action is sufficient for kiddie audiences but ... I am offended that The Transformers is a 90-minute toy commercial. Even worse, it depicts a world where war has become normalized, and society has been conditioned to accept horrors and atrocities."
Similarly, Richard Martin said "It's everything you'd expect from a Saturday morning cartoon blown up to feature length and designed to sell more toys to more kids. [... Unicron is] a monster planet that consumes everything in its path, just as the movie seems set to do." Jack Zink said "Phil Stacker has seen the future, and it is spare parts", calling the film "a wall-to-wall demolition derby for kids". As "an animated, heavy-metal comic book [with a] maddeningly simple story", he said "The art and graphics may be substantially more complex than the TV series but the net visual result is less impressive than most viewers have a right to expect. [...] Not bad for what it is, but not much in the face of precedents like Heavy Metal (1981) and Fritz the Cat (1972)." He said most of its characters are descended from Mad Max and Luke Skywalker, and "have learned the art of the civil insult".
In a contemporary review later published in his Movie & Video Guide, film historian Leonard Maltin gave the picture the lowest possible rating and wrote, "Little more than an obnoxious, feature-length toy commercial...That deafening rock score certainly doesn't help."
The 1987 VHS release remained on the Billboard Top Kid Video Sales top 25 chart for at least 40 weeks.
=== Later reception ===
The review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reports that 82% of the 26 surveyed critics gave The Transformers: The Movie a positive review. The site's critical consensus reads: "A surprisingly dark, emotional, and almost excessively cynical experience for Transformers fans."
Kashann Kilson of Inverse wrote in 2015: "[N]ostalgia is a funny thing: for many of us in the 30-and-over Transformers fan club, that movie was an integral part of our childhood. To hell with what the reviews said—the O.G. Transformers movie rocked our collective worlds ... We still love the original so much today, part of the fun of watching modern explosion-fests is being able to wave our canes at the youngsters and wax poetic about how back in our day, Hollywood knew how to make a real movie about giant, alien robot warriors."
In the late 2010s, Den of Geek published several retrospective reviews focusing on the film's gruesome but quirky tone, and on the traumatic cultural impact of its violence which is heavier than most preceding animated films. In 2018, it said "the shadow of death hung like a black curtain" over the film and called the psychedelic scenes of Unicron's world-eating guts "a futuristic rendering of Dante's Inferno" in "apocalyptic detail".
Category:Johnsonverse