The Transformers: The Movie facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Transformers: The Movie
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Nelson Shin
Produced by	Joe Bacal Tom Griffith
Screenplay by	Ron Friedman
Narrated by	Victor Caroli
Starring	Eric Idle Judd Nelson Leonard Nimoy Robert Stack Lionel Stander Orson Welles
Music by	Vince DiCola
Cinematography	Masatoshi Fukui
Editing by	David Hankins
Studio	Sunbow Productions Marvel Productions
Distributed by	De Laurentiis Entertainment Group
Release date(s)	August 8, 1986 (1986-08-08) (United States)
Running time	85 minutes
Country	United States Japan
Language	English
Budget	$6 million or $5 million
Money made	$5.8 million (US) or $2.6 million (North America)

The Transformers: The Movie is a 1986 animated film based on the Transformers television series. It was released in North America on August 8, 1986, and in the United Kingdom on December 12, 1986. It was co-produced and directed by Nelson Shin, who also produced the television series. The screenplay was written by Ron Friedman, who created The Bionic Six a year later.

The film features the voices of Eric Idle, Judd Nelson, Leonard Nimoy, Casey Kasem, Robert Stack, Lionel Stander, John Moschitta Jr., Peter Cullen and Frank Welker. It also marked the final film roles for Orson Welles, Roger C. Carmel and Scatman Crothers before their deaths.

The film's story takes place in 2005, 20 years after the events of the TV series' second season. After the death of Optimus Prime during a devastating assault on Autobot City, the Autobots are pursued by Galvatron, the regenerated form of Megatron and servant of Unicron, a planet-devouring Transformer who sets out to consume Cybertron. The soundtrack comprises synthesizer music by Vince DiCola and heavy metal by various groups.

Plot

In 2005, the evil Decepticons have conquered the Autobots' home planet of Cybertron. The heroic Autobots, operating from Cybertron's two moons, prepare a counter-offensive. Autobot leader Optimus Prime sends a shuttle to Autobot City on Earth for supplies. However, their plan is discovered by the Decepticons and their leader Megatron, who kill the crew and hijack the ship. In Autobot City, Hot Rod, relaxing with human Daniel Witwicky (son of Spike Witwicky) spots the hijacked shuttle and a battle breaks out, resulting in casualties on both sides. Optimus arrives with reinforcements just as the Decepticons are near victory. Optimus defeats many of them and then engages Megatron in brutal combat, leaving both mortally wounded. On his deathbed, Optimus passes the Matrix of Leadership to Ultra Magnus, telling him that its power will light the Autobots' darkest hour, but it drops from Optimus' hands and is caught by Hot Rod, who hands it back to Ultra Magnus. Optimus Prime dies afterwards.

The Decepticons withdraw from Autobot City within Astrotrain. To conserve fuel in order to make it back to Cybertron, they jettison their wounded, including Megatron, who is personally released at the hands of his treacherous second-in-command Starscream. Drifting in space, the wounded are found by Unicron, a sentient planet who consumes other worlds. Unicron offers Megatron a new body in exchange for destroying the Matrix, which has the power to destroy Unicron. Megatron initially refuses, resulting in Unicron deciding to leave him. Faced with the prospect of floating in space for eternity, Megatron reluctantly agrees; Unicron converts him into Galvatron and the corpses of other wounded Decepticons into his new troops: Cyclonus, Scourge, and the Sweeps. On Cybertron, Galvatron disrupts Starscream's coronation as Decepticon leader and kills him. Unicron then consumes the moons of Cybertron including the secret bases with Autobots and Spike. Retaking command of the Decepticons, Galvatron leads his forces to seek out Ultra Magnus at the ruined Autobot City.

The surviving Autobots escape in separate shuttles, which are shot down by the Decepticons and crash on different planets. Hot Rod and Kup are taken prisoner by the Quintessons, tyrants who hold kangaroo courts and execute prisoners by feeding them to the Sharkticons. Hot Rod and Kup learn of Unicron from Kranix, a lone survivor of Lithone, a planet devoured by Unicron at the beginning of the film. After Kranix is executed, Hot Rod and Kup escape, aided by the Dinobots and the small Autobot Wheelie, who helps them find a ship to leave the planet.

The other Autobots land on the Junk Planet where they are attacked by the planet's natives, the Junkions. However, the Junkions call off their attack and hide when they see Galvatron's forces arrive. Ultra Magnus secures the remaining Autobots while attempting to release the power of the Matrix, but discovers that he is unable to open it and is then destroyed by Galvatron who seizes the Matrix, now intent on using it to control Unicron. The Autobots befriend the local Junkions, led by Wreck-Gar, who rebuild Magnus. They are then joined by the Autobots from the planet of the Quintessons. Deducing that Galvatron has the Matrix, the Autobots and Junkions (who have their own ship) fly to Cybertron. Galvatron attempts to threaten Unicron but, like Ultra Magnus, cannot activate the Matrix. In response to Galvatron's threats, Unicron transforms into a colossal robot and begins to dismember Cybertron. When Galvatron attacks him, Unicron swallows him, and the Matrix, whole.

The Autobots crash their spaceship through Unicron's eye and become separated while Unicron continues to battle Decepticons, Junkions and other defenders of Cybertron. Daniel saves his father Spike from Unicron's digestive system, and the group rescue Jazz, Bumblebee, and Cliffjumper. Galvatron attempts to form an alliance with Hot Rod, but Unicron forces him to attack. Hot Rod recovers the Matrix and becomes Rodimus Prime, the new Autobot leader. Rodimus tosses Galvatron into space and uses the Matrix's power to destroy Unicron before escaping with the other Autobots. With the Decepticons in disarray from Unicron's attack, the Autobots celebrate the war's end and the retaking of their home planet while Unicron's severed head orbits Cybertron.

Cast

Music

Stan Bush's song "The Touch", which prominently featured in the film, was originally written for the Sylvester Stallone film Cobra. The song later appeared again as remixed version for the 2012 game Transformers: Fall of Cybertron, and in the live action 2018 Transformers film Bumblebee. The film also features other well known songs including "Instruments of Destruction" by NRG, Stan Bush's song "Dare", and also two songs by Spectre General, "Nothin's Gonna Stand in Our Way" and "Hunger". The song “Dare To Be Stupid” by “Weird Al” Yankovic is also used in the film. The Transformers theme song for the film was performed by the band Lion.

See also

In Spanish: Transformers: la película para niños