Review: #198
Name: Prowl
Brand: Transformers
Allegiance: Autobot
Line: Robots in Disguise
Year of Release: 2001
Size Class: Deluxe (Wave 5)
Variations: repaint of the original RiD/Car Robots Prowl; it was later repainted into Universe Inferno, Sideswipe and Sunstreaker; there was also a clear version
VEHICLE MODE:
Prowl transforms into a police car in the traditional blue and white paint scheme. It's a much more vibrant color scheme compared to the original, and one that is better in my opinion.
Prowl is a Lamborghini Diablo although the proportions aren't spot on (the hood is much narrower than the back). Nevertheless, it is still a fantastic vehicle mode.
Prowl is a Deluxe classed figure. He has a transparent blue and red lightbar which is really nice.
The blue used has a slight metallic flake to it and it looks amazing. There are a lot of painted details highlighting the sculpt such as all the lights are painted, including the indicators.
The wheels are rubber, Prowl rolls very well on smooth flat surfaces. The only pieces of chrome Prowl has are the golden hubcaps.
As if his alt mode isn't fast enough, you can attach rocket boosters on either side of the spoiler.
There are painted flames at the ends. The actual piece itself is a smokey transparent plastic, it would have been awesome if they could have cast the actual flame in transparent red instead.
The boosters are slightly too big and situated a big high to look natural. Still, it's cool and the option is there.
He looks nice with the rest of the Car Brothers since all of them have excellent vehicle modes and eye-catching paint schemes.
A really good vehicle, it's realistic, the paint scheme is great and it even includes the classic chrome and rubber tires.
TRANSFORMATION:
Transformation is simple, elegant and super effective. I really like the blockiness of the transformation as it makes it much more fun to convert. A worrying aspect though is that the doors, which are attached via balljoints, are transparent plastic, meaning that it could easily crack. The bottom of his feet are sculpted to look like seats which is a nice touch.
ROBOT MODE:
You'll either love or hate the aesthetics of this figure. Personally, I think he looks great apart from the skinny curvy legs and long torso.
Prowl has a bunch of kibble, the back of the car is permanently attached to his left arm as a shield, he has the windshield and hood on his back and the doors acting as a waist skirt.
The head sculpt is angular and looks perfect for a heroic robot. It is only on a swivel meaning he can turn his head from side to side but not upwards.
A slight annoyance is the fact that his back kibble doesn't seem to tab in place and the placement is to your own personal preferences. You can have the windshield more flush at the expense of the hood being further down and visible behind his legs.
Prowl is a wide robot thanks to the giant shoulder pads (which has a blue orb and a red orb on the shoulders mimicking the lightbar.
His robot weapons are the rocket boosters.
Both of them attach to his right arm for a wrist mounted weapon, it looks really cool and can even be used as a welder.
His boosters feature a pressure launch missile. It's not very effective since it's hard to get a grip and the missile isn't tight enough for it to fire very far.
You may also place the boosters on his back as a sort of jump jet or even give him flight capabilities. Who knows, since he never used this feature in the cartoon.
There is a giant Autobot symbol on his chest, as if it isn't prominent enough, it is also chromed gold. I love how his chest mimics an engine block.
Once again, he looks great with X-Brawn and Sideburn since all of them share a similar aesthetic.
With poseability, Prowl is decent and still stands up well to contemporary toys 13 years later.
He has multiple joints for his elbows and shoulders, as well as balljointed ankles. His small feet works much better than you'd expect, so Prowl can easily stand up in a variety of poses.
The only bit that restricts his articulation is the struts to which the doors are attached to. They are fixed in place and directly above the hips, obstructing them at times.
The shield is a huge piece of kibble that really limits his left arm which is a shame.
There is a staggering amount of paint applications in this mode from the silver details to the gold paint on his shoulders.
Prowl is a lovely figure with a decent amount of play value.
OVERALL:
This version of Prowl is what a redeco should be like, it improves upon the original being much more eye-popping and giving a premium feel. The mold is a strong one with a detailed car mode and a fantastic robot mode. If you can, definitely make sure you pick this one up.
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Check out some other Robots in Disguise reviews on this page.