Toy Review - POTP LDR Evolution Optimal Optimus

Optimal Optimus
Series - Generations
Sub-line - Power of the Primes
Size/class - Leader
New/remould/redeco - new
Wave - 3
Released here - June 2018
Approximate Retail Price - ($88)
Approximate Size - 30cm?
Allegiance - Autobot
Alt-mode - Cybertronian Gorilla/Cargo Ship
Main Features/Gimmicks - Small robot combines with Gorilla to form bigger robot
Main Colours - Orange, grey, blue (Black, white, red for Optimus Primal)
Main Accessories - 2-part gun, blue matrix

Robot Mode:

https://i.imgur.com/DNgBVFn.jpg?1

https://i.imgur.com/9NmG7k8.jpg?1

Now I'm not someone who knows a lot about Beast Wars, but the figure is pretty good. He comes with a gun that splits into 2, but holding it in Optimal Optimus mode is a bit awkward. It works a lot better in Optimus Primal mode. Speaking of which I do love the Optimus Primal figure as well. Instead of transforming into a gorilla, he transforms into a futuristic ship of some sort.

Gorilla Mode:

https://i.imgur.com/DWaeRTJ.jpg?1

Similar to the robot mode he is well articulated except for his legs. I do love how he can ride the Optimus Primal ship mode as a hoverboard. Only real downside of the figure is that his back is hollow, although this can be filled with Optimus Primal

Cargo Ship Mode:

https://i.imgur.com/ozOJQIB.jpg?1

His Cargo Ship is OK at best. The Optimus Primal part is the best but the rest does sorta look like a gorilla lying down with its arms and legs positioning itself. Then again the Original Optimal Optimus was like this as well and it's not the main focus as well so it's more of an oversight then anything else.

Overall:
Optimal Optimus is a good modern update of his original toy which was released 2 decades ago! (Wow where has the time gone). He isn't flawless, but he is a fun toy to play with. If you can find him at Big W once the Toy Sale starts on Thursday, I do recommend picking him up

I'm not a BW fan and don't know the original toy at all, but (or thus) I think this guy is great in hand. Big robots are great, little robot is great. A lot of backpack going on, and any non-biped modes are... not amazing, but still a lot of awesome stuff going on here I think, and he's miles away from the sort of stuff we've been getting lately.

It seems lot a lot of BW fans are dissatisfied with him and apparently the original toy holds up well, but I'm very happy with this purchase and it's nice to see a non-G1 guy get some love from Hasbro.

As with the other two POTP leaders, I adore the intended playpattern, but find the actual execution a bit naff. I enjoy the idea of a Cybertronian Primal for the smaller robot but it is so lack lustre in implementation. He folds into a box with a cockpit at the end. Yawn.

I have 0 connection to this character or the original toy, so my going into this was it was a strange robot monkey that I didn't vote for in the poll :P

However, this guy is super awesome! The Optimal Optimus Mode is A+, with good articulation and a really neat design/paint scheme that works way better in person that it did when I saw the photos online! His presence is always really good-he commands attention! Only downside is the weapon use is a bit weird (apparently homages the OG toy but I think it looks really dumb).

The 'core' Optimus Primal is good looking from the front, with great posability-his backpack is huge but I think because it's literally a brick it doesn't draw attention except from the back view.

Gorillia mode is okay (not a big fan of beast modes and this is no exception) and I haven't got him into the spaceship thing yet-the nice thing about the gorilla mode is you can actually have the gorilla (with a hollow back) and Primal in use at the same time, which is a cool play pattern.

Haven't got the Rod Leader (trying to find the Unicronis version) but this guy is a close second to POTP Prime for a really fun, good looking toy!

I don't have this toy and I don't care enough to buy it, but I have handled Tha_Phantom's. Like the other POTP Evolution Leader Class figures this toy is another Jack of All Master of None figure, but ultimately as someone who already has the original BW Optimal Optimus and Optimus Primal toys I'm just not feeling it. The more modern level of articulation is nice, and I love how the chest guns can be removed to become hand guns. The fact that this toy won't shoot you in the eyes like the original OpOp is pretty nice. :) And the dark metallic blue looks good and it's cool that you'll never need to worry about chrome flaking. I also like how it's all 5mm port compatible - always cool. I also like how they did away with the "exploding armour" gimmick, so now the armour plates are single pieces which are really easy to put on!

Drawbacks include:
* The small Optimus Primal figure has no alt mode (other than being Optimal Optimus' hoverboard)
* Optimus Primal's colours clash badly with Optimal Optimus, especially as his rather superfluous backpack. But I understand that for this price point that there was no other way around it, but the end result is still rather unfortunate.
* Why are his Maximal logos so tiny? :confused: And why does Optimal Optimus have red eyes instead of green? :confused:
* No terrestrial vehicle mode. Sadly his off-road vehicle mode has been sacrificed on this toy.

https://image.ibb.co/m56FCe/POTP_optimusprimal1.jpg

https://image.ibb.co/gB7Nse/POTP_optimusprimal2.jpg

https://image.ibb.co/b41RJK/POTP_optimusprimal3.jpg

All of the POTP Leaders are Jack of All Master of None toys, but I think Optimal Optimus suffers from being the most ambitious one so far. It's trying to be 2 toys at once which, okay, Optimus Prime and Rodimus Prime do too; but Optimus Primal's design and colours are at odds with Optimal Optimus. Furthermore Optimus Primal doesn't have his own alt mode, whereas Orion Pax and Hot Rod do. He also rides on Optimus Primal's back rather than sitting inside the "Mega Pretender Shell" like Orion and Roddy, and the mismatching colours to boot make him an eyesore. The hoverboard mode feels superfluous since that was a feature from Transmetal Mega Optimus Primal, which neither of these figures represent so... weird. And you can actually form Optimal Optimus' beast mode without Optimus Primal, which shows how useless he is in that mode. Sure, the back is hollow but it's not essential like Orion Pax is to Optimus Prime's truck mode or Hot Rod for Rodimus Prime's Space Winnebago mode. In this regard he kinda reminds me of G1 Gunrunner where the core robot transforms into baggage. :/ In beast mode only. He's still essential for the robot mode as he's the chest and head... and that's kinda annoying too because you can't remove the eyesore backpack component. It'd be nice if it were at least partially removable.

Overall

On the whole it's really not much better or worse than the other POTP Leaders. Many of its drawbacks come from the fact that this is a very ambitious toy that's trying to do a lot, so they're justifiable flaws from an engineering POV. And the less justifiable flaws are mostly cosmetic. So for what this toy is trying to achieve, it is a reasonably well made figure. Just not my thing. I think that this toy has a pretty niche appeal, and if it tickles your fancy then by all means feel free to grab this toy. :) But if not then just skip it and stick with your original BW figures - you're not really missing out on a whole lot.
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y22.../jaam_jaam.gif

I punched out the pin holding Primal on to Optimal so now I have two figures! Primal can still plug into Optimal for the various modes.

I was initially excited for this toy and did not look at to many spoilers before getting him in hand. I have to say I am somewhat disappointed with it now that I own it, to the point of having a little buyers remorse...

Unfortunately I have to echo most of the negative comments above...my biggest gripe being the ridiculous black square shaped thing sitting on his back in Optimal Optimus mode :rolleyes: I would of liked to have seen this attempted to be hidden a bit better inside the Optimal Body

Talk about inflation by the way...you are getting roughly half the mass of toy compared to the original for around the same dollars...

Two figures for the price of one (leader)

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

https://i.imgur.com/VTS7RUd.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/tRQa4mR.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/qIQiWj0.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/QiK7lwK.jpg

Its a clever toy that looks fantastic in robot mode (And let's face it, you won't really be transforming him much) and the Optimus Primal figure is just a perfect smaller representation.

My biggest regret is that it looks too similar to the original that I don't really know why I bought it. Other than to get a more sturdy safe version of OpOp to play with, because I am fearful of his paint flaking on the original.