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I have many complaints about the picks but the main one that overshadows them all is the picture of Frenzy. Someone needs to tell these guys to lay off of the crack. Frenzy looks like a freakin, alien more so than the rest. He sucks.

I saw the pictures. I am now biting my tongue.

"I have to echo the TFW poster who wanted to know why Ironhide gets two arm-mounted BFGs but Megatron can't manage even one"

There was a picture on TFW a couple of weeks back of a similar art board that clearly depicts Megatron with two fairly hefty forearm-mounted cannons that he can use in both modes, which may combine into a single BFG as well- it was a small picture and I couldn't quite tell. So... yeah. Big guns all round.

I see what they were going for with Frenzy, trying to get as much robot out of as small an object as possible. However... he looks like the "Ultimate" version of Warlock from the New Mutants. It's no' great, but I heartily approve of the CD shurikens.

Starscream we've already seen. How well he works on-screen will make or break this fella, I reckon.

Ironhide looks tops. I only hope those massive cannons don't get in the way of him giving at least one of the 'cons an atomic chin-check at some point in proceedings.

Not sure what's going on with Bonecrusher's giant Mr Tickle arms, especially since he looked pretty much humanoid in his brief appearance in the teaser trailer. Either the design has been fiddled with since this picture was made, or the extra joints all fold up into something a bit less... silly? Again, doesn't look so hot in a static image, but may work better on screen.

-Nick

All the designs are superb! I like Ironhides design best

I just want to know why they had to screw things up so badly. Would it have really have been that hard to make them look more like the TF's we know and love? Well, at least I can still look forward to the new Ninja Turtles movie since the TF movie is dead to me.

Zuko wrote:

Dark Cyclone wrote:To summarize: Bay and co don't give a **** about the hardcore fans and want to capitalize on peoples nostalgia.

You're absolutely correct. Because if they did cater to our whims they'd make a couple thousand bucks on the movie and it would be a bust.

People think it's some mysterious reason for why things are different. It's to make money folks. Most people want to go see an action flick with robots tearing each other to pieces and bad humor thrown in here and there. That's what Bay is giving them. As far as they're concerned to hell with the fans. I must say I don't blame them either. I want Transformers to be mainstream again. I want people to be talking about Optimus Prime (whatever version of him) while I'm walking around the mall. I'm tired of the same old crap year after year after year.

Theres a reason why the current shows can't even keep a set time. It's because no one cares about the show anymore. You think it was solely Bay who OK'ed the designs? Hell no! You have everyone from Spielberg to Aaron Archer signing off on this stuff. From the get go they probably had a meeting saying "we need to make this appeal to everyone if we hope to get people interested in Transformers again. Let's appeal to the sci-fi, action, adventure, horror etc. genre's. If it has a following then we need to get those people interested".

Our little minuscule cult following has no bearing whatsoever on this movie. And anyone who thought we would actually make a difference with our ranting and complaining was deluding themselves.

I understand what you are saying. To me however, it seems like a form of giving up. Yes, Hollywood has turned into a machine pumping out sugar coated vacuous crap lately but that is no excuse for what is happening here. With Transformers you have a developed and intricate world that could have been made into a phenomenal movie pleasing all different types of people. If they really wanted to they could have made a movie that played into people's nostalgia and memory of the character yet took them to a whole different level.

You might say that has happened here but I would once again disagree. What has happened IMHO is a complete disregard for source material. These designs are the equivalent to Spider-Man being a horror movie and turning into a giant Black Widow that kills people. Same concept, use the bar bones idea and change it to fit the director or trend.

So what is more appealling about a completely new direction to the Transformers other than the one that made them famous? There have been many, many, many different robot stories and character BUT none are as successful as the Transformers. So if you change the things that make Transformers unique and popular it is just another robot story.

To get back to my original point about giving up. Don't accept or agree with something you don't like just because people you respect or hold power made the decision. If you like the movie designs and think this is a step forward for the TF franchise, then more power to you. I will however sit here and think of what could have been and hope someday someone can fulfill the dream of what a live action transformers movie could be if it held respect for the source material.

Oh and Frenzy is an atrocity.

I like Ironhide and Bonecrusher. Starscream - well, no surprise there. Frenzy... I can see why Don thought he need the most change. He is kind of freaky scary looking - and that might be okay.

I think we're probably all glad that he's Frenzy, and not Soundwave.

the toy looks more differnt than the movie image but didnt they say thaty made faces differnt so everyone can tell the personalitys and fellings that the makine in theyer faces bone crusher doesnt have a face he looks kinda like tankor all i got from the picture by looking at it was he has eyes somewhere i didnt see his mout anywhere. I really would like to agree with Reximus Prime comment but after seeing megatron after stating the company was going to change his i belive thats what were going to get with some little minor touchups like they did with optimus.

I liked one of the comments on that forum about Ironhide. Instead of a black paint job, why not a dark red or maroon as an homage to the G1 char?

As far as Frenzy/Soundbyte, I see what they were trying to do and why they decided not to use Soundwave's name. It seems clear, expecially from where the CD comes out of Frenzy's chest, that this was intended to be a more updated version of Soundwave/Laserbeak et al. And instead of mass shifting, the compromise was to stretch as much material as possible into as big a robot as possible. I'm betting that when the final design was done, there was either a very negative reaction from focus groups (if they even use focus groups) or some semblance of common sense prevailed and they decided to hold off on doing Soundwave 'til the next movie.

At any rate, I'm really starting to look at this movie with little to no expectation. Heck, I heard all kinds of negative things about X-Men III and went in with low expectations and very much enjoyed the movie. I think maybe this'll be the same.

Just saw the Bonecrusher design, I must have missed it last night.

I really like this one, the arms are kinda too long and joint-y for my tastes, but it's a minor complaint. Love the bulky hunched-over look. And the spikes kick ass.

Hope there's a Bonecrusher toy bigger than a deluxe, the Buffalo is about as big as the Peterbilt they chose for Prime. A deluxe version would be way to small for this guy.

In my opinion, the reason that all of the movie designs look the way they do is a result of the internal politics of the movie SFX biz. The same way that tattoo artists refuse to touch up another artist's work, many FX artists refuse to work with another artist's designs. That's why the Gremlins look different in the second movie and why the Alien looks different in every movie. It's also why the Aliens have looked worse and worse since the second movie.
The problem with this argument is that there hasn't been a live-action Transformers movie before. I don't think it matters. ILM is the effects house on Transformers, and I know from looking through the Spider-Man movie art book that at least one designer at ILM was so opposed to working from someone else's design that they wanted to put a f*cking helmet on Spider-Man. Who stopped him? A director who had his head screwed on straight and respected the source material.

LOL I just looked at frenzy... LOL Cluck cluck cluck! He cracks me up he's hilarious. Don't like him as a tf, but as a joke he rocks.

I'm sorry, Starscream looks like a mob thug, not a sleek air warrior.

I can see why they changed that little monstrosity's name from "Soundwave" to "Frenzy". Given the reactions to Starscream and Megatron, fans would be having coniptions if he stayed Soundwave. What is Frenzy supposed to be anyway, the Swiss Army Decepticon?

Bonecrusher and Ironhide are too blurry to make out much in the way of detail.

This is what I say evbery time now:

I frickin hate the designs in general too many little bits everywhere like monsters not transformers.

As Grandpa from Jackie Chan Adventures was fond of saying, "One more thing": The reason that these characters' transformations are such obvious cheats is revealed by the "Soundbyte" model sheet. It has a fully designed robot mode, but the alt mode is still TBA. Putting the robo-horse before the cart, wouldn't you say?

Frenzy looks like General Greivouses little retarded Bro. at least SS has hands now but he looks like apeface.

This emoticon is the only thing that can describe my thoughts about Frenzy:

Monkey Man! That's Starscream, he's now part monkey. Ironhide and Bonecrusher are impressive, and Frenzy looks like an underweight preying mantis. Ew...it looks like if you stepped on Frenzy you'd squish him.

But, I LOVE Ironhide. Way awesome.

D-340 wrote:

HitsugiKun wrote:Heres johny not really its bonecrusher http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/showthread.php?t=122326

Wow his arms are weird, otherwise he looks cool.

Zuko wrote:

kimmer wrote:wow, can the retards making this movie **** it up any worse? i just have to laugh now. i know it's only going to get worse so whatever. just when i think these morons can't destroy these great characters anymore than they already have i now see that walking kitchen utensil they call frenzy. there goes yet another character down the toilet. seriously, have these morons even seen tf's EVER?

Seriously. Stop. If you don't like what they're doing you're welcome to comment on the designs and characters themselves. But DO NOT resort to personal insults against the people creating this movie.

Ah, just ignore him. Seems like everyone else does, especially cuz every single one of his comments slam the movie, and are no where near constructive or useful to any conversation.

oh i see, so only comments that praise this movie are useful? this is called a forum and people express their opinions and i guarantee more people feel the way i do about this movie than the way you do. if you can't handle both points of view then leave.

tomservo wrote:I know from looking through the Spider-Man movie art book that at least one designer at ILM was so opposed to working from someone else's design that they wanted to put a f*cking helmet on Spider-Man.

LOL that sounds both hilarious and depressing at the same time.

Frankly, those all fail. And that General Grevious lookalike is just plain terrible.

Phategod1 wrote:Frenzy looks like General Greivouses little retarded Bro. at least SS has hands now but he looks like apeface.

kimmer wrote:oh i see, so only comments that praise this movie are useful? this is called a forum and people express their opinions and i guarantee more people feel the way i do about this movie than the way you do. if you can't handle both points of view then leave.

You apparently didn't read everything I wrote. I said you're welcome to complain about the designs, toys and movie. But I will not allow people on here to bash and insult a person. No matter if it's a director or a board member.

starscream: FAIL. i've been saying it since the design was first unleashed on the fandom: if it were a new character, it would be a passable design. not great, but passable. but as starscream, this monkeybug's design is terrible. it doesn't bear even the remotest resemblance to starscream aside from "turns into a jet," and the whole hulking monster thing goes completely against everything the character is supposed to be.

ironhide: BORDERLINE. it really looks like it could be a cool stand-alone tf design, but as with all but one or two of the movie designs, looks nothing like who it's supposed to be. still, the body type fits with the ironhide we know, and it does look cool and tf-like, which puts it far higher in the rankings than any of the 'cons.

FRENZY: TOTAL FAIL. geez, and i thought the other 'cons were bad. at least i could in some part of my mind see how starscream and megatron could be halfway decent designs if they were completely distanced them from the names they were disgracing, but this? it's like general grievous had a child with an anorexic swiss army knife. if i hadn't already decided not to pay any money to see this movie, this design may well have made my mind up for me.

bonecrusher: FAIL. too spiky and busy, and the arms are way too long. also, while this isn't a complaint about the design itself, i had hoped that the demise of dreamwave meant the end of the squatting poses.

tomservo wrote: That's why the Gremlins look different in the second movie and why the Alien looks different in every movie. It's also why the Aliens have looked worse and worse since the second movie.

Well, that and the fact that they were able to use cgi in the later films instead of having to fit a man in a suit. I actually like the designs in Alien 3 and Resurrection in spite of the continuity issues that arise. The AvP aliens though just look lousy in general. That's probably as much the fault of the way the director uses them as much as it is the designers, though.