I don't really think the designs are that different?

Discussion in 'Transformers Movie Discussion' started by Toad84, Jan 26, 2020.

  1. Toad84

    Toad84 Well-Known Member

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    So much discussion about the difference in designs between Transformers to TLK and then Bumbleebee.

    Yes, there are subtle differences but there are subtle differences between the first 5 Transformers as well.

    None of the designs would look out of place in the other.

    Brawn would have fit in just fine in Transformers while Barricade would have been just fine in Bumblebee.

    The only real aesthetic change IMO was having more of their internal structures covered with armor in Bumblebee.
     
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  2. SPLIT LIP

    SPLIT LIP Be strong enough to be gentle

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    Which is a pretty big difference considering exposed internals was practically the Bay designs’ MO.

    That’s why so many people like the BB movie designs like Prime and Bumblebee, as they’re basically the Bay versions just done a hell of a lot better. Less stuff protruding out, less layers of indecipherable parts randomly attached over themselves (often time the Bay designs looked like like mechanical innards and more like a collage of awkward metal shapes with no obvious or practical connections) more solid armour parts to give shape and form to the bodies, etc.

    The aesthetic difference is really big when you really look at just how messy the Bay designs were (not saying that in a mean way, but just look at Ironhide’s legs) the angles and shapes were so unnatural and at such awkward and sometimes confusing angles that you couldn’t tell sometimes if a TF was bending it’s leg or if the leg just always looked like that. Limbs rarely had any sort of cohesive form or parallel lines to them, and from behind it was practically impossible to make out the form or shape of the robot in anything but a perfect wide shot from direction behind.

    Plus the Bay designs just weren’t right for the style of filming, which was more about natural and hectic moments, (rightfully) portraying the Bots as imperfectly in focus or frame like they were just too big to really capture on screen. Awesome if you’ve got a nice clean Bot that’s easy to read, an absolute nightmare if you have something that’s difficult to make out at a glance.
     
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  3. Toad84

    Toad84 Well-Known Member

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    If you could find a way to do the Bumblebee style designs at the scale of Transformers to TLK would be a nice mix.
     
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  4. Autobot Burnout

    Autobot Burnout ...and I'll whisper "No."

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    Can we just not? What is so wrong about kibble? I like my Transformers to look like, y'know, they turn into things.

    Plus, with all the bullshit about how humans apparently can't relate to blatantly-based-on-humans alien lifeforms from another planet, having more solid, easily recognizable shapes and surfaces instead of looking like aluminum fed through an in-sink-arator garbage disposal is more pleasing to the eye anyway. There's a reason the G1 designs have lasted as long as they have - and keep in mind the designs are not entirely accurate to the actual original toys said deigns are derived from!
     
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  5. Toad84

    Toad84 Well-Known Member

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    I said nothing about kibble?
     
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  6. Autobot Burnout

    Autobot Burnout ...and I'll whisper "No."

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    Have you even seen some of the Bayformers designs? I mean, for example: Knight Prime is an absolutely ass design for a transformer, because beyond the exhaust pipes, can you actually identify anything that is definitively from a semi truck cab?
     
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  7. Toad84

    Toad84 Well-Known Member

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    Do you mean Knight Prime as in Optimus in AoE and TLK or Knight Prime as in how he appeared in Bumblebee?
     
  8. Venixion

    Venixion Its always the middle of the night in Moonside

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    Throughout most of the films this statement is correct, with the exception of Cogman and Steelbane.

    There were 4 Bayverse designs in Bumblebee; Bumblebee, Dropkick, Shatter and to a lesser extent Blitzscream.

    All the rest were Classic Designs and damn do they look good. They proved that M. Bay was full of shit about classic designs not working on the big screen.
     
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  9. Autobot Burnout

    Autobot Burnout ...and I'll whisper "No."

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    Knight Prime wasn't IN Bumblebee.
     
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  10. Toad84

    Toad84 Well-Known Member

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    Eh, not really. Even the "classic" designs had plenty, arguably more, similarities to TF to TLK than G1.

    G1 designs were essentially just blocks drawn on top of eachother.

    Bumblebee was directed by Travis Knight.
     
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  11. cybeast

    cybeast Freelancer Pun Maker

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    The Knight Prime in AoE/TLK ofc, it's getting worse that the toys practically has almost of his whole torso hidden, as opposed as formed from bits of truck parts (like the first movie, or RotF).
     
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  12. Toad84

    Toad84 Well-Known Member

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    I agree AoE Prime was...meh.
     
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  13. Autobot Burnout

    Autobot Burnout ...and I'll whisper "No."

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    I specifically mention how the design only has recognizable exhaust pipes and you actually think I'm talking about the one that straight up has the proper cab chest and everything?

    I mean, of course I'm talking about the awful design from the last two films, since it sacrificed function for a terrible, uninspired looking "knight" robot look that had nothing to do with the hard edged power inherent when you think of a semi truck.
     
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  14. cybeast

    cybeast Freelancer Pun Maker

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    The problem with AoE and TLK's designs are, they're almost impossible to translate into toys. While TLK's OP looks good both modes, he doesn't really look like his on-screen model, and his transformation was less interesting than say, RotF's OP (preference may vary). Transforming a TF toys for me is always looking at the alt mode and bot mode, and seeing part and bits of here and there from alt mode goes into bot mode's decoration or vice versa.
     
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  15. SPLIT LIP

    SPLIT LIP Be strong enough to be gentle

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    He said scale, as in the Bumblebee designs but as large as the characters were in TLK. Not the designs or aesthetic, just the actual heights.


    The worst part is it didn’t have to. The Western Star is covered in curves and angles that would be perfect to assemble into Knight-like armour whilst still looking like a Transformer first and foremost. The fenders and bumper are already really close in shape to his shoulder armour and pecs, and the bonnet and sleeper could easily form his arms and legs with minimal mass-shifting.

    Problem is Bay had long since stopped caring about Transformers as a concept, and just did whatever he wanted because he had completely given up on the franchise.
     
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  16. Toad84

    Toad84 Well-Known Member

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    I don't think people give enough credit to some prior designs.

    Roadbuster in DotM(besides the head) and Lockdown are two of my favorite movie designs for example.

    I think giving the Decepticons more normal heads(like Barricade got in TLK) would have been good.
     
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  17. SPLIT LIP

    SPLIT LIP Be strong enough to be gentle

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    They’re great designs, they just don’t “work” for the kind of movies they’re in. Where TFs virtually exist only in lightning fast action scenes or standing around in the background out of focus, the amount of detail is not only wasted but a hindrance.

    It’s like each TF was designed as the center piece of their own film, but then all but ignored and treated like disposable mooks.
     
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  18. Venixion

    Venixion Its always the middle of the night in Moonside

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    Which look far better as opposed to bay designs which are confusing scrap piles.
     
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  19. cybeast

    cybeast Freelancer Pun Maker

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    The still photo (is that what you call it?) has good design on most of the bots...but we can hardly seen anything beside a lump of metals moving against another lump of metal, esp if it's Decepticon due to the color and the fast camera works.
     
  20. hthrun

    hthrun Show accuracy's overrated

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    I agree. Even within individual movies there are different aesthetics. I personally love the detail and diversity of the movie designs.
     
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