This isn’t a review of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, it is just several philosophical observations I made after watching the movie last night. There are going to be many spoilers here so don’t read on until after you see the new movie. I am limiting myself to the two Transformers movies since I haven’t read the comics and it’s been like 20 years since I’ve seen the cartoon.
In the first Transformers movie the Decepticons and Autobots are at war trying to get the All Spark. This is like the holy grail for space robots. A spectacular final battle wages on and there are casualties on both sides. It is war and casualties are to be expected. The sequel starts up two years later. The Autobots now work for the government rounding up stray Decepticons. Optimus Prime brings down this huge Decepticon and then, in a moment that completely shocked the hell out of me, Prime executes the guy on the spot! I am used to watching heroes like Spider-Man, Superman and Batman whom have strict “no killing” policies, so to see Optimus as judge, jury and executioner was a little unsettling.
It’s been established in the movies that Transformers are alien life forms, (we even see one being born in the new movie) with sentience and their own personalities. Maybe they don’t have the same value of life that humans do. We can’t expect every alien in the galaxy to conform to our beliefs. So let’s say the Autobots have no problem killing Decepticons and vice versa, how can we even tell the Autobots are the good guys and Decepticons are the bad guys? The answer given to us it that the Autobots are committed to preserving human life. What the hell? Optimus Prime cares more about humans than he does his own species? Maybe this isn’t totally unheard of. I suppose there are adamant animal rights activists, maybe some that would put an animal’s well being over that of a human’s. Are there any PETA members so extreme that they would kill a person to protect animals?
Back to the beginning of the second film, Optimus has this Decepticon subdued and kills him on the spot. Prime doesn’t attempt to incarcerate him or rehabilitate him. Maybe Transformers are hardwired to be either an Autobot or Decepticon and Optimus knows that no matter what he does this Decepticon will always be this way and would harm humans in the future. That would be a valid argument until about half way through the movie when the cast meets an old Decepticon named Jetfire. Jetfire had been sitting in a museum for decades, but before that he defected from the Decepticons when he found out about their plans for Earth. This proves that Transformers are capable of reform!
Based on what I’ve seen in this movie, Optimus Prime is some kind of human rights extremist and puts the safety of the human race far beyond the preservation of his own race. However, I’m sure the real reason to turn him into a murderer is that it made him way more badass and a giant robot prison would look stupid.
One more question: when a piece of the All Spark comes into contact with a device it turns the device into a Decepticon, why is “evil” the default setting for new Transformers?
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