As the noble, valiant leader of the Autobot clan, Optimus stood for all those heroic, invincible qualities you'd want from a male role model at that age. His defeat at the hands of Megatron dealt a crushing blow to this notion.
It's one of the most mind-blowing animated deaths ever, matching the loss of Bambi's mother for sheer devastation. When the lights went out in Optimus' eyes, you felt like you had just lost your father.
Revisiting the movie now is a bizarre, but no less interesting experience.
Certain things boggle the mind as an adult, like the cosmically surreal voice talent (Orson Welles, Scatman Crothers, Robert Stack) and the perverse, psychedelic intensity of the imagery.
Others don't change: Stan Bush's "The Touch" remains a perfectly triumphant climactic theme song.
My hair stands on end every time it kicks in from the giddy sense of nostalgia that overwhelms you when you watch a favourite family film.
- Aaron Yap, Flicks.co.nz contributor
