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Entertainment Media Analysis Report
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MAR27038

(2007), PG-13 [Hard R-13*] (2hr 14min)

Analysis Date
CAP Final Score
CAP Influence Density
MinMax
July 15, 2007
32 out of 100
1.60
-100

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Christian Long Distance

SUMMARY / COMMENTARY:
(While the Scriptural references are certainly not subjective, my commentary may be and sometimes is somewhat subjective.)

If Scriptural references appear, the full text appears at the end of the Summary / Commentary.



(2007), PG-13 [Hard R-13*] -- an influence does not have to be real to influence. Good or bad.


Cast/Crew Details Courtesy Internet Movie Database
Production (US): DreamWorks SKG, 7th Rig, Paramount Pictures, Hasbro, Di Bonaventura Pictures, SprocketHeads, ThinkFilm (Washington DC scenes)
Distribution (US): DreamWorks SKG
Director(s): Michael Bay
Producer(s): Kenny Bates, Michael Bay, Matthew J. Birch, Ian Bryce, Allegra Clegg, Matthew Cohan, Tom DeSanto, Lorenzo di Bonaventura, Brian Goldner, Don Murphy, Steven Spielberg, Mark Vahradian
Screenplay: Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman
Story: John Rogers, Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman
Cinematography/Camera: Mitchell Amundsen
Music: Steve Jablonsky
Film Editing: Tom Muldoon, Paul Rubell, Glen Scantlebury
Casting: Janet Hirshenson, Jane Jenkins, Michelle Lewitt
Production Design: Jeff Mann
Art Direction: François Audouy, Beat Frutiger, Sean Haworth, Geoff Hubbard, Kevin Kavanaugh
Viewed At: Driftwood Theater 6


Analysis of this film was fully sponsored by the congregation of Chapel of the Good Shepherd, Naval Air Station Oceana, Virginia Beach, VA. Bless you, Chapel of the Good Shepherd!

I wish filmmakers could get it right. Though a Model 3 Pancake GM Radiation Survey Meter (similar to the one shown to the right) is not exactly commonplace, it certainly has a specific methodology of use else it is useless. The filmmakers' operation of the Model 3 made this quality device about as credible as a raygun from LooneyTunes(tm). But then, I've never seen any radiation survey meter used properly in any Hollywood film. The original War of the Worlds had the user point the detector probe of a Geiger Counter beta-gamma survey meter like a directional radio antenna. Transformer's  use of the Model 3 Pancake survey meter is no better.

Oh, well. It's a movie. It doesn't have to be accurate. Just sensational(istic). And Transformers  does indeed have some sensational moments and imagery, some creative genius and some dazzling action. But it's just a movie. Too bad, too. Whether intentional, movies teach. I'll bet that many who see this film will think the user of the Model 3 Pancake survey meter was doing it right. And that other erroneous features in it are "right." It's just a point to be made. Remember, an influence does not have to be real to influence. Good or bad. And I didn't come up with that. God did. In 1 Corinthians 15:33. And others.

Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf) and Maggie Madsen (Rachael Taylor) combine forces to aid Optimus Prime (voice of Peter Cullen) and his crew of good guy transformers from Cybertron to do battle with Megatron (voice of Hugo Weaving) of the Deceptacrons. Optimus' intent is to save the Earth from evil domination by Megatron.

Amidst a dazzling array of high-tech gadgetry and blinding action are a number of uses of the three/four letter word vocabulary, three times as many uses of God's name in vain (though without the four letter expletive), and sexual innuendo galore. This PG-13 film contained enough violence, enough profanity and other forms of impudence and enough violations of God's Word about the use of His name to earn a score of zero out of 100 in each of Wanton Violence/Crime (W), Impudence/Hate (I) and Offense to God (O) investigation areas. Enough portrayals were found applicable to Sexual Immorality (S) to earn a score of 5 out of 100. R-rated films in the comparative baseline database earned scores of 54 and below out of 100.

Wanton Violence/Crime (W)
Matters of violence included military ordnance, police and other massive gunfire, theft, traffic chaos and action violence of varying intensities -- a lot of them. In addition, talk of sacrificial suicide and multiple deaths in air battles caused the loss of all the starting 100 points in this investigation area. [Prov. 16:29]

Impudence/Hate (I)
The use of the three/four letter word vocabulary 20 times, eight by a teen, plus two uses of the most foul of the foul words [Col. 3:8] plus a plethora of behaviors such as teen lying [Rev. 21:8, Prov. 19:5], teen arrogance against and defiance of parents plus behaviors such as facial piercing, tattoos, trespassing by teens and more also caused the loss of all the starting 100 points in this investigation area. [Prov. 6:16 - 17]

Sexual Immorality (S)
Vulgar gesture. Porn pics in a teen boy's room. Request for sex innuendo. Intercourse innuendo. Masturbation innuendo. Camera angle to force viewer on private parts. Inappropriate touch such as a teen girl setting on a teen boy's lap under the same seat belt. Excessive cleavage. A teen boy's parents expressing joy upon finding a teen girl in his bedroom. A teen girl laying atop a teen boy making out. And more. Sexual immorality does not have to be nudity. No matter what the MPAA thinks. [Rev. 21:8]

Drugs/Alcohol (D)
No portrayal of the use of alcoholic beverages, tobacco, illegal drugs or abuse of prescription drugs were noted.

Offense to God (O)
God's name was flagrantly used in vain at least 24 times, 5 to 1 by a teen. Though each was without the four letter expletive, God is serious about abuse of His name. [Deut. 5:11]

Murder/Suicide (M)
Three somewhat graphic impalement murders were noted.


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SCRIPTURAL APPLICATION(S)
If needed to focus or fortify, applicable text is underlined or bracketed [ ] or bold. If you wish to have full context available, the Blue Letter Bible is a convenient source. If you use the Blue Letter Bible, a new window will open. Close it to return here or use "Window" in your browser's menu bar to alternate between the CAP page and the Blue Letter Bible page.

CHAPTER/VERSE

  • Prov. 16:29 A violent man entices his neighbor and leads him down a path that is not good. [The issue is the violence and its effect on an observer. "A violent man" can be a man, woman OR the men/women/characters demonstrating the violent behavior/action on the screen. Now you know why violence, especially in and as entertainment, can embolden the viewer into aggression, especially youth. See also Joint Statement on the Impact of Entertainment Violence on Children Congressional Public Health Summit. Further, God speaks darkly of violence 56 times in the Old and New Testament of the KJV. And see 1 Cor. 15:33 below.]
  • Col. 3:8 But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy (injurious speech, slander in this use), filthy communication [aischrologia: foul speaking, low and obscene] out of your mouth.
  • Prov. 6:16 - 17 These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, ... [As used in Prov. 6:17, "proud look" is ruwm  {room} - to rise, rise up, be high, be lofty, be exalted. In other words, be arrogant, impudent; to think one is above the rules, above His Word. See also Psalm 12:8 below.]
  • Rev. 21:8 But the [unforgiven] cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars -their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death. [God gives no conditions under which the practice of sexually immoral behavior (by His standards) is acceptable. This applies also to any lie, even the "little white lie" or the convenience lie.]
  • Prov. 19:5 A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who pours out lies will not go free.
  • Deut. 5:11 Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain: for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. [Vain is shav' {shawv}: emptiness, nothingness, vanity, such as an expletive. With or without the four letter expletive, the use of God's name in any way other than respect, reverence or thoughtful discussion is in vain. That includes the popular three syllable sentence with His name trailing it AND the misuse of Jesus' name.]

    ***Selected Scriptures of Armour against the influence of the entertainment industry***
  • Jer. 37:9 This is what the LORD says: Do not deceive yourselves, thinking, 'The Babylonians [the destroyers from within] will surely leave us.' They will not!
  • Ps. 12:8 The wicked freely strut about [e.g., create progressively vile/offensive entertainment with impunity and no consequences and present it to younger and younger audiences every year] when what is vile is honored among men [when enough people continue to defend it, embrace it, enjoy it, want it, submit to it. I call attention to Ps. 12:8 to warn of the creeping desensitizing power of "entertainment."]
  • Col. 2:8 Beware lest any man [by his influence] spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
  • 1 Cor. 15:33 Be not deceived: evil [kakov: of a bad nature, not such as it ought to be] communications corrupt good manners.
  • Rom. 5:19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.
  • Jude 1:4 For there are certain men* crept in unawares [secretly slipped in among us], who were before of old ordained to this condemnation [whose condemnation was written about long ago], ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness [a license for immorality], and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ. [*men: anthropos {anth'-ro-pos}, generic, a human being, whether male or female]
  • Matt. 25:40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
  • Luke 17:2 It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones. [Offend: skandalizo {skan-dal-id'-zo} - scandalize; to entice to sin; to cause a person to begin to distrust and desert one whom he ought to trust and obey; to cause to fall away.]
  • Ps. 119:133 Order my steps in thy word: and let not any iniquity have dominion over me [let no sin rule over me].
  • John 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.
  • 1 Thess. 5:22 Abstain from all appearance of evil. ["Evil" includes all things that are sinful.]


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    As always, it is best to refer to the Findings/Scoring section -- the heart of the CAP analysis model -- for the most complete assessment possible of this movie.
  • FINDINGS / SCORING:
    (The objective  heart of the CAP Analysis Model, independent of and insulated from the Summary / Commentary section.)


    Transformers (2007) CAP Thermometers

    Wanton Violence/Crime (W)
  • military ordnance
  • action violence, many, of varying intensities
  • police gunfire
  • massive defensive gunfire
  • theft
  • traffic chaos with endangerment
  • vehicular assault
  • admission of theft
  • firearm threats, repeatedly
  • attempted murder
  • physical assault
  • multiple talk of sacrificial suicide
  • multiple deaths in air battle

    Impudence/Hate (I)
  • 20 uses of the three/four letter word vocabulary, 8 of them by teens
  • two uses of the most foul of the foul words
  • massive tattoos
  • script reference in a PG-13 film requiring knowledge of an R-rated film
  • teen denying what he had done
  • lie
  • facial piercing
  • trespassing, twice
  • portrayal of police as idiots
  • cruel deceit
  • dog urination
  • teen deception
  • teen use of situation ambiguity as chance to use lies as defense of his wrongdoing
  • "Parents ... very irritating"
  • extortion
  • teens with familiarity with R-rated films

    Sexual Immorality (S)
  • vulgar posture
  • porn pics in teen's room
  • camera angle to force viewer on private parts
  • rude gaze
  • sex request innuendo
  • dressing to maximize the female form and/or skin exposure
  • innuendo re: intercourse, repeatedly
  • below navel skin threatening exposure of that which follows, repeatedly
  • pose to force viewer on private parts
  • excessive cleavage, repeatedly
  • teen in underwear
  • sexual reference
  • sex reference and talk re: masturbation
  • parents expressing joy upon finding a girl in their boy's bedroom
  • adult in underwear
  • series of verbal threats to include sexual innuendo
  • teen girl lying atop a teen boy (clothed) making out

    Drugs/Alcohol (D):
  • none noted

    Offense to God (O)
  • 24 uses of God's name in vain without the four letter expletive, 19 of them by a teen
  • insult of Jesus (counterfeit use of WWJD)

    Murder/Suicide (M)
  • impalement murder, three














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    There are some in the entertainment industry who maintain that 1) violent programming is harmless because no studies exist that prove a connection between violent entertainment and aggressive behavior in children, and 2) young people know that television, movies, and video games are simply fantasy. Unfortunately, they are wrong on both accounts." And "Viewing violence may lead to real life violence." I applaud these associations for fortifying 1 Cor. 15:33. Read the rest of the story. From our years of study, I contend that other aberrant behaviors, attitudes, and expressions can be inserted in place of "violence" in that statement. Our Director - Child Psychology Support, a licensed psychologist and certified school psychologist concurs. For example, "Viewing arrogance against fair authority may lead to your kids defying you in real life." Or "Viewing sex may lead to sex in real life." Likewise and especially with impudence, hate and foul language. I further contend that any positive behavior can be inserted in place of "violence" with the same chance or likelihood of being a behavior template for the observer; of being incorporated into the behavior mechanics and/or coping skills of the observer. In choosing your entertainment, please consider carefully the "rest of the story" and our findings.



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