Toy Review - Age of Extinction Leader Class Optimus Prime

[GoktimusPrime]

Optimus Prime
Series - Age of Extinction
Sub-line - Generations
Size/class - Leader
New/remould/redeco - New
Wave - 1
Released here - May, 2014
Approximate Retail Price - $99
Approximate Size - 22.5cm to top of head, 23.5cm to top of 'backpack'
Allegiance - Autobot
Alt-mode - Western Star 4900SB
Main Features/Gimmicks - N/A
Main Colours - blue, red, grey
Main Accessories - sword, gun-shield

Note: This review will be making a lot of comparisons with First Edition Age of Extinction Optimus Prime (hereby referred to as FEOP)

PROS
+ Nicer use of chrome. Whereas FEOP concentrates chrome on the torso, shoulder and front grill/bumper, Generations Leader Optimus Prime (GLOP) distributes the chrome around more. There's less chrome on the robot mode but more on the truck mode which, IMO looks nicer.
+ While this toy still has a fair amount of panel-kibble, it's better distributed than on FEOP, with panels on the shoulders, hips and rump instead simply folding behind. This more spread out distribution helps to make the toy look more like a 'Transformer' in a traditional sense; i.e. a robot who's carrying his alt mode parts all over him... whereas FEOP is almost like a Pretender whose vehicular shell folds onto his back.
+ More paint apps on the arms, sword and gun-shield
+ A more "proper" transformation; i.e. is not nearly as much of a shell-former as FEOP.
+ Also a more solid toy in both robot and truck modes, whereas FEOP feels somewhat hollow. The rear of the truck mode looks a lot nicer too, without the 'empty' feel of the rear of FEOP's truck mode.
+ All windows are transparent.
+ Rubber tyres!
+ 22 points of articulation! Including articulated thumbs.
+ Eyes are light piped yellow -- I prefer yellow eyes on Optimus Prime than blue because they better offset the colour of the blue helmet (wheres blue eyes tend to blend too much). Although sticklers for screen likeness may not like this.
+ The smaller shield works better and it also has a freakin' gun attached to it!
+ Autobot insignias are sculpted on the hubcaps! Noice.

CONS
- "You're rather short for a Stormtrooper." -- both robot and truck modes are notably small for a Leader Class toy, and smaller than FEOP.
- Larger shoulder panels are a bit cumbersome (although they are on double-swivel joints which allow them to be positioned on of the way).
- Hasbro Grey. (FEOP has a nicer looking darker grey) Although the grey hubcaps are a nice touch... chrome would've been better, but grey is better than just black.
- He's still carrying a silly backpack (which one would expect from a Voyager or Deluxe, but is still rather ordinary to see on a Leader), but it's a significantly reduced backpack and not as obtrusive as FEOP's backpack.
- The lower parts of the backpack kibble (where the fuel tanks are) still provide some obstruction to backward movement of the legs. I really wish that they could swing back up or something to get them out of the way.
- Why transparent yellow?? Eewww...

Other
* FEOP has two silver lines running along the helmet above the eyes, whereas GLOP has omitted this in favour of silver deco on the forehead crest. Both look nice in their own way, so it's really a matter of personal taste. The screen model appears to have silver on both of these helmet elements, so neither is really more or less screen-like than the other. I personally prefer the stripes on FEOP's helmet as it helps to break up the blues of the toy.

Overall
This toy is still disappointing for a Leader Class Optimus Prime toy, especially considering that the Leader Optimus toys from TF1, ROTF & DOTM were all outstanding toys; each improving over the last... this toy still feels like a step backwards when compared to other Movie Leader Optimus Primes -- having said that, it's not as much of a great leap backwards as FEOP. GLOP is actually a rather nice toy... just not a great Leader class toy. It's like somewhere between an Ultra and a Leader, so I reckon about $80 is a reasonable price to pay for this toy, but certainly not $99. If you're considering getting a Leader Optimus Prime, then I would recommend this toy over FEOP, and if you can find it on sale (places like Kmart & Big W are currently selling this toy for under RRP ).

IMAGES




























^L-R: Leader, GLOP, Ultra, Voyager

[Omega Metro]

Ive pre-ordered the Takara version. I think it's about the same price (Kmart price) than this Hasbro version. And looks soooo much nicer.

[Mythirax]

Awesome review and Screenshots. I'll have to go out and get myself one. I think it looks a lot better than the First Edition.

[Zommael]

I do want the mold, I think, but I don't want another toy that looks so similar to the First Edition. I'll wait and see if Hasbro manage a repaint of the figure (as opposed to a "Silver Knight" depaint) and then look at getting that version. Fingers crossed.

[GoktimusPrime]

Stock images:
Hasbro version - photos on the official page is more accurate to the look of the actual toy
TakaraTOMY version <---looks to have nicer paint apps in robot mode, but still suffers from having yellow windows; RRP 7500JPY (approx. AU$80)

[The_Damned]

nice review gok didn't know it was a different mould.

[Magnus]

I'm kind of tempted, actually - I like the fact that the truck's panels are arranged a bit more evenly around the figure, and that the shield has an integrated gun. It's a shame the backpack's bulk couldn't be compacted a bit more or the parts spread throughout the figure, but oh, well.

Maybe when it's on sale...

[GoktimusPrime]

I'm kind of tempted, actually - I like the fact that the truck's panels are arranged a bit more evenly around the figure, and that the shield has an integrated gun. It's a shame the backpack's bulk couldn't be compacted a bit more or the parts spread throughout the figure, but oh, well.

IMHO it's cos the AoE screen models are far too streamlined, showing very little alt mode kibble. Look at Optimus Prime -- aside from the smoke stacks, there's very little alt mode parts visible on that robot. Where are the windows? Tyres? Grill? Wing mirrors? Fuel tanks? etc. If you look at Optimus Prime from the previous films, a lot of those alt mode parts are clearly visible, and thus it was easier to adapt it as toys, as we saw with the Leader Class Optimi from the last 3 films. In the Special Features part of the TF1 DVD, Aaron Archer explains that Transformers have to transform and that they don't morph -- meaning that there has to be definitively visible alt mode kibble like wheels and doors etc. hanging off the robots. According to this interview, Hasbro ensured that this was done w/ the movie designs in the first film. But for some reason, this directive seems to have been dropped for Age of Extinction. This throws a massive monkey wrench into the works when it comes to developing the screen models into products. Adapting the live action TFs as transformable action figures has always been a big challenge, but making the robots look like "Themed Cosplayers" compounds this challenge even more, and I think the result is evident in the decline in design quality of a lot of these AoE toys compared to those from the previous films' toylines.

In the case of Optimus Prime, a lot of the alt mode kibble which seems to disappear like G1 Prime's trailer, ends up having to be distributed somewhere. Arguably toys like Universe/Henkei Ironhide and Ratchet do a better job of this, but those toys don't have robot modes that have to stick to a pre-defined design (they just have to resemble the G1 cartoon model, but not be precise replicas of them (that's something that MPs strive to achieve)). So I think the back pack is a by-product of HasTak's engineers attempting to put all the alt mode kibble somewhere, but still try to make the robot look like the slick and streamlined screen model. I'm half frustrated at Michael Bay/Paramount for creating designs which are so counter-intuitive to toy designs, but I'm also frustrated at Hasbro for allowing this; especially when it was something that Hasbro previously would not have allowed. Have Hasbro become more liberal/lax in terms of not vetoing such decisions from Bay, or did Bay deliberately ignore requests from Hasbro to not do this?

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Anyway, here's pics of the toy transforming.

[Tallestblue]

wow. FE Prime looks huge. I'm being really cautious about AOE stuff. I want it but I think i can wait for sales.

[Zommael]

IMHO it's cos the AoE screen models are far too streamlined, showing very little alt mode kibble. Look at Optimus Prime -- aside from the smoke stacks, there's very little alt mode parts visible on that robot. Where are the windows? Tyres? Grill? Wing mirrors? Fuel tanks? etc. If you look at Optimus Prime from the previous films, a lot of those alt mode parts are clearly visible, and thus it was easier to adapt it as toys, as we saw with the Leader Class Optimi from the last 3 films. In the Special Features part of the TF1 DVD, Aaron Archer explains that Transformers have to transform and that they don't morph -- meaning that there has to be definitively visible alt mode kibble like wheels and doors etc. hanging off the robots. According to this interview, Hasbro ensured that this was done w/ the movie designs in the first film. But for some reason, this directive seems to have been dropped for Age of Extinction. This throws a massive monkey wrench into the works when it comes to developing the screen models into products. Adapting the live action TFs as transformable action figures has always been a big challenge, but making the robots look like "Themed Cosplayers" compounds this challenge even more, and I think the result is evident in the decline in design quality of a lot of these AoE toys compared to those from the previous films' toylines.

In the case of Optimus Prime, a lot of the alt mode kibble which seems to disappear like G1 Prime's trailer, ends up having to be distributed somewhere. Arguably toys like Universe/Henkei Ironhide and Ratchet do a better job of this, but those toys don't have robot modes that have to stick to a pre-defined design (they just have to resemble the G1 cartoon model, but not be precise replicas of them (that's something that MPs strive to achieve)). So I think the back pack is a by-product of HasTak's engineers attempting to put all the alt mode kibble somewhere, but still try to make the robot look like the slick and streamlined screen model. I'm half frustrated at Michael Bay/Paramount for creating designs which are so counter-intuitive to toy designs, but I'm also frustrated at Hasbro for allowing this; especially when it was something that Hasbro previously would not have allowed. Have Hasbro become more liberal/lax in terms of not vetoing such decisions from Bay, or did Bay deliberately ignore requests from Hasbro to not do this?

----------------------------------

Anyway, here's pics of the toy transforming.

Looking at the pics of the toy transforming posted by you and others, and fiddling with my FE Optimus, I have to say I think it might be the case that the truck mode emerges from the movie model's back in a similar way to the toy, but with some liberties taken to make it more streamlined. It may well have been a compromise, and one that Hasbro were actually willing to go with to have a streamlined Prime to accompany their "streamlined" new take on the TF line.