Mudflap's Chevy Trax vehicle mode is pretty well-done, especially for a Fast Action Battler. Proportionally it's pretty spot-on, though a few bumps and hings here and there keep it from looking quite as flush in this mode as his mainline deluxe version. His windows are painted light metallic silvery blue, which works well considering the alternative on said mainline deluxe-- that is, seeing the robot parts inside. The rest of the color scheme is decent enough and fits-- the pumpkin and orange and gray is fairly original, yet not so much so that it lacks realism. The headlights, tail-lights, and the like are all painted up, and all the necessary details are there-- a bit moreso on the front end, which has some pretty nice details, particularly along the grill.
    Mudflap's transformation is quite simple-- barely more complex than the Legends class version-- and yields overall better results. First though, let's get the negatives out of the way. First, the piece that his head is attached to can come off a bit easily, and it's a little hard to peg back in. Second, his waist really doesn't click into place anywhere, which makes him seem a bit wobbly when you pick him up by said waist or hips. Third, There are some pretty big vehicle shell pieces behind his legs. Fourth, ugh the head sculpt-- though that's Mudflap for ya. However, those aside, this is a pretty good rendition of the character, especially for a FAB. There isn't a bunch of jangly kibble hanging off everywhere, his proportions are generally solid (well, for Mudflap, anyway), and he's got decent articulation-- he can move at the waist (slightly, because of said unwilligness for it to peg into place somewhere), hips, knees, shoulders, and the elbow on his right arm. Nothing extraordinary, but good for a FAB. The front windows swing out behind and above his shoulders, a MUCH better position for them than on most of the other Mudflap figures-- why wasn't it done this way on the mainline toy?! Grapple Grip Mudflap also has a pretty neat gimmick t-- his middle finger can unhook and extend out on a piece of yarn which can be reeled back in, hence "grapple grip"! Granted, making it his middle finger is kinda... odd... but whatever. He's also got some great mold detailing in this mode, with little pipes and hinges molded in, particularly on ihs arms and waist. A bit more paint on some parts like the waist and right arm would've been appreciated, though.
    Grapple Grip Mudflap, oddly enough, is my most-recommended of the Mudflap toys if you don't want to spring $30 U.S. for the Human Alliance version (or don't want the difficult transformation that comes with it), and that's quite an achievement for a Fast Action Battler. He's got a solid vehicle mode with only a few "extra" bumps, a pretty decent robot mode that does a nice job of emulating the on-screen design while simplifying it and removing a lot of the "kibble", plus it has a nifty gimmick. Not a whole lot of negatives here.

Review by Beastbot

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