This is Movie Optimus
Prime, I'm pretty sure you're familiar with his vehicle design by now--
a red, gray, and blue truck with flames on it. The proportions of this
mode are a bit "softer" and slightly more "kiddified" due to the lower
age group the Activators are aimed at, but for the most part it's still
BASICALLY accurate proportionally. The main thing that's off is that the
windows are FAR too small, with the roof far too little above the front
nose of the cab. Aimed at little kids or not, it just looks weird. The
smokestacks are also overly large, but this fits more in with the "kiddy"
aesthetic he has, so I don't really mind that. As far as robot mode extras,
his heels stick out the back end of this mode, but otherwise he's kibble-free
in this mode. The paint apps are pretty abundant near the front of this
mode-- the blue flames, headlights, front bumper, and front windows are
all painted. I particularly like the shade of paint they used for the windows--
it contrasts extremely well against both Prime's red and dark blue. The
back half of this mode has pretty much no paint apps on it, which is a
shame given all the mold detailing on that dark blue plastic. I particularly
like all the little "rivets"-- they really make it look like Prime has
quite a bit of armor to shrug off blasts.
As an Activator, to
transform Optimus Prime to robot mode you simply push in on the Autobot
symbol on the top of his cab roof and he'll unfold into robot mode pretty
much by himself, with only a minor fiddling with the shoulders and legs
needed to finish the job. Getting him BACK into vehicle mode is a bit more
difficult, as given the spring-loaded part you have to position the arms
and back-piece in the correct position BEFORE clicking it all together
to "set" him in his alt mode again, but it's not that big a deal compared
to normal transformations, certainly. (Occasionally people have reported
getting a "dud" that refuses to set in vehicle mode-- this doesn't seem
TOO common, but fair warning.) Like the other Autobot Alliance Activators,
Prime's overall proportions in this mode are slightly deformed, but that's
obviously on purpose. His head is particularly large, which honestly on
Prime looks a little on the doofy side. He's already got tons of movie-esque
mold details all over him, Hasbro, what's a normal-sized head? His arms
are a bit puny, and I'm not fond of the simple hinge the elbows are on,
as they make his arms look like they're split in half whenever they're
not totally straight. His legs and chest look pretty good, although the
former could use a few paint apps to highlight all those mold details.
(It appears all of Prime's paint budget in THIS mode went to his chest
and head.) As with most Activators, Optimus has the front third or so of
his vehicle mode just hanging behind his upper back in robot mode-- it's
a bit of an obvious piece of kibble, but it doesn't really get in the way
of movement, which makes it a bit more forgiveable, especially given the
gimmicky transformation. As far as articulation, Optimus Prime can move
at the neck, shoulders (at two points), elbows, hips, knees, and ankles.
Some lateral movement at the elbows and/or kneees would've been nice, but
generally he's pretty posable given his long feet and proprtions.
Activator Optimus Prime
is my second-favorite Activators mold out there, only surpassed by Bumblebee.
He's got some proportions problems with his roof and windows in vehicle
mode-- and, like nearly all Autobot Alliance Activators, he has a bit chunk
of his vehicle hanging off his back in robot mode-- but these certainly
aren't game-changers, and his general articulation and proportions are
definitely good enough for the target audience. That said, I prefer the
Rally Rumble deco of this toy slightly more than this initial version.
Review by Beastbot