Q: How does your character change? How does he evolve from the first movie?
SL: Well, Sam saved the world the first time, right? So just imagine Brad Pitt going to Trader Joe's to go get a granola bar. If you save the world you have a real problem trying to buy a granola bar, you know? So, like, anywhere you go, you're the guy who saved the world. And you're trying to go to college and have like a normal life. And as you know college is a humongous, humongous deal for kids who didn't enjoy their life in high school because it's a chance to start over. And Sam was this nebbishy, neurotic, dorky kid in high school who fell into the most ridiculous situation.
The movie starts two years later from where the last one left off. He's on his way to school to start a new life, to get away from his parents, to get as far away from his parents as he can because he's stifled and feels like most kids do who have extremely protective parents. He's sheltered. And on top of that he's got Bumblebee living in his garage, who is his guardian. And he's just sick of having guardians. He's trying to create his own world and create his own personality free from other people's input. And he goes off to college and when he gets to college he starts having problems, meaning he starts having these spastic fits of information where like his great, great grandfather, Archibald Witwicky, starts having these visions. These things just start popping up into his head. And he's seeing symbols and comes to find out the symbols are a map which lead to Decepticons, or the Autobots to the Energon source that is still being held here on Earth.
Decepticons and Autobots need Energon to create armies, to revive fallen comrades, to create new worlds, to create armies - to do everything. It's their main resource. And the little bit that's left here, the only way to find it is through this map and the only way to use the map is through my mind. And so they stop my little stint at college to handle business.
Shia Talks Energon
In an interview with IESB, Shia LaBeouf discusses how the movie is better then the first, how the character evolves and the college theme. Below is the segment regarding Energon, but the full interview can be found here. Thanks to MetalAnsWer for the link.
