The 40th anniversary of Transformers: The Movie (1986) has the return of the film to theaters and at the end is an animated short that ties up the story of Optimus Prime! The animated show, Transformers, began in 1984 and ended in 1987. Collectively the Marvel comic, movie, and cartoon is known as Generation 1. There were a number of series until the live action movies began in 2007. This had a reboot with the Bumblee (2018) film. The stand out from all of the series and movies was Peter Cullen, the voice of the Autobot leader, Optimus Prime. Cullen had died on August of this year. Also this year, Hasbro had a promotional campaign called Transformers The Movie: Apology Tour.
This finally culminates with the Fathom Events showing of the film from September 17th to the 21st, there is still some time! Transformers the Movie was directed by Nelson Shin and had a screenplay by Ron Friedman. A silent, galaxy until we see the sphere of Unicron. Great musical score by Vince DiCola, very familiar. A calm city of robots is disturbed by the robotic planet tearing up the robot planet! This is of course like Galactus from the Fantastic Four. The planet is destroyed and then we pan into space with the rockin’ Transformers theme by Lion. A credit scene which was great to see some familiar names. The narrator says it is the distant future of the Transformers, 2005, nineteen years from season two.
Optimus Prime (Cullen) orders Ironhide (Cullen) to take a shuttle to Earth. Jazz (Scatman Cruthers) on Moon Base One communicates to Moon Base Two. Cruthers is a favorite voice actor. There is Spike (Corey Burton), the human ally of the Autobots in a cybernetic suit with Bumblebee (Dan Gilvezan). They report there is no Decepitcon activity. Prime says they don’t have enough Energon to counter the Decepticons, “All we need is a little Energon and a lot of luck.” Lazerbeak has spied on the Autobots and Megatron (Frank Welker), the Decepticon leader, orders Soundwave (also Weller) plays the recording. I thought Soundwave had the Cylon voice filter, love it.
They breach the Autobot shuttle with Megatron transforming into a laser pistol fired by Starscream (Christopher Collins). The last Autobot reaches out to Megatron and only gets blasted! At this point it is a no holds barred story with the “death” of heroes. Daniel Witwicky (David Mendenhall), the teenage son of Spike, is fishing from a stream with his pal, Hot Rod (Judd Nelson). They get a signal from the shuttle and Daniel races with his hover board, he crashes, and Hot Rod transformers into sports car to the “Dare” song. They head to Lookout Mountain. Hot Rod smashes through the barriers set up by Kup (Lionel Stander), an elderly Autobot.
Daniel notices the shuttle’s breach. Hot Rod opens fire on the Decepitcons. Ultra Magnus (Robert Stack) leads the defense. He sends Arcee (Susan Blu) to activate the city’s defenses. A female Autobot? She is there with an all male robot crew kinda like Smurfette. Kup and Hot Rod are able to enter Autobot City while it is under siege. Contacts Optimus Prime to warn him about the attack. Daniel sees the mega bot, Devastator breach the city wall. The city smokes as Optimus Prime sends in the Dinobots led by Grimlock (Gregg Berger) to take on Devastator. Optimus Prime says, “Megatron must be stopped no matter the cost.” In truck form, Optimus bashes the Decepitcons and then uses his cannon to blast the others. This is to the song, “The Touch” by Stan Bush.
Megatron confronts Prime who says, “One shall stand, one shall fall.” Megatron throws a pice of shrapel that pierces Prime’s side. Then, he uses a lightsaber? Opteimus knocks him dow and Megatron begs for mercy. Hot Rod tries to save Optimus from Megatron picking up a blaster. Megatron takes Hot Rod hostage and blasts Prime. Optimus is able to knock down Megatron and Starscream (Christopher Collins) leads the retreat. Daniel sees the vitals of Optimus. The leader of the Autobots says, “Do not grieve, soon I will be one with the Matrix.” He gives the Matrix of Leadership to Ultra Magnus, “One day an Autobot shall rise from our ranks and use the power of the Matrix to light our darkest hour.” His chest opens and he removes the Matrix, a sphere with glowing crystals.
Optimus Prime’s final words, “Until that day when all are one”, Prime drops the Matrix picked up by Hot Rod who hands it to Ultra Magnus. The vitals go steady and Optimus eyes stop their glow. He is now greyish and Daniel cries. Unicron sees the transfer of the Matrix. The shuttle, Astrotrain, reports that there needs to be less weight. Starsceram throws out the wounded including Megatron and announces himself as leader. The wounded float to Unicron (Orson Welles) who wants Megatron to destroy the Matrix. He transforms Megatron into Galvatron (Leonard Nimoy)! The Autobot survivors travel the galaxy finding more robot planets, It becomes confusing with little direction, but Galvatron does take the Matrix from Ultra Magnus. Optimus Prime: Awakening begins right after the movie’s credits.
The twelve minute short is directed by Joshua Wassung and written by Ryan Parrott. This picks up when the Autobot Chief Medical Officer, Ratchet, declares that Optimus Prime’s wounds are fatal. This shifts to computer animation which works here, since Optimus is in another reality, animation from The Third Floor studio. He is pulled back and circles around a ring spiral. Optimus hears, “One will stand, one will fall”, the final performance by Peter Cullen. He hears, “Awaken Autobot” and Optimus revives. The voice belongs to a “bringer of light” and he adds “What is when all are one”, called The One (Simon Henderson).
This strongly reminds me of Ahsoka’s World Between Worlds and also the Mortis episodes of the Clone Wars starting with “Overlords” (2011); GC-CW3/15. The One is like The Father, the balance between both sides of The Force. The entity tries to reassure Optimus, “Have no fear, you will die again.”, not very reassuring. There are flashbacks of the movie and also the animated series. The One tells Optimus that he has to break the cycle of the endless war, the “day when all are one.”, Decepticon and Autobots together. Then, Soundwave (Welker) leaps down with an Insecticon! Optimus transforms into his truck form and smashes them against a canyon. Soundwave hits him with several missiles!
Bumbebee (Jaret LeMaster) joins the fight. I see a parallel with the Mortis episodes; Optimus as Anakin or The Father, Ahsoka’s counterpart or as The Daughter, Bumblebee, and Megatron as Dooku or The Son. It makes sense as a trio of characters. Bumblebee now has the symbol of the Decepticons and says, “Everyone who follows you dies.” He transforms with the other Decepticons into the giant mecha, King Bee to crush Optimus! Betrayal by Optimus’ good friend and a painful truth reflected back at him! There is a final battle with Megatron (Welker), but Optimus has to face what would be the Jedi Trial of Spirit, “Remember your failure at the cave.” He has to learn to put away the sword, unite the factions to bring the day when “all are one.” A great full circle moment that was left unanswered in Transformers the Movie and a tribute to Peter Cullen who has a dedication at the end.
Five Energon Cubes out of Five!
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