The Jesus Robot
06-14-2007
by Johann Snyder

From Batman, to the X-Men to James Bond, Hollywood seems to think that heroes are more interesting when they aren’t just good. They need to be conflicted, dark and brooding. They must struggle with doing the right thing and their own selfish desires. Yes the good guys are so much more interesting when they aren’t so good. Or maybe they should be bad. Granted not as bad as the real bad guy, but you know, the loveable rogue, the criminal with scruples, or the thief with a heart of gold. From conflicted heroes to anti-heroes, the good guys don’t wear white anymore; it’s usually more of a gray or a light black. And if they do wear white, it’s usually splattered with someone else’s blood. But this summer, that trend may change as a Christ-like hero once again takes to the big screen, and I’m not talking about Superman. No, this hero is more than meets the eye.

One of the defining moments for just about every male child growing up in the eighties was when one their beloved heroes finally got his first movie, and then died within the first fifteen minutes. No one anticipated the shockwaves that would ripple worldwide when a simple toy, a truck that changed into a robot, was destroyed to make way for a new line of toys. Tears were shed, doors were locked, meals were refused to be eaten; all in mourning of a hero lost. Unbeknownst to the creators, the actors, the animators and to many bewildered parents, Optimus Prime was a hero of epic proportions, and it was devastating to children the world over when that hero died.

It’s funny watching the producers of the Transformers movie and hearing from the toy executives at Hasbro as they look back on the phenomenon that was created by the death of Optimus Prime. No one saw it coming. No one realized that so many young boys had firmly latched onto to that enigmatic robot as a childhood hero and role model. But the fact of the matter is there’s purity about Optimus that makes it hard not to like him. Watching him lead the heroic Autobots, it’s easy to see why he was such a natural leader. Optimus Prime is a true hero; good through and through. He never had any doubt about what was the right thing to do. He never struggled with sacrificing his desires for the good of others. He was never conflicted about right and wrong. Transformers was a show about good and evil, plain and simple; and Optimus Prime was the epitome of what it meant to be the good guy.

The heroic qualities of Optimus were in full display in the Transformers movie when, with the fateful words “Megatron must be stopped, no matter the cost”, Optimus drove in to the midst of the Decepticons and battled his arch nemesis to a deadly stand-off. Beaten, shattered, broken, Optimus Prime did stop evil that day, and his selfless sacrifice saved many others; but it cost him his life. While the heroes of today might try to find a way to survive at all costs if they must act heroic, Optimus never gave sacrificing his life for others and for what is right a second thought. He knew it was the right, the good thing to do, and that’s all he needed to know.

It may seem odd that a cartoon based on a line of toys echoes the true struggle of good and evil. More than that, it mirrored a true story over two thousand years old. The story of a man who was also pure and good in every sense of the word. In him, there was no darkness at all, and he knew what he needed to do to save the world. With more love than this world has ever seen, he willingly sacrificed his life to save yours. His death was another death that caused ripples; throughout the world and through time itself. His name was Jesus Christ; and he died for you. A heroic act in every sense of the word, and the bright image of which every other heroic act, whether on screen or in reality, is a mere shadow.

I’m really excited to see Optimus Prime resurrected on the big screen. I’m sure this new Transformers movie will be full of eye-popping special effects, big explosions, loud action, witty one-liners, and all the things one might expect from a summer blockbuster (especially one directed by Michael Bay). More than that, I’m excited to see a true hero on the big screen. A hero pure in heart, intent and action. A hero that clearly sees the difference between good and evil, right and wrong, and isn’t conflicted about which to pursue. Will today’s movie going audience embrace such a hero like the young boys of the eighties did? Can we tolerate such a clear distinction of good and bad? I certainly hope so, because like or not, the tag line for Transformers isn’t just a random line; it’s a profound truth: Their War. Our World. More on that to come.