User:Loof/TheMovie
| The name or term "Transformers: The Movie" refers to more than one character or idea. For a list of other meanings, see Transformers: The Movie (disambiguation). |
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 A long time ago in a galaxy far far away.... | ||||||
| Beast Wars: Transformers: The Movie | ||||||
| Production code | 4034 | |||||
| Production company | Mainframe Entertainment | |||||
| Release date | August 8, 1997 | |||||
| Writer | loof | |||||
| Directed by | Bob Forward | |||||
| Animation studio | Mainframe Entertainment | |||||
| Continuity | Beast Wars continuity | |||||
Beast Wars: Transformers: The Movie is a computer-animated feature film based on the Beast Wars toyline. It was released in the United States on Friday, August 8, 1997.
The film's storyline follows the same continuity as the Beast Wars cartoon. It introduces a planet-sized Transformer called Unicron who eats other planets, and is approaching Earth. As part of their continuing wars, the Maximals and Predacons have a fierce battle on Earth which sees both Optimus Primal and Megatron mortally wounded. Primal passes the mantle of leader to Cheetor and dies, and Megatron is transformed by Unicron into Magmatron. Tarantulas (briefly) assumes leadership of the Predacons, but is killed when Magmatron arrives on Cybertron. Magmatron then chases the surviving Maximals on Earth across space, splitting them up and attempting to kill them one-by-one. The Maximals find their way back to each other, and follow Magmatron to Cybertron just as Unicron transforms into robot mode and begins to eat their world. Travelling inside Unicron, Cheetor recovers the Oracle, transforms into Alpha Trizer, and uses the it to destroy Unicron.
Often referred to by fans simply as "BWTM", the movie was a step up in almost every area from the television series, with a more sophisticated plot, more serious treatment of war and violence, a hugely ambitious scope and a greatly increased animation budget with well-known celebrities providing voice work. For these reasons, the film remains very popular with children of the 1990s.
The film opens with characters who had been featured in the first two years of the toyline and associated media (cartoons, comic books, etc.), but quickly introduces new characters and kills many of the old ones to make room. Of particular note, Optimus Primal and Rattrap are both destroyed during the course of the film.
Synopsis
[edit]
A mechanical planet travels through the depths of space, attacking a metal planet which has robotic inhabitants. Robots, vehicles, buildings, and even large chunks of rock are sucked off the surface and devoured by the monstrous planet.
It is the ancient past, and the Predacons are now in control of Cybertron. The Maximals are preparing to launch an assault to retake the planet from hidden bases on two of Cybertron's moons. The Maximals launch a shuttle to pick up a final shipment of energon from Earth before they strike.
Plans for the attack are overheard by Lazorbeak, who reports back to Megatron. The Predacons attack the Maximal shuttle en route to Earth, wiping out its crew (including Rhinox and Airazor). Using the Maximals' own shuttle, the Predacons are able to get very close to the Maximals' base on Earth before they are detected, and begin a devastating surprise attack on the unprepared city.
During the battle, both Optimus Primal and Megatron suffer mortal injuries, and a number of others are also killed. Eventually the Predacons retreat, but the damage suffered by the Maximals is severe.
Shortly after the battle, Primal lies on his deathbed. He passes the reins of leadership to Cheetor and gives him the Oracle. Primal relates a prophecy: "One day, a Maximal shall rise from our ranks, and use the power of the Oracle to light our darkest hour." He then gives the oath, "'Til all are one", and dies. This sequence of events is observed remotely by Unicron, the monstrous planet, who appears unusually concerned by the survival of the Maximals.
The Predacons are making their escape aboard the recaptured Darksyde, but are too heavy for it to get them all home under its own power. After putting the matter to a fair vote, the Predacons decide to throw their injured members and prisoners off the ship to better the chance of survival for the rest, including the mortally wounded Megatron. Too injured to save himself, Tarantulas tosses Megatron out into space and claims leadership of the Predacon army.
Megatron and the other adrift Maximals and Predacons then encounter Unicron in interstellar space. Unicron offers to rebuild Megatron and the others in exchange for their service. After some coercion on the planetoid's part, Megatron agrees, and is reformatted into Magmatron. The other Predacons are turned into Rampage, Waspinator, and the Waruders. Unicron provides them with a ship, and sends them to kill Cheetor and destroy the Maximals, stating that they are the only thing which can stand in his way.
Magmatron first stops at Cybertron to take his revenge by killing Tarantulas and reclaiming leadership of the Predacons. Almost immediately afterwards, Unicron arrives in Cybertron's vicinity and devours at least two moons—both of the Maximals' moon bases are destroyed. Under coercion by Unicron, Magmatron finally heads to Earth to kill Cheetor, but Cheetor and the other surviving Maximals flee in a pair of shuttles. Eventually Magmatron manages to cause one shuttle to crash on yet another metal planet (Quintessa), and detonates the other with a volley of missiles. However, the Maximals in the second shuttle escape unnoticed by separating the front portion of their shuttle just before impact.
The Maximals in the crashed shuttle, Tigatron, Polar Claw, and Dinobot, find themselves separated and in a hostile environment. Tigatron and Polar Claw are captured by a squad of Allicons and taken before a Quintesson judge and his court. While being held there, they learn the name and nature of Unicron from Kranix, a survivor of the planet destroyed in the opening of the film, which he calls Lithone. Meanwhile, Dinobot encounters and befriends a young, wild Maximal named Packrat who has been living alone on Quintessa. Together, they crash the trial just as Tigatron and Polar Claw are fighting losing odds against the Quintessons' Sharkticons. The tide is turned, and the Maximals commandeer a Quintesson Cruiser.
The other group of Maximals has landed on the planet Junkion to make repairs, but are attacked yet again by Magmatron, who was tipped off to their survival by Unicron. During the battle, Cheetor tries to use the Oracle's wisdom, but is unable to do so, and instead is damaged. Magmatron absconds with the Oracle and Cheetor's Beast mode head, taking them away to Unicron. The remaining Maximals are then ambushed by Junkions, the eponymous natives of Junkion, who are also giant transforming robots. This battle is cut short, however, by the arrival of Tigatron's group in their Quintesson ship. After exchanging the universal greeting they all make friends, and the Junkions restore Cheetor to working order. Together, the whole group travels to Cybertron to try to recover the Oracle and destroy Unicron.
Magmatron attempts to use the Oracle's power against Unicron and force his master into submission, but is unable to. Unicron, not pleased with this attempted treachery, shocks Magmatron by transforming from a planet into a planet-sized robot. Unicron plucks Magmatron off his chest and swallows him, Oracle and all, and then begins attacking Cybertron itself. Inferno scrambles the Predacon forces to defend the planet, but they are ineffective against so large an enemy. Shortly the Maximals arrive from Junkion, and fly the Quintesson ship straight through Unicron's eye. This impact destroys the ship, and the Maximals fall out inside Unicron. Cheetor, separated from the others, eventually runs into Magmatron. During their fight, Cheetor gets his hands on the Oracle and hears Optimus's voice speak the words, "Arise, Alpha Trizer." Cheetor grows in stature, adopts a much sterner demeanor, and quickly dispatches Magmatron by tossing him through Unicron's hull out into space. He then identifies a crucial point of weakness and begins destroying him from inside.
In the meantime, the other Maximals inside Unicron have located some of their comrades from the moon bases who had been presumed dead, including Cybershark. The Maximals, including Trizer, escape through Unicron's remaining eye just as he begins to fall apart and explode. The scene then immediately shifts to the surface of Cybertron, where the Maximals are in charge again, Magmatron missing and the Predacons directionless and decimated. Trizer predicts an era of peace and prosperity, and the film closes with a shot of Unicron's severed head still floating in orbit around Cybertron.
Featured characters
[edit]| Maximals | Predacons | Others |
|---|---|---|
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Other |
Quotes
[edit]
"Now all we need is a little energon and a lot of luck."
"More than you imagine, Optimus Primal."
- —Optimus Primal and Megatron tempt fate.
"Such foolish heroism."
- —Megatron coldly finishes off Rhinox.
"First, we crack the shell... then we crack the nuts inside."
- —Terrorsaur bravely raids the Maximal base.
"I've got better things to do tonight than die!"
- —Tigatron, telling it like it is.
"One shall stand. One shall fall."
- —Optimus Primal referencing one of the most quoted lines in Transformers history.
"Why throw your life away so recklessly?"
"That's a question you should ask yourself, Megatron."
- —Megatron and Optimus Primal, about to engage in one last battle to the death.
"I would have waited an eternity for this! It's over, Primal."
"NEVER!"
- —Megatron is about to learn that a wounded Optimus Primal has enough strength left for one good hit.
"Until that day...'til all are one..."
- —Optimus Primal's final words.
"Finally! I too would've waited an eternity to do this!"
"No! I still function!"
"Not for long!"
- —Tarantulas fights back the tears as he throws Megatron out of the Darksyde.
"I have summoned you here for a purpose."
"Which is?"
"You are to destroy Cheetor and the Maximals."
- —Unicron has a much easier time with this Megatron.
"Who disrupts my plans?"
"I do."
"Megatron? Is that you?"
"Here's a hint!"
- —Magmatron drops "hints" for Tarantulas like others drop anvils.
"Spare me this mockery of justice!"
- —Kranix is upset at being found innocent.
"You check in, but you don't check out."
- —Wreck-Gar making a reference to the tagline from the "Roach Motel." commercials
"For a time... I considered sparing your wretched little planet Cybertron. But now... you shall witness... its dismemberment!"
- —Unicron really needs to work on his anger management skills...
"Destiny... You cannot... destroy... my... destiny!"
- —Unicron's final words.
"Let this mark the end of the Beast Wars as we march forward into a new era of peace and happiness! 'Til all are one!"
- —Alpha Trizer announces the end of the Beast Wars...yeah, right.
Continuity errors
[edit]- When Magmatron is formed from the remains of Megatron, Terrorsaur, and Rattrap, the latter changes colour to match Magmatron's character model. The other two do not.
Reception and box office
[edit]{{quote|Beast Wars: Transformers, in which Orson Welles plays a planet, is surprisingly enjoyable. Target audience of cartoon-watchers and longtime fans will probably find the film entertaining, provoking, and relatively straightforward. Boxoffice prospects are moderate.
The Transformers: The Movie was oddly praised by professional critics upon its release. While it wasn't the most original, as many pointed out, they found it compelling enough to watch the entire film. Critics with children, who were fans of the show, pointed out its poignant effects, such as tears for Optimus Primal's passing and cheers for Cheetor's growth and the movie's climax.
Many people think the film's soundtrack doesn't hold up the best today, as it's mainly in the same style as the show, when there is any. Many critics pointed out its choice to focus more on the action and lessen any deafening music, which they were thankful for.
Notes
[edit]- If for some reason you couldn't tell, this is not a real movie. It's just that loof guy's sandbox page, where I (loof) play around. By most means, it should be nigh-impossible to find, so congratulations for finding it, I guess. It's supposed to be a what-if replacement for the Vok arc in Beast Wars, serving as fanwank and as a way for me to try my hand at formatting a movie article, which I otherwise wouldn't get much of a chance to do.
