by Autobot032 » Mon Oct 11, 2010 6:25 am
- Weapon: Switch Blade Tail
Masterpiece Grimlock:
Well, I finally found him, and with a bit of help from my Dad, I was able to pick this beast up.
I'll admit, the $74.19 pricetag (that's with tax included, folks.) really stung, it was uncomfortable. We'll come back to that at the end.
Moving on...
The packaging is an absolute pain in the neck. It'll drive you nuts trying to figure out how to open it. I wanted to slap something by the end of it.
I have to fail the packaging on this one. Ugh.
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The beast mode is rather impressive. Make no mistake, this is G1 Grimlock on steroids. At first glance, he looks like an upsize of the original, but you quickly find out that couldn't be further from the truth.
An impressive range of mobility. The arms are ball jointed at the shoulder and allow 360 movement. The elbow allows the arm to swing forward or backward (for transformation). The hips are ball jointed and allow him some neat poses, even in beast mode.
Gimmicks and features included in this part:
Optic color can be changed from Diaclone/G1 toy red to G1 'toon blue. (Neat feature, and now I can't figure out which one I prefer. Part of me says blue for accuracy, but another part of me says the red just looks BADASS.)
Die-Cast metal in both his toes, and where the hips balljoints attach to the torso.
If you move the tail, or the head, to the left or the right, a tail swishing or head shaking motion will be produced. (Kinda neat, kinda not.)
If you push up on the legs, or down on the torso, a spring loaded set of gears will make his head lunge as though he's getting ready to take a bite.
If you open his jaw, and press a button on the left cheek, it'll snap shut. (Simplistic, but neat once seen in person.)
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Transformation is not what you'd expect.
You have to split the chest first, then pull the head back. You'll notice that the lower half of his torso will now swing freely like you had broken his spine and he was in the grip of spasms. He just goes loose and wonky. Now, it gets tricky...
Everything is tabbed into something else, such as the chest halves connecting to the gold chest/torso section, so untabbing it while trying to hold it in place with your other hand makes for a very annoying transformation. Then, once the chest is open, it has to clear the hips/shoulders and it's definitely a nerve wracker. You have to force everything around the other parts. Once you get past this part, the rest is smooth sailing, and this is where the letdown really begins to sink in.
Remember the old G1 Grimlock transformation? Pretty much the same, with a few twists here and there, but for the most part...same as the original. Well, to be fair, the idea and transformation scheme is pretty much the same as the original. There are a couple of spring loaded flaps to deal with, but they're probably the simplest part of the whole figure. And even then, they're irritating in beast mode.
So, here's the breakdown on his transformation:
1.) The upper torso in beast mode is a pain to open and close because everything has to be forced around something else. (So glad he wasn't made with Masterpiece Starscream plastic, because he'd have broken in a heartbeat.)
2.) The lower half is pretty simple and straighforward. (If you can transform the G1 Grimlock, you'll clearly figure this out. This section is also a let down, because it's so simplistic.)
3.) His waist continually flops back and forth while you transform him, which makes for an irritating problem, plus they don't tell you that you need to push up on the waist itself, because there's a small pivot (like the hidden one in Animated Shockwave) that you don't notice at first, and you think you've broken him when you haven't.
Frustrating to start, way too easy to finish, and too loose and wobbly overall. The transformation sucks.
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Robot Mode:
Okay, now he's getting better. Sorta. Remember that loose waist that swings back and forth? It's not as prevalent here, but he does swing side to side a bit. Looks like he's about to disco dance.
His Autobot symbol is supposed to appear when you push the torso and pelvis together during transformation, but mine doesn't want to pop up all the way. (The mouth section is cut off, so it looks like someone peering over the bushes.) Maybe it's just mine, but this gimmick needs work.
A nice range of motion and has a few poses he can take and hold without support. In this case, he really impresses. Most figures require sticky tack or a wall or your hand, but not so with Grimlock. Stands tall, strong, and firm.
Gimmicks in this mode (aside from the already mentioned Autobot symbol) include a light in his right hand that allows both the sword and gun to light up (which isn't all that great, I mean the intensity is rather low. Kinda sucks.) On his hands, you can clearly see that he's meant to use the gun in his left hand and the sword in his right. There's a peg on the left hand that plugs into a hole on the bottom of the gun, and this feature does not exist on the right hand. Of course, you can switch them, but this was how th designers intended he hold 'em.
Oh, and you can change the color of his eyes with a lever in the back of his head in robot mode. (Toy red or G1 blue)
Has his crown. (Which is difficult to put on, but absolutely ridiculous to pull off. I thought I was going to break him, really.)
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Overall, I like the beast mode and it's gimmicks (compared to the rest of the figure), and I like the robot mode on display. (He looks fantastic on display), but the transformation, the weird waist, and goofy stuff like that make me feel as though I've a bit of buyer's remorse. Would I return him? No. He looks good with the Neo-G1 cast, plus both modes are pretty cool. As I tinker with him more and more, the more accepting I become, but if I knew then what I know now, I definitely might've rethought this, or at least grilled myself but good, before caving.
Do I think he'll give everyone buyer's remorse? No. I'm sure there will be plenty who will love him, and I can see some of the reason why. But I do have to say that, for me, he doesn't feel worth a $70.00 price tag. I'd be beating myself senseless had I paid import prices for the original. This guy ain't worth $130.00+, no ifs, ands, or buts about it. No way, no how. Now that? That would've been buyer's remorse. Big time.
I fail to see a reason (outside of safety) that Hasbro stripped the other accessories. For the price we paid, they should've been included with the figure. It wouldn't have broken the bank for them to be included. Geez.
I recommend him to Masterpiece collectors (I am one), I recommend him to Grimlock fans (I am not one), and I recommend that if you want him, wait for a sale or see if someone will buy it for you for Christmas. If you have to pay full price because that's your only option, then by all means don't let him slip through your fingers, but don't expect perfection out of this guy, cuz he ain't givin' it.
NOTE: Realize that I am not a perfect Christian, nor do I profess to be. I apologize if anyone's ever offended by me, I'm not perfect. Don't hold my posts and opinions against other Christians.
