Review: #840
Name: Brawl
Brand: Transformers
Allegiance: Decepticon
Line: Masterpiece
Year of Release: 2024
Size Class: Masterpiece
Mold Status: new
PACKAGING:
As part of the Masterpiece Movie Series, which gives us Masterpiece version of characters from the live-action movies, Brawl comes in a really nice black box as typical of the Masterpiece series.
The back has some good stock photos, as well as the sides, which shows off the fantastic tank mode.
TANK MODE:
Brawl transforms into a modified M1 Abrams tank, and naturally being in the Masterpiece line, he is absolutely stunning.
He is fantastic from all angles, brimming with details.
He is huge too, justifying his high price. He's much chunkier than a Leader, roughly around twice the mass.
He's covered in camouflage, and there's some brushed metal from place to place. If you've ever had a Brawl toy before, you can tell where some of the robot parts are, such as the head underneath the turret, and the feet that double as tanks at the back.
The cannon can tilt up and down.
While the two turrets can independently rotate. He's not compromised at all which is very impressive.
While expected, he doesn't have real working treads, that would have been too complicated. Instead he has smaller plastic wheels underneath that would allow him to roll on a smooth flat surface.
He comes with a ton of accessories though, the two robot weapons, a chopped up arm, and a bunch of fire effects.
The fire effects can be plugged onto each of the cannons, as well as specially molded pieces for the missiles.
The two robot weapons store in tank mode by pegging on top of the turret, which honestly doesn't look that great, so it's better to leave it off.
An amazing tank mode that doesn't actually have any flaws.
TRANSFORMATION:
As expected, Brawl has an extremely complicated transformation. You will need the instructions, given all the small things you are required to do. It even gets a bit confusing and lost, with how you're moving each small piece and wondering how it affects everything else and why you needed to do it. In general, the turret form the arms and also the backpack. While the front is the chest and torso, and the back are the legs. It's impressive when he slowly takes shape over the course of the transformation but it is one where you don't really want to do it too much just due to how time consuming and complicated it is.
ROBOT MODE:
So after that massively complicated transformation, you are rewarded with an equally amazing robot mode. Wow, Brawl is just simple stunning.
He has some kibble, but they are expected kibble such as the turret on his back, and some pieces around his limbs that couldn't completely fold away.
He has an awesome head sculpt, and with all the other Masterpieces, there is a gimmick related to the head, and for Brawl, it's that his mouth can open and close.
He's around the height of an older Leader but twice as wide, and as mentioned, he is much heftier with a transformation that is three to four times the complexity.
Despite transforming from an accurate tank to an accurate robot mode, he really does have the kibble spread out in a balanced well.
There are some diecast in the feet so that his centre of gravity is lower.
And as expected of a figure in this line, there is an unbelievable amount of sculpted detailing.
The two weapons just peg onto his forearm.
Brawl is an imposing figure, and even when he just standing in a neutral A-pose, he has a commanding presence.
Articulation is great as you expect, with joints for his head, shoulders, elbows, wrist, fingers, waist, hips, knees and ankles.
Although the shoulders are on this more unusual disc shaped hinge, which may take a little bit of getting used to, to get the effect that you wanted.
Of course, you can continue to use the blast effects here which looks fantastic.
To replicate Brawl's fate in the first movie's final battle, his left arm can detach and you can attach a broken piece instead.
Coupled with the blast effects, and you can replicate the damage he took in that iconic scene.
Apart from that, there are no other gimmicks, Brawl just looks good. He pretty much has all ratchet joints, which is required to sustain his weight.
An awesome awesome robot mode, and surprisingly enough, an almost flawless one too.
OVERALL:
Masterpiece Brawl is another winner in the Masterpiece Movie line. He looks amazing in both modes, with barely any compromise in either mode. Sure, he has a complicated transformation but that is usually a plus for a lot of people and especially in this higher end range. Brawl is highly recommended and definitely worth the cost.
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