Transformers The Movie, Or, A Work of Faith
Transformers The Movie can easily be interpreted as a work of faith. With robots that morph into cars.
All right, let me begin. Transformers The Movie could be interpreted as a slightly revisionist take on Christianity. Let me explain.
A being descends from the sky, dies for the sins and foolishness of others, and before he passes on, gives his followers an otherworldy power.
Jesus Christ or Optimus Prime? Both, in a sense.
There are three other principle players worth noting in this - Ultra Magnus, Galvatron, and Hot Rod.
Ultra Magnus could be interpreted as the Catholic Church. He is the most immediate leader
after the death of Optimus Prime (hey, I just figured out, first name/last name connection?).
However, he exhibits poor leadership, landing the people on junk. He tries desperately
to activate the Matrix (the metaphor for the gift of the Holy Spirit). But he can't and is
martyred by the Decepticons.
Galvatron/Megatron is a multi-layered analogy, both politically, psychologically, and allegorically. He could be the Roman Empire which killed Christ, come back in another form - just as crueler kings have arisen since Caesar last fell. But this is only after Megatron has "died" and sees Unicron, which is probably Satan. Satan gives him power, and he is reborn. The author has dark suggestions for today's current leaders if that is the case.
Hot Rod serves many roles over the course of the story. He is both prophet, sinner, and saviour, and ultimately, he is the most human.
He foresees the coming evil and prophesizes it by attempting to shoot down the plane with incoming Decepticons.
Most interestingly enough is the way in which Optimus Prime dies. "Sin", a.k.a. Megatron, has Hot Rod in his grasp. Rather than eradicate them both, Optimus Prime is himself eradicated, just as Jesus died for our sins rather than let us be destroyed, even though we were in the grip of sin which we put ourselves in.
Hot Rod then properly inherits the Holy Spirit/Matrix, given to him by Optimus Prime after his "death" at the hands of Megatron, but hands it over to Ultra Magnus. He could be seen as Protestant?
Hot Rod then takes on the role of saviour, by unlocking the power of the Holy Spirit/Matrix to destroy Satan. He then becomes like Christ/Prime, becoming Rodimus Prime.
In the end, he emerges with a new message " 'Till all are one!" Or, until all are Christian and proselytized?
Anyway, just an interpretation by an 80s cartoon fan.
All right, let me begin. Transformers The Movie could be interpreted as a slightly revisionist take on Christianity. Let me explain.
A being descends from the sky, dies for the sins and foolishness of others, and before he passes on, gives his followers an otherworldy power.
Jesus Christ or Optimus Prime? Both, in a sense.
There are three other principle players worth noting in this - Ultra Magnus, Galvatron, and Hot Rod.
Ultra Magnus could be interpreted as the Catholic Church. He is the most immediate leader
after the death of Optimus Prime (hey, I just figured out, first name/last name connection?).
However, he exhibits poor leadership, landing the people on junk. He tries desperately
to activate the Matrix (the metaphor for the gift of the Holy Spirit). But he can't and is
martyred by the Decepticons.
Galvatron/Megatron is a multi-layered analogy, both politically, psychologically, and allegorically. He could be the Roman Empire which killed Christ, come back in another form - just as crueler kings have arisen since Caesar last fell. But this is only after Megatron has "died" and sees Unicron, which is probably Satan. Satan gives him power, and he is reborn. The author has dark suggestions for today's current leaders if that is the case.
Hot Rod serves many roles over the course of the story. He is both prophet, sinner, and saviour, and ultimately, he is the most human.
He foresees the coming evil and prophesizes it by attempting to shoot down the plane with incoming Decepticons.
Most interestingly enough is the way in which Optimus Prime dies. "Sin", a.k.a. Megatron, has Hot Rod in his grasp. Rather than eradicate them both, Optimus Prime is himself eradicated, just as Jesus died for our sins rather than let us be destroyed, even though we were in the grip of sin which we put ourselves in.
Hot Rod then properly inherits the Holy Spirit/Matrix, given to him by Optimus Prime after his "death" at the hands of Megatron, but hands it over to Ultra Magnus. He could be seen as Protestant?
Hot Rod then takes on the role of saviour, by unlocking the power of the Holy Spirit/Matrix to destroy Satan. He then becomes like Christ/Prime, becoming Rodimus Prime.
In the end, he emerges with a new message " 'Till all are one!" Or, until all are Christian and proselytized?
Anyway, just an interpretation by an 80s cartoon fan.
posted by Marshall McMahon at 10:16 PM
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