Optimus Prime (Transformers

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Optimus Prime (Transformers - R.E.D.) Review

Optimus Prime
Transformers - R.E.D. (Hasbro)Even though the whole gimmick with Transformers is that they, well, transform, there's been plenty of figures that don't. Super7's Ultimates line comes to mind, but there's another ongoing line of non-transforming Transformers, and it's straight from the co-creators of the franchise: Hasbro's Robot Enhanced Design, or R.E.D., series. It's been around a little longer than what Super7's been doing, and it covers not just G1, but Beast Wars and Prime. While I've gotten a handful of these so far, it's best to start my reviews with THE transformer - Optimus Prime.

The figure comes in a trapezoidal window box that's fittingly red, with a great illustration on the front. There's actually two plastic trays - one in the front for the figure, and another on the side for the accessories. There's like a single plastic tie to remove for the figure, and with that out of the way, everything is easy to take out and put back.

The R.E.D. line is in a 6" scale, more specifically, Optimus is around 6" tall, meaning he won't scale properly with other Hasbro stuff like G.I. Joe and Marvel Legends. The design is unmistakably G1, bearing proper proportions and plenty of details. Said details are sculpted in rather than merely printed on, adding some depth to his appearance. One neat feature is the opening chest, showing plenty of details inside, and the clear windows are a nice touch. The paint is alright, but it suffers from some fuzzy edges. The images of the figure on the back of the box, which I'm certain are renders, have brighter colors, but I prefer the dark colors on the actual figure, since they feel accurate to the show.

In spite of his lack of a transformation gimmick, Optimus poses pretty darn well. The ball-jointed head is great, with plenty of up-and-down and side-to-side tilt. The swivel/hinge shoulders and wrists, swivel biceps, and hinge elbows allow for nice arm poses, and the torso is sculpted in a way that lets the shoulders go all the way out. There's also swivels at the waist and thighs, ball/socket hips, double-hinged knees, and swivel/hinge ankles. The ankles are a unique joint as you can pull the feet down, allowing for more rocker motion in them, and they can rotate at where the feet drop down. The joints move great, though the aforementioned chest can be hard to get open.

There's a small handful of accessories, but what's included with Optimus works well. There's six hand options, including a pair of fists, a pair of relaxed hands, and two extra right hands: one pointing, one gripping. I wish one of those extra right hands was a left hand instead, so both of them could be used at the same time. Optimus gets his trusty Ion Blaster, along with an energon ax that plugs into either arm. The ax actually has a hinge, so if you want to use it, don't push the peg in all the way. Lastly, there's the Matrix of Leadership, which fits in a cavity in the chest, hence the opening panels.

With Transformers, re-decos are inevitable, and the R.E.D. line isn't safe as well. You know how the original Ultra Magnus toy's red and blue body concealed a predominately white repaint of Optimus underneath? Well, when the character was added to the R.E.D. line, Hasbro went the lazy route and repainted Optimus, rather than sculpting a whole new figure. That said, the colors on the R.E.D. Magnus are very nice, sporting minty green details in some areas, darker chest windows, and painted headlights, unlike with Optimus. He has all the same accessories, save for the Matrix. I actually got Magnus before Optimus, so he gave me a good idea of what to expect out of the latter.

I feel that not a lot of people talk about the R.E.D. line, likely because nobody seems to be interested too much in non-transforming Transformers, but the figures I've gotten, Optimus included, are pretty decent. If you can find these figures - they've been hard to find at Walmart for mine - I'd suggest picking up at least one for yourself and determine if it's worth jumping into.

- 3/8/23