Sony BMG (not Rhino) is double dipping the classic Transformers: The Movie on DVD, according to IGN it corresponds with Hasbro's relaunch of the Transformers Classic toyline ... most likely all of this is in anticipation for the Dreamworks' live-action Transformers movie summer 2007.

http://www.transformersthemoviedvd.com/
http://dvd.ign.com/articles/710/710505p1.html

This link has the actual press release:  http://www.seibertron.com/news/view.php?id=7489  Sadly, the press release doesn't detail anything on what makes this release special.

If you are curious about the Transformers Classic line, it isn't a re-release like the botched TRU-only release (which was stupid having it TRU only), but they actually redid the figures---oh, Megatron is still a gun though!  Pics to see what they did to Optimus, Megatron, Astrotrain, Rodimus, and Starscream (Bumblebee, also out in November, is not pictured):  http://www.hasbro.com/transformers/defa … A6033C14A1

I wonder if this also means Sony BMG is re-releasing the Transformers series and will also release (or at least finish releasing) GI Joe.

What was the "TRU release?"

Toys R Us re-release of the classic figures line, die-cast metal and everything, which sorta turned into an eBay re-release of the classic figures...

That was brilliant of Hasbro.  They should have known the demand for classic Transformers is very high.

The redone figures look a bit goofy.  It seems they put the robots on steroids.  Megatron looks silly, but that has to be an intentional design with our gun-conscious society.

Double-dipping shmouble dipping. When was the first release? 2002? Four years isn't exactly a rip off.

GOD.

-Joshua

Terra, I'm not complaining until I find out what all it comes with.  I'm curious if they have done any remastering to the video and sound also.  Oh, and the back of the box says it was copyrighted by Rhino in 2000, so apparently six years ago.

Stephen, yeah, Megatron looks like it was modeled after a Nerf product:  http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/ … comtransfb  Even so, they look oddly poseable and I wouldn't mind at least getting that Starscream.

Heh, I have the ORIGINAL Megatron (gen 1
One of the things which struck me as awesome since getting Megatron (way back when) is that it's modeled after a REAL gun, and looks like a REAL gun!  it's a replica (after a fashion) of the Walther PPK.  If you were to carry that toy around these days, people will think it's a real gun.  When transformed into gun mode, it seriously looks like an actual PPK, which is why the original Megatron will never be released again!

cheers,

-avatar!

Honestly, I can't imagine this ending up with anything noteworthy. I already have 2 versions of the DVD (Maverick and "widescreen'). The movie has seen 4 releases already I think.

I saw a sketch of Astro the spacetrain a while back. So the Classic line is about to set off? The last two of those on the Hasbro page look good, but man, Megs look like crap and Prime looks a bit bulk too. Also, Im afraid it's going to be that cheap plastic again *sigh*

But yeah, that Hasbro reissue line kinda sucked compared to the Takara one. The Takara bookstyle reissues rock, especially Starscream.

But what do you mean with Sony re-releasing the TF series? The cartoon is already on dvd so what does it matter?

I had the Takara bookreissue twice, but sadly sold him off in despair times...and now he's oop and unaffordable. That was really one of the better reissues.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Takara-Transformers … dZViewItem

Oh god, the Transformers movie. I was made to watch that movie a couple years back because a certain someone said "it's cool." I'm not one of those who watched it as a kid so I can't say the thing with Optimus Prime really touched me, so unfortunately the main thing I remember was the stupid hilarity of the entire scene with those guys on the trash planet who apparently know only commercial slogans. The universal greeting leading to immediate brotherly love, to some stupid dance that I vaguely remember happening, to some ad slogans that were strangely appropriate and yet sad because, goshderned it, they're ADVERTISING SLOGANS.

But I have to admit that overall, the movie was pretty good.

You know, Transformers were awesome when I was a kid!  Very imaginative, creative, kept me busy for hours... yeah it was a big marketing thing from Hasbro -they wanted kids to purchase as many as they could afford, but overall high-quality stuff (made in Japan) and a "smart" toy (in my opinion).  Now, it's become such a collector's thing, that I have NO interest in purchasing re-releases!  What am I supposed to do with them?  I used to play with them, and since they're all collector's items, you're not supposed to open them!  Bleh... I'll keep my memories   Besides, there's nothing quite as cool as the original.

cheers,

-avatar!

ps I still think the live-action Transformers movie might be cool...of course, it might be horrific too!  I hope it's Gen 1, and I would love to see a Gen 1 video game...

Interesting tidbit from Digital Bits:  The new DVD release will include never-before-seen footage, interviews, interactive games and collectible packaging, along with the film's soundtrack on CD.  I wonder which soundtrack it will have bundled with it.

AICN have shots from the new movie. Well, it isn't Gen 1 and there seem to be liberties taken. For some reason that doesn't bother me. I thought it would.

Yeah, now that you point out the Nerf product, Megatron does look like that Nerf gun.  Not suprising since Hasbro owns Nerf too.

Yeah, having poseable Transformers seems like a cool idea.  I would agree that Starscream seems to be the best of the lot in terms of design.

What I liked about the original classic line was that many Transformers were modeled after real vehicles/items of that era.  That really made the "More Than Meets the Eye" slogan work.

These new versions of the classic line don't have that same appeal, since all the vehicles/items are semi-abstract designs.

I have to think that Sideswipe and Sunstreaker, if they were remade, would have to be redesigned since, Hasbro would have to pay royalties to Lambroghini and Ferrari for using their car likenesses.