Review: #350
Name: Rodimus
Brand: Transformers
Allegiance: Autobot
Line: Animated
Year of Release: 2010
Size Class: Deluxe
Mold Status: new
VEHICLE MODE:
Animated Rodimus transforms into a highly stylized sports car, with smooth sleek curves, an exposed engine and a huge gold spoiler.
This car mode is pretty good although there is a small gap at the rear of the vehicle. It's not too bad and it is mainly due to transformation.
This Japanese release of Rodimus comes with a character card, you might notice that there is a barcode and this is because it can be used in the Japanese arcade game.
The Japanese release also differs wildly from the normal Hasbro release due to the purple metallic paint, which is an odd choice since Rodimus is more red, so it does make the figure kind of weird but looks much better in person. As a Deluxe, Rodimus is on par with most others in its size class, above is Generations Titans Return Hardhead.
Rodimus' bow weapon can attach on the roof. It doesn't look half-bad like this.
An odd design choice is the way the robot's feet peg onto the bottom of the hood but you don't notice it from most angles. The flat headlights also look quite nice.
Since everything is painted in a nice metallic paint, it's a shame that the exhausts and engine is left in their unpainted grey plastic. Overall though, this is still a sleek and beautiful vehicle mode.
TRANSFORMATION:
Rodimus has some neat twists in his transformation that makes it interesting. The first is how the legs form part of the sides of the vehicle, and you need to straighten the shins when converting him into robot. Otherwise, the rest is fairly normal with the sides of the back of the car forming his arms, the hood his chest, and the back of the vehicle the robot's back.
ROBOT MODE:
Rodimus' robot mode is stunningly show-accurate, right down to the curvy proportions.
He doesn't have too much kibble around, mostly just the folded up car on his back and the big vehicle pieces outside his forearms.
The headsculpt is pretty good although it is reliant on paint and as you can see, paint chips can ruin the look quite a bit.
He is very tall in this mode thanks to the transformation, as his legs span the length of the car. While he is mostly covered in the metallic paint, there are some unpaintable plastic in the lower half of his shins, which is a shame as they stand out quite a bit.
Articulation is fantastic, he even has balljointed wrists. Furthermore, his elbows are double joints with a swivel and balljoint, although it is hampered by the kibble underneath the forearm.
Despite what it may seem, his feet provides heaps of balance in all poses thanks to the balljoints ankles.
His weapon is an energy-bow. There is a pair of springloaded missile launches, and this presents the main play value of this figure.
The bow easily slows into his open hands although the weapon is a bit big and unwieldy in a lot of cases.
He has brilliant blue lightpiped eyes which adds a lot of character to the figure.
A fantastic robot mode that doesn't have many flaws.
OVERALL:
Animated Rodimus is an amazing figure. He is stunningly show accurate in both modes, and it is such a shame that the figure had to be released in the tail-end of the line as a limited exclusive. While he may be a bit expensive now, Rodimus is worthwhile and is one of the best engineered figure in the Animated line.
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