Of All The Transformers Battles In Movies & TV, This 39-Year-Old Fight Is Still The Very Best

Although the Transformers franchise has featured many epic battle sequences since its inception, one action scene from a 39-year-old movie is still the best. With so many years of development, the Transformers franchise has a lot to offer. Its lore is packed with everything from intergalactic beings and advanced technologies to mind-bending timelines and Energon-storing planets. However, despite this, one of the best things about both the live-action and animated installments of the franchise is the fight scenes between the titular gigantic creatures.

If only the live-action films are considered, the trio showdown between Optimus Prime, Megatron, and Sentinel Prime in Transformers: Dark of the Moon is arguably the most memorable action sequence. Even the forest fight from Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, where Prime single-handedly holds off Megatron, Grindor, and Starscream, leaves one white-knuckled. However, in the entire franchise, there is only one 39-year-old action scene that ranks above all the others.

Transformers: The Movie’s Unicron Vs. Cybertron Battle Is Still The Best

It Never Leaves A Dull Moment

In Transformers: Rise of the Beasts’ ending moments, a slam-bang showdown unfolds between the planet-devouring Unicron and the Autobots. While the live-action movie’s climactic action sequence is fun to watch, it comes nowhere close to being as compelling as the one featured in 1986’s Transformers: The Movie. Owing to the movie’s timeline, its visuals cannot be compared with any modern films in the franchise. However, the narrative that Transformers: The Movie weaves around its fight between Unicron and Cybertron makes it better than any action scenes in the franchise.

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Everything from Unicron’s colossal transformation to Hot Rod’s activation of the Matrix of leadership, the fight sequence walks through it all before the Autobots ultimately dominate the massive being and leave his severed head floating around their home planet. The epic battle is also coupled with Stan Bush’s “The Touch,” which perfectly complements the scene where Hot Rod becomes Rodimus Prime and teaches Galvatron a lesson before destroying Unicron. The scene ends perfectly with Rodimus and the Autobots escaping from Unicron’s only remaining eye while leaving him battered and broken.

Unicron Vs. Cybertron Proves Transformers Doesn’t Need Modern CGI To Be Epic

The Scene’s Timelessness Shows It Takes A Lot More Than CGI To Create A Memorable Action Sequence

In more ways than one, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts‘ closing sequence is similar to Transformers: The Movie‘s climactic battle. Yet, the one from Transformers: The Movie feels far more cathartic and impactful despite having dated visuals. The primary reason behind this is that the live-action film focuses more on spectacle, which only allows it to be bombastic without the emotional heft of character-driven storytelling. Transformers: The Movie, in contrast, takes time to build up to its climax and creatively highlights how the Autobots overcome the massive threat.

Even when it comes to its depiction of Unicron’s transformation, Transformers: The Movie does not focus entirely on every little detail of his body. Instead, it emphasizes his Mammothian stature by showing how he towers above an entire planet when he stands straight. Hot Rod’s transformation into Rodimus Prime also feels truly earned because it is not merely portrayed as a power-up, but a proper culmination of a well-written story arc. The live-action Transformers film can learn from this by focusing on both action choreography and story development instead of being driven by mindless action scenes.