Hi guys, I felt slightly masochistic this morning, so I decided to review the convoluted mess that goes by the name of Grimlock. You can see my review below, and the rest of my stuff at
http://teletraan2.blogspot.com/ Enjoy...
Figure DetailsManufacturer - Hasbro
Toyline - Classics
Additions/Mods:
- Added an Autobot symbol to the chest
- Added an Autobot symbol to cover the heat sticker
ReviewAppearance (Robot Mode) 4/10
Grimlock is such a legendary character, that anything less than a superb rendition of him would leave most fans disappointed, but this sub-par and frankly odd mould is faw worse than that. The only thing I actually like about this mould is the headsculpt, which is as nice as the rest of the robot is bad. I dislike the dino head for feet, and I dislike the nasty kibble jutting out everywhere. The original configuration of Grimlock made far more sense, even with the 'wings'. Oddest of all, are the seemingly randomly-inked knee areas, which do not go with the rest of the (uninked) robot at all. Bizarre.
Appearance (Alternate Mode) 5/10
It's almost impossible to mess up a T-Rex but Hasbro tried, by adding weird jutting kibble to the arched back, and adopting the low stance which is now the accepted historically-accurate gait of a real T-Rex. But it just looks infinately less imposing than the original upright stance of the G1 alt mode. Grimlock looks more sprightly than menacing now.
Transformation 7/10
Perversely, it is quite fun to transform this figure, but the end result of both modes leaves a lot to be desired, so transformation inevitably ends in disappointment.
Poseability 6/10
Limited by Kibble overhanging limbs everywhere, I was unable to put him into any cool poses to photograph.
Durability 8/10
Well on seeing this guy out of the box I immediately vomited on it and then threw him though the nearest open window, and nothing broke. OK, I am kidding. To give the figure some credit, he feels nice and sturdy - more's the pity.
Overall - 30/50
This is such a disappointing rendition of a great character that it makes me sad. To add insult to injury, HasTak produced a Masterpiece version of Grimlock which really
is a Masterpiece. Everything about the figure is great. Too bad then, that the scale is way too large to fit in with my 'classicsverse' figures. With Hasbro unlikely to produce the other 4 dinobots (the re-deco potential, beyond the G2 repaints, is non-existent), this unfortunate creature stands alone in representing one of the coolest sub-groups in TF history.
