Brawl (Transformers - Movie) Review

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Brawl (Transformers - Movie) Review

Brawl
Transformers - Movie (Hasbro)A big tank is nice to have, but you're definitely going to be displaying this Brawl in robot-mode 99% of the time!

Now, I don't know where people are getting 11.5 inch-tall Movie Leader Brawls, but the one I bought is a little over 8.5 inches-tall to the top of the head and almost 12 inches to the top of those long barrels on the main turret. Are people counting those things as part of his height? Why? So if I wear a hat with 5 foot-long horns, I'm 11 feet tall? Hah. The huge size is the main reason I bought this TF, and even though 8.5 isn't as gargantuan as I wanted it to be, Brawl still looks in-scale with the other TFs in the series.

This version of Brawl is a completely new figure, not just a super-sized Brawl Deluxe with bacon and cheese, extra pickles, hold the onions 'cuz they make my breath stink. Detail is EVERYWHERE! Even in his crotch! No fooling! Every rivet, every plate, every tread and nook and cranny has been addressed, this guy looks like a real tank come to life. But of course, because this is Hasbro we're talking about, the lack of a paint-job absolutely kills all that amazing detail on the light-green plastic. I know, paint would just get chipped, but these guys don't use paint, they use dye for the most part, which can't be rubbed-off! Why can't they use a few drops to make the metal parts appear metallic at least? Seems like a no-brainer to me! At least some silver on the wheels in the treads would be greatly appreciated to break-up the black monotony. The milky-gray plastic is UNACCEPTABLE. There is no milky-gray on TFs, please don't put it on the toys, Hasbro! These areas ruin the overall appearance of these killing-machines. Also, the tip of the main cannon and the two smaller rocket-launchers are clear plastic. Yay? NO! They look horrible! They're clear so the built-in lights can blink through, but they look so out of place, it looks like Brawl is missing them entirely. The eyes are clear red so they "glow" most of the time.

The lights and sounds are a definite plus! Also, this feature doesn't hinder movement or create any ugly bulges because the batteries are well-placed. The sounds are loud as hell! There are 3 different clips, two involving the gattling gun and mortar shells and the last is the basic giant explosion when the main cannon fires. When you transform the figure, as Brawl's head pops-up, all 3 sounds play in a sequence. Also, when you turn the main turret (the one with the clear rocket-launchers) either left or right, either the gattling gun or mortar shells explode. When you tap the main cannon, the cannon sound plays. And if that weren't enough, there are two well-camoflauged buttons you can press to activate the sounds as well. And you know what, those sounds are going to go off whether you want them to or not. Stepping too hard makes them go off, sneezing makes them explode, scratching your arm makes them blare, even just staring at Brawl for too long makes them go off. Try it and see!

Unbelievably, Brawl has full poseability. Even the ankles and fingers are articulated, there are different configurations for the weapon placement, the head pivots around in almost any direction, the main cannon can even swing around to the front in robot-mode for a ridiculous amount of intimidation. The lack of waist-movement bothers me though, but you can just aim the arm and turn the head in the direction you want. The click-joints stand-up to the abuse you'll give them as you try to pose this mammoth, nothing is loose on mine yet and it's been a few months already.

In short, Brawl is awesome, the question is, can you justify spending the 40 bucks on him? I don't know, how badly does your kid need diapers this month? ;)