UPDATE: The embargo has lifted. Read the full spoiler review for everything that happens in the short.
The first fan reactions to Optimus Prime: Awakening are in, and similar to my reaction, it’s being questioned by longtime fans and being called “a travesty.”
On the flip side, some fans actually like it, fans who seem to be persuaded by the fact that it’s the last time we’ll hear Peter Cullen as Optimus Prime.
But that just makes me angrier.
The first comparison I came up with is that this is The Last Jedi all over again. It’s a spit right in the face to 40+ years of Optimus Prime, Transformers, and the fans.
The 12-minute animated short, featuring the late Peter Cullen’s final performance as Optimus Prime, plays after select screenings of The Transformers: The Movie 4K re-release, in theaters September 17-22.
I can’t post specific details because I agreed to a Friday 9am embargo, so those will be online tomorrow morning.
‘An Insult To The Character’
Longtime fans came out of the first screenings angry.
“My son and I went. Loved the movie again, Awakening was a travesty,” one fan wrote in response to Cosmic Book News on X. “Absolute garbage.”
The fan continued, “It was actually an insult to the character, the artist and the world built over decades.”
He added, “Surprised Cullen signed onto that but he may not have known the true nature of the ‘finished’ product. Dreadful.”
Another fan came out of the screening confused about what Hasbro was going for: “Can someone please explain Optimus Prime: Awakening to me? Because it felt a bit ‘it’s been over 40 years, grow up and get a new hobby’ to me.”
‘A Proper Farewell To Peter Cullen’
Other fans are calling the short beautiful.
Read what they’re actually saying, though, and the praise keeps landing on Peter Cullen and the send-off, not on what the short does to Optimus Prime.
“Good f***ing God… that Optimus Prime Awakening was the most beautiful thing this franchise has ever created,” posted one fan on X.
The fan continued, “It’s beyond words how nuanced and heartfelt it was, and the horrible passing of Peter Cullen made it all the more perfectly poetic of a send off to the character.”
Another fan scored it 10/10: “I say the short was amazing! With the animation, this is the Prime we all know and love and a proper farewell to Peter Cullen.”
“Just saw Optimus Prime: Awakening, and without spoiling anything, I think this was a very poignant and beautiful way to honor Peter Cullen’s amazing portrayal of our beloved leader,” said another.
One viewer called it “one of the best, most bizarre and beautiful short films I’ve ever seen,” adding, “Oh and the 86 film was alright I guess.”
A fan account posting in character as the Decepticon Rumble declared it “worth missing school and driving for several hours.”
I’m not going to the theatrical re-release because of this thing.
The full spoiler review is now online. Now we can talk about why.
