Hasbro's year-long "Apology Tour" for The Transformers: The Movie has made its way to the shelves at Walmart. Fans have started finding a new metal lunchbox and a matching sherpa throw blanket tied to the animated film's 40th anniversary, and the first sighting came from a collector named Ruination04, who posted photos on the 2005 Boards fan forum earlier this week (October 14th). He found both at a Walmart in Monroe, North Carolina, and wrote that the employee "had just put them out."
Unicron is the star of both. The lunchbox puts the planet-sized villain behind Rodimus Prime and Galvatron on one side, and behind Optimus Prime and Megatron on the other. The blanket reuses the Rodimus and Galvatron side, with a handful of other Autobots and Decepticons from the film tucked into the background.
How Much They Cost
The blanket is listed on Walmart's website as the Transformers Adult Novelty Sherpa Throw Blanket, War of the Matrix. It measures 50 by 60 inches and sells for $16.96. The lunchbox is listed separately as the Transformers Tin Tote Lunchbox, and Ruination04 confirmed it is a metal tin. Collectors who looked at the listing say there is no thermos included.
Both items seem to be stocked away from the toys. Ruination04 found his in the collectibles section of the electronics department. A collector in Roanoke, Virginia, spotted three or four of each in the electronics "pop culture toy" section, along with a case of blind-bagged Transformers bag clips. Several fans said the Walmart app places the blanket in the electronics and gaming area, which makes it the best place to start looking.
Getting one has not been easy for everyone. The lunchbox listing disappeared for a while before coming back online, and both products have shown as out of stock online and at some stores this week. One fan who ordered the blanket said it arrived the same night and was "quickly claimed by my cat."
Why The Movie Is Back In The Spotlight
Hasbro built the whole anniversary around an apology for the film's most infamous moment, when Optimus Prime dies just 26 minutes in. The biggest part of the celebration was a 4K theatrical re-release with Fathom Entertainment that began on September 17th. It was supposed to run for one week, but a seventh-place opening with $3.1 million from 1,454 theaters, plus more than $5 million worldwide within days, kept it in theaters into October. Here is the official trailer for the re-release:
The re-release carried extra weight because of Peter Cullen. The longtime voice of Optimus Prime passed away in August at 85, and every screening ended with Optimus Prime: Awakening, a new 12-minute CG short that features his final performance as the character alongside Frank Welker as Megatron. AMC also sold its own anniversary blanket, popcorn tin, and cup during the run.
What Fans Think Of The Art
The new designs have split the fanbase a bit. Some are just happy to see the post-Optimus era get its own merch, like the fan who wrote, "Finally! A piece of merchandise with rodimus and galvatron." Others wanted the classic 1986 style instead, with one calling the new art "uuugly." Ruination04 replied that a lunchbox with the original art is already out and that a woven blanket is coming soon.
The background picks also raised a few eyebrows. Fans questioned why Shockwave, who is quickly wiped out by Unicron in the film, made it onto the blanket, and others asked why Bumblebee got a spot over characters with bigger roles. One collector said they would have preferred the Optimus and Megatron art from the back of the lunchbox.
The Legacy Of The 1986 Film
Nelson Shin directed The Transformers: The Movie, which arrived in theaters in August 1986 and earned less than $6 million in North America before becoming a cult classic on home video. Long before Michael Bay's live-action films or the recent animated Transformers One, it was the first time the franchise hit the big screen, and it brought in a surprising voice cast with Orson Welles as Unicron, Leonard Nimoy as Galvatron, and Judd Nelson as Hot Rod, along with Eric Idle and Robert Stack. Its rock soundtrack, led by Stan Bush's "The Touch," is still a fan favorite. Shout! Factory's 40th Anniversary Limited Edition 4K steelbook is due out next month for anyone who wants to own it.
Is the Unicron art enough to get you to grab the lunchbox, or does Optimus Prime need to be front and center on any Transformers merch you buy?
Sound off with your thoughts in the comments below.