Review #65: Masterpiece Optimus Prime (MP-10)
with Reprolabels and SXS Jetpack & Upgrade Kit for Roller
In my last review, I lamented on my laptop having been on the verge of death and needing replacement. Well, the replacement has arrived! And after some serious browbeating to get it to act the way I wanted (Listen here, Windows 8.1, I want a Start button, and I'll be damned if I'm not going to get it!) I'm ready to get back to some reviewing! I have Rated X's latest installment in his series of guest reviews that I shall present to you soon, but first I wanted to get something of my own up! But what? Well, how about something I've been intending to do for ages?
A long, long time ago -- almost two bloody years! -- I did four Optimus Prime reviews that were, in part, intended as a prelude for a review of the then soon to be domestically released new Masterpiece Optimus Prime mold. Well, for some reason or another, even after finally getting the figure in hand I never got around to writing the review for it. I almost did. Heck, I even had the photos taken for it! (You'll notice, for example, that the DVD case I use in the comparison photo is a Doctor Who one, to fit in with last year's tribute of that show's 50th anniversary.)
Well, it is time I rectify that! And so, without further ado...
A long, long time ago -- almost two bloody years! -- I did four Optimus Prime reviews that were, in part, intended as a prelude for a review of the then soon to be domestically released new Masterpiece Optimus Prime mold. Well, for some reason or another, even after finally getting the figure in hand I never got around to writing the review for it. I almost did. Heck, I even had the photos taken for it! (You'll notice, for example, that the DVD case I use in the comparison photo is a Doctor Who one, to fit in with last year's tribute of that show's 50th anniversary.)
Well, it is time I rectify that! And so, without further ado...
Here he is, the new Masterpiece Optimus Prime!
I remember being somewhat skeptical when this figure was first announced. We already had a Masterpiece Optimus, and he was pretty darn good! Why would they bother doing a new one? And at a bit of a smaller scale? What the heck are they thinking? Well, my mind started changing a bit when images started appearing, or when the figure was released in Japan and other reviews started coming out. Looks like what they were thinking was, "Hey, we made a pretty good figure once upon a time... but with what we've learned these last few years while making other Masterpiece figures, we think we might be able to do it better!" So what do I think? Did they do it better? Let us see. |
We start with vehicle mode, and he is a pretty spot on Optimus Prime! His cab looks perfect. He's even got side mirrors, a really cool touch! There are a few seams and other evidence of the fact that he is a Transformer visible, but none of the gross compromises that some Transformers have, even the original Masterpiece Optimus. While still a great toy, as I said in my review of it, "...time has tempered (my opinion on it) a bit. It suffers some when you look at the (truck cab's) side view. From the front, pretty awesome. But from the side, the aesthetics begin to fall apart a bit. While not horrible on the level of being an obvious robot's chest, but it does lean a bit into, 'box on wheels,' territory."
This new Masterpiece Optimus, however... Well, an advantage of the delay in this review is that I have had time with it, now, as well. And time has changed little in regards to my opinions. He has a fantastic looking truck cab, that looks like what it should from any angle!
A really nice little addition to this Optimus is that he comes with a little figure of the Autobot's human ally, Spike Witwicky. You can seat Spike inside Optimus's cab, on either side.
A minor downside is that some of the panels that need to connect together to form his cab are a wee bit fiddly to tab into place. And somehow, the ever so slight misalignment that may result is a bit visible in these photos. (Particularly in the front view.) But such things are far less apparent to the naked eye, and have never bothered me when I look at him on my shelf.
This new Masterpiece Optimus, however... Well, an advantage of the delay in this review is that I have had time with it, now, as well. And time has changed little in regards to my opinions. He has a fantastic looking truck cab, that looks like what it should from any angle!
A really nice little addition to this Optimus is that he comes with a little figure of the Autobot's human ally, Spike Witwicky. You can seat Spike inside Optimus's cab, on either side.
A minor downside is that some of the panels that need to connect together to form his cab are a wee bit fiddly to tab into place. And somehow, the ever so slight misalignment that may result is a bit visible in these photos. (Particularly in the front view.) But such things are far less apparent to the naked eye, and have never bothered me when I look at him on my shelf.
A few other complaints have to be made in regards to the rear portion of the cab. One is that I suppose I lied a bit when I touted that there were no compromises made to the vehicle mode for the benefit of the robot mode. If you look at that rear half, your first thought might be, "Wow, that is thick!" Almost comically so. Heck, even the designers must have thought so, as they sort of lampshaded it by molding a ladder onto the sides above the gas cans, as if to say, "Yeah, this is so high, you'd need help climbing up onto it." This compromise was made to give the legs proper proportions in robot mode.
The second problem is that the legs don't quite tab together securely in vehicle mode. You can get them together, but it won't be long before they are seemingly splitting back apart a bit on their own.
Fortunately, both of these issues are helped a lot when the trailer is added. Tabbing the cab on holds the legs together quite nicely. And covering up the rear of the cab with the trailer, while it doesn't hide the excessive thickness completely, certainly helps to make it less visually obvious.
The second problem is that the legs don't quite tab together securely in vehicle mode. You can get them together, but it won't be long before they are seemingly splitting back apart a bit on their own.
Fortunately, both of these issues are helped a lot when the trailer is added. Tabbing the cab on holds the legs together quite nicely. And covering up the rear of the cab with the trailer, while it doesn't hide the excessive thickness completely, certainly helps to make it less visually obvious.
As for the trailer, when connected with the cab it rotates nicely at the point of attachment as one would hope. When not attached, two posts come down on the front to help keep it level in a visually appealing way. The rear of the truck opens nicely with two doors, and then there is a ramp that pulls out.
The interior of the trailer looks innocuous enough, with nothing terribly out of place visually. Inside, there is plenty of room for Optimus's buddy, Roller. Although I don't yet have any of the Masterpiece Autobot cars that have been released since MP-10, apparently one of those will also fit inside of the closed trailer. Of course, then there would be no room for Roller!
One visual oddity on the trailer is the placement of the faction symbols. They are set further back then is usually the case on G1 Optimus Prime toys. I suspect that this is a compromise between his traditional toy appearance and how he usually looked in the cartoon, where the faction symbols were usually more centered on the side of the trailer. Fortunately, they didn't go that extra mile towards cartoon accuracy and leave off the blue striping! That I would not have liked at all. But as it is, it is a fine looking trailer, and I can accept this slight compromise in faction symbol placement.
The Masterpiece Optimus Prime I have and am reviewing here has been augmented with Reprolabels. For the most part they are subtle touches on this toy, and in vehicle mode they are mostly limited to license plates, headlights, and the side mirrors. Reprolabels did provide a faction symbol for the side of the cab that doesn't have one, but I chose not to use that one. The fact that the sticker would be flat where as the faction symbol on the other side is embossed with molded on detail would definitely have bothered me. But it was nice of them to include that sticker for people who prefer an Optimus with faction symbols on both shoulders.
The interior of the trailer looks innocuous enough, with nothing terribly out of place visually. Inside, there is plenty of room for Optimus's buddy, Roller. Although I don't yet have any of the Masterpiece Autobot cars that have been released since MP-10, apparently one of those will also fit inside of the closed trailer. Of course, then there would be no room for Roller!
One visual oddity on the trailer is the placement of the faction symbols. They are set further back then is usually the case on G1 Optimus Prime toys. I suspect that this is a compromise between his traditional toy appearance and how he usually looked in the cartoon, where the faction symbols were usually more centered on the side of the trailer. Fortunately, they didn't go that extra mile towards cartoon accuracy and leave off the blue striping! That I would not have liked at all. But as it is, it is a fine looking trailer, and I can accept this slight compromise in faction symbol placement.
The Masterpiece Optimus Prime I have and am reviewing here has been augmented with Reprolabels. For the most part they are subtle touches on this toy, and in vehicle mode they are mostly limited to license plates, headlights, and the side mirrors. Reprolabels did provide a faction symbol for the side of the cab that doesn't have one, but I chose not to use that one. The fact that the sticker would be flat where as the faction symbol on the other side is embossed with molded on detail would definitely have bothered me. But it was nice of them to include that sticker for people who prefer an Optimus with faction symbols on both shoulders.
And now we move onto robot mode. Here's the short version: Wow.
The longer version is that this is, in robot mode, without a doubt the best looking Optimus Prime toy I own. Probably the best looking one I've even seen. Heck, he even looks better then most non-transforming Optimus figures I've seen, and you'd think they'd have an easier time of it not having to worry about figuring out how to make him turn into a truck! |
His articulation is excellent. His head can rotate 360°, and he can look up and down. Also, the antennae can be moved forward or backwards.
The shoulders can rotate 360°, and on a separate joint they can lift outward about 45°. You can also swing the arms back on the transformation joint, which can be useful for some dynamic poses. There's a 360° swivel in the upper arm, and a 90° bend at the elbow. The hands swivel at the wrist, and there is some finger articulation. The thumbs, alas, are fixed. The index fingers bend at two points. The rest of the fingers are joined and as one bend at one point. Not the most posable hands I've seen, but they do enough to get done most anything you might need to do with them.
Moving onto the lower body, the waist can swivel a nice 360°. At the hips, his legs can move forward and backward on nice, loudly clicking ratcheting joints. You can also lift them outward and swivel them slightly at the hips. The knees also have nice ratchet joints, moving back a nice 90°, and (for some reason) forward almost as much. There's a 360° swivel below the knees, and then he has some nicely expressive movement in his ankles to help keep him flat footed in most poses.
I usually don't comment too much on the paint job unless there is something obviously bad about it, but I do want to mention something really nice on this toy. His eyes are very nicely colored! They are a bright, vibrant blue that really stand out and help him look alive. This particularly stands out when compared to the original Japanese release of the MP-10 Optimus mold, which featured very dull colored eyes, giving him an almost dead look. Usually, Takara's releases have the superior deco. But in this case, with a few other nice touches but especially with the eyes, Hasbro's looks a lot better to me! Kudos to you, Hasbro!
The shoulders can rotate 360°, and on a separate joint they can lift outward about 45°. You can also swing the arms back on the transformation joint, which can be useful for some dynamic poses. There's a 360° swivel in the upper arm, and a 90° bend at the elbow. The hands swivel at the wrist, and there is some finger articulation. The thumbs, alas, are fixed. The index fingers bend at two points. The rest of the fingers are joined and as one bend at one point. Not the most posable hands I've seen, but they do enough to get done most anything you might need to do with them.
Moving onto the lower body, the waist can swivel a nice 360°. At the hips, his legs can move forward and backward on nice, loudly clicking ratcheting joints. You can also lift them outward and swivel them slightly at the hips. The knees also have nice ratchet joints, moving back a nice 90°, and (for some reason) forward almost as much. There's a 360° swivel below the knees, and then he has some nicely expressive movement in his ankles to help keep him flat footed in most poses.
I usually don't comment too much on the paint job unless there is something obviously bad about it, but I do want to mention something really nice on this toy. His eyes are very nicely colored! They are a bright, vibrant blue that really stand out and help him look alive. This particularly stands out when compared to the original Japanese release of the MP-10 Optimus mold, which featured very dull colored eyes, giving him an almost dead look. Usually, Takara's releases have the superior deco. But in this case, with a few other nice touches but especially with the eyes, Hasbro's looks a lot better to me! Kudos to you, Hasbro!
His gun can store on his back. Flip open the panel on his back, and inside you will find what looks like a crumpled up chunk of black plastic. Poke a button on it, and it instantly flips open into Optimus's ion cannon. Awesomely, the gun can be left in this storage compartment even when Optimus is in his truck mode. The gun can be held in either of Optimus's hands.
He also has his energon axe, although that doesn't store away anywhere on his robot mode. (So when not in use, I'll just chuck it inside the trailer.) It attaches by sliding tightly over Optimus's right hand. Since it is molded perfectly to that fist, it alas cannot be wielded ambidextrously. It is made of a clear orange plastic that is soft, but nicely not too soft where it becomes malformed as often would be the case with soft plastics. |
Reprolabel enhancements to robot mode are again somewhat subtle, especially if you choose (like I did) to not add the second faction symbol to his otherwise bare shoulder. He gets a bit of chrome detailing on the sides of his head (at the base of the posable antennae). To get anything else, we have to go to his legs! At the top of each leg there is a bit of chrome grating, and below that two black stripes. At the top of the lower leg is a sticker emulating the G1 toy's knee detail. Then an especially subtle bit of detail added on the top of the feet, as it is blue-on-blue, although the difference is more noticeable in these photos as the stickers look darker then the surrounding blue plastic.
The axe actually gets some Reprolabel enhancement as well! Orange chrome stickers have been added to the front and back of the blade.
Optimus features his iconic Matrix of Leadership. Open up his chest, and inside you will find... well, you'll find (most of) his front bumper. But lift that up, and you'll find... well, you'll find something else to lift up. But don't worry, this is actually the lid of his Matrix chamber, and when you lift this you'll finally find his Matrix.
The axe actually gets some Reprolabel enhancement as well! Orange chrome stickers have been added to the front and back of the blade.
Optimus features his iconic Matrix of Leadership. Open up his chest, and inside you will find... well, you'll find (most of) his front bumper. But lift that up, and you'll find... well, you'll find something else to lift up. But don't worry, this is actually the lid of his Matrix chamber, and when you lift this you'll finally find his Matrix.
The Matrix is all chrome and shiny. While firm in its placement inside of Optimus's chest, it is removable. Being mostly die cast, once you do remove it you find has quite some heft to it for its small size. While it looks proportional while still in Optimus's chest, it does look a little small in his hands -- small enough that it actually looks a bit awkward if he tried to hold it. This is a minor issue to me, however. It isn't as if I frequently pose mine in such a way.
I have one more accessory to highlight in his robot mode, although this one is a third party addition. Want to see what Optimus might look like if he had that jet pack he borrowed from Sideswipe in one episode of the original cartoon? Well, here you go!
I have one more accessory to highlight in his robot mode, although this one is a third party addition. Want to see what Optimus might look like if he had that jet pack he borrowed from Sideswipe in one episode of the original cartoon? Well, here you go!
It looks good on him, and attaches solidly. It does, however, inhibit his articulation a bit. The waist is severely curtailed, and you also loose the ability to swing the arms backwards on their transformation joint. The jet pack itself does have a bit of movement, specifically in that the nozzles can be wiggled around a bit. One negative thing on my example of this accessory is that the piece inside of one of the nozzles was not attached very securely, and would constantly fall out. A bit of super glue seems to have fixed it, but it was annoying. (This problem could be unique to mine. And of course, even if not unique, it is a problem specifically with the QC on this third party accessory. So please don't consider it a knock against the base figure!)
Well, that about wraps it up for Optimus himself. Let us move onto his little buddy Roller!
Well, that about wraps it up for Optimus himself. Let us move onto his little buddy Roller!
Roller was one of the big differences between the Japanese and domestic releases of this toy. The Japanese version came with a silver Roller. Meanwhile, as I am sure you've already guessed from these photos, the domestic release came with a blue one. Both colors can technically be correct. In the cartoon, Roller was presented as silver. Blue, however, is the color most commonly associated with the G1 toy. (Although the G1 toy has also been released with Roller in silver, a second shade of blue, two shades of purple, or black.) When I think of Roller, I think of him in blue, so I was glad that the domestic toy came with him in that color! Silver wouldn't have been a deal breaker, but the blue is preferred. (If nothing else, it helps him stand out more when he is inside the trailer.)
There's a few Reprolabels on Roller: a faction symbol on front, a blue stripe (which probably stands out better on silver Rollers) above that, and on his back a license plate, a name plate, and tail lights. |
You can take the Spike Witwicky figure previously seen sitting inside Optimus and seat it in Roller, instead.
Initially, it may look as if there is no way to attach anything to Roller, but a flip-open panel reveals a port into which you can plug Optimus's ion cannon. The back of Roller can be even more extensively reconfigured to reveal an attachment for Optimus's trailer, meaning that if Optimus is otherwise occupied Roller can tow it for him. Rotation between Roller-as-truck cab and the trailer is still quite possible, since the joint for rotation here is in the trailer.
Initially, it may look as if there is no way to attach anything to Roller, but a flip-open panel reveals a port into which you can plug Optimus's ion cannon. The back of Roller can be even more extensively reconfigured to reveal an attachment for Optimus's trailer, meaning that if Optimus is otherwise occupied Roller can tow it for him. Rotation between Roller-as-truck cab and the trailer is still quite possible, since the joint for rotation here is in the trailer.
For the ultimate in G1 goodness, however, there is something this Roller lacks: the original toy's gas pump attachment! Well, the above mentioned third party jet pack also came with a solution for this! (And frankly, I picked this accessory kit up more for the extra Roller parts then for the jet pack.) Available in two colors (to go with either the silver or the blue versions), this attachment plugs into the hole for Prime's gun and gives Roller two peg holes. Into these two holes can plug the two pieces of Roller's gas pump, and the two pieces are connected by a hollow rubber tube.
(In the center above photo, you can see the augmented Roller compared with G1 Optimus's Roller's gas pump on the left, and Hybrid Convoy's Roller's gas pump on the right.)
Well, one more big thing to look at here. Let's open up that big plastic box that is Optimus's trailer, and see how his combat deck looks!
Well, one more big thing to look at here. Let's open up that big plastic box that is Optimus's trailer, and see how his combat deck looks!
Well, that looks like a pretty traditional combat deck to me! And a well executed one at that.
The artillery robot (or repair drone) inside is quite well articulated. There's a ratcheting joint at the base of the support arm, a non-ratcheting but very nicely tight double joint in the middle, and another non-ratcheting joint at the top. The artillery robot also can swivel 360° at the top of the support arm. On one side of the artillery robot is the traditional radar dish, which can be raised up and can swivel 360°. On the other side is the claw arm with a very nicely ball jointed base, a double joint in the center, and a claw that can be opened and closed. Finally, the canopy can open and the little Spike figure can be placed inside.
Spike has two other potential seats, one on either side of the floor of the combat deck. When not in use, these seats can be folded down to become less obvious.
The artillery robot (or repair drone) inside is quite well articulated. There's a ratcheting joint at the base of the support arm, a non-ratcheting but very nicely tight double joint in the middle, and another non-ratcheting joint at the top. The artillery robot also can swivel 360° at the top of the support arm. On one side of the artillery robot is the traditional radar dish, which can be raised up and can swivel 360°. On the other side is the claw arm with a very nicely ball jointed base, a double joint in the center, and a claw that can be opened and closed. Finally, the canopy can open and the little Spike figure can be placed inside.
Spike has two other potential seats, one on either side of the floor of the combat deck. When not in use, these seats can be folded down to become less obvious.
One strange deviation from most past iterations of the combat deck (the only time we've seen something similar were the boxes intended for spare fist storage for Hybrid Convoy) are the two large upright panels in the middle of the floor. They do provide a nice service for when it is folded up as Prime's trailer, in that they form a rear wall that mostly blocks the artillery robot and other combat deck elements from view, making for a more convincing trailer. (I'm not sure how many people judge their Optimus Prime's vehicle mode's realism solely on their ability to stare inside the trailer without seeing anything out of place... but I suppose the effort can be appreciated.) These panels serve another function, but we will get to that a wee bit later.
In general, inside of the floor and walls of the interior of the combat deck feature a lot of very nice molded in detail. Still, while the molded detail is nice, it is also rather monochromatic. Here, Reprolabels come into play and help things out.
The Reprolabels are at their most visible on the interior of the combat deck. Along the floor they add a lot of silver chrome detailing. They also add the traditional "GO!" sticker. The "GO!" is, admittedly, placed much farther back then is usual, but with all of the molded detail on the floor of the combat deck, that was the best available surface to place the sticker. Along the walls, the Reprolabels add a lit of little display panels. They add a few ventilation grills (with fans inside) onto those aforementioned upright panels. Finally, a few bits of detailing are added to the artillery robot.
In general, inside of the floor and walls of the interior of the combat deck feature a lot of very nice molded in detail. Still, while the molded detail is nice, it is also rather monochromatic. Here, Reprolabels come into play and help things out.
The Reprolabels are at their most visible on the interior of the combat deck. Along the floor they add a lot of silver chrome detailing. They also add the traditional "GO!" sticker. The "GO!" is, admittedly, placed much farther back then is usual, but with all of the molded detail on the floor of the combat deck, that was the best available surface to place the sticker. Along the walls, the Reprolabels add a lit of little display panels. They add a few ventilation grills (with fans inside) onto those aforementioned upright panels. Finally, a few bits of detailing are added to the artillery robot.
The G1 Optimus Prime could still deploy the artillery robot in vehicle mode via one of two holes in the trailer. This Optimus can still do that, but there is only one option for it via a hole in the top of the trailer. This hole has a few folding panels to nicely fill it in for that majority of time when it is not in use.
All accessories featured in this review, including the third party additions, can fit inside of the closed trailer. So it can all store away nicely for vehicle mode without having to worry about unsightly left over parts lying around.
Almost done! But before we start summing up, let us open up that trailer once more. After all, there's still the ever (un)popular repair bay mode to consider!
Still, even though it is a mode I suspect most people don't even worry about, I must say it is well implemented here. Now we see the other use of those new panels on the floor of the combat deck, as here they become weapon storage. One other quick thing before the end: here's a big ol' stack of Optimi! |
The one reviewed here is second from the bottom. (The faction symbols on the trailer being set further back then is usual is really easy to see in this photo.) The others are the four reviewed in October 2012, obstinately as a prelude to this review. From top to bottom: Smallest Transforming Transformers Optimus, Hybrid Convoy, G1 Optimus, and finally at the very bottom the original Masterpiece Optimus (MP-4 version).
How do they stack up? (Other than in the literal sense of putting one on top of the next and so fourth, that is!) Well, the nostalgic factor in me wants to place the orignal G1 figure in first place. But the MP-10 Masterpiece mold is a very close second, and if nostalgia wasn't a factor, he'd have easily been first. (In third place would be the Smallest Transforming Transformers one, which impressively reimagines the G1 figure in a very tiny scale. Then would come the original Masterpiece Optimus Prime mold, which while still a fun toy and impressive for its time, hasn't aged well in design. Finally we'd have Hybrid Convoy, a toy which is impressive in what it tried to accomplish, but in the end was over ambitious for a toy of its size.)
Well, that about wraps it up. So here comes my usual photo offering a size comparison with a standard DVD case. (As mentioned towards the start, we've a late entry in last year's Doctor Who tribute!)
How do they stack up? (Other than in the literal sense of putting one on top of the next and so fourth, that is!) Well, the nostalgic factor in me wants to place the orignal G1 figure in first place. But the MP-10 Masterpiece mold is a very close second, and if nostalgia wasn't a factor, he'd have easily been first. (In third place would be the Smallest Transforming Transformers one, which impressively reimagines the G1 figure in a very tiny scale. Then would come the original Masterpiece Optimus Prime mold, which while still a fun toy and impressive for its time, hasn't aged well in design. Finally we'd have Hybrid Convoy, a toy which is impressive in what it tried to accomplish, but in the end was over ambitious for a toy of its size.)
Well, that about wraps it up. So here comes my usual photo offering a size comparison with a standard DVD case. (As mentioned towards the start, we've a late entry in last year's Doctor Who tribute!)
So, my final thoughts on this figure? He has a few little flaws in him, but they are not enough to detract from the fact that he is, without a doubt, the best Optimus Prime figure I own! (And if you didn't figure it out from the fact that this website has an entire section dedicated to nothing but Optimus Prime, I have more then a few of them!) He can be a bit tricky to find, I suppose, but not impossible. If you collect either Masterpiece figures or Optimus Prime, you owe it to yourself to have this figure in your collection. Highly recommended!
The upgrade kit featured here? That looks to be harder to find, as it is sold out many places. But the US (blue Roller) version still seems to be in stock at least at Big Bad Toy Store, at the time of this writing. Is it an essential upgrade kit? No. The jet pack, while well executed, is far from necessary. I'd really only suggest it if you desperately wish to add some more G1 toy accuracy to Roller. Which I did! So I suppose if you're like me in that respect, I'd recommend it. But it is otherwise skippable. |
Review added 9 September 2014 by Yotsuya. Comments are welcomed!