TF: Prime - Watch Prime's funny mouth

[GoktimusPrime]

How are you playing off his poor face animation as being movie influenced?

I am guessing that the existence of a mouth is movie influenced.

The "poor" mouth animation is something else.

I'm inclined to agree with SharkyMcShark here -- Optimus Prime (and not Optimus Primal) had a mouth long before the movie came along.


Clockwise from top-left: G1 Optimus Prime, Cybertron Optimus Prime, Machine Wars Optimus Prime, Animated Optimus Prime, Movie Optimus Prime, G2 Gobot Optimus Prime. So as you can see there were several instances were Optimus Prime had a mouth prior to the movie.

But I kinda agree with you too kup -- I do think the head design is certainly heavily influenced by the movie, and it's like they're "cartoonising" the design to make it more 'kid-friendly'. This is mostly evident not so much from the presence of a mouth, but from the colours and head design (e.g. the silver grills on the cheek guards).

And I'm undecided atm whether or not I like these designs (I'm reserving judgment until I see the show) - but I can understand why Hasbro would consider making this move. The movie franchise has proven to be very successfully, but it's M rating kinda restricts it from younger children - who are Hasbro's bread and butter for the Transformers franchise (which is first and foremost a children's toy line). So I understand them wanting to cash in on the movie franchise's success while making it more accessible to younger audiences too. And now would be the best time to make such a move.

Ultimately what I really want to see are some kick-arse toys and a good story for this show.

The lack of a nose and other facial detail makes it look really weird.

It looks unfinished.

I think that's the main difference between what we've seen so far of Prime Optimus Prime and Optimus Primal - Optimus Primal had facial details... like lips!

Looks like a cyberman face...

CybermanOptimusPrime: "Freedom is the right of all sentient beings...Delete, Delete"

Does this mean that Prime Optimus Prime's weakness is if we rub toys like Slog, Bristleback etc. against his chest? "Can't... withstand... brittle gold plastic!!" *flop*

Hmm. Voldemort Prime?

lol

[King Atlas]

I disagree with what you have pictured. Unless you meant to say prior to TF: Prime, why did you include Movie Prime and Animated? And the go-bot and machine wars prime are both redecoes.

Cybertron Optimus Prime takes heavy influence from Optimus Primal, wouldn't you agree? (the face, not the body)
Sorry, not sure about your first pic, I can't comment on that one.


So yeah, I believe it is movie influenced.

[LordCyrusOmega]

Isn't the whole series movie influence? At least the animation is

[kup]

Common sense can tell you that the decision was Movie influenced.

I seriously doubt that Optimus Primal or Cybertron Optimus Prime were in mind when the TF:Prime character design was made.

[Tober]

The movie designs were given human-ish faces to better convey emotion and interact with the human cast on that level.

It's kinda interesting what they are doing with the TF: Prime faces - just using a cut-out sheet for the eyes and mouth shapes. I guess they will use the eye holes to mimic eyebrows and lids to get the characters to emote.

I still don't like how it looks tho. Having the face pinned on like that looks like something out of Silence of the Lambs or Hellraiser.

[LordCyrusOmega]

Is this the final product? Maybe they're just base faces that will have more details added to them later

[Tober]

Is this the final product? Maybe they're just base faces that will have more details added to them later

You can see some of the character designs here.

That Prime face is being used for promotional material, so I'm sure it's the final design, even though he wears a faceplate most of the time (apparently).

[SkyWarp91]

If they release toys for this cartoon, I sure hope they'll release a Prime without his mouthplate (or a retractable one at least) because he looks AWESOME!!!

[LordCyrusOmega]

They do look awesome. I just hope if it's decent and they have a good toyline it doesn't get cancelled because of a movie. Like animated did. *glares at ROTF*

[GoktimusPrime]

I disagree with what you have pictured. Unless you meant to say prior to TF: Prime, why did you include Movie Prime and Animated? And the go-bot and machine wars prime are both redecoes.

I made that image like 3 years ago for another discussion - i.e. when people were claiming that movie Prime having a mouth was an unprecedented move. And while Go-Bot and MW Prime may be repaints, they still count as Optimus Primes with mouths.

Cybertron Optimus Prime takes heavy influence from Optimus Primal, wouldn't you agree? (the face, not the body)

Yeah, I'd agree with that.

Sorry, not sure about your first pic, I can't comment on that one.

That's from The Great Car Rally, published 1984/85; it may be the earliest example of Optimus Prime with a mouth.