Mike Green

Surprisingly dark for a film about toys. Written as a marketing flick to sell the next generation of Transformers back in 1986, it went about this in a very energon-thirsty manner. Now infamous for killing several main characters, the story is a bit of a hodgepodge as it tries to fit in a bunch of new characters while servicing the plot. It does introduce them very well, each getting enough characterization that you know who they are, certainly more than the Bay movies ever did. The animation and action are very slick for the budget, and the voice acting remarkable, with the likes of Leonard Nimoy, Orson Wells and Robert Stack giving gravitas, joining the classic voices from the cartoon series led by Peter Cullen and Frank Welker. There is humour, tension, action, and a classic rock soundtrack, enough for big and small kids alike.

Good, fun film. Not amazing, but passes the time with an interesting metaphor for gentrification.