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Fans of the Transformers franchise have a great catalog of films to enjoy, rewatch, dissect, and everything in between. But when they run out of Transformers films to watch, they, thankfully, have another, even larger, catalog of films to view that are just like the robots in disguise, whether because they share similar characters, thematic ideas, or even action sequences.

It doesn’t matter if it’s a film with giant robots or giant beings fighting each other. It can be an entry in a franchise soon to be connected with Transformers or even a movie that simply features a large, city-wide disaster. Whatever the case, plenty of films resemble the Transformers saga, making them ideal for fans to enjoy before the next installment in the franchise arrives. It’s also safe to say that a lot of the films below are arguably better than most of the Transformers films, anyway, so that’s a much-appreciated bonus.

15

‘Pacific Rim: Uprising’ (2018)

Image via Legendary Pictures

Be warned: Pacific Rim: Uprising is not nearly as good as its prior installment (most mecha movies, in all honesty), but it finds itself differing from it in a way that could most definitely appeal to fans of the Transformers franchise. It serves as a complaint from fans of the Pacific Rim franchise, because it’s different from the original film in a way they didn’t like, but Pacific Rim: Uprising‘s Jaegers move far faster and more agile than the likes of the first project.

This aspect makes the action a lot faster-paced in its choreography, which is a landmark of the action in Transformers. They may be giant robots, but boy, do they move fast. So, while the quicker movements in Pacific Rim: Uprising may be a bit of an antithesis to the physical language in Pacific Rim, it serves fans of Transformers relatively well. That doesn’t stop the movie from being quite mediocre, though, so go in with lower expectations.

14

‘Robot Jox’ (1989)

Image via Empire Pictures

While it may be an older film, and some Transformers fans are most certainly more used to the high-octane visual effects from the more modern films, Robot Jox is a great watch for fans of the classic era of the franchise. The original series in the Transformers franchise, The Transformers (also called Transformers: Original Series), first aired just a few years before this movie came out: 1984.

This means that fans of this original show can bask in the glory of those, well, glorious 80s vibes that can be found in the series. Robot Jox is a staple of mecha projects from the 80s (and even early 90s), which means it’s also a pretty monumental movie when it comes to mecha projects. It can’t balance tone too well, but over the years, it’s found a niche fanbase who see it as a “so-bad-its-good” film, which can make it a comedic watch for those looking for something new, too.

13

‘Godzilla vs. Kong’ (2021)

Image via Warner Bros. Pictures

Titanic creatures kicking the crap out of each other will always have great cinematic appeal. It doesn’t matter if it’s giant robots, kaiju, monsters, or aliens; there is something spectacular about larger-than-life beings making Earth their battle ring. Such movies keep audiences’ eyes glued to the screen for hours.

Godzilla vs. Kong features a giant monster fighting another giant monster before they eventually team up to fight another robotic monster. It’s a great parallel to the Transformers saga, capturing the sheer awesomeness of the monster-battle concept. Opening at the height of the pandemic, Godzilla vs. Kong proved to be a much-needed distraction by simply being one of the best recent monster movies. Thankfully, Warner Bros. Pictures seems to have zero plans to halt production on their MonsterVerse films, so fans can expect many more giant monsters fighting more giant monsters.

12

‘Cloverfield’ (2008)

Image via Paramount Pictures

From the brilliant mind of Matt Reeves, the man who directed The Batman, Cloverfield remains a groundbreaking film that changed the cultural zeitgeist. When a giant monster begins rampaging in New York, a group of friends struggles to get out alive while attempting a daring rescue.

Fans of Transformers will love Cloverfield for its giant monster and the sheer amount of destruction it causes throughout the film’s 1-hour and 25-minute runtime. One of the strongest aspects of any Transformers film is the excitement that comes from watching giant robots destroy everything in their wake. The robots in disguise also do a pretty good job of making the humans in the films feel small and at the mercy of something much larger, which Cloverfield does pretty much perfectly.

11

‘Kong: Skull Island’ (2017)

Image via Warner Bros.

Another film that does a great job of making humans feel small among giant action sequences is Kong: Skull Island. However, it differs from Cloverfield in the sense that the film’s protagonist is the giant creature, getting to fight other gargantuan monsters on the island he calls home. Meanwhile, the humans unexpectedly exploring the island attempt to survive the rampage.

Kong: Skull Island is one of the best and most rewatchable movies in the MonsterVerse because of its competent direction and surprisingly emotional story. It succeeds as a summer blockbuster smash hit without feeling too shallow, even if it still prioritizes spectacle and action. It does what most Transformers films honestly fail to do, making the story just as important and resonant as the monster action.

10

‘Mazingrer Z: Infinity’ (2017)

Image via Toei Company

A landmark mecha film that many outside of the anime fanbase unfortunately don’t know about is Mazinger Z: Infinity. The Mazinger franchise has been pretty dang beloved over the years, and for Transformers fans who haven’t visited this universe before, Mazinger Z: Infinity is a pretty great movie to check out.

Fans gave mixed reactions for the exact reason that Transformers fans might enjoy it: they felt it was an unnecessary revisit to the franchise, which also makes it more palatable for newer fans. When the world’s longest era of peace is interrupted, the former pilot of Mazinger Z, Koji Kabuto (Showtaro Morikubo and Wayne Grayson), finds a wild discovery beneath Mt. Fuji, which spawns a conflict with a classic villain.

9

‘Edge of Tomorrow’ (2014)

Image via Warner Bros. Pictures

Edge of Tomorrow can be best described as Groundhog Day meets robotic action and war. The plot centers on William Cage (Tom Cruise), who battles through the same day of an alien invasion over and over, losing the war each time. However, he gets better with each redo, bringing him closer to beating the aliens once and for all.

Most Transformers movies end with an act three big war/invasion battle, which is done perfectly in Edge of Tomorrow. Not to mention that the soldiers in Edge of Tomorrow wear mechanized suits to help them combat the alien threat, capitalizing on the desire to be an automaton, even if just for a while. Edge of Tomorrow also just so happens to be one of the most underrated action blockbusters of all time and is worthy of a watch no matter what someone is a fan of.

8

‘Independence Day’ (1996)

Image via 20th Century Studios

As stated, the end of almost every Transformers film pretty much always has an end-of-the-world scenario where humans must team up with the robots to stop an incoming invasion. As arguably the original apocalypse flick, Independence Day pretty much defined a lot of the typical tropes seen in modern doomsday sequences in film.

The story sees aliens invading Earth, and with far inferior technology, humans must use their sheer indomitable spirit to make it out alive and win the day. This type of scenario is the same that many humans face in the Transformers films. Being far outmatched by the incredible might of the Decepticons, humanity typically needs to get creative and find incredible willpower to make it through to help the Autobots keep the planet safe. Beyond its similarities with the robotic vehicles saga, Independence Day is a seminal and triumphant sci-fi action spectacle that lends itself to multiple rewatches.

7

‘The Terminator’ (1984)

Image via Orion Pictures

When it comes to robots in the film, it doesn’t ever really get more classic than The Terminator. When a cyborg assassin comes to the present day with a mission to kill the young Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton), she must team up with Kyle Reese (Michael Biehn) to escape. She soon learns her unborn son will lead the fight against the evil Skynet one day, thrusting her into the middle of a deadly adventure.

The Terminator features humans helplessly going up against advanced robotic beings who seek to destroy everything they know and love. Aside from that, The Terminator is one of director James Cameron’s best movies and continues to be a blueprint for filmmaking (especially low-budget filmmaking) to this day. The Terminator is one of the first and best examples of humans fighting against tech greater than themselves to stay alive.

6

‘Promare’ (2019)

Image via Toho Animation

In a post-dystopian world in which a massive outbreak of spontaneous human combustion races across the planet, the world finds its response in a team of mech pilots called Burning Rescue. However, not all is easy when they’re facing off against a terror group known as Mad Burnish and the police force, called the Freeze Force.

Depending on the era of Transformers one likes, the post-apocalyptic vibe can fit the vibe of whatever era they are watching, as the destruction during the war for Cybertron can most certainly be considered apocalyptic. And, as most “watch this because you like Transformers” films have, Promare features some iconic mech action.

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Teddi Mellencamp has one of the most iconic last names in music, so it’s no surprise that she turned to her famous father, John Mellencamp, for advice before taking on The Masked Singer.

“My dad said, ‘Just sing loud and proud, and if you don’t hit a note, you don’t hit a note, but as long as you’re giving it your all, that’s what matters,’” the former Bravo star, 44, exclusively told Us Weekly after her unmasking during the Wednesday, February 4, episode of the Fox singing competition. “And so that’s what I was doing.”

Teddi didn’t initially tell John, 74, that she’d landed a gig on The Masked Singer, but when it came time to show off her pipes, she decided it was time to ask the Grammy winner for some tips.

“Once I was singing a song, then I talked to him about it. I needed advice,” she. “He’s like, ‘Don’t go out there trying to think that you’re a singer. Just go out there and sing the song the way you would if you were singing along. Have fun.’”

The advice seems to have worked, because Teddi blew the judges away with her performances of Rachel Platten’s “Fight Song” and her dad’s “Jack & Diane.” The former song, she explained, has become “an anthem” for her as she battles stage IV melanoma. (A scan in October 2025 showed “no detectable cancer,” but Teddi explained on her podcast last month that she’s still considered stage IV while she remains on immunotherapy.)

“I’m probably even going to get emotional talking about it,” Teddi said of Platten’s inspiring track. “I’m almost a year [after] having all my cancer surgeries, but it’s been a fight, and I wanted to be able to share the softer side, but also [show] you can work really hard and do the things that you want to do still.”

As for the second song, John’s 1982 No. 1 hit, Teddi initially didn’t think it was an option to even sing one of her dad’s songs because of who owned the rights. When she realized his masters had been sold, however, his catalog was on the table, and she was willing to give it a shot.

When Teddi spoke to Us, her dad hadn’t yet seen her take on “Jack & Diane” — he was planning to come over and watch with her so she could get “nice and embarrassed” — but he previously expressed his approval for her “Fight Song” performance.

“He thought the first episode was great,” she told Us. “I mean, he’s my dad, so it’s different. But he was like, ‘I thought you were great.’”

Tuning into The Masked Singer is apparently always a family affair in the Mellencamp household, no matter who’s under the costume. As Teddi said in Calla Lily’s first clue package, she wanted to do the show for her kids, who love the show. (She shares Slate, 13, Cruz, 11, and Dove, 5, with ex Edwin Arroyave.)

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Teddi Mellencamp will always appreciate her dad, John Mellencamp, despite their well-documented ups and downs. John welcomed daughters Teddi and Justice with ex-wife Victoria Granucci in 1981 and 1985, respectively. The singer also shares daughter Michelle with ex Priscilla Esterline, and sons Hud and Speck with ex-wife Elaine Irwin. In May 2024, Teddi shared that […]

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“My kids have seen me in a situation where I was recovering from brain surgery, and I wanted them to know that there’s life after that,” she explained. “And once you’re feeling better, you can push yourself and you can try new things. So, that was part of the reason that I wanted to do The Masked Singer, but the other part was because it’s my kids’ favorite show.”

The kids didn’t know in advance that their mom was on the show, but she said they figured it out as soon as they heard her voice because she always sings in the car.

“I was like, ‘How do you know?’ Because I wanted to wait [to tell them],” she recalled. “And they were like, ‘Don’t even try to fool us. We know.’”

They were then “so worried” that their mom would go home first, but that didn’t happen: She notched two performances before Calla Lily’s run came to an end despite being so nervous that she found herself shaking on stage.

“I just was like, ‘You’ve got to do this. There’s no choice,’” Teddi recalled telling herself. “You’ve just got to fight through the nerves and remember the words and sing loud.”

Teddi has been fighting hard for the past year, sharing raw insights about her health journey on her “Two T’s in a Pod” podcast, which she cohosts with The Real Housewives of Orange County’s Tamra Judge. Listeners may come expecting reality TV gossip, but Teddi hasn’t shied away from discussing the serious topic of her treatment, in part because she thinks it would be “impossible” for fans not to notice something was going on.

“You can hear the way that my voice has changed throughout the time. You can see my personality change. And I’m aware of it,” Teddi explained. “When you have brain surgery, there’s so many things affected, and I didn’t want to feel ashamed by it. So, I just wanted to talk about it and make other people not feel alone. But also, if I talk about it, then I’m less nervous about it, then I can just go along being me. I’m not trying to hide something like, ‘Hey, guys, I’m really shaky today,’ or, ‘You might notice my voice sounds funny.’”

She added, “It’s one of the side effects of one of the treatments I’m going through, and just kind of letting people know that you’re not alone. I think so many people talk about the physical aspect of having cancer, but the mental aspect has kind of been forgotten. So, as much as I can talk about that, I do.”

Just last month, Teddi opened up about starting therapy to help process all that she’s been through between her cancer battle and her divorce from Arroyave, 48.

“It’s really hard for me to tap into my feelings, because I think I’ve put up a wall,” she shared with Us. “I was so scared of what happened that I didn’t want to really dig into it and get into those emotions, but now that I have, it’s like the floodgates are open. It’s definitely been helping, because I think that when you go through a trauma and you’re just trying to white-knuckle it the whole time, it’s gonna come around. And when it came around, I was completely shocked.”

The Masked Singer, she said, helped remind her that she can keep going.

“You become such a creature of habit when you’re healing,” she said. “I’m home. I do my podcast from the house. I’m not allowed to drive yet, so my podcast room is 15 steps from where my bedroom is. It’s like everything is in one area. Being able to get out there and do that was something that showed me I can do hard things.”

The Masked Singer airs on Fox Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET. New episodes stream the next day on Hulu.

Cheers stands as one of the most iconic sitcoms of the 1980s. The series, led by Ted Danson as Sam Malone, centered around the staff and regulars of the titular bar in Boston as they took time away from their day-to-day life to go “where everybody knows your name.” The characters are among television’s most beloved: Danson’s Malone, the bar owner and former Red Sox relief pitcher; Diane (Shelley Long), the academic barmaid and love interest; Carla (Rhea Perlman), the cynical, wise-cracking and irritable waitress; Norm (George Wendt), a popular bar regular greeted with a resounding “Norm!” whenever he showed up (which was often); and Cliff (John Ratzenberger), another bar regular, a mail carrier, and know-it-all.

As the series progressed, Woody (Woody Harrelson) replaced Coach (Nicholas Colasanto) as bartender following Colasanto’s passing, while Long departing the show opened the door for Kirstie Alley‘s Rebecca, all without the series missing a beat. A spin-off was inevitable, and while any of the characters would have been effective, the call went to Kelsey Grammer‘s Frasier Crane, and Frasier (which premiered in 1993, the same year Cheers ended) would prove to be just as popular as its parent series. But the first spin-off didn’t feature any of the characters mentioned above. Preceding Frasier by six years, The Tortellis centered around characters that only ever made a handful of appearances… and unsurprisingly, it bombed.

Carla’s Ne’er-Do-Well Ex-Husband Lands ‘Cheers’ First Spin-Off With ‘The Tortellis’

In the first season of Cheers, all we knew about Carla’s ex-husband Nick was what she shared caustically. He’s a deadbeat father to five of her children, making few attempts to contact them, and no attempt to support them financially. He also cheated on Carla with another woman, Loretta. We don’t actually meet him or Loretta until Season 2’s “Battle of the Exes,” and, well, he lives up to his reputation. Nick (Dan Hedaya) is loud, boorish, and scruffy, with nary a hint of sophistication. Loretta (Jean Kasem) is a tall, blonde, and “ditzy” woman, a trophy wife who marries Nick in the same episode. And yet, after the wedding, he beelines to Cheers and begs Carla to come back to him. It’s not the last time he attempts to woo Carla back either, and it often even comes close to happening — with Nick still proving to be irresistible to her.

The Tortellis sees Loretta leave Nick and move to Las Vegas, where she hopes to make it as a performer. She moves in with her sister Charlotte (Carlene Watkins), who seemingly took her share of the smarts, and her son Mark (Aaron Moffat). Nick follows her to Las Vegas in an attempt to reconcile with her, promising to change his ways. She takes him back, tentatively, and Nick sets up a TV repair shop, and, true to his word, changes his ways. (Kind of. Not really.) Then Nick and Carla’s teenage son, Anthony (Timothy Williams), and his petulant wife Annie (Mandy Ingber) also move to Las Vegas, joining Nick and Loretta in Charlotte and Mark’s home. Six wacky stereotypical characters under one roof? Cue the hilarity.

‘The Tortellis’ Is Mercifully Cancelled After 13 Episodes

Image via CBS

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The decision to center a spin-off around characters who’ve had a handful of appearances is questionable at best, but to make it about such a despicable character and his bubble-headed wife is downright baffling. Storylines like a customer holding Nick accountable for his advertised claim of fixing a TV in a day or he’ll “eat a bug,” or Loretta confronting Charo after Nick takes longer than expected to fix a TV in her dressing room are so far apart from the savvy, well-written episodes of Cheers that it’s criminal. And speaking of criminal, Nick’s criminal past, rooted in offensive stereotypes of Italian Americans, didn’t help either, with the South Florida SunSentinel saying, “The Italian-American Anti-Defamation League should be about as enchanted with Nick Tortelli as it was with The Untouchables.” Coupled with poor ratings, The Tortellis was cancelled after only 13 episodes.

Frasier worked because people knew the character and were willing to follow him to Seattle. The series didn’t sacrifice those things that made Frasier who he was, bringing characters into the series with him that worked to both complement him and challenge him. The writing, too, was up to the same level of quality as its predecessor. Joey, the infamous spin-off of Friends, failed partially because the series changed those things that made Joey who he was, expecting fans to follow a different version of Joey to Los Angeles. The Tortellis didn’t sacrifice the characters at all, and maybe they should have. To add insult to injury, Wings, a sitcom that exists in the same world as Cheers and Frasier, had a healthy 8-season run, with characters that never showed up in Cheers at all.

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The Tortellis

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Release Date

1987 – 1987-00-00

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Directors

Michael Zinberg, Jack Shea, Greg Antonacci

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Adrian Conejo Arias is clapping back at the government’s claim that he abandoned his son while ICE agents pursued him in Minnesota. Arias is the father of the 5-year-old boy in a blue bunny hat and a Spider-Man backpack. Liam went viral after footage showed immigration officers surrounding the boy and allegedly attempting to bait the father with the child.

ICE had ultimately detained and shipped them both to a holding facility in Texas. Now, amid the father-son reunion, Adrian is setting the record straight while the government doubles down on abandonment claims.

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