I'm not a classic fan. I got into the series through the reboot and (in retrospect) the 90s movie. The 'classic' designs hold no extra charm for me just because they recall something familiar. This looks just as cheesy and "man in suit" as the old ones. Yes they added some variation on the surface detailing and got rid of the pincers, but that doesn't make it any more convincing. The old design at least had the appearance of being somewhere between armor and an organic carapace which emphasized their 'alien-ness'. This just looks like a guy in reptilian-styled armor, and the helmet (the worst part of either version) still looks stupid.
Lego hands! Love it! A lot easier to say and type than "Dr. Satan's Robot pincers". And it conveys the mental image far more clearly. Sincerely, Bill
I'm very glad I'm not the only one who thought of Legos the first time I saw those hands (or Satan's Robot for that matter)! As to the "damned if you change it, damned if you don't" mentality, it's far, far worse on Gallifrey Base. Half the Spearhead from Space Blu-Ray thread is dedicated to bashing the RT for fixing the TARDIS sound effects on the 2011 release.
I suspect they'll take off the helmet at some point. Did the classic series ever show their faces? I haven't seen any of the Ice Warrior stories, just random clips.
No, we never saw their faces, just the hint of gnarled jaw underneath. Wish the new ones still had the 'knee pads' The gaps between thigh and calf at the knee just look like stupidly easy targets for a knife!
It looks like it to me. Looks a lot like the console room from early to mid-80's and with the darker lighting, it looks like the set of a bad 80's music video. Horrible.
I think they look pretty good if perhaps a little too robotic. Much better than the original Cybermen redesign, though. Can't wait to see these guys in action.
Which oddly enough resembles the skin of victims of The Flood in Waters of Mars. Wonder if theres a connection?
I just flat-out think they look ridiculous. The simple philosophy behind their armor design is pretty goofy. It'd be like us running around decked out in armor that looks like it was made of human flesh, complete with clumps of hair still attached to it. Not fur, not leather. Actual human flesh, complete with freckles and other blemishes.
But you're right on with the leather analogy. Pretty much what they're doing, just with reptile skins instead of mammals. And if it's supposed to be their "modern" stuff, hey, we have leather jackets and pants. We even tint it to look a different shade of fleshtone than our skin because it looks cooler. Mark
It doesn't look like reptile skin though, it looks like armor designed to look like some cartoonist's idea of reptile skin. The big chunky detailing and the gaps at the joints make it look like a scaled up action figure.
Well at least nobody ever thought it was a good idea for Barman and Robin to have nipples on their armour. They would have to reboot the series if that happened!