Ultimetal UM01 Optimus Prime

[Wheelie]

One only has to look to action masters to see the popularity of TFs that don't transform. And for that price, it would want to transform and drive me to work

I remember being so disappointed when I got one of those action masters when I was a kid, why make a transformer that can't transform?

[Megatran]

I think everyone is looking at this from the wrong perspective. The obvious solution is to seek out Vector Sigma and turn this inanimate object into a true transformer.

Then pimp out OP to pay off the money you owe.

Oh yes, OP can drive Trent to work.

[griffin]

why make a transformer that can't transform?

That's because up until that point, all Transformers toys could convert, but that just led people later to keep confusing "transformer" the verb with "Transformer" (r) the noun.

Since then, we've had countless figurines and other non-convertible Transformers toys (including a few humans, and even a Quintesson), but since Actionmasters were the first to break into that frontier, they are forever demonised as if they are the only non-convertible Transformers (r) toys ever.
When if fact, they were designed to be more cartoon/comic accurate representations of classic toys with better poseability than many of the originals (like the Movie Robot Replicas)... but unfortunately, they padded out the AM line with too many characters that were new, which defeated the point of the toy (to have a more detailed representation of a convertible "brick", uh, toy).

Saying that every Transformers (r) toy should transform, is like saying every Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle toy should be a turtle.
It's just a brand name... not an indication, or guarantee of what the product can do.

[Cat]

A million times that.

Not eveything has to transform. Releasing things that don't doesn't take away from the toy budgets, doesn't affect their production, and doesn't send out a magic beam that turns all your toys mode-locked.

Btw Action Masters are ALSO awesome, and highly under-rated.

Luckily, there's room for all of us, and I enjoy collecting in both worlds, but it's damn irritating to have every new thing ruined by someone going 'but it doesn't transform' when it's something that was never INTENDED to transform.

It's the new 'Trukk Not Monkee'.

[liegeprime]

I'd get one if it was affordable... as it is the price is quite prohibitive. I don't care if it transforms or not, I'm playing with my MPs more in bot mode anyways not in their vehicle mode. So this giant one would be most welcome... if not for the price.

[Trent]

Saying that every Transformers (r) toy should transform, is like saying every Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle toy should be a turtle.
It's just a brand name... not an indication, or guarantee of what the product can do.

Not really. I see it more like making one of the actual turtles, like Donatello, a dugong

A million times that.

Not eveything has to transform. Releasing things that don't doesn't take away from the toy budgets, doesn't affect their production, and doesn't send out a magic beam that turns all your toys mode-locked.

Btw Action Masters are ALSO awesome, and highly under-rated.

Luckily, there's room for all of us, and I enjoy collecting in both worlds, but it's damn irritating to have every new thing ruined by someone going 'but it doesn't transform' when it's something that was never INTENDED to transform.

It's the new 'Trukk Not Monkee'.

It's nothing like Trukk not Munky (God I hate that saying. It sums up the stupidity and smallmindedness of this fandom in 3 (2 of which are spelled incorrectly) words ). It's just a simple case of my personal preference. I collect actual Transformers, not statues, busts or any of the like.

As I said earlier, it's a fantastic looking piece that would look good in anyones collection. But the lack of a transformation takes the wonder out it for me.

I fail to see how that is "ruining" it for you

[Tober]

That toy is ruined by not being able to transform.

I can see the point in a statue like Sideshow's Optimus Prime ($1200) or Megatron ($2000) from the Bay Movies, given that the transformation is too complex to accurately be portrayed, even at double the size of UM01.

It looks a lot like the cut-away picture from The Ultimate Guide book. So maybe they will do one for Megatron too...

[BigTransformerTrev]

Loving the fact you can even disassemble his gun - now thats cool!

[GoktimusPrime]

RE: Action Masters
Unlike Ultimetal Optimus Prime, Action Masters weren't just non-convertible merchandise or a sub line of toys - they were part of the "mainstream" line of Transformers and they comprised a reasonably significant part of the toyline at the time. This Ultimetal Optimus Prime is a piece of Transformers merchandise, it's not part of the action figure line proper. Transformation is a significant part of the appeal of the Transformers franchise - the 'puzzle play' is a core part of the Transformers line's play pattern. The bread and butter if you will. I can understand that there will be 'peripheral' toys and items of merchandise that don't transform - we've had that since the 1980s (e.g. voice changer Ultra Magnus etc.), but I think that action figures that are part of the "main" action figure line ought to be able to transform. ROTF Combiner Class Devastator was another more recent example of how a toy that didn't "really" transform (i.e had no individual robot modes) wasn't received well by the market, as evidenced by it's incredible shelfwarming.

As Cat said, this is not a toy. It's a piece of merchandise. It's a very expensive piece of merchandise, no doubt... but that's what it is. And as he said, if we want something to play with, that's what proper action figures are for, like MP10. Action Masters sucked because they existed in lieu of proper transforming action figures. Ultimetal OP is personally not my thing (neither are busts or statues), but I don't begrudge it either. It's not a toy, and it's not trying to be a toy... unlike Action Masters who were very much marketed as being part of the core action figure line.

[Cat]

http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/p...06&mode=retail

$1300US at BBTS.

I don't even want to know what their shipping will be.

And I (mostly) agree with Gok. We always disagree, but HE GETS IT.

He's just wrong about how awesome Action Masters were and are, but that's a whole different story.

Everything else, he completely NAILED.

First sign of the apocalypse? YES.

But more important than the apocalypse, HE GETS IT.

And MP10 is such a great analogue for this piece. For some reason I cannot fathom, and I don't believe anyone has pointed out, this piece uses the covered leg-wheels of the MP10 design, when there was absolutely no need to. It's a bit of a strange choice really.