Dropkick is another toy released in the mainline that is based on one of the drones from the main console version of the Transformers Movie video game. His vehicle mode is a pickup truck, with the bed filled up (though Dropkick's claw weapon in robot mode, which is formed from said filled truck bed, can be taken out if you want Dropkick's bed to be open in this mode). This mode is very nice-- the proportions are pretty much spot-on, with a large front bumper and a pretty sturdy look to the vehicle. There's no robot mode extras to speak of, with the exception of the parts that can be seen through the clear plastic windows (no detailed interior here). The color scheme of gray and purple is fairly simple, yet very "Decepticon-y", even if it's not particularly realistic for a truck. The silver-and-purple stripes paint apps on the sides I especially like. What really makes Dropkick stand out in this mode is a HUGE Decepticon symbol that takes up the front half of this entire mode. Normally I don't like big allegiance symbols, but this isn't not obvious at first, and the silver stripes worth surprisingly well as just a general pattern on the front hood and roof. The headlights and taillights are made of little bits of transparent plastic-- quite a surprise at this scale, and well-appreciated-- though the bumpers could REALLY use some paint apps.
    Dropkick's robot mode is very good, though he has the wrong drone face-- instead of the Decepticon "lens face" that all Deceptidrones had in the video game, he has the generic Autodrone face with a faceplate. I guess Hasbro wanted to mix up the face molds a bit more, or it was just decided relatively late in production to make Dropkick a Decepticon to further bolster their ranks (which I'm totally cool with-- can never have too many Decepticons)! First, the few bad things about this mode-- Dropkick has a TON of shoulder kibble. His wheel bits above his shoulders aren't bad, and his doors on his shoulders look like wings, but having two MORE truck panels sticking out from behind those doors is a bit overkill in my opinion, as it restricts movement there somewhat and just makes him look a little unbalanced (though he actually stands up by himself very well, due to his leg design). There is a little bit of truck kibble on his back and the sides of his hands that is just blatantly kibble as well, and doesn't really accentuate the look of this mode. Dropkick's claw weapon, while somewhat cool (turn the dial to open and close the claw, or just manually open and close the claw yourself), is rather oversized for a deluxe class toy. Also, the pegs that hold his shoulders to his main body are rather shallow, and become unpegged way too easily. There's plenty of good stuff to offset the couple of bad things, though-- Dropkick is EXTREMELY well-detailed in this mode, particularly when it comes to mold detailing but also paint detailing as well. (I especially like the metallic teal lines on his faceplate.) Suspension springs, "headlights" on his pelvis, cylinders, and more cover Dropkick's robot parts. His proportions are also pretty good (though his arms are a tad on the skinny side), and he's one of the movie toys not actually in the movie that looks the most like he actually WAS in the movie, even in a simplfied toy design. For one, he's got alien features, such as his face design and his "chicken-walker" legs, and "fiddly bits" that don't really serve any necessary purpose in robot mode, but just make him fit in more with the movie aesthetic by making him look more complex (two examples are the antennae on the sides of his neck and the small, proportionally long pieces of plastic above his heels). Having his truck windows stick out a bit from his very detailed chest and "fake truck parts" in this mode like the headlights on his pelvis also scream "movie toy", as well. Oh, and he has wrist guns. Gotta love those. In addition, Dropkick's transformation is extremely innovative and interesting, but without being overly complex and frustrating. Dropkick also has fairly good articulation-- he can move at the neck, shoulders, shoulders, waist, hips, knees (at three points), and ankle movement, though as I mentioned before, his arm articulation can be limited a bit by all his shoulder kibble.
    Dropkick is a great toy, one of the best movie toys that wasn't actually a character in the movie. He does have some kibble problems in robot mode, but given his incredibly innovative transformation, unique look, great proportions, and solid vehicle mode, that's easily overlooked. If only he had slightly less kibble, or if his shoulders pegged together better, that'd be just enough to edge him into the "must-buy" rating of 9.0+, but he's pretty darned close to that rating as is and a recommended purchase.

Review by Beastbot

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