Toy review - MPM-6 Movie Masterpiece Ironhide

[Magnus]

Series - Masterpiece
Sub-line - Movie Masterpiece
Size/class - N/A
New/remould/redeco - New
Wave - N/A
Released here - N/A
RRP - ￥15,000 (https://tf.takaratomy.co.jp/products-lineup/tf_mp/mpm-6)
Approximate Size - 20cm
Allegiance - Autobot
Alt-mode - GMC Topkick C4500 4x4
Main Features/Gimmicks - Masterpiece detail and engineering; licensed vehicle mode
Main Colours - Black
Main Accessories - Cannons

Vehicle mode

https://i.imgur.com/BLQckVv.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/ZNQIq20.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/MqElEXe.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/QqwbNSa.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/yUhrI7e.jpg

A customised GMC Topkick C4500. The truck has a lovely, glossy black paint job, but from what I've seen, it is vulnerable to scratching. For some odd reason, the running lights on Ironhide's roof are yellow instead of blue.

The three pieces of the bonnet don't seem to line up perfectly, even when things are properly tabbed together.

In terms of robot undercarriage that is visible from a profile shot, he's actually fairly good. There have been worse Ironhides. Yes, the toes are visible from behind.

The smokestacks are made of soft plastic. Mine are warped due to being packaged. I haven't tried it, but it may be possible to straighten them by applying heat.

https://i.imgur.com/pehrSha.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/Za9OBo4.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/pPBzrQ5.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/pmTLSMI.jpg

Here he is next to the other current Movie Masterpiece vehicles. Ironhide seems to be well-scaled compared to the cars, but I can't help but think he's too big compared to Optimus Prime.

Transformation

Very complex.

Transforming to robot mode isn't too bad, but transforming to truck mode is fiddly - getting the truck cab panels to line up so that the pieces all attach to the proper tabs is tricky, and getting the bonnet halves to attach to the centre is surprisingly challenging and requires a little more force that I personally feel comfortable applying. The owner also has to learn the angles of the shoulder and elbow joints to allow the windscreen and side panels to align properly, although this will come after a few transformations. The only figure I have experience with that has a similar issue is Masterpiece Rodimus Prime - his multi-jointed ankles needed to be in the right position to allow the feet to fit properly in vehicle mode.

I must admit to being somewhat disappointed that even the Movie Masterpiece figure couldn't avoid using a faux folded bumper for his chest.

Robot mode

https://i.imgur.com/PzMsAFR.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/ehwz0zw.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/12plCuX.jpg

This is where Ironhide shines - he really looks like he jumped off the screen. There is lots of moulded detail all over the figure, which manages to avoid being lost in all the black, and all this detail makes him interesting to look at. Now there is some unpainted black plastic as well as dark grey, some of it painted, some of it unpainted plastic.

His proportions, particularly of his lower body - are the closest yet that Hasbro/TakaraTOMY's designers have come to replicating the proportions of his character model. Previous versions haven't quite captured the bulk of his legs.

https://i.imgur.com/QU7lSrJ.gif https://i.imgur.com/pJJz7Cl.jpg

The panels on the backs of his upper arms look ungainly, but they are screen-accurate - the CGI model has panels running along the backs of his shoulders.

https://i.imgur.com/BdtiygW.jpg

Close-up of the head and slightly asymmetrical face.

https://i.imgur.com/Z53iYm2.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/AQQTCwk.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/hOKjrax.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/QJCRGyz.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/0BKIsno.jpg

The detail in the sculpt extends to his cannons, which are capable of attaching to the flanks of the truck.

https://i.imgur.com/80dfxUf.jpg

Articulation is fairly good. The head can rotate and tilt vertically, and he has an opening mouth.

The shoulders rotate at their base, have two ratcheted hinges, a mid-humeral rotator, a ratcheted elbow, a wrist rotator, wrist flexion/extension, and articulated fingers - the thumb has two hinges, the index finger has two hinges, and the other three fingers are moulded together and also have two hinges. The placement of the shoulders, while screen-accurate, seems to in turn limit the placement of the arms, possibly explaining why there are two hinged joints at the shoulder and why the shoulder pads themselves are free-moving - more on this later.

The waist can rotate, and Ironhide can bend at the waist with a joint that is unlocked.

The hips are limited in their forward and backward movement, but there is a secondary joint in the hip that shifts the legs outwards to allow for greater movement. The knees have a ratcheted joint, but are limited in their range of movement due to the parts on Ironhide's calves. The ankles have up and down flexion and limited inversion, and the front of the foot - the toes - have independent hinged movement.

As with previous Movie Masterpieces, Ironhide has some diecast metal in his construction. His crotch plate and parts of his shins and feet are metal.

A major point of contention is that the truck bonnet halves that form his shoulders don't lock into the chest, meaning they move when someone moves his arms. This is screen-accurate - the truck bonnet halves could move when Ironhide moved his arms. On the toy, however, this means that the shoulders can flop around and even droop if the bonnet halves come out from behind the triangular chest piece while moving the arms. It is possible to move the bonnet in such a way that the spring-loaded part holding the front wheel becomes wedged and rests against the part that clips into the chest - this will at least minimise if not outright eliminate the risk of the shoulder spontaneously falling out of alignment.

The panels on the forearms that the cannons attach to are large - larger than I'd like, but to be honest I don't really see where else the designers could put them.

https://i.imgur.com/IRXFSqA.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/FyICtic.jpg

With the other Movie Masterpiece figures in robot mode. Where he seemed too big compared to Optimus Prime in vehicle mode, Ironhide now seems scaled more appropriately.

Verdict

https://i.imgur.com/aFGUae2.jpg

The Studio Series Ironhide will probably be enough for a lot of people. However, if you have to have the most detailed and screen-accurate movieverse Ironhide you can get, especially one that fits in with the other Movie Masterpieces, it will have to be the Movie Masterpiece. While he's not a bad figure, he's not perfect, either.

The shoulder design in particular seems to plant Ironhide firmly into 'display piece' territory rather than 'toy', although to be fair, that's what most people buying this figure are aiming for anyway. Keep this in mind and you'll probably be happy with him.

[GoktimusPrime]

The shoulder design in particular seems to plant Ironhide firmly into 'display piece' territory rather than 'toy',
This is what kills it for me. Playability is the core function of a toy. A toy that sucks to be played with is like having nice looking but inedible food. Even as a display piece the hindered shoulder articulation greatly limits this appeal because there are a lot of dynamic poses that you can't put Ironhide in, like say having his arms reaching straight ahead.

I get that it's screen accurate, but in this case the screen accuracy has let it down. In the movie screen model the pectoral panels cave in to allow the arms to swing forward. I dunno, even if there was a way for the arms to swing around and configure either with them hanging off the back of the shoulders for screen accuracy or off the sides for better poseability... I think that would've been a gooder option.

I tried to give Ironhide an action pose but ended up making him look like a pretentious catwalk model. Masterpiece Derek Zoolander!
https://i.ibb.co/wYrDhQ2/mpm-ironhide.jpg

I'll be giving this figure something that its arms can't do; a wide berth.

[Ralph Wiggum]

He looks fantastic to me, especially compared to the last effort of Barricade.

I'll likely get him but I'll wait until I move into the new house in March when everything isn't in storage.

Thanks for the review btw. I don’t have any problems with the scale either, the vehicle mode of Ironhide is hige irl.

[DaptoDog]

I opened mine up this week. He's so beastly in robot mode, has a really nice weight to it. I'm less concerned with playability so can accept its flaws.

Have watched a couple videos on the transformation to pick up truck mode and it looks like it will frustrate me similar to MPM-7 Bumblebee. Will give it a go on the weekend.

[MayzaPrime]

I opened mine up this week. He's so beastly in robot mode, has a really nice weight to it. I'm less concerned with playability so can accept its flaws.

Have watched a couple videos on the transformation to pick up truck mode and it looks like it will frustrate me similar to MPM-7 Bumblebee. Will give it a go on the weekend.

It is frustrating... I did it, never again.

[DaptoDog]

It is frustrating... I did it, never again.

Well done, I gave it a go this avo while watching a video review and got stuck on getting the front two hood pieces to connect to the centre bit. Magnus wasn't joking on that, must have to use more force.

I've never been unable to transform a figure so I will persevere but don't want to break it in the process. Will try again once I'm able to concentrate and be patient. This is where I find the G1 Masterpiece figures to be far superior, the transformations are more enjoyable.

[DaptoDog]

Finally got it close enough after another hour plus of fiddling trying to get everything to tab together. Only bit that still wasn't right was one of the front hood parts not tabbing in. Great looking figure, but not a good Transformer. :rolleyes:

[FruitBuyer]

Finally got it close enough after another hour plus of fiddling trying to get everything to tab together. Only bit that still wasn't right was one of the front hood parts not tabbing in. Great looking figure, but not a good Transformer. :rolleyes:

Yeah, this describes him to a T for me. He looks very impressive and screen-accurate but is a bit funky to pose and transform.

[Magnus]

This is what kills it for me. Playability is the core function of a toy. A toy that sucks to be played with is like having nice looking but inedible food. Even as a display piece the hindered shoulder articulation greatly limits this appeal because there are a lot of dynamic poses that you can't put Ironhide in, like say having his arms reaching straight ahead.

That's why I specified that Ironhide was very much a display piece rather than a plaything; then again, one could make the argument that any Transformer that takes more than a minute or two to transform isn't a good toy anyway because the transformation interrupts play.

I find that with Ironhide, the articulation isn't hindered so much as it's different, because the axis of motion of the shoulders is different to that of a human; the rotator moves the arm out to the sides rather than forward and backward. It's still possible to orient the arms so that the forearms (and therefore cannons) are facing forward, but it won't look natural for a human.


Finally got it close enough after another hour plus of fiddling trying to get everything to tab together. Only bit that still wasn't right was one of the front hood parts not tabbing in. Great looking figure, but not a good Transformer. :rolleyes:

I just transformed it again. One thing that I find helps with getting the bonnet together is to not push the outer parts straight in to the centre piece, but rather to push them in at an angle; angle the pieces down so the wheel arches are up (from the front, the bonnet should have a shallow V shape), and then push the bonnet pieces down and in.