The Energon Pub

Ok, I'll admit when I first saw the initial concept drawings for the live-action movie bots, I hated them as well. But they were just concept drawings, and thus, not complete and beefy. (Yes, I like beefy bots.)

Though I was not a fan of many story elements in the live-action movie, I was blown away by the robot designs and the score. Both were beautiful.

Why are so many people against the movie designs, preferring the older blocky G1 robots instead? Though they looked nice in the 1980s cartoon, those blocky designs would look horrible in live-action. The whole movie would look like a cheesy throw back to a 1950s B scifi if they used the same old blocky designs.

G1 Prime was fine for his day and in his animated medium. But as one poster stated on another board, he looks like a "stack of dish washers".

Plus, the old and simplistic designs simply would not be functional. Many of the old transformers could barely bring their arms and hands together if you think about it. They don't have near the range of movement that a human has, which is bad for hand-to-hand combat. These movie robots however: they appear to have an even GREATER range of movement and more GRACE than any human. Actually, humans look very crude and simple compared to these movie bots. One cannot say that about the G1 cartoon bots.

And since I am a sucker for romance, it would be harder for the blockier G1 robots to get intimate with other robots of the opposite sex. Unlike the G1 robots, the movie bots have flatter chests. Their heads and necks are closer to their chests as well. It seems movie Optimus Prime can more easily hold and kiss Elita One than G1 prime could. He wouldn't have the blocky chest and far-apart face that would hinder him from such an act. Plus he has a mouth to do so! Yes I would like to see a Prime/Elita One and possibly a Bumblebee/Arcee romance in future sequels.

Romance or not, these movie designs, in addition to still being beefy and tough-looking, look far more graceful, fluid, and realistic than the older G1 designs look. Again, they are capable of a far greater range of movement, and thus, are more effective at combat.

I've also heard people complain about the transformations, saying they are too complicated and tinfoil-like. Well what do fans expect if they want such realism? I mean come on. These bots have to have super complicated transformations if they want to look like realistic vehicles and aircraft inside and out. Unlike the G1 bots and toys, you don't see heads and arms visible underneith their vehicle and jet modes. When you lift the hood, their isn't a head or some other robot body part poking out. Instead, there's a realistic engine and other car parts inside. Does anyone realise that you can't get this level of realism unless these robots possess super complicated transformations? Does anyone have any appreciation for the amount of work ILM did to make robots that have not 50, but over 10,000 moving parts?

The design of the bots is one of the things Bay got right in this movie. So why do so many hate Bay for changing the designs?

this is done to death but...

"Why are so many people against the movie designs, preferring the older blocky G1 robots instead?"

the new ones look delicate and have too many moving parts. Its hard to tell whats happening when they fight. And the faces look different. Not to mention the entire design aesthetic of some characters (Monkey starscream? blender megatron?) No one wants giant squares fighting, but they should look less organic, more like armour, with more covered up. Bumblebee and Blackout were the closest to looking good.

" I've also heard people complain about the transformations, saying they are too complicated and tinfoil-like. "

I think they look ok. The mechanism is right.

"Well what do fans expect if they want such realism? I mean come on. These bots have to have super complicated transformations if they want to look like realistic vehicles and aircraft inside and out."

umm..when did they have to look realistic inside and out? I would rather pop bumblbees hood to find a weird looking engine (not a head though). I like fists behind headlights. The parts of the robot become the car, not the other way around. These are aliens that can change their outerform, not shapeshifters that can replicate things to the tiniest detail, nor are they magic spirits living in cars that can reshape to robot sculptures. Which is what the ILM ones look like.

The more moving parts, the more it looks like morphing, and less like a robot that folds up. Once again, I'd prefer less movement, but I liked the transformation. The finished product is what sucked.

The old school fans, like me, like armoured robots with classic design, not delicate waifs with no cohesive design elements. Try drawing the old Prime from memory. Now try drawing Bays Prime from memory. Ask someone what each is. See the difference?