THE TRANSFORMERS: THE MOVIE (1986)
For a generation of fans, Michael Bay’s live-action TRANSFORMERS (2007) is their gateway to the iconic franchise that remains one of the most popular and well-known toy lines. Or maybe it’s the underrated spinoff BUMBLEBEE or the more criminally overlooked animated film TRANSFORMERS: ONE. Every generation has its favorite interpretation of the Autobots and Decepticons. It’s shocking to think that for a few years there were no Transformers shows, movies, or even toys. I still remember one day being at K-Mart (remember that store?), and there were no more Transformers toys on the shelves. As the years went by, I didn’t play with the toys anymore and rarely rewatched the original The Transformers animated series. But one aspect of the original series and toys that I would still see for years on VHS and DVD and that has been part of my passion for films is the cult classic—THE TRANSFORMERS: THE MOVIE (1986).
It is a continuation of the original animated series of the 1980s that introduced us to now legendary characters like Optimus Prime and Megatron. Names and characters that are part of our pop culture that we now can meet at theme parks like Universal Studios. Like the television series, THE TRANSFORMERS: THE MOVIE (1986) was created to capitalize on the popularity of the toys. The plot is simple-the Autobots and Decepticons are at war with each other, and to make the story on a larger scale, we are introduced to a new, bigger, and badder villain called Unicorn. It was not a hit and, for some young fans, not well-liked (more on that later). But it was an astonishing creation and a product of its time, yet also in some ways is timeless.
It’s rare nowadays to see many hand-drawn animated films. Sometimes when we see old cartoons from the 1980s or 1990s, some may look better than others. Not every animated film from that era had that Disney quality or attention to detail either, but this film shockingly did. It could have just been one long episode of the series, and instead we get these familiar characters that look bolder and brighter. Shadows and attention to detail in their faces we didn’t get on Saturday morning. Beautiful and terrifying sequences that even as a child I had a hard time comprehending what I was watching, yet I loved it. One sequence involves the “transformation” of Megatron that is so damn cool. The film is also a space epic, similar to Star Wars films, so we meet new planets and Transformers that are drawn so creatively that it makes this film much more eye-dazzling than the original series. It could have been a lazy cash-in, but the filmmakers went above and beyond what was probably expected. Director Nelson Shin and his team of animators showed a lot of passion for what some may have seen as just a long, bloated commercial for new toys. The final confrontation between Megatron and Optimus Prime is animated on a level that still can make me emotional. We had seen these two characters fight before on TV, but not on a level that was so comprehensive and suspenseful.
The theme to the animated series is as iconic as any of the memorable ones from that era. “Transformers!!!.. More than meets the eye!” That’s a jingle to sell toys. But then this movie goes in a completely new direction. A new rock version of The Transformers theme by the band Lion kicks off the movie with such an awesome drum sound; it still gets me hyped each time before the title credits roll. As a kid hearing this for the first time, it was amazing; this is not just a cartoon. This is epic! The film is filled with 1980s rock songs, and a score from the composer who did ROCKY IV (1985), Vince DiCola. It doesn’t get any 1980s as that. Oh wait it does: there’s a track by “Weird Al” Yankovic called “Dare to be Stupid.” And you can’t talk about this movie without its most popular song, “The Touch” by Stan Bush. The main track of the movie at its most dramatic scenes. To this today I think it remains the unofficial song of the franchise. I will admit Linkin Park’s “What I’ve Done” isn’t that bad either. “The Touch” is still performed live at fan events and conventions. It will always lift my spirits, and it kicks so much ass I don’t think I can further articulate how much I love it. A fun fact is that most audiences will recognize the song from probably a much different and well-known movie. It's a “little film” called BOOGIE NIGHTS (1997). Who would have thought the greatest filmmakers of our generation, Paul Thomas Anderson, would use a song for Optimus Prime for his porn star protagonist, Dirk Diggler.
If the songs were not 1980s enough, then the voice actors certainly are. First of all, the film uses all the original voices from the animated series. Legendary voice actors like Peter Cullen as Optimus Prime and Frank Welker as Megatron are in the film, as are many fan favorites from the animated series. A quality that, as a kid, you immediately recognize. But we are introduced to many new characters with some recognizable names. You have our new young Autobot Hot Rod voiced by Judd Nelson from THE BREAKFAST CLUB (1985). Leanord Nimoy voices our new Decepticon villain Galvatron, and Orson freaking Welles voices a monster planet named Unicorn. The man who made CITIZEN KANE (1941) plays a Transformer. Also, as a kid I recognized the voice of another new Autobot named Ultra Magnus. I always thought the voice sounded familiar and later learned it was the voice of actor Robert Stack. But everyone may know him as the host of the original Unsolved Mysteries. Again, the casting of these voice actors is so memorable because they are so distinct and familiar—it elevates the movie from the animated show.
What is the biggest difference from the show to the movie? That’s an easy answer—the violence and deaths of many of our favorite characters. One can say that the deaths of many of the original Autobots and Decepticons from the animated series ruin the whole movie. Initially, they were probably right. As a kid, no one likes to see their toys and characters from their favorite cartoon gunned down with flames coming out of their face and Autobot corpses being dragged during battle. I remember seeing the first Autobot deaths as a kid and thinking they were going to be repaired, right? I was really wrong. Looking back as an adult, there is a scene where a character gets sacrificed to Sharticons who eat him alive. Just one of the many shocking images in I can’t believe that made it into a film for kids who still play with toys. I wasn’t traumatized, but I’m sure some kids were even in the 1980s. There are even a couple curse words thrown in; I’m sure it helped give it a PG rating, which is rare for an animated film. No one dies in the show, and it's so shocking. It's no surprise this was not a critical or box office success because it was too different than what was on TV.
SPOILER ALERT! You cannot talk about THE TRANSFORMERS: THE MOVIE (1986) without mentioning what everyone who has heard about this film probably knows: our favorite hero Optimus Prime dies. It is the most memorable scene and what distinguishes the movie from the show. He is what everyone thinks of when you mention Transformers and arguably everyone's favorite character. A selfless leader and, to some, a father figure colored red, white, and blue that can transform into a kick-ass semi-truck. Probably one of the coolest toys you can own as a kid. What does the movie do but kill him not even halfway through the film?! I remember seeing it for the first time on television and being so shocked I ran to my mom in the kitchen to tell her Optimus Prime died (or at least that’s how I remember it). I didn’t cry but was confused and so anxious for the rest of the movie. I didn’t even know Transformers can actually die?! We know now this decision was made to sell more toys and usher in new heroes to root for, but it didn’t work. It’s like if they killed off one of the four Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to introduce a new turtle. What the hell are they thinking in those toy company boardrooms?! I didn’t know at the time Optimus Prime had been resurrected in the animated series (Made sense because I got an Optimus Prime for Christmas that year). As a kid, I thought the movie was the end of Transformers, so I saw it as a conclusion to a great story. I didn’t know there was a whole season continuing where the movie picks up. Who would watch that without Optimus Prime? Maybe that’s why I don’t remember those episodes on TV or at the video store as a kid. I thought he was dead forever until I discovered a VHS of the series as a teenager titled “The Return of Optimus Prime.” I wish I knew that existed as a kid to ease my pain.
However, I think most would agree that killing off Optimus Prime hurt the original show and first generation of toys, but in the long run it made the film and the character more iconic. When Optimus Prime dies, it was my first realization that even our heroes don’t always make it. Great leaders sacrifice and never give up, but it’s not always a happy ending. For every kid, death is a hard thing to understand, but it’s a part of life. Even as an adult, it’s not easy to cope with loss. It’s not a surprise some of the best Disney movies have a traumatic scene of a parental character dying, like THE LION KING (1994) and BAMBI (1942). Sometimes new leaders emerge from trauma, and we have to move past our losses to fight to survive and what we believe in. We grow up. The film establishes that the character is something beyond just a toy who turns into a truck. His death is the result of him being selfless, brave, and a protector to all those he cares about, which is a human quality that we admire and hope our leaders to be. It probably was not meant to be that deep when it first came out, but only the audience can decide how a story or character will mean to them no matter the intention of the filmmaker. While he is dying, Optimus Prime says, “Until that day, til all are one.” That optimism of peace amongst war embodies the character that still resonates with me and many today. ‘Til all are one.
THE TRANSFORMERS: THE MOVIE (1986) can currently be found streaming on most video-on-demand platforms such as Prime Video and YouTube, and will be re-released in theaters next month in celebration of its 40th anniversary.
