DJ (Re)Plays With: Transformers (2010) Voyager Class Battle Blades Optimus Prime (Revenge of the Fallen)
So, the first Transformers movie made bank at the box office and of course a sequel was made, which when all was said and done made even more money regardless of everything else going on around the actual film itself. Now having a second go at the characters and with the experience of taking those designs from the first movie, the engineers at Hasbro and Takara-Tomy did a bang-up job of creating the movie line for Revenge of the Fallen. Complex and interesting, the steps between licensed vehicle to intricately designed robot were a sight to behold, and it’s easier to list the few times when they completely missed the mark then all the times they nailed it. The crowning jewel of this was probably the Leader Class Optimus Prime, which was vastly more complex but also far more screen accurate to the model from the movie, an even people who hate the movies will admit to it being an impressive mass market toy.
Then, they did it again, except at a smaller scale.
Released as part of the next year’s in-between movie line, the Transformers (2010) Voyager Class Battle Blades Optimus Prime is a similarly impressive screen accurate depiction of the Autobot Leader that is in some ways more so due to its size and lower price. Whereas last time they seemed to go for compromise and play for this price point, this time they manage to make a good and accurate toy.
Starting with vehicle mode, Optimus is undeniably the same flame painted truck from the movie, this time with far fewer changes in style from what we saw on the big screen. While his tires are a little small, if you put this in front of someone and say, “This is supposed to be a custom Peterbilt,” other than some nitpicks they would likely accept it without much question. The paintwork is nice, and while it still doesn’t have quite all the paint apps the movie prop does, the gradient on the hood and the flame detailing on said hood extending through the cab is quite nice and works in a pinch. Also, it still rolls just fine. It doesn’t quite have the same nice silver paint like the last one had, but the reds and blues with the nice, shimmering pearlescent sparkles in the plastic itself still pops nicely, and not too much detail is lost in the single molded plastic pieces either. It’s just a nice clean truck mode, which is fine with me.
Transformation is a great deal more complex than last time around, as can be expected, and while it shares a few steps with the Leader class, it’s not quite as complicated as that one and does its own thing for the most part. It’s an engaging and fun toy to puzzle play and figure out for yourself, but if you’re the type to maybe get frustrated by that, then maybe you should look at the instructions. Even then, it’ll take some mind bending to get through everything, though that’s part of the fun. No auto morphing this time, just shifting pieces manually, and like always, be a little careful if you’re unsure since some of these pieces on this smaller scale toy are definitely thinner. It’s not the same as, say, on some of the more complicated model kits out there, but just don’t run in ham fisted and you’ll be fine. Another thing to keep an eye out for is the inclusion of the movie version of the Matrix of Leadership stored in his chest, something that none of the other movie Primes have ever included before or since.
Robot mode is impressive, and you would be hard pressed to find someone to tell you he doesn’t look like Prime from the movies. The amount of detail and accuracy they were able to stuff into this Voyager class toy is still astounding to me to this day, and the way they did it with a complex transformation that is unique is amazing. He has a bit of a backpack that doesn’t match up with Optimus’ sleeker silhouette, but all things considered it’s a fair enough trade that works fine for the toy, and even the Revenge of the Fallen Leader toy had one as well. Decent articulation on the toy, with the neck swivel, some up/down and back/forth shoulder movement, bicep swivels, and elbow joint for the arms, though no wrist swivels. Still no waist joint, but nice range of motion with the hips, some knees, and even some ankle tilts, something of a rarity for Transformers from this time period. Some of the sculpting does get in the way of this poseability, and I would be remiss to not mention that his twin swords do get in the way of his arm movements if you have them tucked away in stored mode. Still, it’s an impressive toy with decent enough range of movement.
As for accessories, again, he comes with dual swiveling rubber blades attached to his wrists, ready for combat. His Energon blade was a nice surprise when they appeared in the first movie, and their return with a partner in one of – if not the only – notably entertaining parts of the sequel were as well. They’re molded nicely, and with them out of the way his arms regain most of his lost articulation and can be posed decently enough now. Unlike the larger Leader class toy, however, Optimus isn’t being left with just melee weapons, as his gas tanks on his back can also be transformed into duel blasters, for guns akimbo action. While they’re not as massive as the last toy, I like these better, and being able to give him his guns instead of his swords, or a combination of both, is a nice touch for playability in the toy.
I always thought this was a damn fine toy and an excellent representation of Movie Optimus, but looking at it now I’m just even more amazed and impressed by it. The amount of detail and complexity they were able to get into the figure, including all the nice touches like the extra moving “awnings” & windows on his chest and being able to slightly swivel the wheels off of his thighs are great. He looks great, is a fun toy to play with, and is an involved transformation that’s just fun to do even though the tricks aren’t necessarily super interesting or amazing. The Leader Class toy is still the better toy, but honestly you cannot go wrong with picking this version up instead due to price or space considerations, or heck, to go along with it just because it’s just worth it to have it in hand and transform a bit. There are also a few options in getting ahold of this toy, as it was re-released in the next movie line with his Face Taking Battle Hooks instead of swords and accidental Twilight homage color scheme. Either way, it’s well worth grabbing.
With how complex and intricate the toy line got in with Revenge of the Fallen, the designers took a step back when the next movie was on the horizon. While some of the newer characters would still receive some of the more puzzle play oriented toys, for returning characters they thought to maybe try something different. After all, they already made much more accurate and complicated versions of the characters from the first two movies for the most part, why not do something else with the returning cast?
