.

.

Okay, unless you’re like my idiot friend Lee, who for some strange reason has ridiculous ideas of what makes a movie great, chances are you were a little let down by the overblown 2009 sequel TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN. As much as I loved the first TRANSFORMERS film for being a mindless popcorn movie, even I felt let down by the follow-up, as it seemed all over the place in story, and just plain overindulgent with its special effects. Michael Bay (who is the director of choice for the franchise) can be the series’ best friend and worst enemy, giving these movies a look and feel that is big-budget Hollywood, but at the same time his own directing choices can end up creating an expensive-looking mess that becomes a joke to the audience. But despite the second film’s problems, of which it had many, it made more than enough money to warrant a third outing, and today we get our first teaser trailer (or as it’s being called an “announcement trailer”) to whet our appetites. You may remember back in May when we reported Megan Fox was no longer going to be involved, and then our report from June 1 where Rosie Huntington-Whiteley was announced as the new unrealistically sexy love interest for Shia LaBeouf’s “Sam Witwicky” character.  Tyrese Gibson and Josh Duhamel are returning, and they’re joined by GREY’S ANATOMY’s “McDreamy” himself, Patrick Dempsey (didn’t he used to play “nerdy” guys?).  The story revolves around the Apollo 11 moon landing that took place on July 20, 1969 – which was of course a rather momentous occasion in United States history. But in the movies, we learn that the trip to the moon had a much different purpose, taking the astronauts to the dark side of the giant rock to inspect what appears to be a crashed spacecraft… and they only have 21 minutes to do it.  What does all this mean to present day events?  How will this affect the Transformers lore as we know it?  Guess you’ll have to wait until next summer to find out!

Alpha Trion

In the trailer, you’ll notice a new Transformer is shown. Many are saying this could be “Alpha Trion”, who is one of the original 13 Transformers. According to the Transformers Wiki, we know the following about the character…

Alpha Trion is one of the oldest living Transformers, and with that age comes a nuanced understanding of his race and their place within the universe.

…he was instrumental in first establishing Cybertron as an independent planet.

In his older years, he has found a comfortable role in serving as advisor to other Transformers. Though not taking part in the battles of the Great War, he is firmly on the side of the Autobots, serving as a mentor and guide, especially to Optimus Prime and Elita One. He is an enigmatic old robot, though he is known to be the guardian of Vector Sigma and the custodian of its circuit key. His sage-like manner paints him in almost a mystic tone, and possible connections between Alpha Trion, Primus, and the history of Cybertron itself have boosted him into legendary status.

Now while the character looks cool and menacing in the trailer, in the Transformers’ history he’s hardly a robot of action, which leads us to wonder what exactly his role in the new movie could be.

Unicron

Another possibility, and much more likely possibility, is that of Unicron.  He;s a baddie, and the color scheme matches better, so my money is on him.  Check out these facts (also from the Transformers Wiki):

Unicron is the eternal arch-enemy of his twin brother Primus. Also known as the Dark God, the Chaos Bringer, and the Planet Eater, he is dedicated to consuming the multiverse. His massive form is powered by the consumption of planets, moons, stars, and even the very fabric of existence. Unicron will not be sated until his ultimate goal is attained: to bring an end to the annoying creation boasting independence around him, and find peace by becoming the living center of a swirling, infinite torrent of nothingness at the end of all things.

To undertake this seemingly overwhelming task, Unicron is able to travel across realities at will, a meandering plague upon existence itself. Integrated into his systems are incomprehensible quantum computers which calculate probabilities forward and backwards in time, in perpetuity, giving his processors an ever changing, evolving map of the multiverse. With these abilities at his disposal, Unicron has thus far devoured approximately 22.56% of known universes.

The only thing that he fears is Primus’ essence, contained inside the Matrix. To a being of chaos and uncreation, this font of life is a poison.

Frequently, Unicron will make deals with lesser beings, promising them vast new powers in exchange for their servitude. These minions are sometimes stripped entirely of their free will, but others follow him willingly. Service to Unicron, however, is a double-edged sword, for it causes insanity and loss of self. And in the end, Unicron’s plans ultimately call for their consumption as well.

That’s much more likely, right? Certainly looks like him in the trailer. Are you excited about a third TRANSFORMERS film?  Let us know in the comments!

TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON opens July 1, 2011

Be Sociable, Share!

• 
•