OK, so I just saw the movie a few hours ago. Drift is very, ummmm... unexplained. So...he is a Japanese Samurai, who is neither Japanese, nor is he an actual Samurai (literally). He is the only Bay movie TF who has a traditional Samurai mask for a face... But it isnt a "mask" as it IS his face, the lips and cheeks and other parts move. Why? All the other TF's have the weird, Bay, Bionicle-faces that look like they went through a meat grinder. It's cool, don't misunderstand me...it is just even more strange to me than all the other choices Bay has made for faces.

Also, in the beginning we see him transform into a cool looking chopper and fly towards Optimus. Next time we see him (I'm pretty sure) he turns into the Bugatti sports car. Both are really cool modes, but NEITHER is explained why he has them or why or how he changes from a helicopter to a car. Is he a triple changer but that was never fully fleshed out? Was he originally going to be Springer? but then his colors and name and appearance changed?

 

Have they ever explained in any continuity when any robot that shares design aesthetics with anything looks the way they do?

Also, I just love how people don't even try anymore. "Bionicle faces." You do realise Bionicle characters all wore masks, right? That were usually very simple? And underneath were faces that were also very simple?

And Drift's face with not much different than Hound or Crosshairs. Just a different shape.

 

Why would you want Ken Watanabe to play anything besides a samurai?

 

He is a triple changer, the movie mechs are combinations of multiple characters like how bee is speaks like a junkion. I think drift is part Springer, and hound is much bulkhead.

 

Hasbro thought hey if we give him TWO vehicle modes we can then sell TWO toys of one character so people have to buy double the toys (insert evil laugh).

 

Drift bio from his Voyager figure said something about him being able to adapt his body to accommodate different vehicle modes.
For all we know, he could turn into a tank in the next movie, should he return.

 

This is the BEST answer, I can think of. LOL

 

Ok, cool....so why not have THAT in the movie? I maen it was three hours long, they could have pulled the part where the Chinese gov't stepped in and sent in air support, and added a part about Drift, who he is, what he is, etc.

 

Time and budget.

Irrelevant to plot.

 

He's a space robot who's trying REALLY hard to be Japanese, with "honor" and being a samurai and all that jazz.

He's really bad at it, and I love him for it.

 

Drift was probably in he movie to sell toys, ultimately. Just like any other character. This is a movie about toys after all.

Anyways, I am so over people saying bay transformers look like Bionicle characters, because they do not, at all. The aesthetics are nowhere near each other. That just seems like an easy way to insult something when you can't say exactly why you don't like it, because it doesn't make sense at all.

 

did his coptor mode look like th skyhammer figure at all?

 

Drift was there because Hasbro needed to sell toys.

 

Closer to the One Step changer helicopter version except with a different tailpiece.

 

I don't know, I thought I wouldn't end up caring for him, but I ended up liking him.
IMO, he delivered some great lines.
At the top of my head:
*Sees grimlock transform* "Oh no, I though he'd just be a giant car!"

Crosshairs- "You just wanna die for the guy. THAT'S leadership. Or brain washing or something."
Drift- "No, THAT'S Optimus Prime"

 

Japanese fanboy it is a fun character, I feel the same way.

 

I didn't get what the point of his helicopter form was, if that's all they were going to do with it.

 

Ummmmmmm........not G1. Whole different continuity with different TF with different attributes and personalities.

 

The real question is, why did he have the Bugatti mode at all?

 

He's just trying to be a not Decepticon. Least he got that right, mostly.