Yet, I'm concerned this looks something like a more intelligently rendered take on Transformers...
Darren, you may not believe this, but I almost added exactly this comment to my post.
I actually think a "big robot" story with more heart and intelligence than Transformers could be a really great thing, though you seem to intend the comment as a slight.
Well, great minds, etc., etc.

I would say my comment wasn't so much of a 'slight' as a generalized comparison. That being said, I'm up for a "big robot"/monster film, particularly as filtered through del Toro's sensibilities.