Toy Review - The Last Knight Barricade (Deluxe)

[GoktimusPrime]

Series – The Last Knight
Sub-series - Premier Edition
Size/class - Deluxe
New/remould/redeco - new
Wave - 1
Released here – late April 2017
RRP - $29
Approximate Size - 12.5cm to top of head, 14cm with shoulder panels fully extended
Allegiance - Decepticon
Alt-mode – 2016 Ford Mustang police car
Main Features/Gimmicks – N/A
Main Colours – orange blue, white, greys
Main Accessories – pistol, nightstick, gun belt

Let me begin by saying that I've approached the TLK line with low expectations, as much of this line hasn't really appealed to me. However Barricade was the one toy which piqued by curiosity, but even then I wasn't expecting to hope for too much from it. But I must admit, this toy has greatly exceeded my jaded expectations and I was actually quite pleasantly surprised. This toy is nicer than it looks. I'll start by looking at the robot mode, since that's the mode that it comes packaged in (in it's oversized space wasting box :rolleyes:).

ROBOT MODE
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/goktimusprime/Transformers/The%20Last%20Knight/TLK_barricade05_zpsa3lcwmbr.jpg
Aesthetically it's a significant departure from the old movie Barricade. Gone are the far more bestial-monstrous designs of the robot mode replaced by a far more humanoid proportioned body (which is more appealing to me). This is going back to the "mecha" style of Transformers which is more orthodox in TF designs (and something which many people have disliked about previous Bayformer designs). The head is still bestial, although evoking a more insectoid design that's similar to what we saw in characters like DotM Crankcase (http://www.otca.com.au/boards/showthread.php?t=11061) (who looks a lot like Berserker in TLK).

TLK Barricade forms a far more solid robot mode. It's better balanced and isn't prone to disconnecting at the waist like the original figure does. The toy isn't encumbered by having that ungainly extendable claw gimmick from the 2007 claw, and the absence of having an ejectable Frenzy in the chest means that the upper body is far more compact (although the Frenzy gimmick was pretty neat :)). But because this toy isn't slave to any gimmick it can dedicate all of its design and engineering into the core toy itself, which it does quite well.
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/goktimusprime/Transformers/The%20Last%20Knight/TLK_barricade06_zpsrou3eiuw.jpg
The "Serve" and "Protect" mirror-reversed text on the knuckle dusters look funky and along with the more humanoid robot form gives Barricade more of a boxer/brawler look (as opposed to being a robotic gorilla like the original figure). The gun belt can be wrapped around Barricade's left forearm, and the nightstick and pistol may either be holstered on the sides of this thighs or placed in his hands. The nightstick is 5mm thick as is its handle, which means that can be held by the shaft and used as a club weapon (as shown in my photo), or it can be held by the handle and used like a tonfa. I quite like the idea of Barricade being a much more versatile fighter. Able to attack at range with his guns or melee with his tonfa or knuckle dusters. The colours work pretty well on Barricade and remind me of Chase the Police-Bot from Rescue Bots. Barricade features an impressive 19 points of articulation.

TRANSFORMATION

There are some really nice features in the transformation which help to make Barricade as least shellformery as possible. The way that some of the panels tuck away and how some of the parts shift is quite clever, intuitive, reasonably challenging and fun. It incorporates some of the nicer elements that we've seen from other recent figures, including Masterpiece. Impressively, the holstered weapons can remain holstered during transformation. Only the gun belt needs to be removed and can be placed on the rear of the vehicle.

VEHICLE
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/goktimusprime/Transformers/The%20Last%20Knight/TLK_barricade03a_zpspfxbb51z.jpg
A pretty decent look police car. Hasbro have gotten significantly gooder at matching the painted clear plastic colours with that of the painted plastic, which is something that Hasbro have often struggled with (http://www.otca.com.au/boards/showthread.php?t=18517). I would prefer to see the red and blue in the strobe rack be brighter, but it doesn't look bad.
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/goktimusprime/Transformers/The%20Last%20Knight/TLK_barricade03b_zps5rhmto2j.jpg

Comparison Pics with 2007 Barricade

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/goktimusprime/Transformers/The%20Last%20Knight/TLK_barricade02_zpstkemecxp.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/goktimusprime/Transformers/The%20Last%20Knight/TLK_barricade01_zpsl693mxqa.jpg

OVERALL

I was seriously expecting to dislike this toy. At best, I was hoping that I would find it mediocre... if I was lucky. But I didn't hope for anything more than that. This is pretty much how I approach almost all TFs now outside of MPs and CHUGUR. I walk in with low expectations and brace myself for the disappointment, and as such, I usually wait until I find the toy on sale. Seeing these toys online and IRL I thought, "Gee, Hasbro. Thanks for saving me money. These toys look rubbish." But I got impatient with TLK Barricade and paid full quid expecting to feel ripped off about it later.

But I don't.

I am actually really impressed with this toy. It has truly exceeded my expectations for a Movieverse Deluxe figure. This is how you silence your critics. Not through words but through actions - by making good products! When I was transforming both the 2007 and TLK Barricades for the comparison pics, it reminded me of when I did the same for MP5 and MP36 -- TLK Barricade honestly feels like the "MP36" to the original Barricade's "MP5." It's that good. The feeling of frustration is replaced with wonder and just genuine fun. If the other Premier Edition toys are as good as Barricade, then I think that fans will be in for a real treat. Highly recommended! :D

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/goktimusprime/avatars/th_jaam_yum.gif

[Omega Metro]

A great looking figure (for a movie toy). The 2007 Barricade was the first Transformer I bought since the 80s and got me back into TF collecting so have have a bit of a soft spot for this 2017 version. Though I no longer collect movie toys, this is definately on my to buy list.:)

[Maruten]

Never really been into the movie stuff (though I did buy a lot of the AoE deluxes and voyagers). Not interested in Barricade but really like this design. He's my only wave one purchase, I think after the Steelbane and Sqweeks deluxes I'm done with TLK.

[Ravagecat]

Not sold on this, I may be open to getting some of the TLK bots if I get chance to have a play before committing to the buy ;)

But at this stage I am heavily leaning towards "Gee, Hasbro. Thanks for saving me money. These toys look rubbish."

[FatalityPitt]

What happens when you get hit by Barricade's left fist? You got served!

I watched a video review of this guy. I have no plans to buy him because I'm not a fan of the line, but I think he's a really good Transformer.

He's got great detail on him; like the Protect and Serve knucklebusters, Decepticon symbol on the head, etc. Transformation is also quite simple, and because his design isn't too over the top, he wouldn't look too out of place if you display him with Neo-G1 and other Generations figures. Also, I like how the gun and baton can be stored on the thighs.

However, I'm not crazy about the multi-barreled ring-shaped weapon (it looks a bit corny), and I think the toy would be a lot cooler if the car roof can detach and plug onto the arm as a riot shield , but that's just my own personal preference.

He's good, but I don't plan on buying anymore movie toys after the few I already own.

[kurdt_the_goat]

I wonder why his knuckle dusters don't say the old Punish & Enslave?

[griffin]

I wonder why his knuckle dusters don't say the old Punish & Enslave?

Maybe all that time disguised as a police car, he had a (small) change of heart and goes vigilante... with his own brand(ing) of justice. A bit like Deadpool - not good, but not quite evil (anymore).

[SMHFConvoy]

Bought him to make an IDW Prowl out of him. Just figured out how to store his gattling wrist brace underneath him in car mode

[Bladestorm]

Got him today and have the same sentiment as Gok.
Had low expectations but he's actually a very nice figure and superior to those we got with TF4.
My son hasn't put him down so he's standing up the play treatment too so far.

Well done Hasbro. Looks like these toys are going to better than we'd hoped.

[Omega Metro]

Can someone tell me if this Barricade is the same height as AOE Lockdown deluxe in robot mode?:)

[GoktimusPrime]

Well done Hasbro. Looks like these toys are going to better than we'd hoped.
That's what I thought, which is what prompted me to impulsively pick up Bumblebee and Berserker which I've since regretted. :( Although Barricade is a fantastic toy, it may be too early to tell if he's indicative of the quality of the overall TLK line or merely a diamond in the rough.

Can someone tell me if this Barricade is the same height as AOE Lockdown deluxe in robot mode?:)
Yes, they are the same height. Lockdown is 12.5cm to the top of his head in robot mode, same as TLK Barricade. The "Gunhead" mode adds a cm to Lockdown's height.

[Omega Metro]

Yes, they are the same height. Lockdown is 12.5cm to the top of his head in robot mode, same as TLK Barricade. The "Gunhead" mode adds a cm to Lockdown's height.

Thanks. Lockdown is the only movie thing I have but he is soon to have Barricade as a friend.:)

[KingGrimlock]

Just to add my 2 cents on him, I think a fair bit of creativity went into designing this guy, they took the whole idea of a evil cop bot and pulled it off really well. The knuckle dusters with protect and serve are great because not only does it give him some extra weapons in a way, but it also shows the kindve character he is. The gun and baton look great and the fact they can be holstered and remain holstered through transformation shows to me that they've made things simpler yet functional. The gun punch thing (a bunch of shotguns tied together by the looks of it) is a weird weapon but one I would still love to see being used. Whilst he is a bit of a turtle in robot mode I can forgive them due to the amount of detail on this figure, everywhere I look on it there are lines and grooves which to be fair hasbro has always been good at doing. This toy is full of character and has both a solid robot and vehicle mode, not many people love the movie toys in terms of their style and that's alright, but he may just win one person over into buying him.

[Bumbleb33]

Awesome fig, I get the reference to him being a turtle but in hand I found his "shell" looks more like a long jacket which I feel is actually quite in keeping with him being a dirty cop. Surprisingly I enjoy his nightstick most as he can hold it in a multitude of different ways variable to how you have posed him. Personally I like posing him with longest part of the baton placed on the underside of his arm with handle pointing outwards from under his hand, very much how Sarah Connor carries the baton when escaping from the psych ward in T2.

[Thurmus]

The RRP may be $29 but it is $34.95 at TRU.

[GoktimusPrime]

We all know what TRU's attitude is like when it comes to pricing...
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/goktimusprime/Transformers/meme_truoutoftouch_zpsxbhq8a4g.jpg

[Sinnertwin]

Legends are the same at TRU and Kmart: $8.
Deluxes are 0.99c dearer at TRU than they are at Target.(Kmart is still the cheapest at $29)
Voyagers are 0.99c dearer at TRU than they are at Kmart.
Hardly exorbitant prices.

[GoktimusPrime]

I initially made that meme in reference to their pricing for the TakTOM MPs. $35 for TLK Deluxes is pretty darn steep. But yeah, their prices for most other stuff is alright. And sometimes their prices are actually pretty good, like with the original Hasbro MP3 and MP Soundwave & Cassettes.

[Sutton]

Fairly happy with this guy. I tend to keep his backpack off all the time though, even when I'm not using it as the riot shield.

I may be imagining things, but I think some of the sculpted detail on this guy and Beserker is much sharper than we've seen from Hasbro figures in a long time. The detailing on his waist is particularly impressive - not sure if it's just the colour choice or if they've started using a new mold process.

I also think it's super-neat that not only do his weapons store on his hips, but his hands are at the right level that he can actually grab them from there. Unlike some Soundwaves that can't even push their own eject button, for example...

[Soundwarp]

Way better than the first boxy one!

[Paulbot]

I'm disappointed in this guy. His robot mode is a bit too squat - which wasn't obvious how much in packaging. I found the transformation of the arms, particularly the shoulders lining up with the hips, annoyingly tight. I do like the cop car mode but that's about it. Maybe he'll grow on me.


I wonder why his knuckle dusters don't say the old Punish & Enslave?

He still wears "to punish and enslave" on his car mode.

[Thurmus]

If I hadn't watched the video that shows how to click the shoulders back one notch, I would have had a lovely collection of Barricade pieces and plaster.

[GoktimusPrime]

I wouldn't say that the squat robot mode is a design flaw. Whether it suits a person's aesthetic tastes is entirely subjective. I quite like it as it makes him look more like a brawler. The shoulder thing isn't what I would consider a design flaw either, but clearer instructions would've helped. But we all know that Hasbro instructions are rubbish... really don't know why they can't attach words with the images. Yes, a picture tells a thousand words, but sometimes - often times - language helps too. Cos when you look at instructions with text you look at the pic first and if you get stuck then you can read the text for clarification.

[Paulbot]

I didn't call his squatness a design flaw, I just don't like it.


If I hadn't watched the video that shows how to click the shoulders back one notch, I would have had a lovely collection of Barricade pieces and plaster.

One notch back... oh I see.. and hey the forearm plugs in to the chest as well in that position. Now I get it. Still not sold on this guy.

[Paulbot]

Reappraising and now that I know how to transform him the conversion is fine. He also very nicely sculpted with a lot of detail. I like shade of dark blue which I can't quite place being used on a deluxe before. I do note though that he's not hugely movie-accurate in robot mode based on the packaging images ( and deluxe engineering restraints vs movie magic. Overall unless he's a standout in the movie I won't be keeping him.

[BigTransformerTrev]

My son hasn't put him down so he's standing up the play treatment too so far.

Well done Hasbro. Looks like these toys are going to better than we'd hoped.


( Although Barricade is a fantastic toy, it may be too early to tell if he's indicative of the quality of the overall TLK line or merely a diamond in the rough.

Well I'm working my way through a very old backlog of toys and opened mine and the first thing that happened was one of the pins that holds a door on snapped off with zero pressure. I fixed it but now it comes loose really easy.

Between that and the usual indecipherable instructions I'm not giving Hasbro any kudos on quality - in fact I'd say they can go suck a fat one.

That said, I do like his look in alt-mode and I thought the police baton and pistol were very cool weapons for him to wield - really makes him look like one of those cops you should be scared of.

[Galvatran]

Between that and the usual indecipherable instructions I'm not giving Hasbro any kudos on quality - in fact I'd say they can go suck a fat one.
I haven't heard that line in years. :eek:
:p