I'm just curious as to what it is that (apparently) so many of you dislike about BayScream. I mean, is it just his overall appearance or is it something more? Nobody in the Bayverse outside of Optimus is particularly close to their G1 design. Nobody.It's an aberrant design, but then...

 

Shockwave and Soundwave would like a word with you.... Had ALL of the robots been given complete redesigns with no G1 homages, I would not reject this as Starscream. But now Soundwave and Shockwave, less popular and less deserving characters, get total G1 head designs. And what's SS stuck with? The same horrendous bulldog face that can't smirk! THAT, my friend is downright unfair!

 

One thing I will give the Bayverse, fully and completely and without reservation, is that they portrayed Starscream EXCELLENTLY. For all the talk about TFA Starscream and how well he was portrayed (and he was), we forget that BayScream acted like Starscream should act, in the first movie and in the second. The character was very familiar to his G1 roots with what he said and how he said it. All that aaaaaaaand...in the first movie, he was startlingly competent. Efficient and effective. He--not Megatron, not Blackout, not Brawl or anyone else--had the Autobots and the military on the ropes all by HIMSELF. The Autobots seemed to absolutely fear him.

 

Sorry, but I think the Bayverse did extremely well by Starscream. Michael Bay & Co. deserve a pat on the back for that.

 

No sir. The things he had and the actions he did may have been completely true to Starscream, but his face was unable to express the proper emotions when doing them. As a result, a HUGE gap was formed.

 

Normally a robot that can't smirk is forgivable and even forgettable, but Starscream has built so much symbolism behind it. That hideous abomination on the big screen has a mouth that's PERMANENTLY stuck as a /\.

 

Let's cite an example of the design's failure!

 

"Lord Megatron, I was so releiiived to hear of you...resurrectionnn!"

Really? The look on his face was anything BUT relief! He looked bored/angry! ANY Starscream would've delivered that line with a wimpy grin on his face, but not this one. The animators think they can get away with it just by implying it in his tone of voice. Well guess what? THAT DOES NOT FUCKING WORK!!!!

 

Me, I like the way movie SS looks. While he doesn't have traditional SS looks, the gorilla bird thing is really cool IMO. I adore the 07 SS mold and buy most repaints of it. He could be any other character and I'd be the same.

 

I buy the toys too. The design is perfect for an aerial grunt after all. I mean It DOES have that bulky dimwitted brawn-over-brains look. I even bought the Leader Class figure, which (After removing the speaker) is now MP03's right hand man. I call him "Lieutenant Skyhammer"

I'm just curious as to what it is that (apparently) so many of you dislike about BayScream. I mean, is it just his overall appearance or is it something more? Nobody in the Bayverse outside of Optimus is particularly close to their G1 design. Nobody.It's an aberrant design, but then...

 

Shockwave and Soundwave would like a word with you.... Had ALL of the robots been given complete redesigns with no G1 homages, I would not reject this as Starscream. But now Soundwave and Shockwave, less popular and less deserving characters, get total G1 head designs. And what's SS stuck with? The same horrendous bulldog face that can't smirk! THAT, my friend is downright unfair!

 

One thing I will give the Bayverse, fully and completely and without reservation, is that they portrayed Starscream EXCELLENTLY. For all the talk about TFA Starscream and how well he was portrayed (and he was), we forget that BayScream acted like Starscream should act, in the first movie and in the second. The character was very familiar to his G1 roots with what he said and how he said it. All that aaaaaaaand...in the first movie, he was startlingly competent. Efficient and effective. He--not Megatron, not Blackout, not Brawl or anyone else--had the Autobots and the military on the ropes all by HIMSELF. The Autobots seemed to absolutely fear him.

 

Sorry, but I think the Bayverse did extremely well by Starscream. Michael Bay & Co. deserve a pat on the back for that.

 

No sir. The things he had and the actions he did may have been completely true to Starscream, but his face was unable to express the proper emotions when doing them. As a result, a HUGE gap was formed.

 

Normally a robot that can't smirk is forgivable and even forgettable, but Starscream has built so much symbolism behind it. That hideous abomination on the big screen has a mouth that's PERMANENTLY stuck as a /\.

 

Let's cite an example of the design's failure!

 

"Lord Megatron, I was so releiiived to hear of you...resurrectionnn!"

Really? The look on his face was anything BUT relief! He looked bored/angry! ANY Starscream would've delivered that line with a wimpy grin on his face, but not this one. The animators think they can get away with it just by implying it in his tone of voice. Well guess what? THAT DOES NOT FUCKING WORK!!!!

 

Me, I like the way movie SS looks. While he doesn't have traditional SS looks, the gorilla bird thing is really cool IMO. I adore the 07 SS mold and buy most repaints of it. He could be any other character and I'd be the same.

 

I buy the toys too. The design is perfect for an aerial grunt after all. I mean It DOES have that bulky dimwitted brawn-over-brains look. I even bought the Leader Class figure, which (After removing the speaker) is now MP03's right hand man. I call him "Lieutenant Skyhammer"

 

Hmmm.

 

Well, this caveat I will further extend to Michael Bay: are you, Lord Atmo, prepared to field a plausible reason why an alien race of robotic plesio-specific metamorphs/variable-grade omnimorphs have DECIDED to completely anthropomorphize themselves to the point where a race that does not need to masticate its food or have any need whatsoever for facial muscles have mouths and cheeks that can express emotion? You'll have to note that certain things just look kind of...crAAAAAAAzzzyyyyyy on the big screen in live-action, as opposed to a purely animated medium. In other words, when these kind of things go wrong, you'll end up with shit like Howard the Duck or Ghost Rider. Not apologizing or making excuses for Michael Bay, but this is not Animated. There is no basis for his characters possessing those kind of organic trappings. Animated gave a basis for theirs having "organic" properties (which plausibly ties into G1). The movie is a separate, stand-alone entity where the Transformers are purely sentient MACHINES...not sentient machines imitating true organic life.

 

Their perceptions and registry of emotion would be completely different from our understanding of it--seeing as how they are machine-based aliens. They'd have no true need to display it, in theory. Hell, they probably project emotion electromagnetically. Who knows? Any theory could be written in and presented as canon. Bottom line, though: it is a pocket-universe where the Transformers are presented as much more machine than organic pseudo-hominid life.

 

Besides: all the Transformers in the movie have a G1 symbolism that can be immutable if you want it to be. Ironhide should only be a Nissan Onebox Cherry Vanette. Where's Jazzs' racing stripes? Why does Ratchet look, act and sound like he does, seeing as how he should be a white Nissan Onebox Vanette Ambulance who likes to party? Why is Bumblebee kicking ass? Why aren't any of the Bayformers mass-shifting? Why isn't Megs a gun? And on, and on, and on...Things simply change. This is just one version of Starscream. And for my money, he was presented well, irrespective of his ability to anthropormorphize for no apparent reason.

 

FTR: While I understand that G1 Soundwave's head served as the basis for the iconic Decepticon sigil, Soundwave's animation model had a very distinctive look that bears only the vaguest resemblance to what we saw in ROTF--which resembled the Decepticon sigil more than anything else.

I never cared for Prime SS. He's too fragile looking. He looks like a geezer. Whatever menace he tries to pull off just looks like and old man yelling at kids to get off his lawn. I prefer my Screamer to have some more meat on his bones, so to speak.

 

Nah, this Starscream is better than movie Starscream. If Transformers had to look different from what I prefer, then the ones in Transformers Prime are the way to go.

Yeah movie SS really is an eye sore imho. I love the idea of using an F22, but the execution was just WAY off. His chest makes him look like a robotic Dolly Parton, while he's got some of the scrawniest legs imaginable, the proportions just don't work well for me. But you're right Timothy.R, animated SS was really bad too. I try not to bring up animated too much though because as a whole, the character designs didn't impress me at all (with a few exceptions), so I'm an Animated hater which tends to leave me biased lol. Animated had some good stories, it's just a shame the designs were so lacking. I will give credit to Animated for another thing though; the transition from screen to toys was VERY well done, which I can see is carrying over into Prime as well thankfully.

 

And for the record, yes, I'm ok with same characters but new designs. The only thing I ask is that characters retain an alt mode along the same lines. Something like Bumblebee turning into a tank, bike or a pickup truck would suck, but going from a VW to a Camaro I'm ok with.

 

Not everyone can get behind that style. It's definitely something in a completely new direction as far as Transformers go. Thats partly why I really liked it. Its not the same old blocky dudes being all stiff all over the screen. Im looking at you everything to ever do with Energon/Cybertron.

 

I liked Animated's SS. He was very much a great almost direct iteration of G1 Screamer (with more success). His design wasnt bad IMO and his figure is one of my favorites.

 

I guess no one here liked Ben 10 or Teen Titans huh?

 

In all honesty, he doesn't look enough like G1 SS. That's where this all comes from.

 

Me, I like the way movie SS looks. While he doesn't have traditional SS looks, the gorilla bird thing is really cool IMO. I adore the 07 SS mold and buy most repaints of it. He could be any other character and I'd be the same.

 

I like the idea of Starscream being physically imposing. The movie incarnation has that in spades. My problem with it is his face wont let him emote, like at all. His head should belong to Tarantulus. And the transition to toy is offly poor especially where stability is concerned.

I like the idea of Starscream being physically imposing. The movie incarnation has that in spades. My problem with it is his face wont let him emote, like at all. His head should belong to Tarantulus. And the transition to toy is offly poor especially where stability is concerned.

That's really what I was talking about, his face. There's been plenty of variation on his body that's been accepted. Now, what about MW Starscream? He has a different face.

I like the idea of Starscream being physically imposing. The movie incarnation has that in spades. My problem with it is his face wont let him emote, like at all. His head should belong to Tarantulus. And the transition to toy is offly poor especially where stability is concerned.

That's really what I was talking about, his face. There's been plenty of variation on his body that's been accepted. Now, what about MW Starscream? He has a different face.

 

The only thing wrong with MW Starscream is what plagues G1 toys, but since Skyquake is G1 and his mold was repainted into MW Starscream it is acceptable, and I for one love the mold, and wish Hasbro would update it so he looks even more intimidating he can be packages with his cape and Galvatron's cannon.

I'm just curious as to what it is that (apparently) so many of you dislike about BayScream. I mean, is it just his overall appearance or is it something more? Nobody in the Bayverse outside of Optimus is particularly close to their G1 design. Nobody.It's an aberrant design, but then...

 

One thing I will give the Bayverse, fully and completely and without reservation, is that they portrayed Starscream EXCELLENTLY. For all the talk about TFA Starscream and how well he was portrayed (and he was), we forget that BayScream acted like Starscream should act, in the first movie and in the second. The character was very familiar to his G1 roots with what he said and how he said it. All that aaaaaaaand...in the first movie, he was startlingly competent. Efficient and effective. He--not Megatron, not Blackout, not Brawl or anyone else--had the Autobots and the military on the ropes all by HIMSELF. The Autobots seemed to absolutely fear him.

 

Sorry, but I think the Bayverse did extremely well by Starscream. Michael Bay & Co. deserve a pat on the back for that.

 

In my opinion, Bayverse SS was NOTHING like what I think of from him. It has nothing to do with G1, I'm perfectly ok with new designs. But this design just looks retarded. I do like him being big and bulky and imposing, but can it be throughout his look? He looks like a steroid using paraplegic who finally learned to walk. From the chest down there's nothing. And yeah his face is horrible. I'm ok with not being able to express emotion, but all the others can, just not him. His personality is boring, he's had almost no lines, and not once has he ever mentioned that Megatron was weak or that he himself should lead the Decepticons. One or two lines in nearly 5 hours of movie, does not mean him and Megatron ahve had their "typical back and forth". Honestly, what part of him, other then being a jet, even hints that this is Startscream? Again, this is simply MY opinion, and in NO way meant to insult or chastise anyone else's opinions of him .. too each their own. :tfgrin

 

I actually like the design of movie SS, however the lack of a character development in the movies makes him hard to warm up to. The initial impression of TFP SS was quite unappealing to me. However after watching the series I absolutely love the guy, after Soundwave of course. So much persona in the character it blows out G1, animated, and movie ( if you can even count that) of proportion. IMO.

 

I like my leader class SS for what it is, but other than that I don't care to much for the movie verse character.

Couldn't agree with you more on this.

 

I never cared for Prime SS. He's too fragile looking. He looks like a geezer. Whatever menace he tries to pull off just looks like and old man yelling at kids to get off his lawn. I prefer my Screamer to have some more meat on his bones, so to speak.

 

Nah, this Starscream is better than movie Starscream. If Transformers had to look different from what I prefer, then the ones in Transformers Prime are the way to go.

Yeah movie SS really is an eye sore imho. I love the idea of using an F22, but the execution was just WAY off. His chest makes him look like a robotic Dolly Parton, while he's got some of the scrawniest legs imaginable, the proportions just don't work well for me. But you're right Timothy.R, animated SS was really bad too. I try not to bring up animated too much though because as a whole, the character designs didn't impress me at all (with a few exceptions), so I'm an Animated hater which tends to leave me biased lol. Animated had some good stories, it's just a shame the designs were so lacking. I will give credit to Animated for another thing though; the transition from screen to toys was VERY well done, which I can see is carrying over into Prime as well thankfully.

 

And for the record, yes, I'm ok with same characters but new designs. The only thing I ask is that characters retain an alt mode along the same lines. Something like Bumblebee turning into a tank, bike or a pickup truck would suck, but going from a VW to a Camaro I'm ok with.

 

Not everyone can get behind that style. It's definitely something in a completely new direction as far as Transformers go. Thats partly why I really liked it. Its not the same old blocky dudes being all stiff all over the screen. Im looking at you everything to ever do with Energon/Cybertron.

 

I liked Animated's SS. He was very much a great almost direct iteration of G1 Screamer (with more success). His design wasnt bad IMO and his figure is one of my favorites.

 

I guess no one here liked Ben 10 or Teen Titans huh?

Honestly, I liked Ben 10 lol ... Teen Titans, not so much. The entire animation style just bugged me. Which is disappointing because I do like other types of Anime lol. I'm glad Animated happened, because like you said, it was a new direction and something different. But for me, it just didn't work, very few of the designs "wowed" me, unlike what I'm seeing in Prime so far.

I like the idea of Starscream being physically imposing. The movie incarnation has that in spades. My problem with it is his face wont let him emote, like at all. His head should belong to Tarantulus. And the transition to toy is offly poor especially where stability is concerned.

That's really what I was talking about, his face. There's been plenty of variation on his body that's been accepted. Now, what about MW Starscream? He has a different face.

 

He wasnt in a show though so who cares? I dont even remember what he looked like to be honest. Actually, I dont think I even knew there was a Machine Wars Starscream. Is that the little jet that came with the BB repaint (or whatever). The Stealth Bomber Tank guy? Cause if so then I actually have those two.

 

Dreadwing and Darkwing or some crap. I give up trying to remember. Smokejumper? WTF am I talking about?

He wasnt in a show though so who cares? I dont even remember what he looked like to be honest. Actually, I dont think I even knew there was a Machine Wars Starscream. Is that the little jet that came with the BB repaint (or whatever). The Stealth Bomber Tank guy? Cause if so then I actually have those two.

 

Dreadwing and Darkwing or some crap. I give up trying to remember. Smokejumper? WTF am I talking about?

He was a redeco of Skyquake, mold later used for King Atlas. Pretty impressive toy mold actually. Your thinking SS in BW II who used the G2 Smokescreen mold, which was basically going to be Starscream in G2 also, but that didn't get released ultimately.

He wasnt in a show though so who cares? I dont even remember what he looked like to be honest. Actually, I dont think I even knew there was a Machine Wars Starscream. Is that the little jet that came with the BB repaint (or whatever). The Stealth Bomber Tank guy? Cause if so then I actually have those two.

 

Dreadwing and Darkwing or some crap. I give up trying to remember. Smokejumper? WTF am I talking about?

He was a redeco of Skyquake, mold later used for King Atlas. Pretty impressive toy mold actually. Your thinking SS in BW II who used the G2 Smokescreen mold, which was basically going to be Starscream in G2 also, but that didn't get released ultimately.

 

Ah ok, thanks for the clarification.

I'm just curious as to what it is that (apparently) so many of you dislike about BayScream. I mean, is it just his overall appearance or is it something more? Nobody in the Bayverse outside of Optimus is particularly close to their G1 design. Nobody.It's an aberrant design, but then...

 

Shockwave and Soundwave would like a word with you.... Had ALL of the robots been given complete redesigns with no G1 homages, I would not reject this as Starscream. But now Soundwave and Shockwave, less popular and less deserving characters, get total G1 head designs. And what's SS stuck with? The same horrendous bulldog face that can't smirk! THAT, my friend is downright unfair!

 

One thing I will give the Bayverse, fully and completely and without reservation, is that they portrayed Starscream EXCELLENTLY. For all the talk about TFA Starscream and how well he was portrayed (and he was), we forget that BayScream acted like Starscream should act, in the first movie and in the second. The character was very familiar to his G1 roots with what he said and how he said it. All that aaaaaaaand...in the first movie, he was startlingly competent. Efficient and effective. He--not Megatron, not Blackout, not Brawl or anyone else--had the Autobots and the military on the ropes all by HIMSELF. The Autobots seemed to absolutely fear him.

 

Sorry, but I think the Bayverse did extremely well by Starscream. Michael Bay & Co. deserve a pat on the back for that.

 

No sir. The things he had and the actions he did may have been completely true to Starscream, but his face was unable to express the proper emotions when doing them. As a result, a HUGE gap was formed.

 

Normally a robot that can't smirk is forgivable and even forgettable, but Starscream has built so much symbolism behind it. That hideous abomination on the big screen has a mouth that's PERMANENTLY stuck as a /\.

 

Let's cite an example of the design's failure!

 

"Lord Megatron, I was so releiiived to hear of you...resurrectionnn!"

Really? The look on his face was anything BUT relief! He looked bored/angry! ANY Starscream would've delivered that line with a wimpy grin on his face, but not this one. The animators think they can get away with it just by implying it in his tone of voice. Well guess what? THAT DOES NOT FUCKING WORK!!!!

 

Me, I like the way movie SS looks. While he doesn't have traditional SS looks, the gorilla bird thing is really cool IMO. I adore the 07 SS mold and buy most repaints of it. He could be any other character and I'd be the same.

 

I buy the toys too. The design is perfect for an aerial grunt after all. I mean It DOES have that bulky dimwitted brawn-over-brains look. I even bought the Leader Class figure, which (After removing the speaker) is now MP03's right hand man. I call him "Lieutenant Skyhammer"

 

Hmmm.

 

Well, this caveat I will further extend to Michael Bay: are you, Lord Atmo, prepared to field a plausible reason why an alien race of robotic plesio-specific metamorphs/variable-grade omnimorphs have DECIDED to completely anthropomorphize themselves to the point where a race that does not need to masticate its food or have any need whatsoever for facial muscles have mouths and cheeks that can express emotion? You'll have to note that certain things just look kind of...crAAAAAAAzzzyyyyyy on the big screen in live-action, as opposed to a purely animated medium. In other words, when these kind of things go wrong, you'll end up with shit like Howard the Duck or Ghost Rider. Not apologizing or making excuses for Michael Bay, but this is not Animated. There is no basis for his characters possessing those kind of organic trappings. Animated gave a basis for theirs having "organic" properties (which plausibly ties into G1). The movie is a separate, stand-alone entity where the Transformers are purely sentient MACHINES...not sentient machines imitating true organic life.

 

Their perceptions and registry of emotion would be completely different from our understanding of it--seeing as how they are machine-based aliens. They'd have no true need to display it, in theory. Hell, they probably project emotion electromagnetically. Who knows? Any theory could be written in and presented as canon. Bottom line, though: it is a pocket-universe where the Transformers are presented as much more machine than organic pseudo-hominid life.

 

Besides: all the Transformers in the movie have a G1 symbolism that can be immutable if you want it to be. Ironhide should only be a Nissan Onebox Cherry Vanette. Where's Jazzs' racing stripes? Why does Ratchet look, act and sound like he does, seeing as how he should be a white Nissan Onebox Vanette Ambulance who likes to party? Why is Bumblebee kicking ass? Why aren't any of the Bayformers mass-shifting? Why isn't Megs a gun? And on, and on, and on...Things simply change. This is just one version of Starscream. And for my money, he was presented well, irrespective of his ability to anthropormorphize for no apparent reason.

 

FTR: While I understand that G1 Soundwave's head served as the basis for the iconic Decepticon sigil, Soundwave's animation model had a very distinctive look that bears only the vaguest resemblance to what we saw in ROTF--which resembled the Decepticon sigil more than anything else.

 

Wheelie and the twins, anyone? Hell you could even see THE FALLEN grinning when he has the matrix at last! They both expressed positive emotions. You could see it in their mouths. Therefore we KNOW it's possible and thus there's NO excuse Hellscream couldn't have it too. Especially if Devastator can have balls despite none of his components being equipped with a wrecking ball. There's shitloads of errors in these movies and yet you say EMOTIONS are a step too far?!?

 

Oh yes, Ironhide has to be a van. Apparently with you, it either has to be entirely G1 or not G1 at all. NO! He's still got the stocky tough guy appearance and has heavy weapons. His persona is perfectly reflected in his appearance. Ok now where's Starscream's snively conniving i-love-being-a-jackass appearance? It's NOT THERE! All you see is, well...A jet grunt... Of course things can change! But things only have to follow the pattern laid out for them in all previous cartoons! Megatron, Ironhide, Ratchet, etc never look the same in any 2 cartoons. Their appearances are really hard to screw up. Optimus Prime never changes much. And as such, the movies kept that tradition alive.

 

So what about Starscream? Well let's take a look at my sig image... OOPS! Yeah that's what I thought, Bay. YOU'RE A FUCKING IDIOT!