Toy Review - TLK Voyager Optimus Prime

Voyager Optimus Prime
Series - The Last Knight Movie
Sub-line – Premier Edition
Size/class - Voyager
New/remould/redeco – New
Wave – 1
Released here - May 2017
Approximate Retail Price - $50
Approximate Size – 18cm
Allegiance -Autobot
Alt-mode – Western Star truck cab
Main Features/Gimmicks – none (sword and shield can attach to truck mode)
Main Colour – Blue, red, grey
Main Accessories – Sword, shield

A new mould, as the Voyager Optimus toy for TF4 was the one that turned into the square "Gen1" cab... it has a lot less backpack kibble than the Leader Optimus toys that turn into a Western Star truck cab.

The transformation is pretty much on par with Voyager and Leader class toys, with a lot of folding up of panels against each other, particularly on the legs and back panel. The entire sides of the truck are one long panel, split into three parts, so that the front wheel covers end up at the back of the feet, where the back wheels are.

The look of the robot mode looks nice, but the colour of the shield and sword spoil it, especially that bright blue shield. I don't know why they do that with the accessories, as they did that on a number of TF4 Optimus toys too.

It took a few transformations to get a fluid conversion going, but after that, it was fairly easy, and not too "fun-less" to do. (not too big, not too small)
It will make a good scaled pairing to the Voyager Megatron, and is definitely the better of the first two Voyagers (Grimlock is just a redeco TF4 toy).

Slightly bigger than the Deluxe boxes, and doesn't have the strip of cardboard at the top, making it easier to tell the two size classes from a distance.
http://www.toycollectors.com.au/blog/d590.jpg

The orange sword you can sorta dismiss as being like a molten hot blade, but that shield... the toy looks better without it.
http://www.toycollectors.com.au/blog/e513.jpg

By the power of Greyskull...
http://www.toycollectors.com.au/blog/e514.jpg

...I have the power! :p
http://www.toycollectors.com.au/blog/e515.jpg

Plenty of joints for plenty of poses...
http://www.toycollectors.com.au/blog/e516.jpg
.
http://www.toycollectors.com.au/blog/d593.jpg
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http://www.toycollectors.com.au/blog/d592.jpg

The photo above and below with the two-handed holding of the sword required unplugging of the shoulders for both hands to reach the sword hilt... but as a static pose, you wouldn't notice unless it was pointed out.
http://www.toycollectors.com.au/blog/d591.jpg

Much better than the AoE Primes. A cool transformation. Never liked the pop up head on the old Leader.

I had to return my first one and get a second Optimus because the roof wasn't tabbing in properly in truck mode.

http://i725.photobucket.com/albums/w...psh8lf7gij.jpg

A very very solid toy; give me hope for a new leader version (if not for TF5 then TF6???)

The few things I look forward to being improved in a 'Platinum Edition'/Armour Knight style revamp:
Show accurate paint (in following with AOE, the Voyager Prime is super inaccurate in its paint scheme)
New colours for the accessories (or at least both orange) and larger; the shield and sword could be scaled up by 25% and they'd be much more impressive
Wrist articulation

Otherwise a good toy, really recommend; thus far the new molds are great!!

I've bought at least one of each character from each of the last 4 movies.

Given this is number 5 I can't justify getting yet another movieverse prime, or any other previous characters, so I'll only be getting toys of new characters.

I thought this figure was going to suck but, it turns out its a good figure even minus the painted details.

Lucky i got it to find out it was good

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Originally Posted by G1Optimal

I thought this figure was going to suck but, it turns out its a good figure even minus the painted details.

Lucky i got it to find out it was good

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You found this toy in Sydney? May I ask where?

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Originally Posted by GoktimusPrime

You found this toy in Sydney? May I ask where?

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I may have one in stock of youre after him, lemme check

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Originally Posted by GoktimusPrime

You found this toy in Sydney? May I ask where?

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I found the voyager prime and grimlock at moore park tru and lidcombe kmart

A far, far, far better rendition of the AOE/TLK Optimus than either of the disappointing Leader figures from last time. A surprisingly involved transformation, given how simplified other TF lines have been in recent years.

The paint apps are lacking, and the colour choices in places are poor (the eyes look particularly dumb) but the molded details are fantastic. They've really upped their game in terms of fine mechanical details, and translating that from factory to toy - not sure of the technical details of the process, but something has changed. The sharpness in the leg and chest detail is awesome, and I'm really looking forward to custom-painting this guy.

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Originally Posted by GoktimusPrime

You found this toy in Sydney? May I ask where?

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I got it from robotkingdom
And i forgot to add in the last post i wish i could find a compatible trailer in the same scale for him.

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Originally Posted by GoktimusPrime

You found this toy in Sydney? May I ask where?

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They have been showing up at Kmarts now as well for $49, compared to ToysRUs price of $50.

Found one at my local Kmart, so Alles Gute. :)

A very satisfying Voyager figure at actually looks better IRL than in photos. Some of the colouring could be better done, but it's by no means a bland looking figure. There are a lot more colours happening on this toy than AoE Voyager Optimus Prime - all in all this is a much better toy than its AoE Voyager and Leader Class counterparts (relative to price/size). The paint apps on the eyes actually look better than I'd expected, and the use of metallic blue and red plastics and paints on the truck body, as well as painted silver highlights are a really nice touch. Colour-wise my only gripes are the cheap "Hasblow" grey on the smoke-stacks and vehicle rear/trailer hitch. Although I would've preferred this grey on the steps. The black clashes with the silver, blue and red surrounding it - at least the cheap grey might've blended with the silver. Not well, but also not jutting out like the black.

But I'll take a superior mould with cheap grey over a lacklustre mould covered in chrome any day. As Sutton said, if the colours bug you then you can always paint over it. But not amount of paint can cover up a bad mould... it's like puttin' lipstick on a pig. :p

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y22.../jaam_jaam.gif

PHOTOS

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y22...pslhysgskf.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y22...psmk6uvpot.jpg

The hitch is a 5mm port so you can slot in any 5mm post weapon/accessory in there.

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y22...pscggjqkid.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y22...psxtkp7q26.jpg

Quote:

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Originally Posted by G1Optimal

And i forgot to add in the last post i wish i could find a compatible trailer in the same scale for him.

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Look no further than your G2 shelf! Laser Optimus Prime's trailer fits in with this toy.
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y22...pswpbyv5xu.jpg

And the trailer slots into this toy a lot tighter than it does on G2 Laser Op. Here's a photo demonstrating how solid the connection is.
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y22...psnr5giv3b.jpg

Tips for connecting G2 Laser Prime's trailer:
* Remove the sword from the underside as the weight of the trailer will push down on the toy and the hilt of the sword may drag. This proves especially cumbersome when rolling on carpet.
* Avoid inserting the trailer's post all the way into TLK OP's hitch. The post is rather short and full insertion may end up lifting OP's rear wheels (rather than having them sitting on the surface to roll with the rest of the wheels). A half-insertion works just fine. :)

Im after a box trailer more than a tanker but, thanks anyway.

http://i725.photobucket.com/albums/w...pscfcdjzzb.jpg

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Originally Posted by G1Optimal

Im after a box trailer more than a tanker but, thanks anyway.

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:( There aren't any box trailers w/ 5mm posts that spring to mind.

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Originally Posted by Deano85

http://i725.photobucket.com/albums/w...pscfcdjzzb.jpg

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:D

The 5mm post has got to be THE best gimmick that Transformers has ever had in terms of simplicity and longevity. As most of us know, 5mm post weapons go all the way back to 1984 with toys like Optimus Prime, Soundwave and the Cassettes all having cross-compatible 5mm post weapons. :cool: And I must say that while Armada cops a fair bit of criticism, its most enduring legacy would have to be the standardisation of the 5mm post. :)

I had a quick muck around with some of my trailers and I found the closest box trailer match that I have is DotM Deluxe Optimus Prime's trailer.
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y22...pshxiqxtoo.jpg
Granted it's small (Deluxe scaled trailer on a Voyager figure) and the connection is loose but it fits well enough for the truck to drag the trailer along. Energon Optimus Prime's trailer is actually a perfect 5mm post but alas the connector is far too short and cannot connect to Optimus Prime's hitch.

This is one of the better Voyager molds in a very long time. Very elegant transformation to recreate a nigh impossible robot design, with minimal truck kibble. Great bang for your buck at the Voyager price.

Since it's been revealed that what we've seen so far is all we'll get in TLK Premier Edition, I however think they missed the opportunity of using this engineering on a Leader class figure. It would've been so much better with the extra budget to further break down the kibble, refine a few robit bits, and get the colors right. That'd be like RotF Leader Prime all over again. Ah well we'll see an MP knight Prime at some point no doubt.

As is, this is still a great desk toy to mess with once in a while. I had it on my desk at work and the co-workers were blown away by the engineering (I work at an engineering firm mind you).:D

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Originally Posted by doublespy

This is one of the better Voyager molds in a very long time. Very elegant transformation to recreate a nigh impossible robot design, with minimal truck kibble. Great bang for your buck at the Voyager price.

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I'm glad I never got the AoE Leader Optimus. It didn't feel like they could make the new robot mode work with all the junk they hanging off him and the silly pop up head gimmick. Will be interesting to see if we do get a leader version with similar transformation. Think there's a KO leader version in production already tho.

Also waiting for that new movie masterpiece prime. The hurt on the wallet never ends haha.

The 2nd Generations Leader AoE Optimus Prime is a decent enough figure. While the robot mode is more kibbley than this Voyager, it does have a more solid looking vehicle mode and superior colours and sculpting -- but of course, at double the price point. So in relative terms they're about on par with each other. The First Edition Leader AoE Prime toy on the other hand is just bad.

TLK Leader Optimus Prime is slated to be a redeco of the Generations AoE Leader Class figure. That's a pass for me.
http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Optimus_Prime...r_Class_toys_7

Quote:

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Originally Posted by doublespy

Since it's been revealed that what we've seen so far is all we'll get in TLK Premier Edition, I however think they missed the opportunity of using this engineering on a Leader class figure. It would've been so much better with the extra budget to further break down the kibble, refine a few robit bits, and get the colors right. That'd be like RotF Leader Prime all over again. Ah well we'll see an MP knight Prime at some point no doubt.

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Deano85

I'm glad I never got the AoE Leader Optimus. It didn't feel like they could make the new robot mode work with all the junk they hanging off him and the silly pop up head gimmick. Will be interesting to see if we do get a leader version with similar transformation.

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by GoktimusPrime

The 2nd Generations Leader AoE Optimus Prime is a decent enough figure. While the robot mode is more kibbley than this Voyager, it does have a more solid looking vehicle mode and superior colours and sculpting -- but of course, at double the price point. So in relative terms they're about on par with each other. The First Edition Leader AoE Prime toy on the other hand is just bad.

TLK Leader Optimus Prime is slated to be a redeco of the Generations AoE Leader Class figure. That's a pass for me.
http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Optimus_Prime...r_Class_toys_7

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I'd be up for an all-new leader-class figure of Knight Optimus - or better yet, a movie masterpiece - but until then, Takara have the Calibur Optimus coming in July, which is a substantial retool of the Armor Knight version of the leader-class mould. The truck parts that form the backpack now become a shield.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Magnus

I'd be up for an all-new leader-class figure of Knight Optimus - or better yet, a movie masterpiece - but until then, Takara have the Calibur Optimus coming in July, which is a substantial retool of the Armor Knight version of the leader-class mould. The truck parts that form the backpack now become a shield.

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I'm keen to see how the shield transforms. Tho the chest and the shoulders are still off compared to the new voyager. Depends if you care about it being screen accurate or not.

I lost interest in the Bayverse Optimus toys after DOTM. I just cannot see Optimus regaining that groove (which peaked with the ROTF leader version) unless Mr. Bay heavily invests in a G1-like truck mode for future movies and even then I'll need to remain sceptical.:(

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y22...ps40c60438.jpg
Age of Extinction Voyager Optimus Prime had a pretty G1-like truck mode and was a better toy than the Leader figures. I think the problem isn't so much the type of truck but more to do with the design of the robot mode. So long as Bay keeps on insisting on having these relatively kibble-free robot modes, then it's going to continue compromising toy design. I'd like to see Transformers go back to having kibbled robot modes.

IMO the "old Camaro" Bumblebee at the start of AoE looked better than the New Camaro after the rescan. And this is because the Old Camaro Bumblebee's robot mode had more vehicle kibble on it. Consequently it's a better toy too.
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y22...psb79f8b51.jpg

Quote:

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Originally Posted by GoktimusPrime

IMO the "old Camaro" Bumblebee at the start of AoE looked better than the New Camaro after the rescan. And this is because the Old Camaro Bumblebee's robot mode had more vehicle kibble on it. Consequently it's a better toy too.
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y22...psb79f8b51.jpg

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That's the only bumblebee I got from that movie. Never liked the fake chest from the New Camaro.

I much prefer the car chests or like the evasion mode prime how everything is integrated.

The new voyager prime manages his kibble well and is a great toy in both modes unlike his AoE version. If you want a screen accurate version you need a non transforming one which defeats the point.

Comparing this Optimus Prime with the AoE leaders

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y22...pslsn4ippl.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y22...psfsvgke1v.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y22...ps77spqnnx.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y22...ps8sygrjlz.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y22...psct2xgldh.jpg

IMO the best to worst are:
1/ Generations Leader Optimus Prime
2/ Voyager TLK Optimus Prime ←a close second, and relative to size and price I'd say it's on par with the Gen. Leader figure.
3/ First Edition Optimus Prime ←outright inferior figure