Review: #219
Name: Heavy Load
Brand: Transformers
Allegiance: Autobot
Line: Robots in Disguise
Year of Release: 2001
Size Class: Deluxe (Wave 3)
Variations: repainted into Universe Long Haul
TRUCK MODE:
Heavy Load transforms into a dump truck. He is very boxy and square, looking slightly super deformed than having realistic proportions.
The only disappointment here is that the robot feet are painfully obvious at the rear.
He is a little bit shorter than most Deluxes but his height makes up for it. Heavy Load also feels very hefty in your hands.
Heavy Load is also a working dump truck, the dump-bed can tilt back.
A good truck mode. The cabin at the center is a little bit weird but otherwise he looks fantastic.
TRANSFORMATION:
Heavy Load shares an extremely similar transformation with Hightower, the main difference being that Heavy Load doesn't partsform. You can leave the truck bed on if you'd like or detach it. Otherwise, the arms fold out, the legs extend and the cabin hides the head. It's simple but effective.
ROBOT MODE:
There are some distinctive elements to Heavy Load's robot mode, most notably are the gigantic shoulders (complete with the truck's wheels) and long thin forearms.
Depending on what you prefer, you can leave the truck bed on his back which helps makes him look more substantial from that angle at the expense of having a giant backpack.
The head sculpt is good and features a smirk, which matches the one he shows during the transformation sequence in the cartoon.
The articulation is there but the range can be limited, especially his shoulders. It's not as awful as you would have expected from just looking at it since it still folds and swings forwards, but swinging out is another story.
Nevertheless, he can still pull some sweet poses, his feet are also big enough for him to not fall over.
His height is standard and depending on how you fold his feet, he can be a bit taller (I have his feet like this because it reduces the ridiculous length of them).
Detaching the truck bed off his back makes him look a lot cleaner.
The bed itself can be held as a weapon, there are two shades of yellow on it and a gigantic Autobot symbol.
The gimmick here is the it can fold open to show serrated edges, but the thing itself is spring loaded so it closes immediately once you let go.
It's a bit big and unwieldy for Heavy Load, he can hold it in his hand just fine but it can become too heavy for him to keep it there in some angles due to the weakness of the balljoint.
Alternatively, you can have him hold it in such a way that it looks like a giant shield, which is honestly not a bad option.
A good robot mode that's big and bulky but the weapon is a bit weak.
OVERALL:
Heavy Load is a solid Transformer. The truck mode is good if a little bit boxy while the robot mode has distinctive elements bursting with character. The weapon is the weakest point of the figure and I guess the truck bed has to go somewhere. A worthwhile figure, especially if you intend to form Landfill.
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