Review: #52
Name: Optimus Prime
Brand: Transformers
Allegiance: Autobot
Line: Prime
Year of Release: 2011
Size Class: Deluxe (First Edition)
Variations: there is a SDCC version, which, apart from black painted chest windows and no silver on the crest, is exactly the same
Note: I had borrowed this toy, hence the lower quality pictures and I might have missed some minor features of the figure
VEHICLE MODE:
Obviously, since it is Optimus Prime, he transforms into a truck, with red in the front and blue at the back. It's weird now that the nose is a solid red colour, as I'm so used to other colours on previous Optimus Prime toys breaking it up. It's a good truck mode, the smokestacks stick out to the side just a tad too much to look good.
The back is where it falls down a little bit, with huge gaps right behind the cab, not that you would be looking from this angle too much, it is a little bit disappointing. The gun just plugs there, I wish they could have integrated it a bit better, but it would have been hard.
There's a lot of nice details, and the grey doesn't look terrible. The shade of red and blue used is great, and looks really glossy. If you look carefully, you'll notice there isn't a lot of painted details but it works for Optimus, with the curves and slightly stylistic look.
As you'd expect, all six wheels roll,and that's pretty much it for play value. Everything plugs and tabs in, so it's a very solid truck, it won't fall apart if you touch it.
The gun plugs on the 'fifth wheel' or the hitch, if you can find a suitable trailer, I guess you can plug one in... since Optimus does look a bit short and stubby.
The above photo is how the gun is plug in officially, but since there's a gap behind the cab that fights the gun's barrel snugly, it looks better.
It's a decent size, and doesn't feel too small compared to previous Deluxes (as a matter of fact, it is smaller, but only just). I like this truck mode, it captures the show model really well and is well put together.
TRANSFORMATION:
This is where the figure shines, it's a really elegant transformation, with a lot of bits that surprises you. It's innovative, and the feet forms differently to what you'd expect (the top of the cab combines with the back, instead of just the back becoming the legs, which is lazy and what most Optimus toys do). It's complex, yes, but it is not hard, and is very easy to figure out. There's quite a bit of folding and collapsing panels that's neat. A lot of nice finishing touches that's not fiddly, but adds to the show accuracy. You can probably do it in a few mins once you've transformed him a few times and become familiar with it. Going back into truck mode, the arms and chest may throw you off for a few seconds, but a very well executed transformation.
ROBOT MODE:
It is simply quite stunning at how show accurate Optimus Prime is, and how well the design had translated into a figure.
There's a place for everything, and although Optimus is wearing a lot of truck panels on his back, they all collapse so nicely, and pegs in so firmly, that it's not a big problem (though you do get that square shaped panel that you can see from the front, that seems out of place compared to all the angles and curves).
There are a few nice touches to make the figure more accurate, such as the smokestacks moving a bit outwards to the sides to create that 'V' look, it was something that they didn't have to do.
Optimus' only weapon here is his gun which has some nice sculpted details and a few painted details.
There's no way to store the gun when not using it, so either you have to put it aside, or Optimus has to wield it all the time. I would have liked it more if it covered the whole of Optimus's fist so it looked like that his arm has morphed into the weapon.
The torso detailing is really good, and there's actually some colour to bring out the details.
This isn't to say that Optimus is without his fair share of problems. In my eyes, he has one major flaw, and two minor ones, and they all ruin the aesthetics a bit. The first one, and this is the major one, is that he has extremely long forearms. It wouldn't be so bad if they weren't longer than his upper arm, if they didn't have that grey bit and the hand was at where the red ended, it would have been fine. As such, it looks weird and awkward.
The first minor flaw, and this one bugs a lot of people (although I don't mind quite as much), is his chest. They're very obviously fake, and further more, they're painted a solid blue, which doesn't do it any favours. It also doesn't help that you can see the real windows behind the fake ones. The last thing that bugs me is that his shoulders a just a bit lower than normal, if you have any poses that require you to rotate the arms up, it'll look a bit weird.
The head sculpt is GREAT. It's stunning at how good it is, it captures the Optimus Prime look very well and there's so many sculpted detail, and there's no absence of paint either. In my opinion, the best parts of the two pack is the head sculpts.
Articulation is what you'd expect, that is, great, and it has all the necessary joints that you would want, plus, he even has a waist joint.
Although there are a few (minor) problems, there is a lot to like about this robot mode. I think the biggest thing deterring me is the forearms (and I just realised I didn't form them correctly in the photos, but it is still very long). The Voyager version seems to fix a lot of these problems though.
OVERALL:
No doubt about it, this is an impressive figure. The engineering is good, and both modes are excellent, this whole figure is fun, from the transformation to each modes. The flaws are negligible, and easily ignored when there are so many positives. I haven't been this impressed by a Deluxe in a long time, although, I am not sure if you would want this when the Voyager version seems to be better. If you like the Megatron and the kid figurines, then this is a worthy figure to own.
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Credits: the review and pictures are mine, but I have linked to TFwiki.net
Thanks for having a look at this review, others can be found on this page.
There's a place for everything, and although Optimus is wearing a lot of truck panels on his back, they all collapse so nicely, and pegs in so firmly, that it's not a big problem (though you do get that square shaped panel that you can see from the front, that seems out of place compared to all the angles and curves).
There are a few nice touches to make the figure more accurate, such as the smokestacks moving a bit outwards to the sides to create that 'V' look, it was something that they didn't have to do.
Optimus' only weapon here is his gun which has some nice sculpted details and a few painted details.
There's no way to store the gun when not using it, so either you have to put it aside, or Optimus has to wield it all the time. I would have liked it more if it covered the whole of Optimus's fist so it looked like that his arm has morphed into the weapon.
The torso detailing is really good, and there's actually some colour to bring out the details.
This isn't to say that Optimus is without his fair share of problems. In my eyes, he has one major flaw, and two minor ones, and they all ruin the aesthetics a bit. The first one, and this is the major one, is that he has extremely long forearms. It wouldn't be so bad if they weren't longer than his upper arm, if they didn't have that grey bit and the hand was at where the red ended, it would have been fine. As such, it looks weird and awkward.
The first minor flaw, and this one bugs a lot of people (although I don't mind quite as much), is his chest. They're very obviously fake, and further more, they're painted a solid blue, which doesn't do it any favours. It also doesn't help that you can see the real windows behind the fake ones. The last thing that bugs me is that his shoulders a just a bit lower than normal, if you have any poses that require you to rotate the arms up, it'll look a bit weird.
The head sculpt is GREAT. It's stunning at how good it is, it captures the Optimus Prime look very well and there's so many sculpted detail, and there's no absence of paint either. In my opinion, the best parts of the two pack is the head sculpts.
Articulation is what you'd expect, that is, great, and it has all the necessary joints that you would want, plus, he even has a waist joint.
Although there are a few (minor) problems, there is a lot to like about this robot mode. I think the biggest thing deterring me is the forearms (and I just realised I didn't form them correctly in the photos, but it is still very long). The Voyager version seems to fix a lot of these problems though.
OVERALL:
No doubt about it, this is an impressive figure. The engineering is good, and both modes are excellent, this whole figure is fun, from the transformation to each modes. The flaws are negligible, and easily ignored when there are so many positives. I haven't been this impressed by a Deluxe in a long time, although, I am not sure if you would want this when the Voyager version seems to be better. If you like the Megatron and the kid figurines, then this is a worthy figure to own.
-------------------------------------
Credits: the review and pictures are mine, but I have linked to TFwiki.net
Thanks for having a look at this review, others can be found on this page.
