Stratosphere
w/ Optimus Prime
Stratosphere here is
a really cool idea, and that's making a Transformer out of the massive
cargo plane that air-dropped Optimus Prime in the opening scene of Revenge
of the Fallen. His vehicle mode is about as accurate as can be expected
without getting into copyright territory. The mold detailing is excellent,
with all the relevant panels and bolts and whatnot molded into the toy,
and though he's mostly a dull light gray, the copper, black, and orange
accents help him to stand out a bit. (The orange in particular, as painted
around the turbines as it is it makes them look like "hot metal".) Making
all of hte windows transparent blue was also a nice touch. There's no robot
mode extras whatsoever, and all four of his wings can go up and down slightly
to adjust his "vector". Flipping up small panels on the side of the main
body of the plane reveals landing gear, but the coolest thing about Stratosphere
in this mode actually has little to do with Stratosphere himself. His rear
area can let down a ramp so that a miniature Prime figure can "drop out"
just like in the movie! That's just plain awesome! Granted, the Prime figure,
being the size it has to be, is hardly impressive (think some of the smallest
Minicons and you have his size) as its own Transformer. In vehicle mode
the arms are very obvious, and in robot mode the front of the truck just
serves plainly as his chest, giving him a bit of a "potbelly". He also
has a "uni-leg", and he can only move back-and-forth at the hips (as one
point on the uni-leg), as well as at one point on the shoulders and the
head. But he's clearly not meant to be your main figure of Optimus Prime,
just one that can fit in Stratosphere's cargo bay. Even having him transform
at this scale is mildly impressive.
Stratosphere's robot
mode isn't as impressive as his vehicle mode, but it still is pretty good
and certainly has its own look. Long, spindly arms and VERY long, "bird-jointed"
legs make him look surprisingly lithe and light-footed given how utterly
huge he would be compared to the other Autobots-- really, compared to Prime
here, he'd be hundreds of feet tall! I really like the fragmented look
of his chest, as well as the "native tribal" look to his head, what with
the "war paint" on his face and whatnot. I'm not a fan of the added orange
and tan, though-- clearly the color scheme needed something more than was
apparent in vehicle mode, but neither of those colors really complement/contrast
with the gray all that well, though at least they don't clash. Stratosphere
also has most of the back end of the plane hanging off his back, and it
really sticks out far from his back, not really giving him that pleasant
of a silhouette from a side view at all. The main wings do frame his robot
mode a bit from a frontal view, though, and this configuration does allow
him to store mini-Prime in his back in robot mode as well. As far as articulation
goes, he can move at the neck, shoulders (at three points), elbows (at
two points), at the base of each thumb, at the base of the three fingers
on each of his hands (as one piece), and at the hips (at two points), knees
(two points), and at the ankles. Most of his leg articulation is only front-back,
though, which limits it a bit down there, though his long feet make him
extraordinarily stable, even if they do look a tad goofy. One last note--
Stratosphere's "Mech Alive" gimmick involves a few gears turning inside
his upper arms as you move said arms, which is actually pretty cool and
a bit more eye-catching than most of the other Mech Alive features.
Stratosphere is a great
concept and overall a worthy purchase for fans who like more unique "oddity"
Transformers, even if his robot mode has some major kibble problems and
a few minor design quirks. Plus, MINI DEPLOYABLE PRIME! Seriously.
Review by Beastbot