So, like, live-action movie Optimus Prime is now this deranged, pissy murder machine, but there was, like, a movie and a half where he was pretty okay! There originally was some kind of majesty to him, honestly. I don't think I'm ever going to cotton to the new kibble-less design for Movie Prime that's been in the past two movies partly because I associate that body with the murdery end of the characterization spectrum, but there remain some legitimately good feelings with the first look.
AAAAAND so I got myself a Masterpiece Movie Optimus Prime. Just keep repeating to yourself that this is "Fate rarely calls us at a moment of our choosing" Prime and not "I'LL KILL YOU!!!!" Prime. This is Movie Prime before he turned to cocaine to cope with his moviestardom.
At first glance, you might wonder, okay, like, is this just a redeco of Revenge of the Fallen Leader Class Optimus Prime? It's true, they're a little similar. They're essentially the same size, and they transform very similarly. Masterpiece Movie Prime is a completely new toy, though, and everything different about him is better.
If you've owned or handled an ROTF Leader Prime, you might recall that the transformation was incredibly involved, a little frustrating at points, but nevertheless somehow resulted in a surprisingly accurate action figure in both modes. Masterpiece Movie Prime still has an incredibly involved (and, as noted above, very similar) transformation. It's actually probably a little bit more involved! The good news is, nothing frustrated me. The transformation is more complex, but no parts get in the way of other parts, and I never wanted to throw it against the wall or give up in frustration. So that's enjoyable!
The toy is also more accurate in both modes. The forearms are less-obviously hood chunks, everything's sculpted a little closer to on-model, and the kibble on the back tidies up much better and takes up a smaller volume.
There's also a buttload more paint. (Takara's released a few ROTF Leader Primes with an obsessively-accurate paintjob, but this is the first for Hasbro, I believe.) The flames are properly outlined in silver. The insides of the legs are painted properly. The biceps are wrapped in color instead of being left bare. Silver areas are painted silver where it can be, rather than being left in silver plastic.
The headlights are translucent plastic, rather than being painted on. Parts of the toy are in die-cast metal, which not only helps him easily stand (the feet are largely metal), but since the die-cast is left unpainted, it gives his metal parts an appealing, weary texture.
You can swap the faces on his head from mouthplated to bare mouthed. There's a small Matrix inside his stomach. He comes with two swords and his gun, which you can either give him to wield or combine and store on his back in either mode. He has some finger articulation, and everything satisfyingly ratchets when you move him around.
Also, there's an MP Movie Bumblebee, and the two seem to be in scale with each other. That's allegedly the Masterpiece line's thing, robot mode scale, and that's an appealing draw to me. I'm on board for accurate scale alone, pretty much.
He's pretty great. I mean, he may eventually some day take your face, but the face-ripping hooks aren't included, soooooo.
