Toy Review - PotP Leader Optimus Prime

[GoktimusPrime]

I'm not criticising Rodimus Prime's Space Winnebago mode, I'm talking about Power of the Primes Rodimus Prime's alt mode being worse than POTP Optimus Prime's.
i.e. I'm just looking at the toys from a technical POV.

You look at POTP OP's truck mode and the mostly rubbish looking part is the space behind the cab to the front of the trailer. But from most other angles the truck looks okay, it's just that one spot that looks terrible. POTP Rodimus Prime on the other hand just looks bad from every angle. From the front and sides we can see the two spoilers that don't line up quite right (they look stepped). From the front of the vehicle mode we can see Rodimus Prime's fists really clearly, and from the back of the vehicle we can see Rodimus' feet just hanging there. They don't tuck in flush like Optimus Prime's feet that become the trailer doors.

At the end of the day, both of these POTP Leader Class toys are Jacks of All Trades Masters of None. There are multiple gimmicks crammed into these toys and they have to conform to a Leader Class price point. All things considered, I think that Optimus Prime has been executed really well. Rodimus Prime is okay but not done nearly as well as OP. IMHO if you found POTP OP to be disappointing then steer clear of Rodimus Prime.

...having said all that, I'm skipping Optimus Prime and looking forward to getting Rodimus Prime so... I'm not even taking my own advice here.

[UltraMarginal]

I spent a little time with this at the Hasbro event, I don't mind the deluxe toy, I have trouble dealing with the back of orion pax being entirely the front of the cab. call me picky.

The combined Optimus prime bot mode looks a lot better in person than in pictures I feel. My biggest surprise handling it in person is the head sculpt for Prime, it is utterly gorgeous.

Like Gok, I'm' not sure if I'll pick this up or not, having only bought leader prime and the ginrai add on set a few months ago.

[GoktimusPrime]

I had another play with this toy at Jim_Jim's Café Neon today. It was nice to have a more relaxed play where I could take my time with it whereas at the Hasbro event I didn't want to hog my time too much with any one toy. I never got to transform Optimus Prime at the event because everyone else was having their turns with it. Having now transformed it myself and having a better and closer look at the toy I'm even more impressed with it than I was at the event. Given what this toy is, they've really done a top notch job with this toy, and Jim_Jim was saying (and I agree) that the flaw in the truck mode really is forgivable.

[DELTAprime]

I've come around on this figure and I'm going to get him. While he's not perfect, neither is the much loved Henkei Convoy I have on my shelf now in the Optimus Prime position. Only problem will be finding him at a reasonable price since most cheaper places in Australia don't stock leaders.

[G1Optimal]

Optimus Prime has a dual rocket back pack.

As the orion pax knees looks like rockets

[Sutton]

I like everything about this figure except for the truck cab. It just infuriates me. If the concessions to it were made for a reason that were critical for the other modes then I'd give it a pass, but they're not. Not in any way. The arms flailing out the back with nowhere to go is just terrible design work.

Essentially they've prioritised Orion Pax having rounded arms over the truck mode being complete. If Orion's arm design had been more squared, it would have been possible to make the arms transform further in some way. The chest panel just sits there too.

If Orion Pax isn't important to you and the truck mode is, then there's some scope to improve the look of the truck by removing his arms altogether (either at the shoulder or elbow), this cleans up and 'squares' the truck much better. However, there's still the ugliness of Orion's chest flap and head just sitting there, which is needed for the trailer hitch. The look of the inside of the chest flap could be improved by painting it blue colour-matched to the legs, and likewise I've seen some good improvements to the cab on TFW where chrome has been added to the wheels and window edges. Obviously, removing the arms too often will loosen the joints on Orion over time.

Apart from that big sook, I overall really like this figure though! All the other concessions are worth it for what is one of the most heroic-looking Optimus figures we've ever had.

[GoktimusPrime]

But that's exactly the thing with this toy. It's an "Evolution" figure so they are going to pour more attention to Orion Pax and then work on that as the base so that he "evolves" into Optimus Prime. I often describe these Evolution Leader figures as Jack of All Master of None figures. They are quite ambitious and limited to a Leader Class budget/price point as mass retail toys. If you're not a fan of the Evolution gimmick and you just want a nice looking Orion Pax and Optimus Prime toy, then I'd recommend sticking with the existing Generations Orion Pax and another CHUG Optimus Prime toy (e.g. Voyager, TR etc.). As nice as I think this toy is, this is why I'm personally not interested in buying it. I have plenty of other CHUG OPs and I have Generations Orion Pax. I don't need Evolution Optimus Prime. And definitely avoid Rodimus Prime if you found Optimus Prime to be disappointing. I expect that upcoming Evolution figures like Optimus Primal/Optimal Optimus will be in the same vein, and I'm planning on skipping that toy too. I already have all of the original Optimus Primal toys and I don't feel the need to have an Optimus Primal who can transform into Optimal Optimus. In all honestly I mainly got POTP Rodimus Prime because he is the first and currently only CHUG Rodimus Prime toy around. I have other CHUG Hot Rods, but not a Rod. Prime.

Still, I think that this Optimus Prime mould's not too bad. I'd consider getting the Nemesis Prime redeco.

[Sutton]

But that's exactly the thing with this toy. It's an "Evolution" figure so they are going to pour more attention to Orion Pax and then work on that as the base so that he "evolves" into Optimus Prime. I often describe these Evolution Leader figures as Jack of All Master of None figures. They are quite ambitious and limited to a Leader Class budget/price point as mass retail toys. If you're not a fan of the Evolution gimmick and you just want a nice looking Orion Pax and Optimus Prime toy, then I'd recommend sticking with the existing Generations Orion Pax and another CHUG Optimus Prime toy (e.g. Voyager, TR etc.). As nice as I think this toy is, this is why I'm personally not interested in buying it. I have plenty of other CHUG OPs and I have Generations Orion Pax. I don't need Evolution Optimus Prime. And definitely avoid Rodimus Prime if you found Optimus Prime to be disappointing. I expect that upcoming Evolution figures like Optimus Primal/Optimal Optimus will be in the same vein, and I'm planning on skipping that toy too. I already have all of the original Optimus Primal toys and I don't feel the need to have an Optimus Primal who can transform into Optimal Optimus. In all honestly I mainly got POTP Rodimus Prime because he is the first and currently only CHUG Rodimus Prime toy around. I have other CHUG Hot Rods, but not a Rod. Prime.

Still, I think that this Optimus Prime mould's not too bad. I'd consider getting the Nemesis Prime redeco.

Yeah, don't get me wrong - I overall really like this figure, probably more than it deserves. The bot mode is such a nice powerful representation of the character, and the gappy weirdly-colored trailer is suprisingly not too bad. Just that mess at the back of the truck is so bad - it's like all the other wiggles are 3/10 on the irritation scale, but those arms are 10/10.

But like I said, if Orion Pax isn't a big deal to you, just rip em off and chuck them in your 'customs part box' - improves the truck mode quite a lot and doesn't change the main Optimus mode at all.