Transformers: The Movie

Voices of: Peter Cullen, Orson Welles, Robert Stack, Leonard Nimoy, Dan Gilvezan, Casey Kasem, Judd Nelson, Neil Ross, Frank Welker
Directed by: Nelson Shin
Rating: PG
Genre: Animation, Action, Adventure
1986

Times Seen:
Tim: 3

Summary: The Autobots face the Decepticons in an all-out war that threatens the future of the galaxy.

Review:

Tim: I remember seeing this movie in the theater when I was four years old. I was obsessed with Transformers at that point, so it was a fairly big event in my young life. The funny thing is, I remember coming home and feeling this vague sense of disappointment. I didn't have enough mental capacity to process those complex feelings, but I wasn't blown away by what I saw. Much of this undoubtedly had to do with the fact that (Spoiler alert for a 30-year old movie) Optimus Prime dies in the movie. I still remember being upset and perplexed by that. But, as I comb the recesses of my memory, I recall just not liking the movie all that much. Fast forward three decades and I rewatched this movie as an adult. My 4-year old self knew something intuitively that I can now put into words- this movie isn't very good at all.

Honestly, this movie is pretty bad. It hasn't held up at all. I give it some leeway because it's a product of the mid-80s, but even by those standards, there's not a whole lot to be excited about here. The music is too in-your-face and disruptive. It doesn't support the story, it drowns it out. That happened on occasion in the 80s, but it was especially bad here. The animation was fine- at times, it was beautiful, at times it felt rushed. The story is a bit of a mess. It might have made more sense if you had routinely watched the animated series leading up to the film, but coming in cold, it felt like a jumbled mess. I can't imagine how adults in 1986 got through the movie. So much is thrown up on the screen- it feels overwhelming, rather than a logical story that progresses with momentum. Honestly, all this contributed to a general sense of dissociating from the events on screen. I was never engaged in the story or the characters.

The voice cast is pretty good, which makes the lackluster film feel even more disappointing. It was fun hearing Orson Welles' voice, but it's sad this posthumous film didn't live up to his talent. I liked hearing Leonard Nimoy and Peter Cullen as well. I never realized Judd Nelson and Casey Kasem had roles in the film, either. All in all, this movie does boast a solid voice cast.

It's odd seeing this film today because I can still remember how much I loved "Transformers" as a kid. It was my all-time favorite cartoon and toys in the earliest part of my life. The things we treasure often lose some of their value when we look at them with our experienced (sometimes jaded) eyes. Even though I watch this movie now and recognize the myriad flaws throughout it, it doesn't tarnish the memory of seeing this at four years old. I might not have loved the movie even then, but I remember being incredibly excited about my parents taking me to see it. In that sense, this is a hugely influential movie for me. It helped to fan the flame of my love of movies. So, Transformers: The Movie might be pretty bad, but it's nonetheless an important movie to my life.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: The Last Unicorn