Moving metal worked for Oceanmaster's mask in Aquaman. We're talking about shapeshifting aliens, making some excuse about a mostly liquid face over a complex skeleton to handle expressions isn't that big a stretch given how much bending and creasing the rest of their bodies do for transformation

 

That was just the eye holes though, not an entire face. Plus it was still pretty weird looking.

 

Those are very much what I'd consider the golden age of Transformers figures. Creative and interesting designs translated into fun toys.

 

This?



No. It doesn't work. I would hate to see Transformers do this in live-action. Segmented live-action Transformer face supremacy.

*in my opinion*

 

I could go for something like that, as long as it didn't look too human-like. I like the generally-humanoid G1 face style, but I appreciate the planar cheeks and square chins thrown in there, with maybe a seam or two.

I don't like the "metal arthropod" look of Bayformers, which apparently take inspiration from photos such as this:

 

HElL YEAH LobBERST!

 

While some may go a little too far into looking weird, I do prefer for my alien robots to look like... alien robots. Not giant metal people with humanlike faces.

Of course, that's just my preference, as I like humanoid just fine.

 

I never really felt the Decepticon designs were ever "alien" as most where just bipedal bots that where "very sharp" and would sometimes also have insect faces that made them look far to different aesthetically from the Autobots compared to how other continuities did the "each side has their own aesthetic gimmick".

If anything this just shows why the Constructicons where still the best Bayverse Decepticon designs. You got humanoid and "insectoid" bots, both familiar and out there designs, and colours.
And I may not like it as Devastator rather than it's own thing, but the combined mode was fun too see.

 

Forgive my ignorance, but what on Earth is an “incest face”???

 

It's what many would refer to as a spelling error.

 

Ha! Oh hell it’s too early in the morning and I genuinely couldn’t think of what you meant. Insect, yes, of course. I was just sleepily dense, not being a smartass.

EDIT:
And now that I've adequately awoken, I'll try to comment more intelligently.

Honestly, the whole "alien" concept completely legitimizes the Bayverse robot designs. They don't even need to be bipedal, with bilateral symmetry, two arms and a single head as humans are. They're a life form from another planet, and could have evolved in ways we can't even recognize. However, I think the farther Transformers stray from humanoid, the less appealing they are for many fans. We're evolutionarily hardwired to be wary of (and even repulsed by) things that look different from ourselves, and sometimes "close but not quite right" is very off-putting in ways we can't quite explain.

The fact is, this is fiction, and the writers/directors have the ability to choose the aesthetic they want to deliver to an audience. And for some folks who grew up on G1 as I did, the more humanoid face (even if covered with a visor and/or mouth plate) is often more palatable. Others feel these are aliens and should look suitably alien, which gives a pretty open creative license for interpretation.

TL;DR: There's nothing wrong with "alien" or "arthropod" faces on Transformers, but not everyone is going to like them.

 

That actually convinces me it does work. That looks pretty cool.

 

Or maybe it could work like it did with Colossus form the Deadpool movies, but with less humanoid faces.

 

Colossus was a good example too, yeah. With a more refined budget to make him look less video gamey at least

 

I also always really enjoyed Starscream's design and how he had obvious avian inspiration, which works, since he was an airborne bot. Yet he also shares quite a few design queues from his G1 appearance, like the cockpit in the chest, and sort of triangular shape.

 

My unpopular(?) opinion: ROTF Prime's transformation is blown way out of proportion. Everyone makes it out to be a mind-shattering million year conversion. It takes about a minute and a half for me. I enjoy it. Everyone needs to calm down.

 

It had a pretty steep learning curve when it came out 13 years ago but today yeah its pretty easy

 

I agree. Honestly, to me it's pretty satisfying. Personally, I always thought Leader Sentinel Prime's transformation was much more frustrating.

 

I think people tend to confuse "complicated or complex" with what is really just "fiddly and tedious". I personally just don't like it when transformations aren't fun, and that one certainly isn't. I don't own it because I like neither the start nor the finish, but the path from one to the other is neither mind-blowing nor enjoyable.

 

As others have said, ROTF Prime's transformation was game changing for its time, with the entire ROTF toyline more or less being an extremely well engineered (there are exceptions, of course) lineup. You have to remember that at the time, Cybertron was only 3 years prior to mark the end of the Unicron Trilogy and there is a significant gap in complexity between Cybertron era figures and ROTF.

Far, far more complex figures have come out in the many years since then, so I dunno who is still saying ROTF Prime is anything special these days.