So, it's okay for those toys to continue forward with the aesthetics of what is a TF, but it's not okay for the movie designs because...? The movie bots borrow heavily from the techno/organic look established in beastwars and works to portray something alien and mechanical.
Frankly, there's plenty of things sill about the binaltech/alternator designs as well... such all the bots using chairs as feet or to define their torsos. No definable powerplants, using engines as weapons. fine as a toy, but silly when you think about it interacting with live action humans.