Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #46605 in DVD
• Released on: 2001-11-26
• Rating: Parental Guidance
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Animated, PAL
• Original language: English, Japanese
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 86 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
In Transformers: The Movie it's the year 2005, and the universe is going right down the toilet. Not only have the heroic Autobots lost their homeworld of Cybertron to the evil Decepticons, a giant metallic planet named Unicron is on the prowl, treating solar systems like a gigantic buffet and gunning for the Autobots' matrix of leadership. Fortunately, struggling against the odds is what heroes do best, and it is indeed hard to keep a good robot down. As the battle rages from space to earth and back into space again, characters die, others are reborn and, ultimately, good must face evil in a climactic battle for the fate of the universe. When this animated film arrived in American cinemas in the mid-1980s, the Transformers--both the robot toys and the television show--were at the height of their popularity. Transformers The Movie took these battling 'bots and, er, transformed them into film stars, albeit of the cult variety. The animation is a bit touch-and-go: at its best, it's up there with classic Japanese manga; at it's worst, it reeks of horrible 80s assembly-line productions. And the plot is little more than an advert for the (then) new toys, many of which show up as main characters in the film (Hot Rod, Kup, Ultra Magnus, Galvatron, etc). However, some of the action sequences are indeed spectacular--especially the battle for Autobot City--and the violence is a bit intense for what is, basically, a kid's film (they may just be robots, but they still die, apparently). What really makes this film more than meets the eye, though, is the names who show up as voices in the credits: Leonard Nimoy, Judd Nelson, Robert Stack, Eric Idle and even Orson Welles, in one of his last roles, as Unicron.

On the DVD: In order to please the growing numbers of hardcore Transformers fans out there, the DVD version of Transformers: The Movie has been beefed up with loads of extra features: the original theatrical trailer, introductory footage taken from the BBC's I Love 1984 and a picture gallery with music are all excellent additions, but best of all is Takara's "The Four Soldiers from the Sky". Though the dubbing and translation are a bit poor, it's still a rare opportunity to see a Transformers episode that never aired outside of Japan.--Robert Burrow

DVD Description
DVD Special Features:

Special Introductory Footage
Soldiers From The Sky (first episode from Takara series)
Original Theatrical Trailer
Music Picture Gallery
English 5.1
Aspect Ratio: 4:3

Synopsis
In the year 2005, the Autobots and the Decepticons are still locked in battle, but a deadly new force enters the fray--a giant killer planet known as Unicron (voiced by film legend Orson Welles). The heroic Autobots must fight for their own survival and to save their home planet from destruction. A classic of 1980s animation, based on the popular TV series, TRANSFORMERS: THE MOVIE features a star-studded array of vocal talent, including Welles, Leonard Nimoy, Judd Nelson, Eric Idle, and Casey Kasem.

Customer Reviews

I'm 5 Years Old Again
Ok, so watching Transformers the Movie may not be the most mature viewing of alltime and no, no woman is ever going to be impressed if you can quote any lines from the film, but boy is it fun!

When my family first bought a VHS player in 1988 when I was just five years old, this was the first VHS my parents picked up. I loved it at the time, but unlike so many things I loved as a kid, this stands up very well. The music is 80s hair metal and never less than hard-rocking fun (btw the soundtrack is also worth checking out) and goes perfectly with the on-screen boys action. The siege on Autobot City, the death of Optimus Prime, the reincarnation of Megatron as Galvatron and the final assault on the giant, robot planet Unicron are stunning. The film is always enjoyable and should not be dismissed as a kids movie, or just a run of the mill action flick.

The film is classic 1980s animation and should bring back warm memories as well as being a barrel full of fun no matter your age.

Optimus
I think many can says they owe their lives to transformers, gave such a great message Optimus Prime the greatest hero we'll ever know how does he die? like a man fighting his ultimate enemy the best way to die!

This film is as good as when i saw it back in the eighties, Orson Welles last gig, and I do love Orson Welles he did a couple of very metal songs with ManOwaR. This really is the pinnacle of cartoons

This DVD is brill
Contrary to popular believe this DVD is beyound brilliant, considering i was only little when it first came out, when it was reissued i remembered who all the characters were instantly, and i could fully appreciate the people who voiced the characters like, orson welles, leonard nemoy and all those other random people who were stars in their day, and who are still stars now forever immortilized in this movie.

There is also some speculation about ole Roddo Prime, in theory he was a very valuble character, i mean the Decepticons have the advantage of living under a new leader why not let the Autobots have the same, see how different it really is, also this character has had a chance to develope more, they had a chance to develope a street kid into a leader.

But at the end we see how the power of wisdom can beat all, a truely powerful meaning and a brilliant movie.