Review #10: Disney Label Mickey Mouse Trailer
(Mickey Mouse Convoy / Optimus Prime)
While I wouldn't expect to be so prolific every month, I thought it would be nice to end this website's first month with an even ten reviews. I did already have some photos taken for a Scourge and Sweeps review (in fact I took them at the same time as I took photos for both Wreck-Gar & Junkheap and Bludgeon) but I didn't feel quite like writing that one just yet. I should expect you'll see it soon, though. In the meantime...
I wanted to write something that may be a little quicker to do. (Although who knows how long I'll end up going in the end? We'll see, I suppose.) And perhaps something that might be a bit different and a bit fun. So, what do you get when you cross a truck and a mouse? No, not road kill. You get this! A Mickey Mouse Optimus Prime! This has been available in a plethora of colours. Off the top of my head, other options have been Black & While, Halloween themed, Christmas themed, and one that is Mickey coloured. Myself, I went for the one that was more Optimus coloured. |
You end up here with a truck that, while cartoonishly proportioned, takes obvious cues from the G1 Optimus Prime. On the side of the trailer along the blue and white stripes, where Optimus would have had an Autobot logo, we find a rather stylized robotic Mickey Mouse head. It would have been awesome if, as it would at first seem, this was a Disney faction symbol. However, the few later figures in this line did not carry it forward. For example, the Disney Label version of Donald Duck had a stylized Donald head. So it isn't so much a faction symbol as it is a symbol that says, "Look at me! I'm Mickey's truck!"
I say "Mickey's truck," rather then, "Mickey," as if you look inside you will see that Mickey is, in fact, driving. So, fictionally speaking, it would seem that this isn't a giant sentient robotic Mickey. Rather, it is a piloted mech that Mickey drives that will transform into a giant robotic representation of himself.
The back of the trailer does in fact open, but this is purely for transformation. If you were to open it up you do not find the interior of a trailer, but rather you see a folded up giant Mickey head. (Hey, it has to go somewhere on the alt mode!) |
Robot mode!
If, in some weird twisted universe, Mickey Mouse and Optimus Prime had a secret love child, this is definitely what the result would be. It is clearly a robotic Mickey, but it also contains enough elements of Optimus that one can see it looking at this. The (false) chest windows and the little forhead grill are the most obvious Optimus influences. The (again, false) bumper on the waist is a nice double-homage. The yellow circles are most obviously supposed to be the foglights from the truck mode, but they also resemble the buttons on Mickey's pants. Articulation is extremely lacking on this figure. The only point of articulation is at the shoulders, which swivel up and down. (Also, if this counts as articulation, the clear visor can be lowered over Robo-Mickey's eyes.) As an adult collector, and given the unique nature of this figure, the lack of much articulation doesn't bother me so much. If this was intended strictly for adult collectors, that'd be fine. But given that it also has an action feature, I am a bit curious what the figure's intended market was. The action figure is an odd one, I am not sure what the use of it is. If you push down on Mickey's head, his arms will flap outwards. |
The shell of his trailer does just kind of hang on his back. from the front, this doesn't look at all bad. In fact, it kind of gives the apearance of a cape. From the side or the back, however, it does slightly loose some of its asthetic, but not enough where I would say it looks bad.
When transforming to this mode, a little Mickey automatically pops out on the robot's head to maintain the piloted mech asthetic. Mickey now wears a futuristic jumpsuit. |
Size comparison! Sailor Moon decided to take a brief break to allow for a more apropriate DVD case choice.
Final thoughts: On the surface this might seem like an ideal toy for a kid. It's a Transformer and a Disney character! But between the lack of articulation taking away from basic play value, and the fact that this toy was only released in Japan and thus you can expect to pay import prices for it, I would likely not recomend it for children. In fact, I wouldn't recomend it for people who are only casual Transformer or Disney fans, either. Don't get me wrong, I love this toy and am glad I have it. But I would likely recomend it only for the hardcore Optimus Prime fan or the extreme Disney enthusiast. (If you're both, you probably already have this!) |
As I mentioned previously, this is available in multiple colour schemes. As I only have the one pictured above, that's the only one you'll see here. As I am a Transformer fan first, and have only a slightly-above-casual interest in Disney, I obviously was drawn to the Optimus coloured one. People who are more Disney fans would likely tend towards the Black & White one or the more recently released Mickey coloured one. Not sure myself what the apeal would be for either the Halloween or Christmas ones, but if you like them, then hey, more power to you! But over all, as I said, if you're the kind of person who has to have as many Optimi as possible, or who must have as much Mickey merchandise as possible, or ideally, both! Well, I would highly recomend this. Otherwise... well, enjoy the above photos.
Review added 31 January 2012 by Yotsuya. Please comment!
Review added 31 January 2012 by Yotsuya. Please comment!