Claims aren’t facts –Transformers 3 “

A  commercial just ran for the blue ray release of Transformers 3. In the  commercial it states Transformers 3, as being the best action movie of  all time. That commercial is brainwashing the children of the 21st  century, and solidifying my place as an old man, when I eventually have  to argue that Transformers 3, is not the best action movie of all time.

“I  say and I say it again, you’ve been had. You’ve been took. You’ve been  HOODWINKED, BAMBOOZLED, led astray, run amok.” – Malcolm X

You  see even Malcolm agrees with me. Usually people’s views of films are  lopsided. They approach a film with certain expectations, and are  inevitably let down when these expectations aren’t met.

The  problem with the Transformers franchise for me was I never liked the  movies. I tried, believe me, I tried. I followed the Transformers  franchise when I was younger. I still remember when Megatron would  transform into a gun, which was unbelievably awesome. The idea that a  villain could transform into a weapon, that couldn’t be operated unless  another villain fired it, always blew my mind as a child.

When  Megatron turned into a gun there was always the possibility that someone  could die. Unfortunately, the action figure would prove that statement  to be true, as a young boy was shot and killed while possessing,  possibly the coolest transformer ever “Megatron”. Megatron would  transform into what supposedly looked like a realistic Walther P38, a  small pistol, at least that’s what the officer’s defense was.

In  Transformers the movie (Animated) released in 1986, Megatron shot and  killed many autobots in his transformed state in his first scene. He  eventually kills off Optimus Prime, because Prime wants to talk smack,  and then Megatron lets him have it, villain style. After their epic  fight which leads to Prime’s death, which he would not return from until  later on in a televised special. Megatron now battered and bruised from  the fight, is hurled into space by Starscream, who attempts to take  control of the discepticons . After floating in space Megatron comes  across another sentient robotic being, who reconfigures his entire  system, and transforms Megatron into Galvatron.  Instead of transforming  into a weapon that would be wielded, Galvatron would turn into a Plasma  Canon, which he could fire at will. At Starscream’s make-shift  coronation, where he was to be declared ruler of all discepticons,  Galvatron would make an appearance. Starscream recognized  Galvatron(former Megatron) seconds before he had been disintegrated by a  plasma canon shot.

What does any of that have to do with Transformers 3, right?

Optimus  Prime’s greatest Villain was treated like a second rate character,  throughout the entire franchise. The first film built Megatron up, only  for a teenager to single handedly stop a Villain, who had brought  destruction to his own planet

Still, what does any of this have to do with Transformers 3?

After  the first film there was no doubt that the hero would prevail. Sure,  Optimus died in the sequel, only to be brought back in the same film.  However, to be called the greatest action film of all time is one of the  few things a commercial cannot claim to be. The method to be the best  is not just special effects; it’s not all the obstacles a hero must  endure, to be the best action film there must be a moment where the  audience believes a hero will not be able to achieve his goal. This was  not achieved in any of the three lackluster films put out by Bay,  especially the third.

The two movies that I believe to have a  legitimate shot at being called “The best action movie of all time” is  either “Terminator 2” or “Aliens”.

Students are asked to interpret works of art and give their opinion from time to time. This is one of those times.

What film do you think is the best action movie of all time?