The second "Transformers" movie, heralded to be probably one of the biggest box-office hits of the summer, was simultaneously a big let-down for me and profoundly symbolic. It was a let-down because the plot-line was stuffed with all the Hollywood cliches and kitsch you would expect: destruction, patriotism, "shock and awe" theatrical tactics, a hot, lascivious Megan Fox who is first seen straddling a motorcycle with super-low cut-off shorts, and more destruction. On the surface, the movie was tailor-made to galvanize the testosterone and libido of every male on the planet. On the other hand, I did find certain thematic elements to be appealing. Shia La Boeuf's acquisition of an alien language composed of baroque sigils was one of them. The brief appearance of the planet saturn (guardian of the threshold) was another. These themes and elements are obviously redolent of a global mind-shift that is well-underway on this precious planet of ours. This shift may have to do with the way we handle technology (the decepticons may represent the malefic side of man-made technologies and the autobots may represent the benefic side), and it may have to do with the way we utilize language and perceive language. Shia La Boeuf's alien-language download pushed his cerebral faculties into a new semiotic state of consciousness where he appeared to function with a greater bandwidth than his contemporaries (I am talking about the astronomy class lecture). This type of "semiotic state" is of course well-known to psychonauts and shamans who have tried hallucinogens of the tryptamine variety. His eventual discovery of an alien relic (the matrix of leadership) was also symbolic of Man's search for substantial and incontrovertible proof of alien-forged technologies. For the record, the patriotic ending, wholly designed to ignite the flame of evangelical self-righteousness in every human heart, was not my cup of tea.
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