SPOILER: If you have not watched the movie, please do not continue reading.
“Bring the rain, Epps. Let’s kill all these things,” Captain Lennox said as Optimus Prime and Megatron fought their deadly combat in Mission City with Blackout about to ambush Prime. Epps wanted to protect the Autobots, what he calls the good guys and marked the bad guys Decepticons to be the target of the impending F22s. However the direct order from his captain was to wipe out everyone, good or evil.
The next scene follows by Lennox performing a heroic act of single handedly bringing down Blackout when he slid underneath the gigantic robot at high speed and shot him in the abdomen. The victorious expression on his face somewhat irritated me. Although he did save Prime’s life as there was no way for Prime to fight both Megatron and Blackout, the fact that Lennox’s original intention was to exterminate even Prime, made me feel uncomfortable. Something about Lennox’s actions scared me, I believe it was his ignorance, war mongering and triumph driven hormones.
On the other hand, Prime shielded the humans, risked his life and that of the survival of Cybertron because he didn’t want to harm others. His influential quotation, “Freedom is the right of all sentient beings”, sums up his entire mission. He wanted to prevent Megatron and the Decepticons from destroying Earth and he holds true to his motto at all times. Prime is an embodiment of integrity and compassion.
Lennox
as the commanding officer chose to end the battle by demolishing the ones that sincerely protected and guarded humankind from destruction. It is a shameful act of cowardice and cruelty.
I know that it is only one small part of the movie whereby all Lennox did was to utter a simple sentence. But this is no mistake that he did. In our lives we have come across many people that resemble Lennox. They could be our parents, siblings, friends, colleagues and even children just as Lennox is someone’s son, a woman’s husband, a child’s father and a comrade to his battalion. He could beat another person because he is not of a certain race and gender just as he guns down an enemy at war. He might readily betray his teacher if by doing so would improve and promote his ranks because at the end of the day, he thinks of no one but himself. He has his personal goals to achieve and dreams to fulfill. I am sure we all do. But we must remember that there is always something greater and bigger than our goals and dreams.
Optimus Prime and the Autobots aspire to restore Cybertron, their home planet and they need the All Spark to do that. This can be said to be their goal and dream. However they never seek the All Spark at the expense of innocent lives except for the Decepticons whose aim is to conquer and destroy. With regard to the Decepticons, the Autobots have no choice but to engage them in battle. Although restoring Cybertron is important to Prime, there is something much more crucial and imminent; not to damage Earth and its inhabitants. The right to choose is the freedom of all sentient beings. This freedom, this right reigns over their personal goal.
Ultimately, in this vast Universe we are just one pale blue dot. If Lennox could forget about personal victory, he would probably see before him evidence and truths that this Universe has many unpeeled layers of consciousness, energy and life forms. It is not an invasion but an adaptation and an evolution for mankind.
There is always something more than meets the eye.
