Review: #173
Name: Grimlock
Brand: Transformers
Allegiance: Autobot
Line: Age of Extinction Generations
Year of Release: 2014
Size Class: Voyager (Wave 1)
Variations: released with chrome as a Platinum Edition
DINOSAUR MODE:
Grimlock transforms into a robotic Tyrannosaurus, that's what it is supposed to be and that's what I will assume it to be. I am sure that there are inaccuracies in terms of proportions or elements of the design that contradicts what a Tyranosaurus should be but we won't dive into that here.
As mentioned, this is a robotic dinosaur so there is barely any organic elements here. The black and bronze colour scheme also does not match the onscreen version, which was predominantly gunmetal grey, something I guess that would make for a very monotone toy. You can also make out the partially covered head (where the back spike is), a little bit disappointing that it's visible in this mode.
There is some silver paint interspersed throughout the figure. There is also a lot of kibble, no matter how you position the panel with the dino arms (underneath or to the side), it will look weird. That said, at least the proportion problems aren't as bad as the Leader classed version.
You might have noticed from promo shots that Grimlock had a huge weapon, where does it store in dinosaur mode? Unfortunately, the designer couldn't find a good place and so you place is at the end of the tail.
It extends the tail to a ridiculous length and looks pretty horrible and out of place there. Yet there is no other place for it to go...
While he seems a bit fat from the top, especially around the tail area, it's not too bad. You can also make out some robot kibble but they blend in fairly well.
The head sculpt is great and there is an effective use of silver. The horns are adjustable but they look weird if they aren't pointing straight up (the remind me of ears actually). He had metallic green eyes. The front teeth design can't help but make me think of buck teeth...
There is a gimmick here, pressing a button on the left side of the head causes his jaw to close. It's spring loaded so it'll open back up once you release the button. I would have preferred the other way around with the jaw normally closed and the button to open. Better yet, no gimmick and give us an open/close hinge joint instead.
Here he is with a fellow Dinobot member, Scorn.
Grimlock's size is decent. As he has a beast mode, it's easier to make him seem bigger due to the larger surface area. However, there are more than a few hollow parts so his weight might throw you off.
A passable dinosaur mode, considering that it isn't striving for realism like Beast Wars toys. There are a few minor nitpicks such as the amount of kibble and the gimmick but otherwise, Grimlock looks great.
TRANSFORMATION:
Grimlock's transformation is easy while still providing enough manipulation of parts to make it interesting. The best thing is that easy movable part is big so it isn't fiddly. The dino legs become the robot arms, the tail the legs and everything else forms the torso and shoulder pads.
ROBOT MODE:
You are going to either love or hate the robot mode, it can take a while to fall in love with it. Grimlock (and the rest of the Dinobots) take cues from a knight. I think this is an excellent design approach and makes Grimlock look heroic and ready for action.
There are some kibble hanging off the back, the lower jaw of the dinosaur mode sits there thanks to the gimmick, it doesn't fold up.
The head sculpt is good. Grimlock doesn't have a lightpipe.
He looks a bit flat side on due to the way the shoulder pads form (the dino head splitting in half). However, he feels solid in this mode.
Grimlock extends a bit in robot mode, towering over a few other figures. He looks bulky, not just tall and lanky like some other Voyager figures.
Unfortunately, Grimlock has a case of "gorilla arms". His fists are in such a way that the elbows bend inwards, making for some awkward posing. His wrists are on swivels which is a temporary fix since the dino feet doesn't peg in anywhere if you do this.
Grimlock's poseability is good, containing all the key joints. Some of the joints are tight, requiring a decent amount of force to use. No kibble gets in the way of poseability.
Grimlock's weapon is a spiked mace. It's huge but the mace head is hollow... making it feel much lighter than it should.
Grimlock can hold the mace in either hand via a handle. He can't actually hold onto the shaft itself, this means that two-handed poses are out.
While the poseability is good, balance can sometimes be an issue. This is mainly due to the design of the feet where it does not completely lie flat on the surface. He can potentially fall forward thanks to the curved feet.
More bronze comes out in this mode. The colour scheme is busy and can be seen as somewhat garish. The shoulder pads are adjustable (up or down).
This is an athletic looking robot. Grimlock has great proportions and great design elements such as the waist skirt and metal looking boots.
An impressive robot mode and the better mode of this figure. The designer managed to create a robot with barely any alternate kibble.
OVERALL:
This is a fun toy. Who doesn't like dinosaurs? The simpler transformation means it isn't a frustrating exercise to convert between the two modes. The robot mode is excellent and is the highlight, he looks great, taking design cues from knights. While the colour scheme leaves some to be desired, this is one of the better AOE figures.
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