Talk:The Transformers: The Movie

Hmm, that's odd. The version of the DVD I have has the scrolling text, the "Optimus Prime will return" voiceover, AND the part where Spike lets an "oh shit" slip.

Shockwave

Did he die or what? I remember hearing that the original script EXPLICITLY says that he died when Unicron crushed the building he was in, but the actual finished movie is considerably more vague about this... -hx 13:53, 16 March 2006 (UTC)

According to the TFTM script:

ANGLE ON CYBERTRON

Unicron enters shot and grasps at Cybertron with a hideous claw...

ANGLE ON A TOWER ON CYBERTRON

Shockwave talks into a communications device, as alarms sound and troopers run everywhere.

SHOCKWAVE: Decepticons...we're under attack...Scramble -

Then his voice is cut off as...

SHOCKWAVE'S POV - OUT HIS WINDOW

Unicron's hand reaches towards the window, squeezes, and the walls crash in.

SPACE - UNICRON AND CYBERTRON

Unicron tears off the tower and crushes it as...

A FLEET OF DECEPTICON SHIPS

streak out of Cybertron and begin firing on the enormous planet.

Here, we see the true scale of Unicron. The fighters are the size of bees as they attack.

-- While Shockwave's character model sometimes appeared in the third season (once in grey, once in Constructicon Green), I'm not sure that a properly-colored Shockwave ever showed up post-movie - not that that would necessarily mean anything in light of Evil Zombie Brawn And Huffer from Carnage In C Minor. --Monzo 18:47, 16 March 2006 (UTC)

• That's pretty much what I figured. Shockwave kindasorta dies, and doesn't show up properly ever again, so you could argue that he's dead. -hx 19:43, 16 March 2006 (UTC)

He doesn't even kindasorta die in the final cut of the movie. He just has that one shot then we never see him again. No tower-crushy, no nothing. So it can really be argued either way. M "I'd Hesitate To Make A Call Either WAy" Sipher

Could those season 3 episodes Five Faces of Darkness, Part 3 and Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4 animation errors be his clones?.

German Dub

Does anyone know who spoke all the roles in the german dubbing? i can't find that info anywhere on the net, and neither on the german dvd :(

You should not look for the cast of the dvd version because, first the dub is tital crap, second the voiceactors are unknown, there are no information which studio did the dub nor who directed the dub. You can find the dublist here: http://215072.homepagemodules.de/t511208f11776731-Transformers-Kampf-um-Cybertron.html

The?

Shouldn't this article be called "The Transformers: The Movie"? That is the film's full title, isn't it? --KilMichaelMcC 06:39, 14 June 2006 (UTC)

Here's a question.

Do we really need the (1986) at the end of this? It's not like "Transformers: The Movie" redirects to a disambiguation page with this and the '07 movie, or that the '07 movie is titled something different. It just seems...redundant, don't you think? There's only 'one' TFTM, and this is it. That, and I highly doubt there's gonna be another "Transformers: The Movie" within the next five or even ten years--when this Wiki would, realistically, still be operating. So yeah. Shouldn't we can that?

Transformers: The Movie (comic) exists. As will The Transformers: The Animated Movie (comic) for the current adaptation when someone gets around to it. We do need to have a disambiguation system for them though. --ItsWalky 02:37, 28 November 2006 (UTC)

I agree with the above, but am inclined to say this article still doesn't need a paranthetical in its title, it being far more prominant than the other Transformers: The Movies. Of course, the last time I moved an article that has disambiguation to the non-parenthetical location I got a bunch of people saying "WTF?" even though that's what Help:Disambiguation has said to do since I wrote it back at the dawn of time. (See Talk:Constructicon.) --Steve-o 06:28, 28 November 2006 (UTC)

Walky's point: Then I don't really see the relevance of the year. On top of that, all of those have different titles; there's no real conflict. It's kinda the same principle as Kremzeek and Kremzeek!. Just note that the reader may be looking for whatever at the top. Interrobang 09:46, 28 November 2006 (UTC)

Worth Noting...somewhere

I found my old VHS version of the movie, and it refers to the Decepticons reformatted by Unicron as the "Unicrons." Just wanted to point that out. -- Hunter-113 18:00, 18 June 2007 (UTC)

Though officially publishedd, the Aaustralian character bios are generally ignored because-- Bwuh?

Hasbro/Dreamworks recently put out some bios of the movie characters-- describing half the cast in terms of their cartoon versions, including events that did not occur in the movie. At some point you have to say "no, there's no point in trying to integrate that."

I think poorly-conceived DVD extras (or VHS extras as the case may be) since they really don't stand on their own but only reflect the producer's (often limited) understanding of the source material are one of those ignored-unless-useful things. (It's also why we don't cover the Dinobots seldom-seen combiner mode. *shudder*) -Derik 19:24, 18 June 2007 (UTC)

The Dinobots'... what? -Rotty 20:07, 18 June 2007 (UTC)

I've heard of that combiner, my friend said it had no head. Anyways, I got that info off the synopsis from the back of the VHS Case. -- Hunter-113 20:52, 18 June 2007 (UTC)

Yeah, this has nothing to do with "Australian character bios" Deirk. The "Unicrons" thing comes from the back of the Rhino VHS case. --KilMichaelMcC 21:59, 18 June 2007 (UTC)

I believe it was an Australian video release which tried to use its weight to assert that yes, Skywarp is definitely Cyclonus. Or maybe Bombshell. I don't remember which. But whichever way, it was totally inappropriate. --Steve-o 02:50, 19 June 2007 (UTC)

No, seriously... Dinobots'... what?--MCRG 03:11, 19 June 2007 (UTC)

I don't recall which country, or whether it was TF:TM or the cartoon, but some non-US DVD release included a comic book in which the Dinobots combined. --KilMichaelMcC 03:35, 19 June 2007 (UTC)

Metrodome's Season 3 DVD's, wasn't it? -Derik 05:02, 19 June 2007 (UTC)

You got to be kidding. That's certainly worth a mention, er, somewhere. On the Dinobots page. Trivia tab. With a scan.--MCRG 06:32, 19 June 2007 (UTC)

But ti was the most vapid, stupidest, mis-concieved-idea-of-cool addition to the canon ever! -Derik 10:03, 19 June 2007 (UTC)

Ugh, seriously. Kindly note that for all I did with Metrodome, I had nothing to do with that!! - Chris McFeely 10:06, 19 June 2007 (UTC)

Did the story ever end? I thought it was a deliberate cliffhanger- which really reinforces how the entire concept was "wouldn't it be cool if?" and there was no story to tell. -Derik 10:15, 19 June 2007 (UTC)

Yeah, it was a two-parter. Part 1 was in Season 2, Part 2, then part 2 was in Season 3/4. Basically, everyone runs like crap from "The Beast," and then Prime tricks it into falling off a cliff. Sigh. - Chris McFeely 10:19, 19 June 2007 (UTC)

Japanese name

What is it exactly? --FortMax 18:47, 11 July 2007 (UTC)

Not "Matrix Forever". --Steve-o 19:04, 11 July 2007 (UTC)

I am guessing some translation of "The Transformers: The Movie." --ItsWalky 19:29, 11 July 2007 (UTC)

Transliteration, actually. トランスフォーマー ザ・ムービー, which comes out to "Toransufōmā za Mūbī". Interrobang 19:36, 11 July 2007 (UTC)

Widescreen

Derik: No, the screen is definitely cut off the top for the "widescreen." Look at the scene where you see through Perceptor's micro-scope at the approaching Decepticons. The bars at the top of his vision display the difference perfectly. You can count the bars to see the difference between them. Oddly enough, your picture certainly looks stretched... --70.190.251.10 03:49, 10 September 2007 (UTC)

Caption Quotes

The pic of Megatron with a lightsaber has a Jedi quote instead of a New Hope quote. Do we care? JW 22:17, 19 November 2007 (UTC)

I care! --ItsWalky 23:09, 19 November 2007 (UTC)

"An elegant weapon, for a more civilized age". That's from A New Hope. Good enough? -- SFH 23:13, 19 November 2007 (UTC)

[sigh] Now the pic of the Junkions dancing has a Jedi quote instead of a New Hope quote . . . JW 13:39, 16 December 2007 (UTC)

Poster Caption

Hm,, I'm thinking about changing the caption on the poster at the top to "If your favorite Transformers character isn't on this poster, it's best to start grieving now." The current caption is just a bit misleading, since none of the characters on the poster died (as they were all brand new toys (except for the ones who didn't get toys)). JW 01:31, 20 November 2007 (UTC)

That's not quite true. Unicron died. And so did Ultra Magnus, but he got better. -- Dark T Zeratul 01:40, 20 November 2007 (UTC)

I'm not sure how the suggested new caption is any less misleading. My favorite Transformers characters are Jazz and Bumblebee! Also, Hound. Probably Nightbeat. I think I'm okay. --ItsWalky 02:14, 20 November 2007 (UTC)

Wanted: A caption for that poster pic that both A) points out that all the characters on the poster are brand new and never-been-seen-before (since I think that's an important bit of info), and also B) preserves the current caption's comment on how "all your favorite characters" die. Suggestions? JW 03:15, 20 November 2007 (UTC)

"Who the hell are those guys and where's Prime?" Or stick with the current, honestly. - Some Guy 22 March 2008

Colon?

Why is there a colon in the page title? There's no colon in the movie title. --M Sipher 00:08, 28 December 2007 (UTC)

Because "The Movie" is a subtitle. —Interrobang 13:20, 28 December 2007 (UTC)

Blitzwing animation error

In the battle for Autobot City, when Prime drives up behind the Decepticons, Blitzwing turns his head and its color changes to purple for a split second. However, when he turns it back its tan again. Just thought we should add this under animation errors.-Proconix 20:37, 24 May 2008 (UTC)Proconix

more animation errors

Watched the Movie again today and this is what I found. In the scene where Blaster ejects his tapes, He first ejects what looks like Eject. He stays blue up until he gets to the edge of the screen. He then turns black like Rewind. Then Blaster ejects a another blue cassette, which after about a second, turns black. This one gets through half his transformation colored black, then turns blue for a split second then turns black again. And later when the cassettes are fighting each other, Eject runs in from the left and jumps over Perceptor. And then he runs in from the left again to shoot Ravage. Im gonna go ahead and add these.-Proconix 17:43, 25 May 2008 (UTC)Proconix

Scourge

Not to chat or anything, but does anyone know why Scourge pops his head up when he asks galvatron if he wants him to gut ultra magnus? Just thought that was wierd.-Proconix 22:33, 25 May 2008 (UTC)Proconix

Cyclonus

When the Decepticons get reformatted, both Skywarp, and what might be Bombshell, become Cyclonus. Unicron refers to them as 'Cyclonus and his Armada'. And when they all fly to the ship, Galvatron goes first, followed by Scourge, two Sweeps and two Cyclonus'. There a reason for this? Thyunda 13:12, 27 May 2008 (UTC)

Does this answer your question? -Derik 13:18, 27 May 2008 (UTC)

Intro quote

I'm admittedly in kind of an orgasmic endorphin rush over this, but I'd love to use a chunk of Orson Welles' description of his own role as an intro quote: "The Japanese have funded a full-length animated cartoon about the doings of these toys, which is all bad outer-space stuff. I play a planet. I menace somebody called Something-or-other. Then I'm destroyed. My plan to destroy Whoever-it-is is thwarted and I tear myself apart on the screen." If there's a better summary of TF:TM's plot, I've yet to hear it. - Jackpot 16:56, 17 July 2009 (EDT)

Seconded. --Jimsorenson 17:43, 17 July 2009 (EDT)

Cast list - woefully incomplete

Shouldn't we have a complete list of characters on here, rather than the headline billings alone? -- Repowers 23:38, 7 August 2009 (EDT)

Oh yea! How did that happen for so long? - Starfield 01:17, 8 August 2009 (EDT)

Japanese TFTM

Someone has uploaded the entire thing, in fifteen parts, to youtube.

TFTM In Japanese

If anyone who has time to kill or knows the language (preferably both!) wants to go through it to document any significant changes from the US version that we don't already have, that'd be great. I already noticed, watching the first part, that the Japanese version uses the "Star Wars" text-scroll of the UK version, though the narrator doesn't actually seem to be reading a translation of the text — I caught him voicing a reference to Unicron the text doesn't have. And, skipping ahead, Grimlock appears to refer to his "me Grimlock kick butt" moment as his "Kick Attack". Erm.

There's also something I'd sort of like confirmed... I've heard a rumor that the Japanese-dubbed Junkions, instead of talking in TV quotes, all have Chinese accents. But I have no idea if it's true.

Adding a screenshot with someone's function and name in kanji/kana from the movie would also be neat, I think. --Monzo 10:19, 11 August 2009 (EDT)

Immediately noticed they added speech to the Lithone part - in the original version, the Lithonians don't speak at all before the "Look, it's Unicron!" line. -Mazenoise 10:31, 11 August 2009 (EDT)

I have to wonder if a list of every slight dialogue alteration would really be a good idea. I've owned the thing on VHS for a while and, well, there are a LOT of dialogue changes. And I don't mean anything important, like some added in line revealing Unicron is actually Motormaster's grandfather or whatever. I mean itty bitty changes, like the aforementioned "Kick attack" from Grimlock, Megatron specifically ordering the Insecticons to breach Autobot City's defenses and so on. A list of every slight dialogue change would be...massive (especially since the dub added so much dialogue during scenes that were previously silent). We currently have a handful of examples in the "Japanese release" section of the article that I think suffice. --DrSpengler 11:17, 11 August 2009 (EDT)

Well, bear in mind that my suggestion was document any significant changes. Random yattering is one thing, yeah, but I was curious as to whether there were any major changes, such as characters talking when they didn't originally have any dialogue at all... like, the Lithones talking in the opening qualifies to me, because I think it may be the only time the Lithone scientist speaks in fiction. (Which in turn makes me wonder if he's given an official title in the Japanese credits for the film; it'd qualify him for an article.)

I do feel that bringing up the scrolling text is noteworthy, since we note it up in the other countries' entries. --Monzo 12:25, 11 August 2009 (EDT)

Voice credits

I filled in the voice credits in the "featured characters" chart from the film credits. I think some of them, like Gears and Brawn have voice credits, but no actual lines. There may also be some characters that have uncredited speaking roles (I don't know for sure). Just an FYI if anyone wants to adjust the chart. - Starfield 10:59, 18 August 2009 (EDT)

Jettison some weight

Why is this listed as confusing? Aside from the (common) misuse of weight for mass I see nothing weird here. The more mass there was on board Astrotrain, the more fuel that would be needed to push him to Cybertron. Therefor, dumping extra mass makes sense. Khajidha 16:47, 17 September 2009 (EDT)

I agree. Astrotrain was just using common speech. People don't often say things like "jettison some mass". If Astrotrain says he needs to lighten up, it stands to reason it is because he is still accelerating and too much weight would make it more difficult to accelerate. He is still accelerating because when they threw the bodies overboard, they quickly fell back. If they had already reached top speed, they would just float along side Astrotrain. - Starfield 23:23, 17 September 2009 (EDT)

Plus, how close is Cybertron to Earth? If the Decepts didn't want to settle down for a multi-year trip, Astrotrain must have been going FTL, at which point all bets about moving without burning fuel are off. - SanityOrMadness 23:26, 17 September 2009 (EDT)

But maneuvering to land later would be made at sublight, normal inertial conditions. Less mass would be useful then. Basically, less mass is always better for movement. Khajidha 04:23, 18 September 2009 (EDT)

How much fuel does it take to get from Cybertron to Earth, I wonder. The whole battle of Autobot city seems to take place over one night, and Optimus' shuttle makes it from Cybertron to Earth in that time, implying that both it and the hijacked Autobot shuttle were going faster than light speed. The whole reason the hijacked shuttle was going to Earth in the first place was to pick up more energy, ergo it must take much less than one shipload of energy to get a shuttle at FTL speeds from Cybertron to Earth and back. They either have really efficient FTL drives, or really efficient energy storage. Or both.

Of course we've seen that one energon cube is enough to get a full-sized Transformer drunk off his can, so perhaps it's the latter. --abates 05:00, 18 September 2009 (EDT)

There were several scenes in "Apollo 13" where the stranded astronauts in the capsule and their Houston support crew had to do all those calculations about the amount of weight (or mass, whatever) they could have in the capsule versus the amount of fuel they could burn in order to get home alive. Common sense understanding actually wins in this case, I think. Also, all bets are off as to how far Cybertron is from Earth in TFTM, considering "The Ultimate Doom". --Thylacine 2000 07:59, 18 September 2009 (EDT)

In Apollo 13, they did mass calculations to: 1) be able to escape Moon's gravity, 2) project a course to slingshot around the moon, 3) make any necessary course corrections. All of those are aspects of acceleration. In a constant velocity situation, jettisoning mass does not make you go any faster, as momentum is divided proportionally with mass. -Noviere 11:16, 18 September 2009 (EDT)

It wasn't a constant velocity situation. If it were, when Starscream dropped Megatron out the door, Megatron would just float alongside. They were accelerating and more mass means more force needed to accelerate. - Starfield 11:21, 18 September 2009 (EDT)

Which was already accounted for in the page, which essentially says "here are some speculations, but we don't really know what the hell was going on here". Nothing wrong with that. I'm just rebutting Thylacine's statement above. -Noviere 11:28, 18 September 2009 (EDT)