Toy review - MPM-4 Movie Masterpiece Optimus Prime

[Trent]

Great write up Magnus. I'm gettin the Takara version so I have to wait until September to give it a go.

[drifand]

I thought for a MP, this should have chrome finishes. But yes I can see people agreeing and disagreeing with this. I can see a price increase lately for masterpieces and is to a point I am thinking whether I really want to vote with my wallet for the quality I am paying.

Good review btw.

[Magnus]

Your review reflects my opinion perfectly! I got very frustrated when I first transformed him into vehicle mode and didn't know that he had the common misaligned panels design flaw (thought it was my transformation skills, even though I followed the instructions step by step). It really soured my experience.

Other than that, the robot mode is pretty good although I prefer the proportions of the ROTF Leader. The transformation shares some similarities to the Leader class figure so this Masterpiece didn't blow me away as much as MPM3 Bumblebee did. Overall, I think he is a tad bit pricey but is a solid rendition of the character.

I knew about the potentially misaligned nose going in, but since some units didn't have it, I decided to risk it anyway.

In terms of proportions, I think the RotF mould's big advantage is its bigger arms. The chest wouldn't be so big in proportion if MPM-4 had bigger arms, and MPM-4 has smaller panels on its arms as well as concealing the storage boxes on the lower legs.

Regarding the transformation, I know what you mean. The legs being so familiar means that the transformation doesn't seem to be very 'novel', but it show how 'right' the designers got RotF Optimus.

Great write up Magnus. I'm gettin the Takara version so I have to wait until September to give it a go.

Please let us know what you think, especially if you find something different to what I've written or photographed.

I thought for a MP, this should have chrome finishes. But yes I can see people agreeing and disagreeing with this. I can see a price increase lately for masterpieces and is to a point I am thinking whether I really want to vote with my wallet for the quality I am paying.

Good review btw.

I'm glad it doesn't have chrome - the finish is liable to rub or flake off, especially on the grille and bumper, which forms the soles of the feet. Silver paint doesn't look quite as nice, but it's a lot more durable.

Price rises in general would be due to the ever-increasing cost of R&D, tooling, raw materials, and factory costs. I suspect that the movie masterpieces in particular are pricey due to their more intricate sculpting and tooling, a potentially higher part count, and the use of die-cast metal (the metal parts themselves have detailed shapes and details, too).

[KingGrimlock]

Got this guy yesterday and I really like him. the transformation is involved but still enjoyable for me. However I too have the issues with the cab gap, sometimes it will stay and other times it won't, maybe a better fix will come around in the future. Robot mode is fantastic with all its detailing and looks great next to mpm3.