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Other heroes and villains are explicitly,
utterly killed, with smoke pouring out of their mouths as their glowing
eyes fade to black.
It is
a far cry from the TV show, where nobody ever really got hurt. It isn't
just banners that divide the two factions of Transformers, as the giant
space robots demonstrate starkly different philosophies on leadership
succession.
Jacked up in a workshop, Optimus Prime's last words induce the
Autobots to weep, as he chooses the most boring apparatchik from his
ranks. Ambitious Decepticon 2IC Starscream hurls the ailing Megatron
out the side of a space shuttle.
They handle death differently,
too. The new Autobot leader absorbs The Matrix of Leadership, a glowing
orb of accumulated wisdom and transcendent goodness. Megatron gets
scooped up by a giant living, carnivorous planet, the embodiment of all
evil in the universe. Absorbed and re-created by Unicron’s cybernetic
necromancy, the new-and-improved Galvatron leads an armada of evil
space hovercraft to smite all who’ve wronged him.
So, the stage
is set. And what a play! Light on techno-babble and big on hyperbole,
the warring factions hurl insults that sting like lasers. In-jokes,
referential gags, political correctness, and other forms of narrative
flab are thin on the ground, freeing up room for lines like “Pathetic
fool! There’s no escape!” and "Prepare for extermination!".
In
his final battle with Hot Rod, Galvatron chokes the impetuous youngster
as he monologues, “It’s a pity you Autobots die so easily, or I might
have a sense of satisfaction now.”
For the Autobots, their
odyssey takes them deep into the wilderness: to an ocean world plagued
by Sharkticons, and a planet of junk populated by Junkticons. The
leader of these scrappy robots, voiced by Eric Idle, speaks in a pidgin
English gleaned from TV commercials.
Their first, confused encounter
runs to the tune of ‘Dare To Be Stupid’ by Weird Al Yankovic. The
soundtrack is otherwise made up entirely of mid-’80s hair rock. As
ridiculous as all this sounds, for young, male children of the era, Transformers : The Movie
was a perfect storm of aspirational consumerist catharsis; an
entertainment orgasm for the pre-pubescent.
The voice acting is top-notch. Exemplary, really. Orson Welles, the
director/star of Citizen
Kane,
is memorable as Unicron. Leonard Nimoy also puts in a fine performance
as the tormented Galvatron, and Casey Kasem gets a chance to reprise
his role as the diminutive yet energetic Cliffjumper. Top marks all
round.
The contrast between this old movie and Michael Bay's new
ones are stark.
The live action film is mainly about the humans.
Actually, in light of the minimal characterisation, it would be more
accurate to say it mostly has humans in it; the robots are aliens,
outsiders. The new films aren't really about anything, and that is part
of
the reason why Transformers : Revenge Of The
Fallen is widely regarded as terrible.
The original is mostly about the
Transformers, with a minimal human presence (Spike, and his young son)
to keep up appearances. Within that framework, it covers the practical
differences between right and wrong, the evils of bigotry, the true
nature of heroism, and the importance of fighting injustice wherever it
is found. The new one’s mostly about getting laid.
As to this
film fossil, its value is tied to nostalgia. Viewing from an outsider’s
perspective is possible, and maybe even enjoyable – madcap as it all
is, the story holds together. Viewers doped up on nostalgia will get a
lot more out of it. Newcomers can expect a movie that’s utterly unique.
Blu Ray Special Features with Sean Lynch
There is an astonishing amount of extras
included on the Blu Ray release here - although, not a great deal more
than what was included on the recent DVD release of this title just
over a year ago.
That said, the transfer here is astonishing, especially when you
compare it to the Special Edition DVD transfer. The images and sound
are spectacular and die hard nostalgia fans will adore every second of
it.
Included here is the Remastered Theatrical Wide Screen Edition and Full
Screen Edition, "Scramble City" Japanese exclusive bonus episode,
Interview with Story Consultant Flint Dille, Q&A with voice of
Optimus, Peter Cullen, 80's toy TVCs, TV spots and theatrical trailer.
Music fans will love the cheesy film clip for The Touch (by Stan
Bush), plus there are some cool Character voice-actor and musician
biographies, along with the usual Commentarys features and extras,
Deleted Scenes, Animated Storyboards and a bonus episode of Transformers: Beast Wars.
It's pretty damn jam packed.
Conclusion:
Movie 75% Extras: 85%
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