Transformers Age Risking Extinction: The Vanishing Female Role

Outside of their sex appeal and relationship to the emotionally unstable Sam Witwicky, what is the one thing that Mikayla and Carly Spencer have in common?  They possess qualities that give the Autobots a certain edge over the Decepticons.


For Mikayla, she possesses a take-charge attitude and a keen sense of jumping into action when her assistance is needed. Do you remember the first movie where Mikayla hooks an immobile Bumblebee to a tow truck and drags him through a street block full of Decepticons? If not for her quick thinking, the Autobots would have been down one man and the soldiers would not have taken down Devastator as fast as they did.

For Carly, her strongest asset is by far her wit. Not only does she use her appeal to win a high paying job, but she causes conflict in the Decepticon ranks. Don't forget she is the one who gets into Megatron's head and ultimately tricks him into killing Sentinel Prime just before Sentinel kills Optimus. So both of these women bring various assets to the fight.

Tessa Yeager, on the other hand, contributes nothing to the fight and her passive role adds very little to the storyline. Originally, Michael Bay admits that he created the 17-year old daddy's girl persona as a way of establishing a father-daughter element, something missing in the last three movies. I have included a link to the interview, which can be found on ScreenSlam.com, below.

However, what I saw when I first watched the movie was less of the evolution of a father-daughter relationship and more of a focus on the interaction between Cade Yeager and Tessa's boyfriend, Shane Dyson. You see the relationship between Shane and Cade transform from confrontational to accepting. At the end, both men agree that they each one plays an important role in Tessa's life.

So what if the director chooses to shift his focus from one character to the next? Directors do that all the time. That's true. However, Cade's entire reason for living is his daughter's well being. Every confrontation he has with other characters is tied to Tessa. If you consider the amount of time Tessa has on-screen, you are left wondering what important skill she possesses to warrant so much screen time.

If anything, her presence prolongs the movie from reaching a conclusion sooner. She gets into as much trouble as Super Mario Bros. Princess Peach. Plus, her attitude towards her dad and other characters around her (outside of Shane) makes me question whether Michael Bay believes all 17 year-old girls from Texas act like this. Obviously, the answer is no. I am sure he has other movies that include strong-willed, proactive 17 year-olds. However, they are not part of this movie. If Bay intends to bring back Tessa in the next two installments, she should have a more proactive role. Being the daughter of an inventor and an expert in soldering circuits, she has much more to offer than being a common house wife. A Cade & Tessa Bot Shop for repairing battle-worn Autobots would be a better ending to the father-daughter conflict than the one presented in this film.

Mentioned Cast and Characters:
Mikayla: Megan Fox
Carly Spencer: Rosie Huntington-Whiteley
Sam Witwicky: Shia Labeouf
Tessa Yeager: Nicola Peltz
Cade Yeager: Mark Walberg
Shane Dyson: Jack Reynor

Bots:
Optimus Prime: Peter Cullen
Sentinel Prime: Leonard Nimoy (rest in peace)
Megatron: Hugo Weaver