Reviews from the critics:
[quote]By any sane criteria, The Transformers is a terrible, terrible movie. It has some of the worst feature film animation ever passed off on audiences anywhere, and its plot (Autobots vs. Decepticons by way of a planet-munching giant robot called Unicron) is as threadbare as anything Saturday morning has ever delivered.
But The Transformers has earned a cult following, for a couple of reasons. First it's the only Transformers-themed movie ever made. In case you weren't a kid in the '80s, Transformers were immensely popular toys that could change from some common item (usually a truck or a plane) into a robot. With lasers. Cartoons followed, then the movie.
Second, and more importantly, there's the little issue of the cast: Nimoy. Stack. Kasem. Welles. Yes, Orson Welles. This was his second-to-last movie ever.
Now Transformers, a live-action effects extravaganza backed by Steven Spielberg, is on tap for 2007, so interest in all things that turn into other things is riding high. (Never mind that this new movie sounds like the worst idea in history... that's another story altogether.) And so the '86 flick re-emerges on DVD as a two-disc collectible, complete with all the trimmings: Deleted scenes, test footage, multiple commentaries, games, and more.
But how about that feature film? Why, it's positively inane, to the point of near-unwatchability. The dialogue is banal, the scene progression completely random, the plot points absurd. Now the idea of the gutteral Welles bellowing commands in the darkness of space holds some appeal, but even this laughable camp loses its charms in short order. Ultimately Transformers' sole pleasures come from trying to guess the celebrity voices, which even includes Scatman Crothers, and guiltily enjoying its hair-metal soundtrack (with diversions that include, yes, "Weird" Al Yankovic).
To which I'll add: Did Transformers actually launch the celebrity-voiced animation craze 20 years ago? That may be the film's biggest legacy.[/quote]
[quote]Unlike other toy-inspired children's animations, THE TRANSFORMERS: THE MOVIE doesn't try to appeal to just one market. Rather, this film attempts to have something for everyone, from tots to teens, and the result is a boring mess. Transformers are a popular series of robot toys boasting the not-so-unique ability to change size, shape, and function to whatever form best suits the moment. The story takes place in the year 2005 as the heroic Transformers are locked into a life-or-death battle with their arch-enemies, the Decepticons. These evil creatures are fought off by some Earthly creatures known as Autobots, sending the severely demoralized Decepticons off into outer space. Now enters Unicron (voiced by Orson Welles), a powerful force about the size of a planet, which is capable of destroying anything it wants to. Unicron helps to rejuvenate the Decepticon leader, giving him a new body and a new moniker, Galvatron (voiced by Leonard Nimoy). It's all-out war between the new, improved Decepticons and the Autobots, but enter a young Transformer named Hot Rod (voiced by Judd Nelson). Basically, THE TRANSFORMERS: THE MOVIE features rancid animation techniques, a story that will bore anyone over age 10, and a few overpaid celebrities essaying the lead voices. [/quote]
Sounds like another kiddie moives?!?
