G1 Optimus' death has become cheap over the years. Additionally, even though his actual passing was played very emotional, he's barely brought up again in the movie. In ROTF, Optimus' death was a surprise since I didn't think they'd ever kill off Ops in the movies. Plus, it was the driving force of the rest of the movie, and the motivation behind Sam's character, which gave his death purpose in the story. In G1 he died and that was it. His death might have been worth it if it had served as motivaton for Rodimus, but it really didn't. Rodimus' motivation was never as clear as Sam's, and just seemed half-hearted. And once it seemed like Optimus' death might serve as a way to develope Rodimus' character, he comes back.

 

Oops. I voted the wrong movie. I meant to say ROTF was more brutal.

 

I'd argue that in the 1986 movie, Optimus was even more badass than in RotF because when he went after Megatron, he left a bunch of casualties in his wake (wounded, not killed) - Thundercracker, Thrust, Soundwave, Shrapnel, Ramjet, and Dirge (at least - I think he might have got Astrotrain too). He charged right into the teeth of the storm, and only Blitzwing managed to escape.

And I would agree with many others, that the 1986 death was probably harder hitting than the RotF one, simply because killing off a primary character such as Optimus had never been done before, whereas in RotF, Optimus dying had become an expected story element.

That said, the RotF death was definitely more brutal. The giant blade bursting through his chest and the resulting explosion was definitely a more visceral image.

Comparing the two deaths against the other, I'll go with the 1986 version. It was much more shocking, and was handled much better. When I first watched RotF, I just didn't feel the same shock I did with the first one. The forest battle was done fairly well, but I'll take the battle at Autobot City any day.

 

86 movie actually was emotional, rotf, nope, it was played off just as good as jazz's in the first one

 

ROTF death; just because I found the 1986 death scene to be super corny.

 

I'm gonna go with ROTF. He got stabbed in the chest and got the living shit beat out of him before.

 

86 Prime's death is heart felt because ytou didn't think he would die.

ROTF Prime. You knew he'd come back at the end.

Both deaths were painful but 86 Prime suffered longer and ROTF died immidiately.

 

when g1 optimus prime died in the movie, it was a shock. but by the time optimus prime died in ROTF, it had already became a cliche. something that happens in almost EVERY transformers show. hell, even happened in animated for crying out loud!

he dies, and he comes back. happened to both prime and primal *sort'a* in beast wars, when everyone thought primal was dead. and then there was the episode where optimus prime gets shot by megatron.

anyways by 2009, this is now a cliche.

when he died in the screen, i was not surprised at all, and i was also not surprised at all that they brought him back.

now if they had KILLED prime off, at the end of the movie, and made it a cliffhanger, then maybe it would of had some impact.

but as is, ROTF's death of prime, had no impact at all.

hell, IRON HIDE's death had more impact then prime's, in the movie verse.

it'd be kind'a like if superman was to die again. at this point we'd be like "oh wow, so when's he coming back?"  

 

Fixed that for ya

 

You forgot Kickback.

 

This

 

Blast! I knew I forgot somebody! Thank you sir!

 

In contrast to what i have replied to in previous thread im going to have to go with g1 death. In ROTF the death may have been more violent but it wasn't slow enough to put him on a table and say no he's not going to live. But in TFTM Optimus was in serious pain and it looked like it took him at least an hour to die with that tradition "hero on deathbead" speech

 

Megatron could fight him there, in ROTF he was unmatched even by three large Decepticons.

 

Right - but in TFTM, Optimus had to run the gauntlet of almost the entire Decepticon assault force before getting to Megatron. I'd say the odds in 1986 were a little more formidable.

Then again, in TFTM he was in all out assault mode - every time I see him roll into battle, transform and leap into the air, I get a chill. By contrast, in RotF, he was fleeing and trying to protect Sam. So maybe you could say he was better prepared in TFTM.

 

The ROTF death was far more brutal in scope, but it lacked the soul that the 86' movie gave us.

 

ROTF was brutal, but the shock was over quick knowing he would be brought back on the same movie. In 86, the death was more emotional and at the time seemed very final.

 

Cyber-Scream worded it perfectly.
ROTF = Brutally violent.
TF:TM = Emotionally brutal.

 

In ROTF the Autobots did everything to revive Optimus, were in TF:TM 86 nobody couldn't revive him cause two reasons why: 1 of them died in the Shuttle(Ratchet) and the other one was injured and in stasis lock(Wheeljack), so Perceptor did what he could with what he had.

 

What did they do?

All I remember is them taking the body back to HQ