25th Anniversary of Transformers: The Movie

Well now I feel compelled to watch this

What prompted this news post? Was the movie released in theaters today 25 years ago, or is this just a general story reminiscing about the movie?

I know a 25 year old animated movie may not appeal to some newer and younger fans, but if anyone has not seen this movie, PLEASE, watch it. It was the only time I can remember crying because of a movie (granted I was 5 years old). Epic, simply epic.

I'm serious, the only video I watched out of that whole batch was the Autobot Death scene. It never gets old

Although maybe off-screen, didn't Huffer die too?

It Is Him wrote:What prompted this news post? Was the movie released in theaters today 25 years ago, or is this just a general story reminiscing about the movie?

Yeah, 'twas August 8th, 1986, when it was released, this movie.

I've heard lots of stories from transfans who either left the theater crying, or more commonly remember younger children doing so. The only reactions I remember from other children in the theater I saw it in were cries of "Laserbeak!" when he flew onscreen after the credits; finally, something we recognize! I don't remember anyone actually screaming when everything they knew was destroyed a half hour later.

At the age of 7, I was already cynical enough about my favorite cartoons to understand that few had continuity enough for anything to actually change long-term. When commercials for the movie queried, "Does Prime die?", my response was, "Of course not!" And not because I was so attached to Op; having a perfectly stable dad in my life, I found Soundwave to be the more interesting father figure, as he was the dad I wanted to be when I grew up, not the one I wished I had. And even at that age I'd usually get so excited by movie trailers that the actual movie was inevitably a letdown. So when the bodies started piling up, I was shocked all right, but mostly at the fact that this was the one movie I'd ever seen that wasn't what I was expecting in that it was several times better, and remains so to this day. Sure it was sad to see so many characters go, but this ancient space war that had mostly just been alluded to amidst general puttering about in the grand canyon for 2 years was suddenly back in full swing, and the violence carried with its horrible consequences the promise of hope that things could actually change! He-Man never truly defeated Skeletor, the Joes never wiped out Cobra, and Inspector Gadget never got to see what the heck Dr. Claw looked like, but the Autobots actually got Cybertron back!!! Besides some imported anime, I can't think of any '80s cartoon where something of that magnitude actually happened except the Thundercats reclaiming Thundera, and I wouldn't know about that until the Toonami reruns a decade later. Some fans claim they never adjusted to the changes, but I doubt the franchise would have its eternal staying power without that trauma, controversy, and triumph.

I think my family was the last to leave the theater; I insisted on just sitting there staring at Unicron's head until the music stopped. (the amount of country western and folk music played in my house played a part in that decision as well) I was in a state of euphoria that I never wanted to end. I ended up liking the post-movie cartoon way better as well, and every time I hear Rodimus Prime bashed, it just makes me feel even more loyal to him as the true successor to Optimus. His mediating of galactic peace talks in "The Quintesson Journal" just seems like a more admirable legacy than Optimus lecturing his subordinates while burying other robots alive that he couldn't ethically shoot.

Maybe I shouldn't bring up something that polarizing, but it's just what sprang to mind. And Optimus seemed even greater as a legend to inspire the Autobots who survived, right?

Awesome!

There really should be a 25th Anniversary Edition of the Movie, with remastered graphics. Basically, like Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary but with Transformers.

I had to rewatch this film today, still great after all this time. There was a big facebook group that watched it together and commented as we watched, good times.

Also, I'm on a podcast with a few friends, and this week we discussed TF:TM the entire show. I'll post a link to our blog and podcast when it's up, assuming that kind of thing is allowed on the boards?

I found out the most important thing about this movie from my Uncle before I even saw the movie. He owned a toy shop and I asked why he didn't stock Optimus Prime anymore (even though I already had him). He told me Optimus Prime dies in the movie and he only had the new toys. I ended up taking Galvatron home that day. I don't remember seeing it in the theatre but I have vivid memories watching it on VHS and my parents talking about the vibrant colors during Hot Rod and Daniel's trip up to Lookout Mountain. I love this movie, it is the best of the current 4 Transformers movies.

New Favorites: Hot Rod

LAWL!!!!!!

I didn't see it opening day but I saw it the week after with my Grandfather as he was the one tasked to take me and suffer through the "cartoon silliness." 25 years later my Grandfather is long gone but the memory of that day remains as does my love of Transformers. I hope someday a brand, toy, or property comes along that captures a generations imagination like Transformers has.

First time I saw it I was in California visiing an Aunt & Uncle & cousins. Watched it on a rented VHS which I dubbed so I could take it home. That was 2 years after it was out in theatres. I still have to fight back tears when I see Optimus sacrifice himself in defense of Earth and Autobot City.

I was born the year this was released, so what I remember about first seeing this movie was the video store calling our house time and time again because I wouldn't give it back XD;

Seriously, I must've rented that movie at least two dozen times. I also remember when I heard about the "uncut" version with the swear word, which at the time was illegal in the US. So, I ordered a Canadian version of the VHS and was blown away! Then DVDs came out and made all that obsolete.

This little reminiscence has inspired me to invite a few friends over, crack open a few beers and let the good times commence. Thanks for giving me a reason to socialize, Seibertron!

I was a big fan of the 1st two seasons of the show and the toys. I had a lot of them. I was not lucky enough to have parents who would take me to see the movie, but I did buy the comics so I knew the story. It was hard for me to get into season three because of the drastic changes and my interests moved on to other things. I remember having Ultra Magnus, but not any other movie toys.

Anyway, as big of a fan that I am, I did not see the movie until I was about 30 when I got back into Transformers. It is now my favorite animated movie and my kids love it too.

It is a comfort movie. I can put it on almost anytime.

i rewatched it last nite.

good stuff. U GOT THE TOUCH

For me the first time I saw the movie I was like 15.(back in 97) There was only one video store here in town that had a copy of it(the old Video City)and every chance I got I would beg my mom to rent it. Most of the time I would just go pick it up on the bus, and this one time I even walked all the way downtown from my mom's house just to rent it and was pouring rain that day. Oh the cold I had after that.*lol* Ah fun times fun times. Srsly I think I broke the re-wind button on the vcr back then. Between buying Beast Wars figures and watching this movie, as if it had cancer curing medicine, it made me a TF fan for life.

On one side note. Can any of picture what it'll be like when we are all old men/gals and we're sitting at w/e retirement home we live at getting all hyped up at the 50th ann. of TF:the movie?

Just a little food for thought.


Also I wonder if a mechtech weapon would fit on top of Hotrod in vehicle mode??????

a movie to be celebrated unlike the other 3

I'm not afraid to admit it, but this still is my favorite movie of all time!

For all you new fans from the movies/comics/what have you... this is where it all really began.
A lot of you have already said what I might say.
I think I was 8 or so when I first saw it, me and my cousin would watch it everyday for the month I spent visiting (and then acted out the scenes afterwards like mini-tards )
But really, this is the definitive video representation of the Transformers the way they should have always been. The death of heroes, the insanely killer music and metal score, UNICRON! all wrapped up in the cheesiest sandwich ever
I've probably seen it a 100 times. Hell, thats probably an under-estimate.
My favourite scene is the transformation of Megatron to Galvatron. The dialogue between Unicron and Megatron in that scene is just sick; two forces of evil, one being forced into submission... Galvatron being voiced by Leonard Nimoy?! Add Cyclonus, the BRUTAL death of Starscream after that... I could go on.
This movie is just too amazing, and I would rate it one of the top 5 sci-fi flicks ever, even amongst live action films.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOhnKIVLzOw

Oh my God I love this movie! I've seen it a hundred times.

I remember seeing the ads in comic books for this before it came it and getting super excited. It was just my mom and myself and she worked alot, usually evenings, so we never really got to go to the theater to see anything, which turned out to not matter so much as no theater in the area where we lived got the movie back then so my first time seeing it was when it came out on video. I remember riding my bike to the video store and getting it. I was blown away by the animation and the music, then devastated by all the Autobots deaths, especially Optimus Prime's. Overall, it just felt epic and inspiring that the Autobots could end up overcoming something as enormous and evil as Unicron (and yes, I actually liked Hot Rod and got chills when you hear Optimus's voice as he become Rodimus, still I'd have rather had Optimus alive and well). I watched it over and over and would end up renting it occasionally until the video store sold their copy, which I bought. Since then I have bought the movie on DVD and then again on DVD with the 20th anniversary edition. At one point as a kid I remember putting a tape recorder near the tv to record some of the songs, then later on I found the soundtrack on cassette at a store and listened to it for years until I found a place that could special order the CD. Now I've got the 20th anniversary edition soundtrack and still listen to it,especially when driving. If I ever drive to a place called Lookout Mountain I am totally cranking "Dare"!

I haven't seen this Movie in awhile
It's awesome

I saw this movie about a month ago. It's a lot better when you watch season 1-2 then the movie then season 3-5 after. I originally watched the movie by itself a few years ago and was completely lost. After seeing all the G1 episodes I realize the big role it played in the entire G1 franchise/story.

i still remmber seeing this and the gi joe movie in the theaters

Still my favorite movie of all time.

I don't have time to write down how good this movie is. It's among my all time favorites. I saw it right before I turned 14, and it's what really got me into transformers again.

I have this movie on VHS. I'm definately going to try to watch it today...on my old, tiny, discolored, POS TV with a built in VCR. The only VCR we own anymore.

The first time I wached this movie, the only series that I knew of where Beast Wars and Armada. I went to Blockbuster to see if by chance they'd have a TF Armada movie (I was like 7 or . And I ran across this. I don't remember my reaction to the movie though. All I know is that I thought "WTF?" at one point after watching it.

I been a fan of Transformers since 1985 ,and remember all the ads that lead up to the Movie in the summer of 86 .My MOM said to me and my sister they would never kill Prime ,it a "cartoon" ,my sister and i disagreed with her ,and we were right .When we saw the movie(in the theater) we were blow away .I was 11 and yes i cried my sister cried ,(she was 13 ) but that is the price of war .The scene with Megatron's transformation shocked us .I did not get to see it on opening day ,but a little later (Aug 23) ,but at least i didn't have too many friends who saw it ,so it was all a ride .I am surprised about how many fans have not seen it ,i guess it not as important as i think it is ,to me it changed Transformers .I love all the Bay movies (unlike a lot of G1ers i know )But this movie will always be the best .Till All Are One .......... dam now i get why i got ask what that meant ,i thought the person on that post was joking ,i can understand if this was facebook and all but i thought if you are a TF fan you would know this Movie ,sorry still shocked by that .Idem of note last night had fun watching the Movie at the same time with a group on facebook page Transformers season 5 ,even Paul Eiding was posting with us (he is a great guy ) .Sorry about the rant .Wait no i am not

i saw this in theaters like many of us but it was a very interesting outcome.

i obviously was a huge fan at the time, hence why i went to see it but i was just a wee lad of 9. i clearly remember coming out the theater disappointed, i didnt like it at all. i dont remember any particular reason but knowing my age and all, i'm willing to bet its because it focused on new characters i didnt know or care for and pushed everyone else aside.

the funny thing is that about a year later, they played the movie one saturday morning and i got all excited and recorded it on VHS as i watched. for some reason i now loved the movie and found it awesome, wasnt sure what changed in a year but i was definately a fan. lol i actually used a tape that already had stuff on it and mis-calculated so i had to switch tapes for the last 20mins or so of the movie. of course this didnt happen during a commercial so i missed about 10 seconds of the movie. and until that canadian company released the vhs in the mid 90s, my only way to watch was that tape. it was filled with transformers, g.i. joe, my little pony and potato head kids toy commercials but i just fast forwarded through em each time i watched, and i watched it a lot. lol

i of course eventually got the rhino dvd and then the 20th anniversary disc from sony. (its already been 5yrs since that came out? damn lol) and i'm more than willing to buy it on blu-ray if it ever hits here on north america.

but yeah, i dont know why i hated it at first and loved it a year later but i'm special that way i guess. lol as for all the deaths, Prime's didnt affect me in the least...its Starscream that hurt and pissed me off the most. he was my fav character and while autobots were dying left and right, he was the only decepticon to bite it. though it was a great death and fitting considering who did it so least he had that. lol

oh and further proof to how poorly it did in theaters, i went with my brother, a friend, my mom and his mom and including us 5, there were maybe 9 people in the theater. lol

so yeah, i think i might have to watch this later tonight and see Hot Rod in all his pink glory.

It's funny but anyone else remember how this became a cult hit of sorts in the mid-90's due to the music. I know people who like this movie but have no clue about Transformers.

i loved this movie. i was not born when it was in theaters but i saw it on VHS when it was out. i cried so hard when prime died. watching it now im upset even more to see my favorite characters die

chuckdawg1999 wrote:It's funny but anyone else remember how this became a cult hit of sorts in the mid-90's due to the music. I know people who like this movie but have no clue about Transformers.

HOW CAN THEY DO THAT

Love this movie!

Both me and my son were compelled to watch it today, in its entirety, in honour of the great event.

Doubledealer93 wrote:

chuckdawg1999 wrote:It's funny but anyone else remember how this became a cult hit of sorts in the mid-90's due to the music. I know people who like this movie but have no clue about Transformers.

HOW CAN THEY DO THAT

Yea, I do remember this. I pretty much only got to see it in the 90s since the movie came out when I was born, and on top of that, I wasn't living in the west up until the late 90s (but I still discovered it before moving to the west).
The people I shared this movie with... a lot of them liked it for the music and all, but yea, they didn't quite form the connection I had made, and retained till now.
Now, I don't share the TF movie with people who I know who won't really appreciate it at the depth I do (you just know who) and save it for the enlightened to enjoy with their open mind instead. Cult classics are for the kvlt

Friend of mine quoted Springer on facebook a while ago. Then i saw this thread. Hadn't realised the anniversary was yesterday but have since felt compelled 2 watch the film. have it on as I type. Can't believe it's a year since I saw it on the big screen at Auto Assembly. I did see it in the cinema in Oct 87. That's when we got it. Ireland was ridiculously slow getting films in the 80's.

i like this movie i really do i jus hate all that cheesy ass music,i mean come on.cheesy 80's music.

Windsweeper wrote:Friend of mine quoted Springer on facebook a while ago.

Was it... "I've got better things to do tonight than die"?

freakzero1981 wrote:i like this movie i really do i jus hate all that cheesy ass music,i mean come on.cheesy 80's music.

No way, the music adds so much to the movie.

freakzero1981 wrote:i like this movie i really do i jus hate all that cheesy ass music,i mean come on.cheesy 80's music.

Odd statement coming from a guy with a name like "freakzero1981"........odd indeed.

I remember going to the theatre with my older sister and she bawled when OP died. As a kid I was pretty shocked to see all the deaths and carnage right from the get go.

Nevertheless....it's the best TF movie to date by far and i haven't watched in a good year of two. So now knowing it's the anniversary i'm watching it as i type.

stoked

I got to see this in the theater when I was 9 and I loved it. Then when it was released on VHS a year later, one of my 5th grade classes was going to watch it until Spike dropped the famous "s-bomb". The teacher shut it off and we were so bummed.....

I finally got a dubbed VHS copy from a cousin who worked at a video store in Detroit. I literally wore the tape out, I watched it so much.

Menasorwheels wrote:I got to see this in the theater when I was 9 and I loved it. Then when it was released on VHS a year later, one of my 5th grade classes was going to watch it until Spike dropped the famous "s-bomb". The teacher shut it off and we were so bummed.....

Another reason why this movie rules, by breaking more of em

I was 10 years old when this epic movie came out. Even though I only owned Smokescreen at the tome, Transformers was my life. Unfortunately I had to wait til the movie was broken up into parts during season 5 to see it. My household couldn't really afford frequent trips to the movie at the time. Once I saw it and was able to put pictures to all the unbelievable things I had heard from my schoolmates, I still could not believe my eyes. Most of the 1st series characters killed off, Prime dead, the Quitessons? I could go on and on. It was probably the most life altering movie I had ever seen til that age. When a child has that much of an emotional investment into a toy franchise even in just to years (and that is about 5 years in child years) you become attached to those characters. They are real to you. I still hold that emotional attachment til this day as many of us Trans Fans do. It is a part of my childhood that I get to revisit and reminisce on fondly. Happy 25th anniversary Transformers: The Movie. Thanks for the fond memories.

I was also 10 years old and the neat part to add to this story for me is that it was released on my birthday, yeah, my birthday is 8-8! I can't recall if I saw it that weekend but probably not as I may have been visiting relatives in NY because that's what we normally did at the time for my birthday. Anyway, its the one movie that certainly will always be on the top of my list of life altering movies. I would be among many that when Prime died, it was an obvious sad moment. I'll never understand why they went in that direction with that movie to kill off the characters that they did and for many to disappear by the time season 3 came along. We would assume they all got killed. That's why I feel we need a season 4 to maybe tie it all up together and end it on a much better note than Rebirth.

I saw this movie when i was 12 and still the best movie ever and G1 cartoons are just awesome!

My favorite quotes are: Starscream to Megatron as he tosses him out of Astrotrain: Oh how it pains me to do this!

And

Starscream's Coronation: Who disrupts my Coronation, Galvatron: Coronation Starscream, this is bad comedy--Boom! Starscream is no more and now a ghost.

LOST Cybertronian wrote:Some old favorites met their demise.

[*]Brawn
[*]Windcharger
[*]Wheeljack

These deaths were never confirmed within the narrative of the series.

The death of Unicron

Unicron did not die.

Mike Angel wrote:That's why I feel we need a season 4 to maybe tie it all up together and end it on a much better note than Rebirth.

You should be interested in the Takara Collection DVD set coming out next year then: it lops off The Rebirth and replaces it three whole seasons of G1. Well, Headmasters really ties up the loose ends from the Sunbow toon, and then Masterforce lets a few too many Sentai elements creep in for my taste, but it's worth sitting through that to get to Victory, which has few familiar faces, but gives Japanese G1 a high note for a final season. Of course, the Zone OVA and a few manga series continue after that, and I'm not sure how good they are but many here have read them.

Oh, and a lot of classic characters' names are different in J-continuity...or maybe you know all of this already and just mean you'd have preferred a proper American season 4. Did all of Sunbow's shows grind to a halt in '87 due to their financial mismanagement or something? I remember how mad some U.S. fans were back in 1990 when GIJoe came back with new eps but not TF, though those 2 seasons produced by DIC aren't very highly regarded by Joe fans.

Back to TFTM...oh yeah, I remember how much it meant to me when I finally found the original soundtrack in '96: the second CD I ever owned. My parents then bought a VHS copy from the town's video store as an Easter present when I finished my first year of college 2 years later, along with the big-box tapes of More Than Meets the Eye and The Ultimate Doom. Man, the '90s just seemed like such a wasteland in which it was so hard to find any relics of what I loved from the '80s that stuff like that really meant something, you know? I never take my DVD box sets for granted because I remember how ecstatic I'd have been to find the tape of 5 Faces of Darkness at the same store.

Bumblevivisector wrote:

Mike Angel wrote:That's why I feel we need a season 4 to maybe tie it all up together and end it on a much better note than Rebirth.

You should be interested in the Takara Collection DVD set coming out next year then: it lops off The Rebirth and replaces it three whole seasons of G1. Well, Headmasters really ties up the loose ends from the Sunbow toon, and then Masterforce lets a few too many Sentai elements creep in for my taste, but it's worth sitting through that to get to Victory, which has few familiar faces, but gives Japanese G1 a high note for a final season. Of course, the Zone OVA and a few manga series continue after that, and I'm not sure how good they are but many here have read them.

Oh, and a lot of classic characters' names are different in J-continuity...or maybe you know all of this already and just mean you'd have preferred a proper American season 4. Did all of Sunbow's shows grind to a halt in '87 due to their financial mismanagement or something? I remember how mad some U.S. fans were back in 1990 when GIJoe came back with new eps but not TF, though those 2 seasons produced by DIC aren't very highly regarded by Joe fans.

Back to TFTM...oh yeah, I remember how much it meant to me when I finally found the original soundtrack in '96: the second CD I ever owned. My parents then bought a VHS copy from the town's video store as an Easter present when I finished my first year of college 2 years later, along with the big-box tapes of More Than Meets the Eye and The Ultimate Doom. Man, the '90s just seemed like such a wasteland in which it was so hard to find any relics of what I loved from the '80s that stuff like that really meant something, you know? I never take my DVD box sets for granted because I remember how ecstatic I'd have been to find the tape of 5 Faces of Darkness at the same store.

Up until the late 90's a lot of 80's cartoons were still in syndication; somewhere.

As we're sure most of you are aware August 8th marked the 25th anniversary of Transformers: The Movie. To coincide with the silver anniversary Shawn Jones has been kind enough to share some images of a unique piece of Transformers: The Movie memorabilia. Below you'll find images for a rare promotional standee for the f.h.e. VHS release of the film from his personal collection. As you can see the piece is in pristine condition and he even has the original packaging and instructions.

That's a pretty awesome display piece. Thanks for sharing!