Going slightly out of order here, we’re going to step back a release number and look at the first Masterpiece release of the year, the long-suffering Autobot stalwart Ironhide.
Ironhide is one of the best examples of a triumph of character over toy to be found in any franchise. As a kid, I was reasonably certain that I somehow lost parts of my Ironhide. Turns out, he was actually sold that way. Ironhide and Ratchet both were terrible Diaclone toys, yet somehow their roles in the original TV series and Marvel comic were pivotal and iconic.
He and Ratchet also sadly fell in the first hours of the Battle of Autobot City. Ironhide’s demise, in particular, while making a futile last grab for Megatron, stuck with me for decades. Every time I hear “Instruments of Destruction,” I get a little sad.
As with every figure of the recent MP line, Ironhide’s vehicle mode is extremely well done. Faithfully representing a 1980s Nissan Cherry Vanette, one of the first things that stands out is that the outer plastic of this mode has actually been painted red on top of the already colored plastic.
This gives everything a nice automotive sheen, and it’s a subtle but effective touch. The vehicle mode is very robust, everything rolls and secures really well, and the scaling is also solid. As with the other Autobot cars, there is a attachment point for weapons on the roof, and he impressively still fits in Prime’s or Magnus’s trailers.
Transformation is a little tricky, but like most, the more you run through it, the better it flows. About halfway through you get a feel for just how much mass Ironhide shifts between modes.
In robot mode, Ironhide makes the massive jump from small unassuming van to imposing Autobot bodyguard, and it’s a little surprising once you stack him up with his brothers. One of the major reasons I finally caved on this version, while already owning the iGear release, was his size, and I definitely am not disappointed. Taller than everyone except the commanders and Dinobots, he stacks up close to the older ultra class figures in terms of height and mass. He and Hot Rod have done a lot to bring some variety to the shelf, and it looks much better for it. The proportions are a bit strange, but they feel like animation model.
Articulation turned out a lot better than I expected. One of the contentions I had prior to purchase was that obtrusive-looking crotch section. It still looks big and unwieldy in pictures, but in person it actually flows into the design well and doesn’t hinder his movement.
The hip skirts do limit some of his outward motion, but there are a few different mods to adjust this. As-is, I’m not bothered by it. Other than that, the range of motion is very good, and the placement of a few securing clips on his shoulders make for a very robust and poseable ‘bot that really is as tough as he looks — though there are some lighter plastic parts that made me a little worried at first. I also particularly like the way the ankle pivot was incorporated.
Another place Ironhide made a serious bid for his iGear predecessor is in the accessories. He has two movie-style pistols, a G1 toy cannon, a shoulder mounted rocket launcher, a jet pack with launch effects, an ultrasonic scanner, a variant face, and three different liquid nitrogen nozzles/hands.
All of these parts store on to a red plastic sled, not unlike his G1 battle mode. This makes for literally dozens of options for posing, probably more than you need. Supposedly, Ironhide did not have many signature weapons for the G1 cartoon style guide, so the storyboarders and animators went a little nuts with attachments and such. Even the pistols he’s most often seen with are just bigger models of the one Bumblebee carries.
It’s a little hard to qualify, but I really, really, like this figure. There are some definite quirks to the design, but the way he pulls off both modes so elegantly, despite being so different, really speaks to me. As a longtime character favorite for just about anyone who grew up with G1, this is going to be a very hard figure to pass up. And with so many 3rd party versions available to fill that gap, this version manages to set itself very much apart with its impressive mix of style and features.
