JOP wrote: Criticism of the original cartoon in no way absolves the movieverse of criticism (and that's before we even account for the questionable fairness of such a comparison). This is why I asked my question.
And your 100% right. The faults of one universe of TF doesn't merit the faults of another. BUt at the same time, one can't hold certain faults of a part of said universe, then another hold on a high pedistal for the same "faults". In this case the aurgument was the movie characters all looked the same. Problem is the same can be said in G1 in terms of design. Yes, they might have been different colors, but one can't aurgue that there designs were really that unique to each character and claim that they were ulitmatly superior to there movie counterparts. Espeacialy when there designs were unquie to each bot, as well as each idiviudal bot had there own specific color. Heack even the twins who were supposed to look alike, had key design features unquie to them. BUt that also bring me to your next point..
JOP wrote:I'm not sure I can agree with your assessment regarding 'color differential'; indeed, how do we determine such a thing? For instance: are we to count the number of unique colors present in a single version of the franchise? If so, the sheer number of characters present in the original cartoon, and smaller number present in the movies, would most likely sway any count in favor of the former. Perhaps we should first create a methodology for measuring color differential before we draw our conclusions?.
NO. I think your over thinking this. (and i don't mean this to be condencending in any way. please don't take it that way.
) Basicly i believe all thats really being said is that because G1 bots were different colors its easy to tell them apart, regardless of their designs. But the same aurgument can be used for the movie verse since they too have different colors to dishtingwish them from one another.
JOP wrote:I would also like to point out that - at least insofar as I understand these things - that much of the criticism of the movie designs relates specifically to their appearance on-screen, often in sequences containing high levels of movement and / or other visual excitement (explosions, for instance). This is an environ in which designs containing high levels of uniformly-colored detail and complexity do not, traditionally, excel. (I also believe that to a certain extent, the Generation 1 cartoon sidestepped this issue simply by virtue of its animated status.) To argue the merits of the designs outside of the context of the media in which they appear strikes me as disingenuous.
I see your point and where your going with this. But to be fair, i think Bay & Co. did a good job in trying to differentrate the bots during fighting sequences. Slowing down fight sceneces, to changing bot colors from the movie versions to the toys so they two are better dishtingwished (Baumble Bee vs. Rampage for example. Rampage was specificly made red so the audience can tell them apart better). Now granted, some scences are going to be harder to tell apart than otheres. BUt the same can be said with nearly any action movie. Personally, i've had an easier time telling apart TF in Bay's movies than many Human based war movies.