New Transformers ‘Bumblebee’ Still Shows How Detailed Optimus Prime Is

The Transformers spinoff movie Bumblebee is now out in theaters, and is earning serious fan acclaim, even if it’s failing to earn anything close to what the other Transformers movies before it have.

If there’s been one element of Bumblebee that has struck a major chord with fans, it’s no doubt the film’s approach to the Transformers universe by doing away with the Michael Bay-era designs, and going with something much closer to a live-action version of the original Transformers “G1” cartoon that launched the franchise back in the ’80s. If you love that change in creative direction, then you’ll surely love this more detailed look at Optimus Prime’s Bumblebee makeover:

The details of G1 cartoon Optimus Prime are all there – from the face mask to the crown-like headpiece that should go with ‘The Greatest Leader of All Time.’ The coloring is also spot on, as are the antenna at the sides of the head – which any kid playing with Transformers toys in the ’80s will remember poking their hands and/or feet with at some point, when your poor Optimus action figure was left on the floor.

To that point: the real gem of what makes this design so great (and fans embrace it so lovingly) is that this Optimus actually looks like the type of Transformer toy you either did play with, or would want to play with, now. Michael Bay’s Transformers were so overwrought and complicated in their wiry “realism” that it was often frustratingly hard to get a clear image of what they looked like in robot form – and it was damn near impossible to keep track of all 14,605,000 moving parts of the various Autobot and Decepticon characters, as they transformed from vehicle to robot mode. The worst part about it is that Bay’s Transformers design influences made the toy lines also suck, as the action figures got so ridiculously complicated that you had to read an entire manual just to make the vehicle-to-robot conversion.

Hasbro has since gone back to simplifying Transformers toys and Director Travis Knight has thankfully followed suit with how Bumblebee, his Decepticon pursuers, and the entire iconic lineup of Transformers on Cybertron, all make their transformations. Bulky sections of moving robot is what we now, love, and it sure looks dman good on this new Optimus Prime.

However… if you are a Transformers fan and want these nice little changes to continue, then you need to get out and help boost Bumblebee‘s domestic box office. It’s in theaters now!