In late 2014, Sideshow Collectibles announced the pre-order for the Hot Toys G1 Optimus Prime. It has been a long wait, but the iconic Autobot leader finally hit my doorstep just last week. With a hefty price tag of $350, was the Hot Toys non-transforming Transformer worth the wait? Let’s find out!
Packaging
Hot Toys packaging is generally the tops in the biz. They almost always put in every effort to make it as visually appealing as it is protective of the figure. Prime’s box is nice and does a phenomenal job of keeping everything safe and sound, but the graphics didn’t knock me over. What you get is a solid outer box, a thin insert attempting to explain why Optimus is wearing Starscream like he’s the Predator, and a series of clear plastic tray inserts that make the package totally collector friendly (ie. No twist ties).
Starscream has long thought that his advanced weaponry could make him the most powerful bot in the universe. He was right. He just isn’t around to find out. When Starscream suffers a crushing defeat at the hands of Optimus Prime, the Autobot leader takes the Decepticon Air Commander’s weapons and wings. Decepticons, consider yourselves warned: With a pair of RMP-Mount Null-Ray Cannons and the power of flight, Optimus Prime has made himself the most powerful warrior in the universe.
Sculpt
Let’s get this out of the way — this is no MP-10 Masterpiece Prime. Comparisons are going to be inevitable, as the Masterpiece Prime might just be one of the greatest toys of all time, but this figure is more of a standalone display piece. And for what it is, it’s a beautiful figure indeed. This Optimus, inspired by his G1 look and coming in at around 12 inches, is big, powerful, and battle-worn. All of the elements that I want are there, but Hot Toys didn’t overdo it with the sculpting. It still maintains that simple G1 aesthetic without going into Michael Bay territory and having it clogged up with details. I don’t quite get why he has a backpack, but I think it works. One thing I would have loved is for Hot Toys to have allowed the truck wheels to spin. It wouldn’t have deterred from the sculpt and would have been a nice homage to the transforming toys.
Light Feature
When done well, a light feature can be a really cool addition to a figure, and Hot Toys seems to have it down. By flipping the switch on his back (that is completely hidden by the removable backpack), Prime’s eyes and Matrix become illuminated, and these LEDs are no joke. Powered by three included batteries, they really shine. I doubt I’ll use it very often, but it’s still nice to have.
Paint
Hot Toys always kills it with paint, so I’ll keep this short. They’ve chosen to go with a more realistic paint job than we typically see in Transformers toys. Maybe not quite battle damaged, but he’s definitely scraped up against a few walls in the parking garage. The colors are deep and rich, and there are no sloppy cuts or blemishes that I can see. Simply awesome work all around.
Accessories
This is billed by Hot Toys as the “Starscream version,” which, from what I’ve gathered, is just their own little fan –fiction spin on the character. Included in the box are Starscream’s wings (along with two sets of plugs that gives variety in how you’d like to attach the them), a backpack with removable wheels, a detailed base and stand, two cannons with mounts, Prime’s rifle, and an extra hand to hold the rifle. Sideshow was kind enough to upgrade my order to the Sideshow exclusive version — which includes the severed head of the Decepticon Seeker.
The wings can be mounted either over the wheel backpack:
Or to the backpack without the wheels for a more streamlined look:
The cannons can be mounted on either the shoulders or on the forearms. They’re made from a very light plastic, so balancing isn’t much of an issue.
All of the accessory pieces are beautifully done, and while I have no intention of displaying Optimus Prime while carrying any of this stuff, I am glad to have them. They should make great additions to my display.
I understand that Hot Toys had to make this “their own,” but my biggest complaint has to be the design of Prime’s rifle. It’s an iconic look, and they didn’t even try to pay homage to it. This rifle, while nicely done, is just way too “Rob Liefeld” and not enough Optimus Prime.
Articulation
Being a completely new sculpt, the articulation is a lot better than I expected and I’m pretty pleased with it. All the usual stuff is there (ball-jointed neck, double ratcheting elbows and knees, bicep and thigh swivels, and rocker ankles), but you also have a few unique additions. The fingers on the open hands are completely jointed. You can’t make a fist with them, but you still get some cool posing options. The feet have jointed toes and heels, which really come in handy when trying to balance him. And pressing down on the grill of his abdomen allows him to have an ab crunch. It’s not the most fun I’ve had posing a figure, but, again, I’m surprised with how much is there.
Overall
This is yet another terrific figure by Hot Toys and one that has definitely sparked some conversation amongst Transformer fans. Yes, he is a Transformer that can’t transform, but he’s also a gorgeous representation of the character in his robot form.
Hot Toys prices have gone up to stupid level lately, and $350+ is definitely pushing it for this. The Starscream accessories and base help make it a better value, but it still feels a bit too expensive.
Complaints aside, I’m still very glad to own him and he’ll make for a niece centerpiece figure for my display.
Thanks for reading!
Buy the regular Starscream version at BBTS
But the Sideshow exclusive version with severed Starscream head