Product Details

• Actors: Norman Alden, Jack Angel, Michael Bell, Gregg Berger, Susan Blu
• Directors: Nelson Shin
• Format: Animated, Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, Full Screen, Limited Edition, NTSC, Original recording remastered, Special Edition, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo), English (Dolby Digital 5.1)
• Subtitles: Spanish, French
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Number of discs: 2
• Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Studio: Sony Wonder (Video)
• DVD Release Date: November 7, 2006
• Run Time: 300 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (590 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000H6SY5K
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #6,967 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #16 in	Movies & TV > Art House & International > Asian Cinema > Japan > Science Fiction & Fantasy
  #21 in	Movies & TV > Action & Adventure > Cult Classics
  #36 in	Movies & TV > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Science Fiction > Robots & Androids

• For more information about "The Transformers - The Movie (20th Anniversary Special Edition)" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

During the 1980s, one cartoon series ruled the airwaves... TheTransformers. This paragon of consumerism was created with a dual purpose--to entertain and to galvanize children to buy the toys. Somewhere along the line, the show became a cult favorite, so in 1986 they fashioned an epic tale of good versus evil specifically for the big screen. The result looked vaguely like an animated remake of Star Wars. Who are the Transformers? The good guys are the Autobots: Optimus Prime, Jazz, Ultra Magnus, and many more. Their mortal enemies are the evil Decepticons, led by Megatron and StarScream. The Autobots must save their home planet from an evil entity known as Unicron (voiced by Orson Welles). At the same time, they must defend themselves from an all-out attack from the Decepticons. Along the way, lives are lost, battles are fought, and a new Autobot leader is born. The story and action never stop in a thrilling ride that often makes you forget that you're watching an '80s cartoon with inferior graphics. The violence will also come as a mild shock to those who haven't seen this film for a while--definitely a movie for the 8 and over audience. For those who grew up on this series, this is a movie that must be watched. Unlike cartoon serials before and after, The Transformers relied on solid stories and interesting characters, a manifesto the film itself upholds with gusto and grace while also being morally responsible. Don't underestimate this movie; there is definitely more to it than meets the eye. --Jeremy Storey

On the DVD

The 2007 live-action Transformers feature isn't the first time the massively popular line of robot action figures invaded theaters; back in 1986, a full-length animated adventure set adolescent boys' hearts racing (for better or worse) with its action-packed storyline and cliffhanger ending, and now Transformers – The Movie arrives on DVD in a deluxe two-disc set that's bursting at the seams with supplemental features. The premise pits the valiant Autobots and their leader, Optimus Prime, against their nemeses the Decepticons, which find an ally in the colossal, planet-devouring Unicron (voiced by Orson Welles in one of his final roles), which seeks to consume the Autobots' Matrix of Leadership and conquer the universe for its own. Parents of very small children may find the violence here a little strong, and the demise of several characters (including one main figure in the Transformers pantheon) may rub viewers the wrong way (as it did during the film's theatrical release), but the action is frequently spectacular, and the story itself is fast-paced enough to keep any 21st century kid audiences distracted from the somewhat outdated animation style. The Transformers DVD set presents the film in two formats for viewing – full-screen and widescreen – on two separate discs, each with their own set of extras. Commentary by director Nelson Shin, story editor Flint Dillie, and voice actress Sue Blue (who voiced Arcee) dominates the first disc, but viewers can also check out extremely detailed commentary by a pair of expert fans, or enjoy the film with the "Autobox Matrix of Knowledge" (a text-only track that provides information and trivia). The "Scramble City" episode of the original TV series, which never aired in the United States, is also included her (with fan commentary), along with the original trailer and TV spots for the film, and a sneak preview of the 2007 live action film, which includes interviews with producer Steven Spielberg and director Michael Bay. The second disc is the real treasure trove for fans, with three making-of featurettes that cover all aspects of the film, from voice-over talent (which included Leonard Nimoy and Robert Stack) to favorite characters, with Shin, Dillie, Blu, and producers Joe Bacal and Tom Griffin weighing in with opinions. Deleted and alternate footage featured in the pre-release trailer is highlighted and given its own commentary track, and a battery of American and Japanese TV commercials for the toy line are also included. Finally, DVD-ROM owners can enjoy a trivia game and a link to exclusive online content. -- Paul Gaita

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

120 of 134 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Transformers: The Movie - 20th Anniversary Special Edition , August 16, 2006

By	DA MAN "DA MAN..." (SINGAPORE) - See all my reviews

This is the release of the Transformers animated motion picture in celebration of it's 20th anniversary as well as a prelude to the release of the Transformers Live action motion picture that will be released in 2007. Let us take a look at the details of this dvd release which will help buyers in making the choice as to whether or not to make this film part of their dvd library.

Firstly, this dvd is released by Sony BMG Music Entertainment, as therefore those who might be expecting a dvd release of the animated film together with the live action film later in 2007 will be sorely disappointed as the property doesn't belong to the same distributor.

Secondly, this dvd release is a 2 disc release featuring three versions of the feature film, commentary tracks and interviews, a sneak peak at the live-action movie.

A breakdown of the dvd details are as follows :

*Brilliantly remastered and color-corrected

*16x9 widescreen presentation, which has not been seen anywhere since the movie was in theatres twenty years ago

*Full screen edition as well

*Commentary tracks

*Interviews with director Nelson Shin, story consultant Flint Dille and voice actress Susan Blu

*Autobot Matrix of Knowledge Presentation: Truly showcasing the pop culture phenomenon that is The Transformers, Sony BMG has created a special version of the film for the DVD release.

*The `Autobot Matrix of Knowledge' will feature trivia and fun facts about the movie itself, the Transformers brand, and the pop culture references in which Transformers has been spoofed/tributed. Approximately one hundred fun facts will show up on screen throughout the movie. Many of the factoids were provided by fans through a special DVD site created by Sony BMG to solicit input--marking the first time that the huge
Transformers fan base has ever been asked to participate in the creation of a Transformers home entertainment release.

*Original commercials for the toy line and movie

*Behind-the-scenes sneak peak at next summer's highly anticipated Transformers live action movie event. The special feature segment on the DVD will include comments from Michael Bay and Steven Spielberg who share their vision and passion for Transformers

*Collectible `transforming' cover

My personal view is that for this price, and the amount of special features thrown in, this dvd is a real bang for your buck. If you are a Transformers fan, this is a must buy. If you wanna have a Transformers history lesson and get hyped up before the movie release, this is also a worthy consideration.
If you belong to none of the people in the category above, you might wanna stay away. But this is darn good entertainment whichever way you look at it. This deserves 5 stars, no doubt!

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bitter sweet describes this trip back to childhood, January 6, 2001

By	Quray Bey "qba" (Wayne, NJ) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Transformers - The Movie (DVD)

No doubt hidden in the 271 reviews that precedes my own you will find many of my ideas and thoughts about this movie. No matter, I still feel obligated to share what this movie meant and continues to mean to me. To begin, credit must be given to the composer and artist of this film. While, although sometimes a bit cheesy (ie. that same choo-choo-train sewer music playing whenever unicron appeares, which is borrowed from from ROCKY IV), the music does energize the film at times and makes for a great soundrack. Next, despite what some others have said, the animation for this film was great for its time. I mean, who could ever forget that scene when Optimus decides, "Megatron must be stopped--no matter what the cost," and leaps into action blasting away. That's the stuff great memories are made of. Conversely, however, the plot of this movie made perfect sense when I was ten years old, but now seems a bit weak. But what can you expect? After all, it IS--or WAS--a childrens cartoon. More than anything I think this film represents the end of an era. While kids still have vivid imaginations and continue to love cartoons, I wonder if they will obsess over them (running home from school to make sure you didn't miss a minute) like we did. In these days of powerfull computers, DVDs, and Wallmart(hehe), I don't know if things will ever be the same. Bottom line, I love this movie not only for what it is( a childrens cartoon), but for what we made it( a legend that defines a generation). Autobots, transform and roll out.

119 of 148 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars the original MATRIX, April 5, 2000

By	Paul Freebury (Reading, England) - See all my reviews

TransFormers: the Movie. Mmm. Real good treat. I cannot explain howmuch I love this film, but it's simply the best. Infinitly superior to any other children's flick ever; there's action, guns, explosions, adventure, lots of death (although not all good), a good sci-fi script that makes sense (ish), sexiness (Arcee, oooh), the best hand drawn animation that makes Disney look like a Sunday supplement failed comic book artist, A Monty Python geeza (Eric Idle, probably needed the money), arguably the best actor of the 20th C amongst the cast, Spock, a very good soundtrack considering it was the 80s, the original Matrix (of Autobot leadership), good jokes, and the single most tear-jerking scene in cinema history that even on its current 65th watch reduces me to big-man blubber. The nostalgia element's important too, of course. Count how many times you come out in goose-pimples. So really, it is probably THE best film ever. The most important episode in the TransFormers saga/legend/thing. All this praise and the damned thing's still not out on DVD. Que? Make no sense to me. Let them roll-out now and light our darkest hour!

One for the old die-hard fans, those who watched it when they were young, and for those who are only just understanding the brilliance of 'robots in disguise' via Beast Wars it equals an entertaining history lesson. Don't watch it, however, if you're over 10 and have never experienced the thrill of the TransFormers, you may disappointed and if you do actually enjoy it that'll mean more harm than good.