The first thing you have to realize and accept when watching this movie is that it is 90 minute commercial for a series of toys. It is nothing more. Its purpose is to kill off old characters so new characters and their corresponding toys can be introduced and sold. This is a bad movie. Yet it is a bad movie I have seen over a hundred times and I will likely see many times more. Every time I watch it, a smile reminiscent from my childhood stretches from ear to ear across my face.
I first saw this movie when I was a young child, perhaps 4 or 5 years old. Within the first ten minutes, some of my favorite characters had met fairly graphic and violent ends. But all of this would be overshadowed by an event exponentially more tragic. This was the first time I had ever cried in a movie.
The story begins during a civil war between two groups of robots, one good and one bad. While this is going on, a gigantic robot that devours planets, threatens the robot's home world. The rest is fairly obvious. Somehow the gigantic robot that devours planets will have to be destroyed, or else there would be now new toys to introduce.
The animation is significantly better than the television series, but that really is not saying much. At times it is quite good, but there are other times where it almost looks unfinished. The soundtrack consists of some of the best 80's rock music I have ever heard and it totally fits the film. The heavy metal version of the Transformers Theme is most enjoyable and sets the stage for a very violent movie.
The story is clearly the brainchild of the toy maker's marketing department. The title character, 'Hot Rod' is the typical rebellious teenager, or at least what a 9 year old believes what a rebellious teenager should be, who eventually discovers his potential. Then there is the child in the story who was created so young members of the audience would have somebody to both idolize and relate to. The only character of interest is 'Unicron', voiced by the late great filmmaker Orson Welles in one of his final roles. This works only because he adequately brings arrogance to an otherwise one-dimensional character.
I love this film, or should I say I love this very bad film. I've tried to write an honest review for one of my all-time favorite movies. Die-hard Transformers fans probably will not enjoy reading this, but sometimes the truth hurts.
I first saw this movie when I was a young child, perhaps 4 or 5 years old. Within the first ten minutes, some of my favorite characters had met fairly graphic and violent ends. But all of this would be overshadowed by an event exponentially more tragic. This was the first time I had ever cried in a movie.
The story begins during a civil war between two groups of robots, one good and one bad. While this is going on, a gigantic robot that devours planets, threatens the robot's home world. The rest is fairly obvious. Somehow the gigantic robot that devours planets will have to be destroyed, or else there would be now new toys to introduce.
The animation is significantly better than the television series, but that really is not saying much. At times it is quite good, but there are other times where it almost looks unfinished. The soundtrack consists of some of the best 80's rock music I have ever heard and it totally fits the film. The heavy metal version of the Transformers Theme is most enjoyable and sets the stage for a very violent movie.
The story is clearly the brainchild of the toy maker's marketing department. The title character, 'Hot Rod' is the typical rebellious teenager, or at least what a 9 year old believes what a rebellious teenager should be, who eventually discovers his potential. Then there is the child in the story who was created so young members of the audience would have somebody to both idolize and relate to. The only character of interest is 'Unicron', voiced by the late great filmmaker Orson Welles in one of his final roles. This works only because he adequately brings arrogance to an otherwise one-dimensional character.
I love this film, or should I say I love this very bad film. I've tried to write an honest review for one of my all-time favorite movies. Die-hard Transformers fans probably will not enjoy reading this, but sometimes the truth hurts.