Transformers the Movie is now 25 years old!

[griffin]

The original Transformers Movie... no, not the one in 2007... is now 25 years old. At least, in America.

In Australia, we celebrate the 25th anniversary on 26th December, while Japan has to wait another 3 years for theirs.

According to IMDB.com:
USA - 8th August 1986
UK - 5th December 1986
Aus - 26th December 1986
Japan - 9th August 1989


Hmmm, maybe we could have a 'commemorative day' on boxing day, in which we could watch the 1986 Movie and post up our thoughts and comments in a special review topic... both in terms of what we thought when we first saw it (whenever that may have been), and what we now think of it in terms of how each of us currently view the franchise.

[Bartrim]

Wow that really shows the impact that this franchise had on my life. The movie is 25 years old and I can still remember my feelings at the cinema that day.:)

[jena]

I'm jealous of the older (I'm not calling anyone old, just older!!) members who have memories of viewing it at the cinema, my memories just involve watching it over and over and over on VHS. I was only 1.5 years old when it came out at the cinema.

Commemorative boxing day viewing, heck yes!

[Robzy]

Wow, I remember seeing the ads/trailers for it like it was yesterday! Such a great movie!!



Hmmm, maybe we could have a 'commemorative day' on boxing day, in which we could watch the 1986 Movie and post up our thoughts and comments in a special review topic... both in terms of what we thought when we first saw it (whenever that may have been), and what we now think of it in terms of how each of us currently view the franchise.
Excellent idea!! :)

[1AZRAEL1]

Boxing day is a great day to do it, all I do that day is veg out and do nothing.

[jazzcomp]

Yeah, great idea but am probably on vacation at that time :) hopefully....

[Sam]

This is still one of my favourite animated movies of all time!

[Iacon's Demise]

I just find it funny how Leonard Nimoy does the voice of Galvatron in that movie...and Sentinel Prime in DOTM

[Mechbiter]

I watched this at the cinemas late in January 87, while visiting a friend in Mildura. I remember pretending I wasn't interested in seeing it as I was a Machine Man guy... then loving the crap out of the movie. :p

[Iacon's Demise]

I remember pretending I wasn't interested in seeing it as I was a Machine Man guy... then loving the crap out of the movie. :p

I love how they used Leader One in the Armada series...giving the little guy a nod :) or was he a Go Bot (was their a difference between Go Bots & Machine Men ?)

[Decepticon]

I honestly can't remember watching it in the 80s!! I'm sure I did though. That's what old age does to the mind :)

[jimoinj]

The best experience of my life, at the time. Just utterly blown away by the movie, the music, the action, the deaths...I went back to the cinema and watched it two more times. Got the VHS and watched it to death. I think it's the only movie I've ever watched over 100 times.

After becoming a teenager and being 'too cool' for Transformers I sold the tape for next to nothing, a few years later regretting it and it was impossible to buy for a while.

[Paulbot]

While I remember going to the cinema (even the particular location Hoyts Chadstone) to see it, I don't recall what my initial reaction was. I'm sure it was extremely positive though.

[griffin]

I love how they used Leader One in the Armada series...giving the little guy a nod :) or was he a Go Bot (was their a difference between Go Bots & Machine Men ?)

Gobots and Machine Men (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gobots) is the same thing, it was just given a different name in Australia (Machine Men) while in America it was called Gobots.

[Jay-Tron]

25 years wow! I first saw the movie I think it was a Saturday morning in 1989 on TV. Got the movie on VHS in 1990 and watched it to death lol. I was always very impressed with the movie's animation and how great it looked compared to most other cartoons at the time. I still think it looks great and it's still fun to watch, lots of action and an epic plot.

[5FDP]

This makes me feel really old :(

I remember watching the trailers for this on Saturday morning during Hey Hey It's Saturday (http://www.televisionau.com/tv291083ADL.htm) (not the program most of you would know about) and almost every Xmas morning from about 1988 onwards on TV.

[1orion2many]

Makes you feel old:confused: I was only just in my teens still and I do mean just:o:D

[valkyrie_76]

Makes you feel old:confused: I was only just in my teens still and I do mean just:o:D

Hah Hah you old fart :D

Yeah I was just over 10 years old when it came out. I used to get this out on video every year at Christmas when I went to my Grandparents place.

[Reflector]

This makes me feel really old :(

I remember watching the trailers for this on Saturday morning during Hey Hey It's Saturday (http://www.televisionau.com/tv291083ADL.htm) (not the program most of you would know about) and almost every Xmas morning from about 1988 onwards on TV.

The Seven Network conducts an experimental 2-hour broadcast in 3D :eek:



I deadset love this movie, we watch it in our house at least once a fortnight. Everything is good about it, and quoting Unicron at the birth of Galvatron never gets old.

[5FDP]

The Seven Network conducts an experimental 2-hour broadcast in 3D :eek:

Yep, I remember that as well. I got my 3D glasses from Pizza Hut - when you could actually sit down and eat in there just like a restaurant :eek: :p

[Reflector]

Yep, I remember that as well. I got my 3D glasses from Pizza Hut - when you could actually sit down and eat in there just like a restaurant :eek: :p

well i was only 2 then, but i do remember watching a nightmare on elm st movie at the cinema in 3d too when i was about 10.

[Jay-Tron]

I'm glad a lot of people still think this movie is awesome. I have to admit when it was first released on DVD on Madman back in 2003 I was horrified by the image quality. I thought 'oh no, when new younger fans watch this they're gonna say "oh this movie is old and grainy looking, it's crap by todays standard..."'. Thank god for the special edition and blue ray release a couple of years ago. Now we can watch it in all its bright vibrant and colourful glory :D

[griffin]

I was lucky enough to see it at the theatre when it came out in 1986. But purely by accident. I knew nothing about it at the time.
My family had just moved to Ipswich a couple weeks earlier and we were staying at a motel near a Movie Theatre. I had just met this other TFs collector at the Motel, and we played with our toys every day.
At the time, I only knew of the cartoon. I had no idea that there was a movie until Ben (my friend) said that it was on and that we should go see it.
I was like, okay sure... not thinking it was probably anything special. We thought it was probably just like another episode of the cartoon.
How wrong were we.
Within minutes of it starting, we had carnage and slaughter of the characters we knew and loved for the last year or so, and then it focussed on characters we didn't know.
But I think we were both so excited about seeing new Transformers action, at a Theatre, that we didn't get too upset about the deaths. And we still had comics and cartoons to play out with our battles around the Motel.
Back then, Ben was a bigger fan than I was, with just about every toy released, but I lost contact with him a couple years later... so don't know if he ever gave up collecting.

[Sam]

I remember seeing it first at a friend's place on his VHS tape. He recorded it as it was played on TV one time, so it was quite a few years after the movie came out in the cinemas.

I was very curious about the whole thing, especially when I saw the fight between Prime and Megatron and thought it was awesome!

[liegeprime]

I saw the movie on 1988on TV. It didn't get shown in theaters in Manila. Well, not that I'm aware of movies at those time anyways. It wouldn't get release anyways on it's official year there, as Philippines was having the EDSA People power revolution at that time. Marcos was being thrown out of dictatorship after 20 years in Martial law power. This was also the time Don Figueroa's family I believe decided to migrate to Canada since Philippines was in turmoil. :p It was shown on TV 2 years after it's release (more peaceful time after the bloodless revolt).

Shown on a weekend night, I had a good fight with my brother coz he wanted to watch something else (he's not into TFs:eek::eek:- I know INFIDEEEL!!) so he kept changing the channels while it was on commercial break, which is why I missed some parts, but I did get to see Prime die. Didn't get upset but I was more irritated by my brother changing channels and me missing bits of the movie. Anyways, after a few bawling and tantrums , mom handed to me a small B & W TV ( the one you can use for camping - 6x6 inches screen) and I watched it from there in peace in my room, and let them have the big TV so they can watch a singing contest:rolleyes::rolleyes:. I was kinda annoyed more actually that Starscream got killed off. I didnt like the new TF characters they introduced since I didn't know who's who, but I still watched it through as I was curious about Unicron. Even though they said their names in the movie, not being able to repeat watching it, the names didnt stick to memory so when I was discussing it with friends the next few days we were all going by visual description of the robot (e.g.the one who was old and kept telling stories with the dinobots - yay these guys survived!!):D:D. GiJoe the movie was shown the next weekend. That I was able to watch complete and in peace.

[AussieJason]

25 years :eek:

I was 9 at the time. I didn't quite lock myself in my room over the death of Optimus prime as some kids apparently did, but I was devastated nonetheless.

I loved the movie though. I was in awe of the sweeping changes it made to Transformers (deaths of many of my favourite Autobots, change of leaders etc...) and the after effects in the cartoon and the Marvel UK comics.

I have the Special Edition DVD and the old VHS, but I think I'll get the Blu-Ray in honour of the 25 years anniversary !

[Seraphim Prime]

I was a child in my mother's womb at the time the movie came out, though remember my amazement when I, at about 6 years old found a copy of the movie at the local video rental place, and then my shock as not only Ironhide, Prowl, but Optimus Prime died!

I remember crying throughout the rest of the film, then being partially comforted by the words "And the greatest Autobot - Optimus Prime - will return!"