You know... after my last bout of TF cosplaying, I've come to appreciate the movie TF designs in a whole new light. Although my Ratchet costume has been the least movement-restrictive TF costume I've made so far, I was still quite limited in the way I could move. This was made abundantly evident to me at Animania when some idiot came and intentionally barged me while I was in my costume. The improved mobility of this costume allowed me to run after him and catch him - but if he'd stood his ground and tried to fight me, I would've had a hard time defending myself due to the much restricted movement in my costume. Eating and drinking in that costume was possible, but not easy. It is impossible for me to drink without a straw while I'm in costume. I also cannot clap while in costume either, so whenever I saw someone else step up with a cool costume or great skit, I could only pat my thigh or "fairy clap" my finger tips.

 

In short, the traditional boxy design of Transformers really restricts your movement. Some people compared the way I moved in my costume to the mecha in Power Rangers. In the cartoon and comics, the artists and animators effectively cheat by deforming parts here and there to allow the Transformers a full range of organic movement. Despite the awesome range of articulation in the Binaltech and Masterpiece Transformers, not one of them can fully cross their arms across their chest.

 

This isn't a criticism on the traditional designs of Transformers up till now - I still love their look, but when I think about it, the funkier more "organic" looking designs of the movie TFs makes more sense from a pragmantic POV as it allows these Transformers to make a far wider range of anthropomorphic motion. It would allow the Transformers to move in a fluid and organic manner without requiring the animators to "cheat" by deforming parts of the robot while it moved.

 

And as we know, one key to this movie's success is making the Transformers believable and convincing in a live action setting to the general audience.

 

To me, the new look of the TFs is like the black jumpsuits that the X-Men got in the movies -- while the original look will always be classic, I can appreciate the practicality behind the changes made for a live action movie. We don't want the TF movie to look like a high budget Power Rangers movie.

 

My Two Cosplay Cents. (^_^)

I can see your point but I think they could have worked the designs out a little better than they did (but will have to wait on my "official opinion when the final product gets released). As far as the restricted movement, being former military I can tell you when you're suited up for combat in a kevlar flack vest and wearing a load bearing equipment on top of it your movement gets just as restrictive much like what the alternators suffer from. It gets worse if you have to put on a chem warfare suite too. So one could say they are just in battle mode. Any type of armour available today does have movement restrictive issues and or weight issues (especially the effective ones). It has been always my view anyway that the TFs were basically wearing battle armour with a unique take on camo ability. If/ when the war ends I had always assumed that they would resort to "more comfortable attire/ alt modes" much like they had before their war (like Orion Pax). :schin Just my thoughts on the topic.

I can see where the film is going and fare do's it'll probably be watchable, but I'll wait and see.

blah the winner for the make prime speak contest had a typical entry, oh well, congratz to him and the finalist, lucky bastards

what was the winning entry?

at Animania when some idiot came and intentionally barged me while I was in my costume. The improved mobility of this costume allowed me to run after him and catch him

 

Funniest mental picture ever

GPD Prowl: I've never been in the military or anything like that, but I've worn pieces of medieval armour and occasionally the kind of training armour that you wear in martial arts training, and it's also restrictive to movement. That's because we're tacking on pieces on top of our body which will naturally restrict it, hence why a lot of athletes, performers (acrobats, ballet dancers) and super heroes wear body-hugging clothing to optimise mobility. This is why I've come to appreciate the movie designs coming from a more "organic" perspective - incorporating the alt mode panels into becoming more infused as parts of their bodies rather than as exo-armour. It does look like it would give them a greater range of free and fluid motion. But of course, we'll know for sure when we see the flick. ;)

what was the winning entry?

 

"the freedom is the right of all sentient beings" one, i'm glad a good line like that got in, but hate it because it's not origional at all, it's just off the toy, and like a million entries were all that phrase (a few words changed here and there). Why go with that guys version? doesn't seem that fare to everyone else that had the exact same thing.

doesn't seem that fare to everyone else that had the exact same thing.

:pfx They just rewarded a guy for beingas unoriginal as humanly possible. I bet they planned to have that line in it from the beginning.

http://www.michaelbay.com/page76/tfsneakpeek.html

 

Cabal told me it's the 'behind the scenes' from the 20th DVD (can't tell b/c I don't have quicktime on my work computer).