REVIEW: The Transformers: The Movie 35th Anniversary Edition

It’s crazy to think that it’s been 35 years since The Transformers: The Movie was released. It was a 90 minute romp of pure non-stop 80’s action, the kind that makes you say, “That was rad.” This 35th anniversary Blu Ray really makes this movie shine better than it ever has and I’m glad that this exists so we can continue to enjoy this movie in all its glory.

This film takes place in the distant (for the time) future of 2005. The Decepticons are attacking Autobot City, leading to a massive battle that ultimately results in Optimus Prime’s death and the Matrix of Leadership being passed on to Ultra Magnus. Meanwhile, Unicron – a planet sized transformer – is plotting to consume Cybertron. Unicron even goes as far as to make a deal with Megatron, where he offers him a new body in exchange for him tracking down and destroying the Matrix of Leadership, which has the power to defeat Unicron. Megatron agrees and becomes Galvatron, making him even stronger and more threatening than ever. The Autobots set out to protect this Matrix and save Cybertron from both Unicron and Galvatron. Admittedly, the story is fairly simple; however, it assumes you are already familiar with most of the Transformers Generation 1 cast, as no time is spent introducing any of the characters. Despite not growing up with Transformers, I was at the very least familiar with some of these characters, which was enough for me to get the gist of what was going on.

But really you’re here for the sheer spectacle of it all. The Transformers: The Movie has some truly stunning animation. Almost every frame is incredibly elaborate and detailed to the point where you can really just get lost in all of it. This is further emphasized with the incredible score by Vince DiCola, who has also worked on music for Rocky IV (another incredible movie). Make no mistake, you will be singing along when “You Got the Touch” is playing. In fact, don’t be surprised if after watching this movie, all of the songs end up stuck in your head for the next week. The Transformers: The Movie also features an all star voice cast including Orson Welles as Unicron. This is particularly noteworthy casting considering this would be his last role before he died in 1985.

The only real flaw with The Transformers: The Movie is that it cuts a very fast pace and some viewers may not necessarily enjoy that. A lot of robots, lasers and explosions are constantly occupying the screen and while it’s highly entertaining to watch, you’re given little time to actually process all of it. Also, quite a few major characters are killed off very quickly, which I imagine really frustrated some fans back in the day and I’m sure newcomers may find it bit jarring since they would have lacked proper context for what is going on. This 35th anniversary set comes with two discs: a Blu Ray copy and a 4K UHD version. The Blu Ray version looked incredible and made such an old movie almost feel modern despite being presented in 4:3. The widescreen UHD version is also pretty good; however, it seems like the film is slightly re-framed. It doesn’t take away from the movie, but some of you hardcore fans may notice this. Some extra features with this set include audio commentary featuring Nelson Shin, Flint Oille, and Susan Blu, over an hour’s worth of storyboards, deleted scenes, a 46 minute “Til all are one” Documentary, a Q&A, acoustic performances, trailers and TV spots, and quite a bit more.

If you’re a Transformers fan, you really should try and get your hands on a copy of this. The lovely steelbook with Hot Rod front and center will look incredible on your shelf, and these copies of the movie have plenty of extra features to keep you occupied for hours. At around $30, this is a wonderful little treat for those of you who want a nice nostalgic weekend with some beautiful robots, breathtaking animation and awesome rocking tunes!