Optimus
Prime (Deluxe, Cybertron; Jungle Planet form)
(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 Beast Wars 10th Anniversary Optimus Primal. For a review on the mold itself, read the review of Beast Wars 10th Anniversary Optimus Primal here.)
This temporary Jungle
Planet form of Cybertron Prime was what the mold was originally designed
for, hence the Cyber Key gimmick and the Jungle Planet-like technorganic
detailing. As explained in the link above, however, it was released as
10th Anniversary Optimus Primal in Primal's classic colors first.
Anyways, Optimus Prime's
color scheme is certainly not very Prime-y, but then a red gorilla wouldn't
really look all that great. The brown, black, and tan color scheme works
very well together, is original, and is certainly fitting for a gorilla.
The brown might not be quite as fitting as 10th Anniversary Primal's black,
but they're both still good. The same odd sudden change of plastic colors
on the front and back halves of the upper & lower robot legs and upper
arms is just as disconcerting as it is on 10th Anniversary Primal, though--
I'm not sure why this mold is set up that way, instead of just having those
pieces one solid color. The sudden color change from brown fur to black
fur on the face is also rather odd, too, and this color change wasn't on
Primal. The black helmet used for Optimus Prime's robot face looks very
good against its surrounding colors, and hearkens to the Galaxy
Force repaint of Optimus Prime as well. In fact, all of the accent
colors are very well done-- the white on the ape neck, all the paint apps
on the faces of both modes, the robot chest paint apps, etc. The only exception
is the red used on the back end of Prime's surfboard, which is thin enough
that the black underlying plastic shows through it a bit. In exchange for
the removal of the forehead paint app that was on 10th Anniversary Primal,
Optimus Prime has two new paint apps added-- there's a cool "scar" across
his left eye in beast mode, though why it's brown instead of red like on
the box I have no idea. The other new paint apps are the silver decorative
patterns on the top of the surfboard, near the front. The look very cool,
and combined with the rest of the mostly black surfboard, make Optimus
Prime's big accessory look better than 10th Anniversary Prime's.
"Jungle Planet" Optimus
Prime has no mold changes when compared to 10th Anniversary Primal-- heck,
even his Autobot allegiance symbol is in the same place as Primal's Maximal
symbol was, on the side of his fanny.
Beast Prime is a great
mold with a nice, original color scheme. However, I don't think the overall
mix of colors QUITE measures up to 10th Anniversary Primal's. There's a
big offset to this, though, and that's that Cybertron Beast Prime is $5
cheaper than 10th Anniversary Primal, and all you get extra with the latter
is a tiny Axalon ship and a mini-comic. Thus, unless you MUST have the
traditional Primal-colored version because of your attachment to the character,
I'd recommend springing for this version instead.
Review by Beastbot