With just over a month until its release, Transformers 4: Age of Extinction released their second full length trailer, giving us a detailed look at not only the story, but also at what the Transformers are. The title might foretell an ‘Age of Extinction’; but this new installment has everything necessary to breath new life into this franchise.

Operation Transformers … Not That Kind:

As we learned in the last trailer, the Transformers are being hunted. After the events of Dark Of The Moon, all transformers have been labeled as enemies and are to be destroyed – or worse.

We can see from this trailer that the transformers are also being experimented on. This takes us back to the original Transformers in how they explained all technological advancements were reverse engineered from Megatron’s frozen body. Through this experimentation it’s expected that man has developed new weapons to deal with transformers, but their latest discovery is the most disconcerting.

Scientists have discovered a strange metal that can alter its molecular shape. This material in question is very thing that makes transformers transformer. How this will be applied in the film will either make or break this discovery. At best, it could lead to the creation of new transformers like the Dinobots. At worst, it’ll be the Midi-chlorians from Star Wars Episode I all over again, and take away from the sense of wonder Transformers first brought us.

Extinction:

The transformers aren’t the only ones being hunted. While Harold Attinger – played by Kelsey Grammer – has been leading a crusade against Optimus Prime and the other transformers, deep in space an armada has been amassing. With countless battleships and even more foot soldiers, this new force seeks to wipe out all life on the planet, but who sent them?

Among these new enemies we find Galvatron, the reincarnated and chaos infused Megatron, but he isn’t the biggest threat. Since the first teasers of this film were released we saw a gun-headed transformer blow a hole effortlessly through Optimus’s chest. This transformer is known as Lockdown and he’s a lot more than just a sharp shooter.

In this new trailer we see him transform from vehicle mode to battle Optimus Prime  in hand to hand combat; and everything about him is assassin-like. From the way he walks to his wide range of weaponry, Lockdown is a killing machine unlike anything the transformers have seen before. Optimus even asks at one point who sent him (Lockdown). The answer to this question isn’t given, but I believe it will be Unicron and this will become the focus of the new trilogy. Between Galvatron’s appearance as well as this massive army – and assassin-like leader – coming out of nowhere, the destroyer of worlds known as Unicron would definitely be a fair bet.

We Need a New Army:

With most of Optimus’s team hunted to extinction and new enemies unlike anything they have ever fought before, Optimus is right. “We need a new army”. This new army will be the Dinobots of course. How the Dinobots arrive in the film will be interesting to see. Most would think the Dinobots are just really ancient transformers, but in most transformers adaptations the Dinobots were actually creations.

This again brings up the possibility that the new ‘transforming’ metal will have a role in creating the Dinobots. All we know for sure right now is that the Dinobots are good – despite the occasional quarrels – and there will be quite a few of them. Thus far we’ve only seen Grimlock (the Tyrannosaurus) and Strafe ( the twin-headed Pterosaur); but concept art and toy figures hint at many more to come – either in this movie or the next.

With overwhelming enemy numbers and strength – especially if Unicron is involved – the birth of new, stronger transformers just makes sense. Before this trilogy is over we might even see Transformers become very Beast Wars oriented – if you recall the early 90s show.

Conclusion:

Optimus isn’t the only one who should listen to those above words of advice from Cade Yeager – played by Mark  Wahlberg. The Transformers franchise has certainly fallen in the last two installments, but this is a new beginning. Put the awful and convoluted story lines behind you. Sure, this one might have a crazy tale too, but with new actors and the screen debut of the Dinobots, we’ll at least get something different. I have faith that this new film – and trilogy itself – will be far superior to the initial and make up for all bad feelings.

Be sure to follow on Facebook for more updates as they arrive; and check out some more images below, including a close up look at the new Dinobots:

Edit as of 5/3/14: If you want to see the toy counterparts for these concept pieces; click here for their toy details and their new Dinobots Unite footage.