Transformers 1986 movie review
This is a movie review. So All pictures and vidoes used in this are valid under the terms of the fair use agreement of 1976.
“Transformers, more than meets the eye.”
With those words began one of the most iconic franchises. The Transformers were a big part of my own youth in the 1980’s. Which was why I got excited at the advertisements for the 1986 movie. Little did I know how iconic and controversial this movie would become. So, to pay respect to one of my favorite franchises I decided to review Transformers: 1986.
It is true I saw this movie twice in the theater. But it was a delight when my wonderful girlfriend Peach Wookiee sent me a copy on DVD. I love you Peach you are awesome! With that out of the way…on with the review!
The year is 2005 in the Transformers universe. Events will soon occur that will change things forever.
In the depths of space, a giant and malevolent planet approaches another. The populace of the unsuspecting world is unaware of how their day is about to get messed up. Adding to the malevolence is the musical score by Vince DiCola. The planet gets identified as Unicron and ends up consuming the other world and everyone on it. Right before Unicron turns its attention in another direction.
Gee could the prologue be trying to say something to the audience. That’s a very strong possibility.
Elsewhere in space all is not well in the war between the Autobots and Decepticons. The planet Cybertron is now under the full control of the Decepticons. But from two of Cybertron’s moons the Autobots are planning to take it back.
Laserbeak gets dispatched to spy on the Autobots. And learns that they’re very close to having the energon needed to take back Cybertron. Optimus Prime orders Ironhide to make a special run to Autobot city on earth. There he's to get the energon needed for the final push.
Meanwhile Spike Whitwacky and Bumblebee are on the second Moon. They're helping to keep track of things on Cybertron. Spike is now grown up and he and the humans are helping the Autobots prepare for their final push. What would a war be without an all or nothing final push? Those are the kind of odds that are relatable.
Laserbeak flies back to Megatron with this information. The Decepticon leader sees this as his chance to destroy the Autobots once and for all.
Megatron is one of the characters voiced by voice acting legend Frank Welker. Starscream, Megatron's adjutant gets voiced by the late great Chris Latta. He wants to go after the moon bases to take down the Autobots.
But Megatron makes it clear his adjutant is being short sighted. Taking out Autobot city would cut their enemies off from any energon supplies. From a reasoned standpoint that is a smart way to go about things. And the way Megatron goes about it is even more diabolical. A large Decepticon force raids the shuttle enroute to Earth.
Ironhide, Rachet, and some of the first generation Autobots die in the attack.
. One thing I’ll say about 80’s kids movies is they didn’t hold back. Hence why Transformers 1986 is a movie with a very large body count of characters, yikes! My own girlfriend admitted when Ironhide died she was heartbroken. Well, every fan of the G1 series has their favorite characters.
On Earth Daniel, Spike’s son, is fishing with the Autobot Hot Rod. David Mandenhall voiced Daniel Whitwacky. Hot Rod got portrayed by a man who is a true 80’s icon Judd Nelson. And I have to say he showed in this movie he’s got some real voice acting chops. From The Breakfast Club and St. Elmo’s Fire to a Nerd icon.
One must show respect for an actor who can do it all.
When they spot the shuttle, they go to check it out. And it’s clear that Daniel and Hot Rod have a brothers type relationship.
After Daniel crashes his jet glider enroute Hot Rod catches him and the two make their way to Lookout Point. And in the process, they smash through a stop sign and irk Kup. The part of the grizzled Autobot war veteran got played by Lionel Stander.
Things take a turn for the worse when Daniel and Hot Rod spot the hole in the shuttle. They also spot the Decepticons aboard. Hot Rod fires on the shuttle and blows it up. But it’s already too late as Megatron and his Decepticon forces emerge and begin their attack. Kup, Hot Rod, and Daniel race towards Autobot city.
The Autobot scientist Preceptor as played by Paul Elding spots the attack force. The city commander Ultra Magnus, played by Robert Stack, orders everyone into action. At this point the story introduces Springer as played by series veteran Neil Ross. It also introduces Arcee as played by Susan Blu. Chaos breaks out as the Autobots seek to keep Megatron from destroying the city.
And it’s clear this time Megatron is playing for keeps
They manage to get a signal out. The problem is Blaster, played by Buster Jones is unsure if anyone got it. The attack lasts all night and into the day. Boy Megatron is sure determined to win this one. Little does Megatron know the signal did get through.
As dusk turns into dawn Megatron orders the Consstructicons to merge into Devastator. The giant robot begins tearing through Autobot city’s defenses.
But all is not lost as another shuttle arrives. Optimus Prime and the Dinobots are on board. The iconic Peter Cullen plays the Autobot leader.
He orders Grimlock, played by Gregg Berger, to destroy Devastator. Optimus Prime ordering someone on his team to kill? Oh yeah it seems Optimus has decided he’s not playing around anymore either. This is going to get good.
Devastator tries to fight back. But the Dinobots take down Devastator with brute force and numbers. As the shuttle lands Optimus declares, “Megatron must be stopped no matter the cost.”
Optimus enters the fight and ends up taking out many of the Decepticons. The Touch by Stan Bush plays adding to the epic feel of the scene. In fact, the entire soundtrack including the works of Vince Dicola are iconic.
The song also shows this is the final showdown between Megatron and Optimus. This becomes clear when Optimus says, “One shall stand, one shall fall!”
Yeah, neither leader is playing games anymore!
During the fight Megatron begs Optimus for his life. He's trying to appeal to the Autobot's sense of honor. This is where Optimus made a big mistake. Villains like Megatron don’t understand mercy. Optimus should’ve shot him dead in the name of practicality.
Hot Rod comes in looking to help Optimus take down Megatron. The Decepticon leader uses Hot Rod as a shield and gives Optimus severe injuries. But the Autobot leader pays him back in kind. Starscream orders the Decepticons to retreat. All board Astrotrain and take off for Cybertron.
The character of Astrotrain got voiced by Jack Angel.
In the hospital Optimus Prime passes on the Matrix of leadership to Ultra Magnus. Then Prime prophesizes that another leader will rise from their ranks. Optimus finishes his speech with the iconic “Till all are one.”
This scene in Transformers made me cry when I was younger. Peter Cullen’s dying speech while heart wrenching was so brilliant! Also, this scene caused quite a bit of controversy. So much so that Hasbro and Sunbow had people calling them up threatening them. Geez neither company realized how iconic Optimus Prime had become.
Unicron has been watching events going on. And he is not pleased at the way things have turned out. Why is a giant sentient evil planet interested in this artifact? Hmmm, very interesting.
Meanwhile Astrotrain explains he can’t make it back to Cybertron. At least not without getting rid of some weight. Starscream who’s made his desire to be leader known decides now is the time to act. The Decepticons toss Skywarp, Thundercracker, and the Insecticons out. And the near dead Decepticons drift off into space.
Starscream tosses Megatron into the void. On a side note, Starscream for all his bravado is not the smartest Decepticon. He even under duress once admitted to Megatron in the series, “I’m stupid, I’m stupid!”
What Starscream should’ve done is toss Megatron into space and then shot him dead for good measure. Or better still he should've shot him dead at Autobot city. That would've sent a message to the other Decepticons not to mess with him. But he didn’t do either of those things. Ah overconfidence, it can come back to bite even the most brilliant of backstabbers in the rear.
Starscream will find out in due time. The Decepticons take to fighting each other for who is going to become the leader. Yeah, not the best way to start off one’s reign as the head of an Empire of evil.
Meanwhile Megatron and the near dead Decepticons float into the path of Unicron. The role of the sentient monster planet went to the legendary Orson Welles. Now it’s of note that Welles had a reputation over the years of being rather hard to work with. And with Transformers he didn’t get what he was getting into. He thought of it was a giant toy fighting smaller toys.
He didn’t recognize the scope of the story he was taking part in. Also, this was his last role before his death. So, his voice had deteriorated a lot. The creators of this movie had to do some real synth work to get his voice right. But still the result is Wells’ character is menacing and terrifying.
Wells didn’t understand the material. But the fact remains that for his last role he went out with a bang.
Megatron ends up making a Faustian deal with the proverbial devil in Unicron. He transforms Megatron into a new robot named Galvatron. This character got voiced to perfection by the late great Leonard Nimoy.
Skywarp, Thundercracker, and the Insecticons are also changed. Skywarp, Shrapnel, and Kickback are first. They become Scourge the tracker and his Huntsman the Sweeps. Bombshell and Thundercracker become Cyclonus and his Armada. Unicron then gives Galvatron a ship and orders him to go and destroy the Autobot Matrix.
How is the matrix a threat to Unicron as he admitted. This keeps getting more and more fascinating.
On Cybertron Starscream is in the middle of his coronation.
Then Galvatron crashes the party and calls it bad comedy. Starscream asks if it's Megatron. "Here's a hint," is the response from Galvatron.
That's right before he shoots Starscream dead in cannon form. Like the saying goes eff around and find out. But it wasn't as though Starscream didn't have it coming.
Starscream didn’t kill Megatron and now he’s paid the price. Such is the fate of all traitors. The other Decepticons realize Galvatron isn’t messing around. So, they fall in line behind him.
Meanwhile Unicron consumes both moons of Cybertron. It should be of note that among the Autobots captured by Unicron was Jazz. The part of Jazz got played by the late Scatman Crothers. And this was his last role before his death.
Bumblebee as played by Dan Glivzen also gets captured along with Spike. In an ironic twist the older Whitwwacky as played by Corey Burton lets out a curse at one point.
Meanwhile on Earth Ultra Magnus and the rest of the Autobots flee in separate shuttles. The shuttle with Hot Rod, Kup, and the Dinobots crash lands on a nearby planet. Ultra Magnus and the rest escape in a smaller shuttle to the planet Junkion.
Hot Rod fixes up Kup only for the two to get captured by the servants of beings known as the Quentessons. Said race hold kangaroo courts where they execute intruders.
Hot Rod and Kup learn about Unicron from a robot known as Krannix, a survivor of the monster planet.
Meanwhile the Dinobots run into a young Autobot named Wheelie. Krannix gets devoured by the Sharkticons of the Quentesons. Hot Rod and Kup decide they’re not going to be anyone’s next meal. They create chaos in the Sharkticon pools and break free. Then the Dinobots break in accompanied by Wheelie.
They all escape, and Wheelie joins up with the ragtag Autobot team.
Back on Junkion the Autobots are trying to repair their ship. Then they get attacked by the natives of the planet Junkion. They’re led by their leader Wreck-Gar. The part of Wreck-Gar got taken on by Monty Python member Eric Idle. A move that was an inspired peace of casting.
Add in “Dare to be Stupid” by Weird Al Yankovic and it was brilliant.
Galvatron and his minions attack and kill Ultra Magnus. And that's right before Galvatron takes the matrix. Up until then Galvatron has been under the control of Unicron. But he intends to use the matrix to control Unicron. Ah treachery it’s an inevitability with the forces of evil.
After leaving all seems hopeless until Hot Rod, Kup, and the rest arrive. Hot Rod shows how much he’s matured when he chooses to use persuasion. In this case he uses the Universal greeting he learned from Kup on the Quentesson planet. This time it works as Wreck-Gar and the rest befriend the the Autobots. The Junkions manage to put Ultra Magnus back together.
Galvatron learns Unicron is in fact a transforming planet. And he has his sights set on Cybertron. The Autobots prepare for the final encounter with Galvatron and Unicron. Can the beleaguered Autobots take back Cybertron? Can they even defeat a gigantic Transformer?
Years ago, I saw this movie in a local theater. And I’m happy to say my girlfriend got me a legitimate DVD copy of it. Physical media as always for the win! What I enjoyed about this movie is while it is a kid’s movie it doesn’t hold back like many of today’s movies do.
The performance of Judd Nelson as stated shows why he’s an 80’s icon. In fact, everyone in this movie puts in a first-rate performance. Which is why Transformers 1986 is such an enduring hit. This is the truest Transformers movie ever. And the soundtrack of this movie is fantastic as it fits with everything.
This is why transformers 1986 gets a strong B plus from me.
For a movie that took four years to make this piece of media ended up being crisp, well made, and very professional. I recommend this animated classic to any fan of 80’s movies.
Thanks for reading this review. I hope I provided some insight into a great 80’s animated movie. Let me know your thoughts in the comments section. Did I miss anything, did I do good, or does my work need improvement? Constructive criticism is welcome here.
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