Toy review - MPM-4 Movie Masterpiece Optimus Prime

[Magnus]

Saw and handled this toy about a month ago... the one that I handled had shoulders that wouldn't lock into position. I asked the owner if there was a way for the shoulders to lock in and he said no - they just sit there. It's a nuisance because the shoulders dislodge every time you move them, which makes it a minor irritant when posing and a significant frustration during play!

Now I don't know if it was just this one toy or if this is a common problem. Please let me know if other people's MPM OPs have this issue or not... don't leave me in the lurch thinking it's a common issue like I did with MP Lambor! But just to ensure that I don't fall into making that mistake again, I will disclaim that I have only ever seen/handled one figure. Awaiting confirmation from others to see if this is common or if my friend just lucked out by getting one with loose-as-goose shoulders. Much like the shoulders on my old MP Lambor, they stay in position just fine if you don't touch them or move them veeery carefully/gently, but they're otherwise highly prone to coming out even with moderate force. And for a post MP Lambor toy you'd think that they'd include some basic way for the shoulders to lock in, even something as simple as a tab (like the way that MP28 Hot Rod's shoulders tab onto the body - it does the job well enough).

Mine definitely doesn't have this problem.

It's possible that you and the owner weren't pushing the shoulder in far enough, because it does click into place and is held quite solidly.

I didn't push the shoulders in far enough for the joints to click the first time I transformed Optimus back into robot mode, so I can understand why someone might think the shoulders didn't lock.

[Ralph Wiggum]

I ended up folding and getting one to match my MPM-03 Bumblebee. They both now sit proudly on the hallway table to welcome guests as they walk in.

It replaced my Leader Class DOTM Jetwing Optimus and having the smaller backpack and smaller arms definitely makes MPM-04 a better looking toy in bot mode. From a transformation perspective, I feel this is a bit of a let down as it doesn't feel as refined as MPM-03 or what I expect from the Masterpiece line. I similarly had issues with keeping the windscreen/bonnet flush, and it felt like pieces were harder to keep tabbed together, like a badly cut jigsaw puzzle.

Still no regrets in purchasing, but with the movie Masterpiece line I'm more inclined to buy after reviews and release, rather than pre-order like I do with the G1 line.

[GoktimusPrime]

Handled someone else's MPM OP and it had the same problem with the shoulders. They do tab in but they don't lock firmly and very easily pop out of place.