Now, like most of the character who have bared the name "Optimus Prime", the live-action movie version's main objective is to protect all sentient beings of all planets from the evil Decepticons. The difference with him starts before the Great War, when he and his brother Megatron (yes, Optimus and Megatron are brothers....seriously....so that makes the bad guy Ultra Magnus?) were co-leaders of Cybertron. But due to his greed and lust for power, Megatron soon was stripped of his title and started waging war against the Autobots. After the events of the 2007 movie, Prime is now charged with keeping Earth safe. What he's doing I won't say as it will spoil the ROTF review I have cooking.
This toy is - by all accounts - freaking massive. He's firstly tall, as should be expected of all leader-class figures, but it's to the right scale of the film. He's got his slender legs, wide chest and signature head, which is a plus if you are spending upwards of 70 bucks for a Leader-class figure.
VEHICLE:
Hasbro has truly outdone themselves with this figure's vehicle mode. Prime resembles the customised Peterbilt semi-truck cab from the first film, and compared to the 2007 Leader-class version, this is a truly better form all-around. Firstly, the back of the cab is more filled in, getting rid of the gaps that the '07 model possessed. Secondly, this mode rolls quite well for plastic wheels, and has no trouble moving from carpet to wood or laminate floors, while figures like Shockwave would have an issue with it. Finally, this mode has a small button which activates Prime's vehicle mode sound gimmick; the sound of a diesel engine at idle. It's not terribly necessary, but it does add to the figure as a whole. Basically, I am utterly flabbergasted at this mode, and this is only the VEHICLE mode.
Vehicle: 25/25 (seriously, scoring it any lower would see criminal)
ROBOT:
I must admit, what an improvement from the '07 movie's Prime, with this toy resembling Optimus' movie self a lot more closely than his predessecor. This mode is also quite articulate and sports the flaming paint job that most fans seem to hate. (Hey, I think it makes Prime look modern.) I love how the sixe of this version of Prime (there is a ROTF Voyager class as well) matches the scale he is in the film as well, with the majority of the other Autobots and Decepticons being smaller than he is. Prime also is quite stable with his huge feet and strong thigh and knees joints, so he can be put into various poses (personaly favourite; dual-sword battle stance.)
ARTICULATION:
Head: 360 degree rotation, ~90 degree pivot
Shoulders: 360 degree rotation, ~180 degree pivot
Elbows: 360 degree rotation, 90 degree pivot
Hands: 360 degree rotation
Waist: n/a
Thighs: 180 degree rotation, 90 degree pivot
Knees: 90 degree pivot
Feet: Ball joints
Other: various bits of kibble, such as the shoulder guards and thigh guards can pivot up to 90 degrees.
Articutlation: 20/25
GIMMICK:
Obviously, since Leader Prime is a Leader-class figure - and cost me a cool 70 bucks - it's a given that he'd have some gimmicks to him, otherwise he'd be worth less. First off, let me get the his most annoying gimmick out of the way; Prime's lights and sounds. Now, usually this wouldn't be much of an issue if it weren't for the fact that it tends to be quite touchy. How touchy you ask? During the transformation sequence, Prime stated he was Optimus Prime more times than all others of the same name combined. Along with the sounds are the light-up eyes and windshields, which blink for the length of the sound clip. Finally, Prime possesses two flip-out energon swords under his arms that flip out when a button is pressed on the side of each corresponding forearm. The one problem with this gimmick is that the sword tips seem to get caught on the shoulder guards and limit the articulation of the forearm. Still, having dual energy swords isn't exactly a bad thing.
Gimmick: 21/25
FUN FACTOR:
This is really hit and miss in Leader Prime's case as it is his weakest area. First off, let me say that his transformation is insane; in fact I had to watch a video review on Youtube after giving up three times to put Prime into vehicle mode. THREE TRIES. This isn't a toy for a kid who isn't very good with Transformers as it will frustrate the hell of out him/her and make them move onto others they can morph. Second is the price: yes, I'm quite aware that fun doesn't have a price tag, but I am sure most will agree that when buying a toy for your son or daughter, you would want it to be a tad less expensive, and at a cost of 59.99 CDN at Toys R Us, you would more than likely buy a deluxe-class figure. (the child won't care however as they got a Transformer anyway.) But to his credit, Prime is a fun toy when you have him in robot mode, and I can see kids messing around with him a lot during play.
Fun Factor: 14/25
OVERVIEW:
Leader-class Optimus Prime is a great figure to possess in one's collection, despite the high retail price. His vehicle mode is quite well made, reflecting the look and attitude of the on-screen version. He's also got nice articulation and is loaded with gimmicks, but don't expect the transformation to be a breeze. (I would suggest watching peaugh's Leader Prime review as it helped me with some parts I got stuck on. Here is the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZC8qb-R6yjI&feature=channel).
My score for ROTF Leader-Class Optimus Prime: 80/100
Despite the bad score in the Fun Factor department, Leader Prime still deserves the score he has recieved. The articulation and gimmicks (although cliched), along with the robot and vehicle modes themselves make this figure worth the asking price. If you have the cash and want a nice movie version of Prime for your collection, I would recommend this figure over the '07 version.
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