Director Michael Bay has responded to allegations and accusations that the latest installment of the “Transformers” robot movie franchise officially titled “Transformers: The Last Knight” would be disrespecting the veterans of the World War II or the memories of the United Kingdom Prime Minister Winston Churchill.
The rumors began to swirl when it was learned that the movie’s shooting in the United Kingdom this week includes Nazis during the World War II.
It also emanated from the shooting in a building which was covered by the production crew with Nazi flags. The building happens to be where Winston Churchill was born, spawning controversy and assumption that the film is disrespecting the memories of the great UK prime minister and the British veterans of the World War II.
Michael Bay assured everyone that what was seen on the building is just a dot on the story and it is not as big deal as it looks.
He said that he or the movie would not do anything to disrespect UK veterans or the great Winston Churchill, saying that the former UK prime minister is actually a major protagonist in “Transformers: The Last Knight,” reports Cinema Blend.
Bay said that people have not been fortunate enough to read the script and they don’t know that Churchill is a big hero in the movie. He even added that Churchill would be smiling. He said that once they get to see “Transformers: The Last Knight” when it comes out in theaters on June 23, 2017, everyone would understand what he is saying now.
How it all started
On September 21, the production of “Transformers: The Last Knight” set up shop at Blenheim Palace, the birthplace of Winston Churchill, reports the Business Insider.
The castle has become a common setting for Hollywood movies including the live-action “Cinderella” and the last James Bond film “Spectre” both shown last year.
However, “Transformers: The Last Knight” had a different idea for the place by setting it up as a Nazi headquarters for the film. The movie had extras dressed like SS stormtroopers to even rolling a Panzer tank.
Col. Richard Kemp, former commander of the British forces in Afghanistan, said in a recent interview that he knows that it is a film but it’s symbolically disrespectful to Churchill when they wrapped up the place with Nazi flags.
Some critics also believe that Michael Bay could have spent more time in picking a better building to use as Nazi headquarters than the former home of the man who led Great Britain during most of World War II.
Many actually believe that his response would unlikely ease the concern and anger of some UK veterans because it was done from a story-telling perspective and not from a social point of view.
Barricade returns again
Other than Megatron, one of the more popular Decepticon robots is Barricade whose vehicle mode is a police car.
During the first “Transformers” movie, Barricade pursued Sam Witwicky, played by Shia LaBeouf, while rocking ‘to punish and enslave’ motto painted on its side. He has been killed and un-killed numerous times in the tie-in comics and movie sequels but the end result is the Decepticon robot will be returning to the upcoming fifth movie, “Transformers: The Last Knight.”
The return of Barricade has already been confirmed by returning actor Josh Duhamel in June after appearing in the first two “Transformers” movie.
But Paramount Pictures has already released a teaser of the new robot form of Barricade. In the original live-action movie, Barricade was colorless, embracing a black design with a spiky and intimidating façade.
But the Decepticon robot’s updated design is much more colorful from the first-look image and its car lights have made it looking more vibrant.
The oddest change, however, is the completely redesigned face which looks almost identical in structure to Bumblebee’s. There is also the car text ‘serve’ and ‘protect’ in brass knuckles and the ‘punish’ and ‘enslave’ on the elbows.