Anthony Bergamini
The Transformers: The Movie is set in the far-off future of 2005, a distant time when the Transformers’ home planet of Cybertron has been taken over by the evil Decepticons, and the heroic Autobots are hiding out on Earth’s Autobot City. If it wasn’t already apparent, the film throws you into the middle of the action, assuming you have some knowledge or understanding of all these characters and the world they live in. For those wondering how to acquire that knowledge, look no further than the first two seasons of The Transformers: The Animated Series. The Transformers: The Movie is one of those animated projects that has no business being as good as it is. Not only is the animation dramatically more impressive than what was being done in the TV series, but it also has a killer soundtrack and one of the most star-studded voice casts of its time. More than anything else, The Transformers: The Movie is a shining example of an animated film that stands the test of time as a staple of a franchise that started as a toy line.
The Transformers: The Movie opens in the thick of the action and wastes no time getting the plot rolling. For a sub-90-minute film, The Transformers: The Movie uses its runtime wonderfully, packing in all of the content without ever wasting a beat. The opening is an example of how getting to the point quickly is never a bad idea. For those new to the franchise, it may be a bit confusing, but the film quickly establishes that the Decepticons are bad, the Autobots are good, and the bad guys are constantly plotting to destroy the good guys. This may sound very bare-bones and simplistic, but that’s because it really is, and it’s supposed to be that way. The film also doesn’t expect you to just accept that the Decepticons are evil; it shows you in subtle ways. It shows Megatron treating his soldiers poorly, especially Starscream, who really just wants Megatron’s acceptance. This is juxtaposed by the film’s depiction of Autobot life in Autobot City, where Hot Rod is fishing with his human companion, Daniel Witwicky. In one instance, a leader is overbearing and rude, while in another, the film shows a towering Autobot treat a lowly human as his equal. Both of these scenes are also foreshadowing what is to come, but they also help establish the rules and status quo of this universe almost immediately.
The Decepticons’ siege leads to one of the most controversial, yet epic, parts of the film, where Optimus Prime is killed by Megatron after the two engage in a devastating battle. This was a turning point not only for the course of the film but also for the course of Transformers as a genre, with the mature content being considered obscene at the time. Regardless, this showcases the realistic consequences of war, especially as it’s the franchise’s lead who pays the price. Following this, Optimus passes off his source of power, the Matrix of Leadership, to his most trusted officer, Ultra Magnus, in hopes that Magnus will lead the Autobots to victory. Meanwhile, the Decepticons take off, having sustained heavy injuries. For an opening salvo, The Transformers: The Movie really raises the stakes right away, only for them to get raised even higher as the film progresses.
Building off of the established poor treatment of Starscream, the severely damaged body of Megatron is tossed out like trash, as Starscream’s resentment boils over, leading to his desire to assume leadership for himself. Jumping ahead quite a bit, Starscream ventures back to Cybertron, takes the leadership crown for himself, and vocalizes his rule over the planet. While this is short-lived, the idea that Megatron’s supporters are so quick to toss him aside to assume control themselves is indicative of how the film tackles the idea of leadership, one of its strongest themes. The entire film truly is about what makes a leader and how leadership is not given, but earned.
Just when you thought the film was going to toss out its rival faction’s leaders and move on, the film takes a dark turn. It turns out there is a planet-sized Transformer who eats other planets and needs a herald (think Galactus and the Silver Surfer from Marvel Comics). Megatron’s practically dead body is captured by the entity, revealed to be Unicron, and he’s given the choice to be saved— but only if he becomes his herald. Although he initially refuses to bend the knee to another, Megatron begrudgingly agrees as his alternative is death. Megatron gets reborn as Galvatron, equipped with new armor and a new voice actor. Now, as a film nerd and science fiction junkie, this is one of the most endearing parts of the film. See, Unicron is voiced by the legendary Orson Welles, while Galvatron is voiced by Mr. Spock himself, Leonard Nimoy. Somehow, this animated toy spin-off film got two of the most legendary performers in the world to serve in these roles, creating one of the most engaging exchanges of dialogue in animated film history. Even today, some still don’t know that these two were in these roles, making the reveal in the film electric upon almost every viewing.
The middle section of the film features a lot of individual stories, as most of the characters are split up. The first of which showcases Hot Rod and Kup crashing on a planet led by an ancestral Cybertronian enemy, the Quintessons, who hold a sham trial and plan on executing the two Autobots by feeding them to shark Transformers. Elements like this explore the hokier side of the Transformers franchise; however, they make for a good reprieve from the more hard-hitting elements. This section concludes with Hot Rod and Kup grouping up with others, as Hot Rod assumes control of the situation and works with his new allies to escape the predicament.
The rest of the Autobots, led by Ultra Magnus, land on another planet, where they salvage materials to fix their ship and escape. It is here that the film reveals that Ultra Magnus is unable to activate the Matrix of Leadership, leading to his destruction at the hands of the arriving Galvatron, who then steals the Matrix and runs away. Going back to that theme of leadership, the film uses this segment to showcase confusion from the remaining Autobots, as they are perplexed as to why Ultra Magnus could not activate the Matrix. Shortly after, Hot Rod and crew arrive, rebuild Ultra Magnus, and take the fight directly to Galvatron, who has returned to Cybertron and Unicron.
As the battle reaches a head (literally inside of Unicron’s head), Hot Rod assumes control of the Matrix of Leadership, activating it and becoming Rodimus Prime. This moment pays off so much of the subtle setup from the film, especially in the way that it interacts with the film’s discussion of leadership. From the beginning, Hot Rod was established as someone who saw himself as an equal to all, showcased by his relationship with Daniel Witwicky. Prior to Optimus’s death, Optimus gave the Matrix to Ultra Magnus, assuming that he would be able to take over as leader; however, as proven by Starscream’s failure to assume leadership of the Decepticons, leadership is not given, it is earned. Throughout Hot Rod’s journey, he encountered several obstacles, constantly overcoming them by working as a team with close and unlikely allies, assuming leadership as the group necessitated it. This all led to the Matrix allowing Hot Rod to activate it, proving that he had earned his role as the new leader of the Autobots, giving him the touch—the power to stop Galvatron and Unicron.
As the film concludes, the journey of leadership comes to an end, with the Autobots now having a new leader and retaking Cybertron. For a spinoff of a children’s show that was based on a toy line, The Transformers: The Movie is very poignant in its execution and delivery. The story can be a bit hokey at times, but its mature themes and sometimes mature content make the story evergreen and allow it to stand the test of time.
