Side
Burn (2011 Collectors' Club Exclusive)
(NOTE: Because this is a repaint, this is not a full-blown review. This mainly covers any changes made to the mold and the color scheme, and merely compares it to Classics Rodimus. For a review on the mold itself, read the review of Classics Rodimus here.)
I never would have envisioned
Rodimus redecoed into an updated version of Side
Burn from Robots in Disguise, but for the most part it works very well.
The original Side Burn was a curvy sportscar and this is a more angular
one with a very Rodimus-y spoiler, but if you can ignore that, it's clear
that the Collectors' Club people worked very hard to make this as Side
Burn-esque as possible without remolding anything. The dark glittery blue
used for Side Burn's main color is a great shade of the color, and combined
with the white and black it really pops, particularly in robot mode where
there's more of the secondary colors. The transparent amber goes decently
enough with the blue as well, though if the light isn't that strong it
can blend in with the black interior seat detailing behind the windows.
Given that Side Burn is a high-end collectible toy, he's got tons of paint
apps-- the light metallic blue flame paint apps on his hood and sides are
practically replicas of those on the original toy, and look fantastic.
Secondary details like the headlights, hubs, and hips are also painted
quite well, with the taillights being the only glaring paint app missing
here. I particularly love how a lot of the robot mode paint apps were specifically
designed to make the Rodimus sculpt as Side Burn-like as possible; the
silver-and-red-striped chest engine, the slightly asymmetrical paint apps
on the arms... it all looks great, particularly how subtly the paint apps
on the head make it look so obviously Side Burn's.
No mold changes have
been made to Side Burn.
Side Burn is a pretty
great use of the Rodimus mold, obvious spoiler aside. The color combo already
looks pretty good, but when you combine that with the paint apps painstakingly
applied to make this toy look like a clear update to RiD Side Burn, it
makes the toy that much better. Recommended, tied with Shattered
Glass Rodimus for my favorite use of the mold.
Review by Beastbot