Transformers the Movie 40th Anniversary Tour

[Sabrblade]

The short's score has been put on YouTube:

I just don't want any more Peter Cullen impersonations, which all of these lesser ones -- I don't blame people at all for lumping them together or mistaking them for one another -- have been.

How did you feel about Neil Kaplan's Optimus? He was instructed to do a Cullen impression, but I feel he also sounded distinct enough to not sound quite like a complete imitation.

 

[lastmaximal]

How did you feel about Neil Kaplan's Optimus? He was instructed to do a Cullen impression, but I feel he also sounded distinct enough to not sound quite like a complete imitation.

I think I enjoyed it at the time, but that's about it. It did feel very Cullen-impression-y, and the way he modulated his voice (to affect the impression) made it seem clipped enough to feel somewhat one-note.

 

[Sabrblade]

I think I enjoyed it at the time, but that's about it. It did feel very Cullen-impression-y, and the way he modulated his voice (to affect the impression) made it seem clipped enough to feel somewhat one-note.

Although, it's also very close to the same voice he used for Shurimon just one year earlier, lol.

 

[LordGigaIce]

Bailey's was the only "new" Optimus whose take I felt was an annoying Peter Cullen impersonation. He sounded like your friend who's good at impressions who did "Optimus Prime" at a party for a laugh. Everyone else has been fine to good for me. Sure a lot of them are going for a Cullen-esque voice, but they all bring something unique to the table.

 

[Undead Scottsman]

Jake Foushee? He was also Cyberverse Optimus, and Optimus in Rescue Bots Academy (after the first two episodes, in which he was voiced by a different actor).

I found him fine so long as he didn't have to emote to much; the moment he starts raising his voice, his Cullen impression completely collapses.

 

[Deathy G1]

I'm so happy that the theatrical run got extended. I wasn't able to see it over the past week, but I have a block of time this Saturday that I needed to fill while my wife and daughter see Olivia Rodrigo, and was bummed that I was going to miss the 40th run by a week. I just grabbed my ticket!

 

[Sabrblade]

the moment he starts raising his voice, his Cullen impression completely collapses.

That was the best part, though. Whenever his Cullen impression broke under the strain of his needing to emote, that was when he finally brought something new to the table.

 

[lastmaximal]

I don't know if it counts as "bringing something new" when it's literally a failure to keep up copying something old (which, to be fair, was probably basically the job description). I wouldn't audition for the role of William Wallace and absolutely fail to maintain a Scottish accent outside the word "haggis", and defend my audition by saying at least I innovated; no one ELSE thought to do a Scottish accent that sounded part Italian, part Pakistani.

Just bring something actually new to the table.

 

[Donocropolis]

I don't know if it counts as "bringing something new" when it's literally a failure to keep up copying something old (which, to be fair, was probably basically the job description). I wouldn't audition for the role of William Wallace and absolutely fail to maintain a Scottish accent outside the word "haggis", and defend my audition by saying at least I innovated; no one ELSE thought to do a Scottish accent that sounded part Italian, part Pakistani.

Just bring something actually new to the table.

As someone that has a particularly hard time doing impressions / accents, I identify very strongly with this.

 

[Sabrblade]

I don't know if it counts as "bringing something new" when it's literally a failure to keep up copying something old (which, to be fair, was probably basically the job description). I wouldn't audition for the role of William Wallace and absolutely fail to maintain a Scottish accent outside the word "haggis", and defend my audition by saying at least I innovated; no one ELSE thought to do a Scottish accent that sounded part Italian, part Pakistani.

There is a huge difference between portraying a real-world historical figure whom people expect historical accuracy from said portrayal, and portraying the newest iteration of a fictional character whom people expect to see what's new and different about this latest take when compared to previous takes.

 

[lastmaximal]

It's not remotely that deep. Both jobs are "can you sound like this", and failure to "sound like this" is in neither case "oh dip, he just invented a NEW way to sound".

If it helps make the point clearer, replace the offending bits thusly.

I wouldn't audition for the role of Shrek and absolutely fail to maintain the accent outside the word "ogre", and defend my audition by saying at least I innovated; no one ELSE thought to do a Shrek voice that sounded more like a Vietnamese-accented Spongebob.

Just bring something actually new to the table.

 

[Undead Scottsman]

Failing to do somethign is technically new, I guess. The problem isn't that he sounded different, it's that he sounded BAD. He wasn't trying to find a unique voice, he was trying to do an impression that was beyond him and just wound up sounding terrible.

 

[Blot]

I think I enjoyed it at the time, but that's about it. It did feel very Cullen-impression-y, and the way he modulated his voice (to affect the impression) made it seem clipped enough to feel somewhat one-note.

I recall the interview of the G1 DVD sets Rhino put out (where they inexplicably had one with him) had him remarking the impression was different depending on if Michael McConnohie was voice directing that day or not since Michael would be like "No no, Optimus isn't like that, give me more of this..."

 

[LBD "Nytetrayn"]

You made a reply about the announcement.

Yeah, I, uh... didn't watch the video. I haven't really had a good hour to spare for that in a while. Not that hasn't been taken up by other things, anyway.

I just reacted to everyone talking about good/bad Optimus voices.

I don't think anyone even mentioned that there was a series prior to my reply...

 

[Steevy Maximus]

With a strong weekend run (Finishing SEVENTH on last weekend’s domestic charts), Fathom will be extending the release’s theatrical run:

‘Transformers: The Movie’ Extends Theatrical Run as “Apology Tour” Rerelease Surges at Box Office - Fathom Entertainment

‘Transformers: The Movie’ Extends Theatrical Run as “Apology Tour” Rerelease Surges at Box Office “We’re thrilled,” Fathom’s head of marketing tells The Hollywood Reporter about the 40th anniversary celebration for the 1986 animated cult favorite. By Ryan Gajewski September 23, 2026 7:56pm...

www.fathomentertainment.com

The reissue of Disney/Pixar’s Cars also did strong numbers in the past month. Not quite sure what that says about the state of the theatrical business, the state of modern films, or the state of modern fandom. In its first weekend, the rerelease garnered almost three quarters of what Andrew Garfield’s The Uprising had clawed out after two.

 

[Sabrblade]

Yeah, I, uh... didn't watch the video. I haven't really had a good hour to spare for that in a while. Not that hasn't been taken up by other things, anyway.

It was only the first 15 minutes of the video.

 

[LordGigaIce]

With a strong weekend run (Finishing SEVENTH on last weekend’s domestic charts), Fathom will be extending the release’s theatrical run:

‘Transformers: The Movie’ Extends Theatrical Run as “Apology Tour” Rerelease Surges at Box Office - Fathom Entertainment

‘Transformers: The Movie’ Extends Theatrical Run as “Apology Tour” Rerelease Surges at Box Office “We’re thrilled,” Fathom’s head of marketing tells The Hollywood Reporter about the 40th anniversary celebration for the 1986 animated cult favorite. By Ryan Gajewski September 23, 2026 7:56pm...

www.fathomentertainment.com

The reissue of Disney/Pixar’s Cars also did strong numbers in the past month. Not quite sure what that says about the state of the theatrical business, the state of modern films, or the state of modern fandom. In its first weekend, the rerelease garnered almost three quarters of what Andrew Garfield’s The Uprising had clawed out after two.

Well I have two modes of thought on that.
The first is that 2026 has been overall a good rebound year for theatres, one of the better years since COVID, and Cars and TFTM are two beloved classic animated flicks (I feel old calling Cars a classic but it is what it is). So I'm not sure re-releases of those say anything but they're two beloved older movies people still wanna pay to go see in a theatrical environment. I'm not sure re-releasing something like 2008's Bolt would do these numbers.

As for The Uprising... look. I love Medieval history, I like Andrew Garfield, but holy hell was that a swing and a miss. There's enough about the 1381 Peasants' Revolt to build a movie around, but trying to tie it into Robin Hood was a huge misstep. Robin Hood as a story takes place two hundred years prior, and revolves around an entirely different social-political dynamic and was, ya know, myth. Robin Hood is a folktale. Wat Tyler's Peasants' Revolt really happened, so on top of mixing up the timeline it just seems disrespectful to fold Tyler into a folk story that he himself was probably aware of, and not even give him the decency to be Robin Hood?
Additionally it follows a very common and inaccurate trend of presenting the Medieval period as constantly greyscale and muddy which... yeah. No. It wasn't that.

Sorry for the rant but this was a movie I wanted to love and it just... just wasn't very good. I'm pretty sure most general audience sorts aren't medieval history and mythology nerds like I am, but I can't say it bombing shocks me either. It's a movie with a lot of big ideas and Things to Say, it just can't really organize its ideas or get what it wants to say out in a way that's not painfully generic and cringeworthy.

 

[The Predaking]

I don't mind him doing this. I personally would love to see/hear him back in the role, as his voice is the one I think of when I think of Bumblebee. Especially since this was supposed to be a G1 short.

 

[LordGigaIce]

I don't mind him doing this. I personally would love to see/hear him back in the role, as his voice is the one I think of when I think of Bumblebee. Especially since this was supposed to be a G1 short.

This issue I have is that assuming his info is true and this is leading to a series of some kind, he's trying to use fans to force someone else to lose a job. Presumably whoever voiced Bumblebee in the short would be on tap to voice him in a series that follows on from it, and Gilvezan going "screw that guy, go fans, get him fired!" doesn't sit right with me.

If he's truly this upset about not getting called back, he should be talking to his agent for not picking up on this project.

 

[The Predaking]

This issue I have is that assuming his info is true and this is leading to a series of some kind,

I wonder about that. Unless Cullen recorded a lot more lines for the show to continue, I would wager that the idea of the show continuing is gone. Although, I haven't seen the short yet, so maybe he isn't needed for it to go on. If it does go on though, I would want Dan to voice Bumblebee again.

he's trying to use fans to force someone else to lose a job. Presumably whoever voiced Bumblebee in the short would be on tap to voice him in a series that follows on from it, and Gilvezan going "screw that guy, go fans, get him fired!" doesn't sit right with me.

But he is not saying that. That is what you are interpreting him saying.