Saw this first run opening night; when Prime died the movie theatre erupted into chaos. Kids crying parents screaming. The lights came on the movie stopped, free snacks and drinks made the rounds until things calmed down and then we continued. After that every showing at my movie theatre had a parent warning. Such a wild ride!

2:00 The funny (sad?) thing is how Welles sounds so tired that it actually gives Unicron an odd bit of poignancy. I have no idea if it was deliberate, but I get the sense that Unicron is so old, and has done this so many times, that eating planets is a distasteful chore at this point. He's got a real "vampire who's lived too long" vibe going.

The Optimus Prime You Got the Touch scene is still one of the most epic moments in movie history.

Even though Orson Welles didn't care for the role, him voicing Unicron is still the coolest villain voice that could be heard. Just like how Kevin Conroy's voice embodies Batman, Orson Welles' voice embodies Unicron.

Everybody loves " The Touch" , but dont sleep on "Dare".Its intro guitar solo is awesome

Almost 40 years later, still the best Transformers movie. Which is sad, really.

Almost 40 years later, still the best Transformers movie ever

I was traumatised by seeing all my faves killed off at start. But watching Hot Rod open the matrix always gives me goosebumps. Classic

Orson Welles moments before death played the hell out of Unicron. That "I got out of bed for this?" energy is actually perfect for a malevolent sentient planet.

This movie has the touch and the power!

Just a correction: the movie uses "The Touch" only two times, not three. In the scene referenced at 2:30 the music isn't "The Touch" but "Dare," also sung by Stan Bush (with orchestration by Vince DiCola). It does sound similar so the confusion is understandable. Great video!

"The Touch" was only played twice. That first scene featuring Hot Rod and Daniel featured "Dare," which was also played twice. Outside of that, this was on point!

I almost choked to death on "We have Optimus Prime at home" 🤣

Say what you like about this film, but Prime giving the Dinobots the order to destroy Devastator is a core memory

I remember watching this when I was 8 or 9 years old. My first shock was that all these classic Autobots got gunned down like it was nothing almost first thing (including the first one I ever owned, Cliffjumper). And then Optimus Prime said, "Damn you, Megatron!" And I was like, "Optimus Prime cussed?!?!?!?" And then he got killed. And then Megatron died. And then Starscream finally got his. Man, this movie was brutal. And I loved it.

I was like nine when this came out. I remember absolutely driving my mom and the video rental store clerks nuts trying to get a hold of a copy. Back in those days, the wait between theater and video release was like 6 mos to a year, if memory serves. When I did manage to get it, I literally jumped out of the car when we got home and ran inside the house to put it in the VCR. Coolest thing I had ever seen up until that point. Of course, I lost it when Optimus was killed. . . yeah, my mom said that was one of those moments she knew I was a total dweeb.

I'm so glad they did a honest trailer on my favorite childhood movie. Also Jon Bailey does a hell of a good Optimus Prime voice.

The “oh sh*t what’re we gonna do now “ scene always gets me 😂

Peter Cullen called, he wants his voice back. You absolutely killed me with "The assassination of Optimus Prime by the Coward Hasbro". I'm also pretty certain this film is why I'm into hair metal even though I slightly missed that generation.

"One shall stand. One shall fall." - Optimus Prime

Remember that the trauma of children who witnessed Optimus’s death was so bad that they rewrote the GI Joe movie at the last second to say Duke was in a coma and would recover instead of dying outright

I cried when prime died. 40 years later I'm still hurt.

Two small corrections: - "Dare" is a completely different, but also awesome, song from "The Touch". While "The Touch" acknowledges a master, "Dare" inspires an up-and-comer. - Orson Welles was actually relatively happy about voicing a cartoon because he found the animation medium fascinating. It was probably more fun than the commercials he worked on.

“Beyond good, beyond evil, beyond your wildest imagination.” That tagline may be corny, but I love it. And the poster with the autobots shooting into the sky was great.

I was a kid when this came out on VHS. I remember being shocked by the level of violence and the language in the movie. The original cartoon was pretty mild. The movie was pretty savage. Everyone that I cared about was dead by the end of the movie.

I'm 36 right now, and I can assure you this movie shocked me when I was a kid. It was so good and well animated. It wasn't well received at that time because it was meant for kid show but the killing here was really sad

i don't care how 80s it is, seeing boom box bots send their cassette tape armies to fight each other is rad asf

The Touch is fantastic, but Instruments of Destruction is an absolute gem, especially if it always makes you remember your toys being mercilessly gunned down by by your brother's toys.

that's actually a really great Peter Cullen impression

I've owned this movie on Betamax, VHS, DVD, and now have it downloaded. I've seen this movie so many times I not only can recite the ENTIRE movie word for word, one of my horcruxes is an action figure of Wheelie. 😂

I was working, and a kid working with us put children's songs on the radio. The theme from this movie came on, and I kindly informed that child: "don't skip that if you value your life."

Out of the dozen or so video stores in my town, there was *one* store that had *one* copy of this movie. Every time we walked in there, I beelined for it, only to find it had been rented out. There was no reserve option at this store, so it was months before I happened to arrive at the right time, and my eyes were greeted by the miracle of an available VHS tape behind the display cover. I almost couldn't believe it was finally happening. Everyone who lived through the time of video stores knows that feeling, and this was the apotheosis for me. The struggle was so long, and the disappointments so numerous.

This...just shows how legendary this movie is. Probably one of my favorite movies ever. Peter Cullen is timeless!

This actually introduced me to Transformers and nothing feels the same after watching it, even the original series can't top it

I was terrified you were going to pan this movie, but you spared my aching heart. My only gripes are you forgot to mention Leonard Nimoy's Galvatron and the fact that Spectre General (Who were actually Kick Axe but the studio renamed them on the soundtrack album without their consent) did some absolutely amazing tracks on this album!

That boombox reference hit too close to home. I recently bought a Soundwave, transformed it into the radio and my kid asked what it was

I can think of worse ways to retire a toy line to make way for a new one, but at least it has the effect of forever scarring so many kids for life, that they never forgot the franchise.

Often when I watch Honest Trailers for stuff I like I see issues I have with the trailer that compels me to defend the original product, but honestly the only complaint I have with the trailer is that in fact "The Touch" is played twice, not three times, in the film the scene near the start with Daniel on a hoverboard is in fact set to "Dare" also by Stan Bush.

One of my most ingrained memories was seeing this in theater with my father and when Prime died all the father's and sons were crying. I remember crying and not feeling alone because others were and my dad was trying to hold the tears back, lol.

My father died when I was nine years old. At the time, I was really into the Transformers toys and cartoons. I guess I didn't realise that Optimus kinda became a surrogate father. Peter Cullen's voice was a perfect combination of strong yet caring. Then two years later this film came out and I went to see it at the cinema. I cried quietly in my seat, not wanting my friend sitting next to me to see. I knew I had until the end of the film for my swollen eyes to calm down. Utterly traumatic. Will never forget.

You do the Optimus voice so well. Almost too well! The one thing I always hated about this movie was that they couldn't save Optimus when he had a single hole in his chest, but when Ultra Magnus gets blown to literal pieces, the Junkions just glue him back together and he's fine.

4:12 There was a group of female Autobots that already made an appearance in one of the Transformers season 2 episodes. They were a small group of brave defenders of Cybertron and they were even romantic partners with some of the male Autobots, like Elita One and Optimus Prime. For the movie and the season that followed it, the list of fembots was reduced only to Arcee, which is a mystery that can be added to the long list of inconsistencies of our beloved original cartoon.

I watched this movie over 300 times since 1986. It just never got old. "You have to see it twice to take it all in!" What's really really crazy is I'm STILL finding things in that movie I'd never noticed before. Like there being TWO Rumbles when they go to attack Blaster.

I don’t think anyone who wasn’t a kid when this came out will ever truly understand the trauma sitting in that theater. It was amazing. Haha

"Silence, or you'll be held in contempt of this court!" "I have nothing BUT contempt for this court!" I still haven't seen this movie, but I think it's amazing that it produced some surprisingly EPIC quotes.

I don't care what anyone says, this is the greatest movie of all time! I still watch it regularly

I love this soundtrack. Every song is perfect. I absolutely love 'The Touch'. And though it may be blasphemous... I think 'Dare' is the best song in this movie.

I saw this in the cinema when I was 4/5 years old and Optimus’ death was really upsetting! Apparently so many patents in the US wrote letters to Hasbro to complain that they had to add a voice over to the end of the film before it was released worldwide, which says ‘the greatest Autobot of them all, Optimus Prime, will return’. You can see the differences in the Blu ray release which has the US cut and the European cut. Also, minor point: The Touch is only played twice in the film: during Prime’s fight with Megatron and during Rodimus Prime’s fight with Galvatron. During Hot Rod’s first scene with Daniel it is the equally great and cheesy ‘Dare’ also by Stan Bush.

Love the Orson Welles call out, but can we acknowledge that Leonard Nimoy and Weird Al Yankovic also voiced major characters in this movie? Weird Al even rerecorded a song from his first album for it (Dare to be Stupid).

The touchiest thing about Stan Bush's "The Touch" was that it didn't beat around the Stan Bush when it concerned the multiple times it was repeatedly used in the 1986 The Transformers: The Movie.

My dad took me to see this in theaters. Optimus Prime dying did actually make me cry, although I was quite embarrassed by it. My dad made me walk home. My family moved to another town before I finally got there. I'm still homeless.

I once tried to watch one of the Michael Bay transformers movies. I was impressed that I managed to get almost halfway through before I shut it off, I feel that really shows my fortitude is stronger than I had anticipated. Honest Trailers really summed it up well - "2 hours of throwing electronics into a woodchipper".

This is my all-time favorite movie. I rented the VHS tape, bought the VHS tape, and now I have the anniversary Blu-ray. Along with the soundtrack on my playlist right now. I literally know every line by heart.

No matter how old you get, Optimus Prime's death will always make you cry.

I'm glad the Bumblebee got at least a mention😅

I've watched Honest Trailers for years and this is literally the first time I've ever rewatched one, immediately! The trailer for Transformers The Movie blew my little middle school mind back in 1986. I could not wait to go see it. When I saved up and bought a VHS of it from Toy-R-Us, I completely wore it out rewatching it countless times. It seemed crazy to me that this movie had not been done yet by Screen Junkies, but here we are. And, I got caught almost every reference made. It was the actor's credits/renames that threw me a couple times... Oh, can you say, "Turbo-revvin' young punk... I'll straighten you out yet!" Even if it's in your normal Honest Trailer voice on another non-transformer-related video. Thanks! I've also never requested you say anything in all the years I've been watching/subscribed. PS: I'm actually subscribed on my personal channel (Forrest Young), not this one. Hope that still counts!

To this day, still the best Transformers movie. Also the first time I cried at the theatre.

One movie shall stand where many other movies in the same franchise shall fall. And this is a cartoon movie from the 80's.

2:15 never have I heard anything more accurate about this soundtrack

"Coronation, Starscream? This is bad comedy!" ^I use this line regularly in conversations when people make ridiculous statements.

The strange thing is that this is actually the best transformers movie ever made. I love that my grandad kept letting me watch it on repeat once I finish my work in the back garden. Thank you honest trailers 👏👍

I'm 24 and this movie is honestly one of the first memories I can remember. It'll always have a place in my heart.

Can't believe you did Dare dirty like this. The Touch doesn't play when Hot Rod and Daniel are driving!

Such an amazing movie, although I'm shocked you guys didn't mention anything about Galvatron being voiced by Leonard Nimoy. :O

I didn't skip Bumblebee! I saw it in theaters, bought the Blu-ray, and I freaking loved it!

This film was my childhood for a long time. I was absolutely obsessed with it... And the toys too of course. Still the best Transformers film by a mile.

"Instruments of Destruction" by NRG absolutely slays. This is the song they play when Starscream axes off Ironhide, Prowl, Ratchet and Brawn using Megatron in gun mode.

THAT. WAS. 80'S. AWESOME. I'm gonna get out my old cassette tape of the Transformers soundtrack, wait fifteen minutes for it to rewind to "Instruments If Destruction", Transform And Rock Out!

I gotta hand it to you Epic Voice Guy, you’re not the Peter Cullen we wanted but you’re the Peter Cullen we deserve.

The Touch is honestly such a great song. When Hot Rod pulls open the all spark and the song starts vibing, I got chills all over me. The single greatest scene in this movie is Hot Rod transforming into Rodimus Prime while The Touch is blaring in the background.

Wow, that went by so fast that I didn't even have time to last a the last joke before the next one came. The best was the title, "The Assassination of Optimus Prime by the Coward Hasbro". Great job!

Spaceballs came out a year after, so it is quite possible that Mega Maid transformation sequence was a homage to Unicron's.

The last joke about the movie is almost always a winner but you hit a new high with this one.

Yep! I was one of the 80 or so people that saw this when it was first released in theaters (judging by the box office numbers). I was six and loved every second of it. But Prime's death was traumatizing.

The fact that they had the balls to kill off most of the main cast is what made this movie legendary. That's the whole reason people still want to watch this movie today. I wish movies had the guts to do stuff like this today. Between this and Artax the horse in NeverEnding Story, '80s kids had to learn how to deal with loss and trauma.

I've been slowly buying all the best versions of each character from the movie poster (the Studio Series figures are amazing) so I can recreate it on my dresser. I'm pretty excited by it.

FINALLY!!! THE GREATEST TRANSFORMERS MOVIE EVER GETS AN HONEST TRAILER!!!!!!!!!

In all seriousness, that’s a great Peter Cullen impression.

Lion knocked the theme song out of the park! Amazing song with some great 80's riffs and an amazing solo!

I love this movie so much. I still rock out to the soundtrack all the time cause it’s so good! Even the 3 “the touch”

That was a great Prime voice, man. You should do the next cartoon voice!

This was the first movie I ever saw in a theatre and the callous murder of my childhood favorites scarred me for years - that being said, this movie effing ruled.

I remember my dad showing me this movie when I was 8 (I was born in 1996)... I loved it ever since.

Duce, it is UNCANNY how much you sound like Peter Cullen!! Very well done!!

The Game of Thrones comparison made me chuckle, because I remember thinking how brutal the Megatron line “I’ll tear out your optics” was for a kids movie

Do a trailer for the first Ninja Turtles movie from 1990 before Mutant Mayhem comes out! Please!

Going to have to go back and watch this one again. That animation holds up so well it looks incredible to this day still.

Arcee was like the 5th or 6th named autobot female. Elita 1, Chromia, Firestar, Moonracer and Ariel (Ariel was the original form of Elita 1 so dont know if she counts hence 5th or 6th) all appeared in season 2 and there were more in the background.

Saw this film on opening night, five days after my 9th birthday. I couldn't believe they killed off all of my favorite characters. Sat there in shock with my dad and my 2 younger brothers. Still think it's a classic (from the year that defined the 80's: 1986), And, looking back, the most important thing is that it confirmed the origins of my love for heavy metal that still resides in me today. That Spectre General tune "Nothing's Gonna Stand in Our Way" was baddass, and fit perfectly in that underwater scene with Hotrod and Kup. RIP G1 and G2 .... we missed you, eternally, from this point forward, and effectively ended my interest in the toys by January 1987.

“10 percent robots fighting” literally sums up Michael Bay’s entire transformers saga.

NRG's song "Instruments of destruction" still kills it today.

You did it. The honest trailer to my favorite animated movie of all time. Let's go

The opening theme, Unicron's voice, and Galvatron were the coolest things to ever happen to my younger self

This movie was beyond epic!!! It's got the touch AND the power!

6:03 Eric Idle from Monty Python say no more!

The Touch only plays twice in the film. The other song is Dare by Stan Bush which I think is also very good in its own right.

The Touch was only used twice. The first scene you used was Dare.

It’s nice to hear someone finally say, that Springer was the coolest and most charismatic one…and the worst thing was, for a toyline, I couldn’t find his toy anywhere

This was fantastic! Especially the roll call and fan quotes, all at the end.

I love this movie so much! It’s such a big part of my childhood! I love everything about it!