by Michael Bay
Starring: Michael Walberg, Nicola Peltz, Jack Reynor, Kelsey Grammar, Stanley Tucci
Upon thinking about the movie I happened upon the phrase "Just pretend this dead lion is a human baby and you won't be so upset" read that article here
More about that later.
I want to thank John Piper for His literary style and will endeavour to write this review from the stand point of purity, and being fascinated by Jesus.
I will give a run down of the film for any wanting to see followed by a plot summary and then an in-depth review.
Initial thoughts (no spoilers)
Well, welcome, to the fourth installment of Transformers, Age of Extinction. I have not seen the series since the second Transformers, where the premise of the film is all life on earth to be utterly destroyed. seems to be a continuing theme in the series. Not having seen the third movie, I am at a loss over some aspects of the storyline of this one, but because it is a new cast, and the characters all have decent back stories - for an action film - I can wipe away the former sentiments.For an action film, it delivers wonderfully. There is no shortage of action - though there is a level of vengeance in this film not seen in the previous films. They probably had in mind to pave the way for another sequel. As far as crowds, I was only one of 4 people in the cinema this time. It was probably just an indication of the time that I went (11 in the morning on Friday) Because of the continuity in the film it is easily watched, you don't see the time passing by. I swear I did not know I was in the cinema for that long, (it is roughly 2:45) being in suspense at various turns (the involvement of Humans, for instance) and the good guys do a good job of being good in general.
the themes of betrayal, vengeance and general inaccountability towards loss of life where a nice touch on the film. It made you identify with the characters. Upon closer inspection, I found the movie to be a little trivial and the inclusion of sorrow and sadness (especially in the first few scenes of the movie) were not explained or enumerated. Each basically responded by vengeance towards seeing comrades fall and their treatment at evil hands.
Does that mean I did not identify with it? Well I did, especially what should take place when loved ones die and the treatment of friends at the expense of forces and powers too strong. I swear that when Optimus was starting down the leader, He made me unsure of what should be done. Is this guy really just a pawn?
It would seem so later on. There is a true departure from the original series (back in the 80s) as where do all these monolithic beings and races come from? but they have done well to engage an audience with the history of transformers. It in a way made me glad to see the machines that I grew up with. For instance, where did the whole idea of human extinction come from? The original was pretty much just a battle between autobots and decepticons, the decepticons wishing to subjugate the human race to their own ends. but if they didn't have something atleast to latch onto, maybe they would not have an audience for these movies (I see that they are still making transformers! Good on them!)
the new film comes with a new cast and the main character is now Optimus (where in the previous ones to an extent this was true of bumblebee) But of course, if anyone has seen the original series (back in the 80s) you could not include a Transformers without Optimus Prime, he's the one giving orders and everyone follows Him. Betrayal plays heavily into this film, and to a lesser extent, human fragility. I see that in the deaths portrayed that they wanted to invoke a certain response. Followed up by vengeance.
If you want my opinion, I think you can goto see this movie without having seen the previous ones (as I did) but part of the pull is the series that is being developed. Of the things I've spoken I will speak more in the actual Review. Now I will go onto the plot summary. If you don't want to see spoilers read no further.
Plot Summary
The movie begins with an armada of alien battle ships above the earth and then pans to the earth where we see the ships descending and unleashing a hot magma substance that turns the inhabitants into metal (this all happened 65 million years ago)Then we see Tessa (Nicola Peltz) drive to her house with her friends excited that school is about to finish and find out that it is the home of Yeager Electronics. More about this later. There is a whole lot of abandoned metal at the roadside to their house. She wheels a trolley back to the house and is greeted by a robot dog that barks when intruders come (the dog thinks she is an intruder)
Then we see a raid on a transformer at night time at a big ship. Supposedly they are going after the decepticons, who are still on earth. But they are actually going after the autobots as well. Upon finding the transformer, ratchet, they begin firing on Him and then a robot named Lockdown demands to know where Optimus Prime is hiding. He does not tell Him, and because of this, rips out his heart (a thing called a spark)
Then we find her Dad, and His friend, Lucas, driving into a movie theatre where they are charged to get it running again. Cade (Michael Walberg) notices a truck at the back of the theatre that He thinks He will take back to His place for parts. He asks Lucas if He would pay for the truck, $150.
When the two get home, His daughter, Tessa, has a go at him for buying junk that they do not need. We find out that He runs a company that makes and provides metal for inventions. But they don't have a steady income. She says she will be leaving once High school is finished, but She is concerned that He will not be able to look after Himself.
We find out she wants to go to the graduation and how are they going to buy a dress for her? Her mother died and so it's just Him and Tessa. They talk about who is going to take her to the graduation formal. More about this later. We find out that he has struggles with bringing her up, because She's the one thing that he loves in life. She consciously has a go at Him for not letting her do the same thing he did (having her while still in High school, with her mum) He says having her was the best decision he ever made.
He spends days in the garage where he stores the truck. Trying to get the inventions that He gets to work he stumbles upon a message - live ammunition is found in the fuselage of the truck and when He straps it upto a power source a message comes - "Calling all autobots"
Because of this, Lucas, Tessa say that they should tell the authorities (who are looking for transformers) they believe that there is some reward for it. In the preceding time, we find that Optimus found out that humans are attacking and destroying autobots. He is apprehensive of humans that were upto this point their allies.
When Lucas calls the authorities not a moment later a group of vans come to their property under the authority of Harold Attinger (Kelsey Grammar) a CIA agent working with Lockdown. James Savoy (Titus Welliver) lets them know that they are here because they got a call. (this is somewhat like the first Transformers but more violent in their treatment of the main characters) James says that He will kill His daughter, saying "You would sell out your own flesh and blood for an alien"? and says that He will kill her if he does not tell them where Optimus Prime is hiding. this is one of the most emotional scenes in the whole movie.
Optimus bursts out of the garage leaving destruction in His wake, succesfully getting away from the humans at this point Shane, Tessa's boyfriend bursts onto the scene after the destruction of their house (lockdown fires missiles at the house) a fierce chase ensues, between Optimus and Lockdown, and the CIA authorities and the Humans. they seem to get away, but after Shane's car is wrecked they run outside, only for Lucas to be metallicized by a weapon Lockdown is carrying. They escape in Optimus and head to a gas stop where they are safe. Furious that His daughter hid her boyfriend from Him, He acts the proper Dad and reminds them of her being His daughter.
Before Optimus returns Cade manages to hack into a mini-drone he had stole at his property, finding out footage of Humans attacking autobots, and what they have done to Him - His credit card cannot be used as they have (the government) shut down his credit.
When they (Harold and James) find out the technology is being used somewhere, they goto where it was used however they are not there (he uses remote control) while finding out a company called KSI are behind the technology being developed, they decide to goto the Headquarters.
Optimus comes back and takes them to see the rest of the Autobots. There is a Japanese autobot with swords, a typical weapons expert with gatling gun and various other parts, Bumblebee, and another with a pair of pistols.
Using the technology they have they find a scientist and copy his credentials to getting into KSI. Cade gives them all tags with which they can get into KSI.
Then Bumblebee, Shane and Cade enter the KSI labs. they find the scientists have been working on their own transformers. When Shane gets into the labs, your typical science ensues. Cade takes a video of Ratchet (the former autobot) being torn apart for scrap metal (they need it to make their own transformers)
At this Optimus rages and the autobots come to KSI to destroy the labs. A conversation ensues between Joshua (Stanley Tucci) - the head of KSI and Optimus. As far as this goes, the head of the autobots says that this was His friend, and Joshua, says "we did it all in the name of Science"
the lab is destroyed but not before they unleash their own transformers against the autobots. In pursuit Galvatron and Stinger, follow them. But they work on their own, not taking orders. This leads Joshua to get angry because He can't control His creations.
Then Lockdown shows up, fires a volley of missiles. Tessa and Cade are separated, Optimus and the car in which Tessa are in trapped by a net. Lockdown it seems is on the hunt for Optimus because His creators "want Him back". Above Chicago, the autobots, and the Humans climb aboard Lockdowns ship, where they split up to search for Tessa and Optimus. Cade finds a piece of weaponry on the ship and uses it to destroy their pursuers. When Lockdown finds out that they're trying to get the prisoners off the ship he sends some dogs after them. Finding tess they manage to find their way to an anchor to get off the ship. Meanwhile, the autobots find Optimus on a jeticend ship and proceed to save Optimus from Lockdown.
Harold and James meet with Lockdown aboard his ship for a "seed" meanwhile a little autobot lets them know that they have been influenced by Megatron (now Galvatron) who means to get the seed himself and enslave the human race. Optimus knows that they must stop the plan of Galvatron at all costs.
Lockdown, finding out that Optimus is not on His ship, returns to earth.
when they arrive in China a huge battle between, Lockdowns forces, Galvatrons forces, (who invades KSI in China) and makes all the transformers they are developing His, and the autobots ensues.
the ship the autobots are in crash lands in a valley. Knowing that they can't win this alone, they free some robots that have never been under anyone's orders, and Optimus battles them to get them to be on their side.
When they realise the seed needs to be taken to somewhere safe, the humans, led by Shane, Tessa and Cade, get in a car and try to travel over a bridge to get it safe. But when Lockdown shoes up, Cade says that He has to help Optimus defeat Lockdown he tells Shane and Tessa to get away, but not before She decides that She has to help Him (she loves Him) Optimus is not really able to defeat lockdown, but with Shane, Tessa, and Cade, they succeed in defeating Him.
The movie ends with Optimus fleeing earth in pursuit "of His creators"
Movie Review
I'm going to take a level of creative license here, because as I was thinking about the film and wanting to understand what I wanted to say, I came on an article about the travesty of our generation in our attitude towards human life, specifically in the aborting of children in the womb. This can be found here. This lead me to take up a certain stance on this film, which I believe is the one that I should take in respect for my own conscience, and the prevailing theme of our generation to murder and de-humanize. In this I give thanks to John Piper, for His recent article on pornography on tv programs. You can find it hereThere is a prevailing attitude in this film indicative of violent vengeance. this is at the prospect that "for all that is good and right, we must stop the oppression of species and restore order to the universe" i think only human beings could come up with such a statement and be so desensitized to the reality of sin and consequence of our decisions towards others. It's what enables you to watch a film without thinking anything about what it is doing to you. I praise God that I'm now in a place where my conscience does not rest on anothers opinions or attitudes.
The irony is that most of this film is concerned with very much heart issues, the suffering of betrayal, the murder of innocents, and the general inaccountability towards loss of life, which stir my heart, but I am reminded that transformers are not people, and when was the last time I cried for the injustice of others being scattered like sheep and who do not know God's eternal life. Does it really do justice to the loss of a friend to go with vengeance against those that caused it to happen?
A statement that pretty much sums up the film is found in the conversation between Optimus and Joshua when they meet for the first time in KSI in Chicago. He says basically "I'm a scientist and about advances in technology" nothing much is said and the autobots leave. It would have been a nice touch had they rescued what remained of Ratchet. The thing that excited me the most (and maybe evident of my own state) was when the Autobots gathered together for the first time. Some funny things were spoken and I laughed along with it. That was a nice touch. But where does my desire to "destroy in the name of good" come from? it would be worth inspecting and finding out where this comes from.
All I know is that the bible expressly has alot to say about "living by the sword" and in Gen 9 it says if anyone spills the blood of man, his blood shall be spilled. This was seen in the overthrow of Harold Attinger - who really had no remorse that "it had to be done for the greater good" not seeing in His actions anything but the kind of zeal that comes from Humanity for the independence of Humanity. Of this theme, Lockdown, when talking with Harold Attinger says "of all my contact with all the species of the universe all share this in common, that they think the universe revolves around them" - a statement that could be applied to religion in general (that the world does not revolve around me)
There were indeed very biblical themes through the film. This I gather is because there are those that are not after power, and who have morals. This seems devoid of the history of humanity. Did you see that? making a general statement for specific issues. He certainly does not indicate that humanity is in need of a Savior. That is one of the biggest problems with the movie, is that it has only a surface level treatment of anything of substance.
Before you think I'm just going on a tirade regarding this film, I want to remind you, that we need to be very conscious of what we watch, and anything that seems good on the surface we need to inspect to the heart of, so that we can have freedom in relating to God and enjoying life. It certainly is not a film that sets out to make the viewer question and give thought to deeper issues. In a way, I compare it to Armageddon (starring Bruce Willis and a variety of actors) But it's true that when we think about our origins, we want to know something that has substance. This makes the film begin and end on one premise - that our creators are out to subjugate the universe, and like Megatron, are willing to destroy planets to do so. The entrance of Lockdown into the film (though I do not know if He comes from the previous movie or not) tends to make me think that we have forces governing us, that we do not know about. The question is, are they for good or for malice intent? are they the embodiment of all that is called pure, holy and righteous, or are they wanting us to be held under their sway? From a biblical standpoint, we have reason to be afraid, because God is good and that goodness motivates Him to judge the world. What the enemy is, does in the secret, in the malicious and the innocent, so that we have vengeance on the wrong ones. This is seen in this theme.
It's also true that humanity is good, that is true, but humanity also introduced sin into the world. When I look at the film, it makes me sad for the sorrow and disaster that comes. I wasn't weeping when cities were destroyed or at men fleeing, but maybe I should have been? all too often the innocent suffers, the ones that feel the pinch are the ones that have done nothing to deserve it. That is what motivates God's heart and shows to us the heart that we are to have for other human beings. That love motivates us to tell others of Jesus.
It has a very sci-fi feel to it, in that humanity are willing to work with forces outside of their control for their own betterment and survival, but that falls on it's head in the course of the movie, they realise that they are the originators of their destruction, by doing the will of Megatron. The thing I leave you with is this, do you adhere to this kind of worldview? do you believe in aliens? do you believe in humanity being able to further their own development by rising in technology? is it as innocent as it sounds? we have been guilty of using technology to our destruction, and that for the greed and promotion of ourselves - under guise that "it will give better living to those that use it" - and as a result, we turn our backs on God and promote lives that are in direct contradiction to himself.
The folly, or the danger of this worldview will be seen in days to come, when out of the greatest technology developed by man, the most evil and corrupt empire shall come, that will enslave the human race, and bring them to worship a Man. this is indeed innocent as it looks at the surface, but it's something utterly devoid of God, from the pit of hell. and people will say "Don't use technology, technology is bad!" no, but the consequence will be in the heart of it. we will not be able to live outside of it - it will eclipse us and make us so certain of ourselves, so that we would want for nothing - altogether denying the continuum of human suffering since the time of Cain and Abel.
Haha, you heard me say it "technology will be our downfall" it will only be those things that we sanctify of God to use, that will be used effectively. Look at the state of things as they are, and choose to reject what I say!
All of this is to say, that we have troubling days ahead. it will be true, that those who rejoice should mourn, and those who have substance, consider that they do not, and that in the end, it will prove wisdom, because "I come to shake everything that can be shaken" and God, the consuming fire, will dwell with us. O for that day!
Transformers 4: Age of Extinction Review by Nathan Sinclair is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
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