A closer look at ‘Transformers 4: Age of Extinction’'s Dinobot leader Grimlock

By MICHAEL LOGARTA

Published February 1, 2014 11:31pm

Just like any good Cybertronian, a film franchise needs to change in order to survive.

Michael Bay, the controversial director of the previous trilogy of Transformers films, has been rather vocal about his dislike of Dinobots in the past.

Whether or not the rabid fan demand for the mechanical behemoths had anything to do with their inclusion in "Transformers 4: Age of Extinction" has yet to be confirmed, but one thing is for certain: there will be at least one robotic dinosaur in the movie, and it is none other than the fearsome Grimlock.

For those who missed being a child, Grimlock is the massive Dinobot leader who is known for his fearlessness, immense strength, as well as a speech impediment that would make all '80s interpretations of cavemen blush with pride. Of course, he befittingly transforms into the king of dinosaurs, Tyrannosaurus Rex.

A favorite among fans, many have been wondering about his final design in Bay’s Transformers movie-verse. A previously leaked image, showing the interior of the packaging for Hasbro’s new Transformers movie toy line, did give us a glimpse into Grimlock’s dino mode.

Recently-released official images of merchandise related to the movie, however, reveal a clear, colored and more detailed Grimlock.

The first is that of a backpack that features a close up of Grimlock’s mug in dino mode. The artwork also displays Optimus Prime’s new look for the movie.

Screenrant.com

As can be seen from the image, the alt mode of this version of Grimlock has a very sleek, organic appearance. This is in contrast to the original 80’s design, which was angular and boxy.

The movie Grimlock also has very long, scary, sharp teeth, which again is a departure from the original’s, whose dinosaur teeth were short and stubby to the point of being cute.

Where both versions do not differ is their color schemes. Bay’s Grimlock retains the gold and silver of his predecessor.

The second image offers us a full-body view of the movie Grimlock:

TFormers.net

This is Grimlock’s action figure for the “Transformers Hero Mashers” toy line. These toys are aimed at younger fans and do not transform, but instead consist of ball-jointed limbs that can be removed and combined with other figures. For this purpose, they are also “cuter”, and are absent sharp edges that may hurt children.

Despite the fact that Hero Masher Grimlock isn’t a true representation of his movie version due to his kid-friendly makeover, it still provides a good first look at the Dinobot leader’s overall appearance. The toy does resemble the artwork on the backpack as well as another formerly leaked, but blurry image.

A new direction

Aside from Grimlock and Optimus Prime, the latest promotional art also showcase Bumblebee’s new design.

Screenrant.com

From these images, it seems that "Transformers 4: Age of Extinction" is going for a sleeker, cleaner look for their robots, one that bears an uncanny resemblance to the robot designs in the popular CG-animated tv series, "Transformers: Prime".

Many fans were critical of the Cybertronians’ messy, almost slapdash appearance in the prior trilogy, so perhaps this new direction, at least in the visual style, marks a change for the better.

"Transformers 4: Age of Extinction" is intended to be a semi-reboot of the franchise, one that will pave the way for future creative teams not involving Michael Bay.

Along with Grimlock, it will feature newcomers to the movie universe, cartoon favorites Hound and Cyclonus. Returning Transformers will be Optimus Prime (voiced by Peter Cullen), Bumblebee, and possibly even Ratchet. It also stars Mark Wahlberg as a struggling inventor and Stanley Tucci as a robot designer.

It is scheduled for release on June 27, 2014. — JDS, GMA News

Tags: transformers4, tyrannosaurus, dinosaurs