Non-transforming Transformers have long been a major want of mine. It’s not like I don’t appreciate the core concept of the toy line, but it’s not something that I need. So when I first heard about a new line of non-transforming versions of some of my favorite characters, I was interested. Then I saw pictures and knew I was in for sure. Then I saw how expensive each figure was going to be. Yeesh. They’re not making it easy. Fewture have released three figures in their Transformers line so far: Alpha Trion (previously reviewed by canonball here) Grimlock (in his robot form, which may go against how many would like him to be default-portrayed), and Optimus Prime. I believe Arcee has been announced, but so far she is not up for preorder anywhere.
I “opted” to grab Optimus Prime first, mainly because I’m banking on the release of a Megatron to go with him at some point. I mean, it seems like it would be an inevitability, but who knows anymore. And besides, even if I don’t get any more than this one, it’s nice to have a representative major player from a toy line.
Optimus is pretty much everything I was hoping for in a normal-sized figure. Standing a shade over 7 inches tall, he’s the perfect size to be a fun action figure without any of the extraneous muss and fuss that come with having to be transformable. Plus, there’s something extra cool about having an Optimus that can hang with He-Man. All I need is an official 6-inch scale Duke and I could have some type of ’80s cartoon reunion going on.
One thing I wasn’t expecting is how heavy he is. Optimus is a little under a pound due to his die-cast parts — it’s a lost art. Because of that, he’s extremely well-balanced; most of that weight is in his legs. This weeble will neither wobble nor fall down. You’d have to chuck some other figures at him to get him to twitch.
Optimus looks great. They’ve obviously aimed for a streamlined cartoon appearance, and he does seem to have stepped out of an animation cel. Where the Masterpiece Optimus has the smaller windshield reminiscent of the original toy or the original toy art, this Optimus has a chest-windshield that fill his entire upper torso, just like the cartoon.
His reds are bright and crisp with a faint metallic trace to them, and his blues are the same. His Autobot symbol is clearly represented, and I couldn’t find any traces of paint slop anywhere.
Like the various Masterpiece Transformers versions of him, his chest opens up to reveal a removable Matrix inside. The Matrix seems a little small to me, but that may be by necessity. It was a nice touch. He’s got the touch, you know. And the power.
He’s fully articulated and is able to use all of his articulation points quite well, allowing him to get into some very expressive action poses. He has:
- Ball-jointed neck
- Ball-jointed/hinged shoulders, allowing him a very wide range of motion
- Double-jointed elbows
- Ball-jointed wrists
- Torso swivel
- Ball-jointed hips with a hidden swivel. He gets a decent lateral spread to his legs, but his forward kicking is hampered by the design of his waist-piece. It is on a hinge, so there’s some give, but he is hampered there
- Double-jointed knees
- Hinged ankles
Like most foreign action figures, Optimus comes with a nice assortment of extra hands. He comes with a pair of fists, a pair of relaxed hands, a weapon hand for his right hand, and a pointing finger for his right hand as well. I will never turn down optional hands, and double bonus for including the one thing that absolutely no action figure should be without: fists.
Optimus is completed by another pair of accessories that run standard with your major Optimus figures. The first, of course, is his trademark laser rifle. It fits into his weapon hand very well and stays there, no wobbling or looseness. It’s sized just right for him, so there’s no Prime-to-gun scale issues here.
He also comes with his laser axe. I don’t think I’ll accept an Optimus that doesn’t come with the laser axe now. That’s why I think a Megatron with his laser-mace is inevitable. I’m willing to be patient.
His final accessory is a base with the Autobot symbol on it. Cool-looking, but Optimus is really too heavy for it to work very well.
Overall, I was pleased with Optimus. Now the long wait for Megatron.
Optimus is a pricey figure. He is available at Big Bad Toy Store
Overseas, you can order him from AmiAmi or HobbylinkJapan
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