Michael Bay's TRANSFORMERS - More Pics!

[Aaron L]

Egads! How much more "anime" styled can those designs get?

You do realize, of course, that not only was the original Transformers cartoon Hasbro commisioned anime, but the toys were nothing more than repackaged US reissues of existing Japanese toys taken from several different toy lines?



The "blame everything I dont like on anime" line has gotten really really really really really really really really old.

 

[Morrus]

You do realize, of course, that not only was the original Transformers cartoon Hasbro commisioned anime, but the toys were nothing more than repackaged US reissues of existing Japanese toys taken from several different toy lines?



The "blame everything I dont like on anime" line has gotten really really really really really really really really old.

Somoene expressing a difference in opinion to you abuot their stylistic tastes is not something to be offended at. I think it's obvious that "anime" in this case is shorthand for "spiky weird looking stuff", which, to non-anime buffs, is pretty much waht the word means. It's no different to me not distinguishing between different types of "dance" music; a sin which many younger people seem to feel is inexcusable.

 

[Ranger REG]

After seeing these images I will still go and see the movie, but the original news I heard (over a year ago) is that they were basing the look of the transformers on the original cartoon... I guess that's a big flipping dissapointment.

Umm, are you disappointed they're using the original cartoon for inspiration in the upcoming film, or that they're not the same? :\

Because I'm a fan of the original cartoon, where Optimus Prime is a trailer truck ... not the most recent series where he's a flying firetruck.

 

[Ranger REG]

The "blame everything I dont like on anime" line has gotten really really really really really really really really old.

Anime is not bad, but there are different art styles, and choosing the wrong one can totally ruin one's viewing pleasure.

I mean, it is safe to assume Michael Bay is not using face faults in his film, right?

 

[Rackhir]

from PVPOnline

 

[Christoph the Magus]

Yuck. Megatron looks like crap. Looks like another rental to me.

 

[Relique du Madde]

Somoene expressing a difference in opinion to you abuot their stylistic tastes is not something to be offended at. I think it's obvious that "anime" in this case is shorthand for "spiky weird looking stuff", which, to non-anime buffs, is pretty much waht the word means. It's no different to me not distinguishing between different types of "dance" music; a sin which many younger people seem to feel is inexcusable.

I'm a fan of something having an anime look when it is in an anime or a video game. This is suposed to be a live action movie which means that impractival stylistic flurishes should not be part of the design of the "mecha" if you want to convince us that the mecha were built as warmachines and not objects of art. What good is having an over sized stylized shoulder pad on a mech if it is not aerodynamic, or if it can easily restrict the mech's movement or have its design blown away by megatron's blast cannon? Considering that the assumption of the movie is that the autobots/decepticons are sentient machines they would quickly realize that in a time of war, adding additional florishes to one's build IS NOT practical to a war machine.

 

[Cthulhudrew]

Considering that the assumption of the movie is that the autobots/decepticons are sentient machines they would quickly realize that in a time of war, adding additional florishes to one's build IS NOT practical to a war machine.

They're not war machines, though. They're aliens. While they happen to be alien robots, they are nevertheless aliens. The autobots, in particular, were not originally warriors in any case, but reluctantly took up the mantle when faced with the onslaught of the oppressive decepticons.

Maybe it sounds like I'm picking nits, but really, it seems to me that whatever their origins, the Transformers were- in their original source material- to their world what humans are to earth; the major population, and sole sentient population of their world. It doesn't seem all that unreasonable to me that their "design" might be any less practical than the design of our human bodies is.

(And yes, I realize that the Ark remade the autobots and decepticons to resemble earth vehicles, but it didn't change the fundamental design of them in most cases, just their outer appearance. It didn't make Optimus into a battle tank- despite the fact that might have made him a better warrior- it just made his truck form look more like an Earth truck.)

 

[Knightfall]

Optimus looks great. Megatron's face looks awful. The rest of him is just "ok".

Oh well, it just goes to show you can't please everyone. I'm sure I'll love the movie anyway.

Transformers Forever!

KF72

 

[mmu1]

They're not war machines, though. They're aliens. While they happen to be alien robots, they are nevertheless aliens. The autobots, in particular, were not originally warriors in any case, but reluctantly took up the mantle when faced with the onslaught of the oppressive decepticons.

Exactly... Which is why I like the fact they no longer look like their design is based on toy cars and toy planes.

Though I'll freely admit that I'm biased and never liked the way the Transformers looked originally - I first saw it when I was already in my teens, thought the toys looked ugly and clumsy, and the cartoon characters looked just like the toys.

I'm actually like that with a lot of stuff US nerds tend to go nuts over... I didn't grow up in the US, so aside from a few major things like Star Wars and LotR, I wasn't exposed to most "classic" comics and cartoons until I was older.

And more often than not, when changes are made - the Green Goblin's costume in Spiderman, the X-Men movie uniforms, the "horror" that some people think is the Ultimate Marvel comic line, or re-designed Transformers - I actually find myself going "Oh, thank God. That 20 or 30-year old stuff looked ridiculous."