The Transformers: The Movie Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.0

The Transformers: The Movie Blu-ray Movie Review

With the release of Paramount's 'Bumblebee,' which reboots the live-action 'Transformers' franchise with some design cues that hearken back to the Generation 1 Transformers cartoons and toys, it seemed like a good time to take a closer look at Shout! Factory's SteelBook release of the 1986 animated film 'Transformers: The Movie' which was widely released and still available several years later. The SteelBook includes the same two Blu-ray discs found in the standard packaging release. For more on the SteelBook's look and feel, see the 'Special Features and Extras' section of the review below.

The Transformers: The Movie Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

For full video reviews of the "widescreen" and "full screen" presentations contained in this set, please click here.

The Transformers: The Movie Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

For a full audio review, please click here.

The Transformers: The Movie Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The SteelBook's front cover is little busy but focuses on three primary elements: Optimus Prime, who is standing and holding onto the Matrix of Leadership within his chest; Rodimus Prime kneeling down, perhaps in reverence to the fallen; and the film's title, which appears in classic Transformers type with an Autobot symbol prominently centered and signaling the line break between the word "Transformers". There are a number of other characters in the background, including a circular shape that appears to be Unicron. The more prominent background characters include SoundWave, StarScream, Megatron, and Galvatron, the latter two of which make little sense to appear together since they are one and the same. The metallic paint colors are gorgeous, particularly the light blue that defines much of the front's perimeter. The rear side is much less cluttered. Center, a silhouette of Unicron's head appears in a square box with a number of tiny additional squares around it. "'Til All Are One" is written in familiar Transformers type below. Small type legalese, a website link, studio logos, and more appear unobtrusively in black at the bottom. The rear side is predominantly colored in a relaxing blue metallic color. The spine is a flat black color with the film's title taking up much of the space given. A Blu-ray disc logo appears at the top and a Shout! logo at the bottom.

Inside, the two Blu-ray discs, one housing the the "Full Frame" version of the film and the other the "widescreen" version, are situated on the right in staggered-stacked formation. The inner print is simple, a metallic rose color with with the Autobot symbol in a more pronounced red color on the left and a Decepticon logo of the same color on the right, even though the latter is usually seen in a purple color.

For full coverage of the on-disc supplemental content, please click here.

The Transformers: The Movie Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

This is an impressive, but imperfect, SteelBook. The front cover is a little busy but the metallic paint and focus on title and two main characters combines to form a very handsome image. The rear side might be a little too reserved and basic, and the inner print is quite nice, but a purple Decepticon logo might have been preferable (and probably requiring a change from the rose color background). Recommended.