Cliffbee.com Convoy Jr Toy Review

Individual Review




Name: Convoy (Optimus Prime)
Series: Transformers Junior
Allegiance: Cybertron
Function: Supreme Commander
Alternate Mode: Semi Trailer Cab



TRUCK MODE
Height: 5cm Length: 9.5cm Width: 4.5cm

   A scaled down version of Optimus Prime, so it makes sense that this cab is red with a blue rear and chrome silver grille and smokestacks. The fuel tanks and headlights are also chromed, while the six tyres are the same blue plastic as the hitch rather than being black rubber like on the original.

   The detailing and effort here is pretty good considering. The silver stripes are present, the front windows are sky blue (Convoy loses the clear plastic windows). The sculpted detail is great, the wipers, rivets and air vents in the smokestacks are all present. The front window section is actually die cast - along with the chrome this proves that this toy isn't meant to be a cheap and nasty toy. The tyres are my only real gripe here. Black plastic would have been nice if they had to go with plastic.

   The window section no longer folds down although you can stow his fists between the shoulders. The wheels all roll and Convoy even comes with a little cardboard trailer (at least, the leader 3-pack version I have does). The trailer is 4cm tall, 3cm wide and 8cm long, making it much smaller than it should be, but it's the right height to fit on the hitch which is nice.

   An admirable effort for the size, I really appreciate the effort that's been put in to make this truck work. My only real gripe is the blue tyres - I don't mind the trailer really since at this size it's really about the main toy.

TRANSFORMATION TO ROBOT MODE

   Almost identical to that of the original. The head no longer flips out, it instead attaches and detaches - you can't stow the fists and head in the gap between his shoulders in truck mode, only two will fit. Otherwise the transformation is the same. Obviously the cardboard trailer does not transform.

ROBOT MODE
Height: 12cm Width: 7cm

   Again Convoy is very similar to the original, although his thighs are unchromed blue plastic and the eyes are also unpainted. The fists have raised sockets allowing him to grasp his blue gun, which is an improvement over the original. There are Cybertron stickers on both shoulders as well as "taillight" stickers on his toes and the piston stickers on his forearms, helping this toy look like the original.

   The poseability of this toy is pretty close to that of the original - Convoy lacks only the knee joints. His fists are a little looser than I'd like, but at least they can hold the gun! The smokestacks aren't designed to swivel like those of the original, so if you use those as shoulder-guns you'll have trouble doing so here - it is possible but only with excessive force.

   Lacking in a few ways, but for the size this is a pretty playable G1 toy, even if there's no trailer-base. The unpainted eyes don't really bother me, since the paint apps would be pretty fine at this size. Chromed thighs would have been nice, and the loose fists bother me a little. Still, the robot mode is a great scaling down of the original.

VARIATIONS

   None that I'm aware of, although Convoy was available on his own or as part of the Leaders 3 pack along with Chromedome and Fortress Maximus. The latter seems to be far more common for some reason.

OVERALL

   It's no substitute for the original, but for a toy that's half the size this is a pretty good reproduction. I wouldn't recommend Convoy as such, but if you grab him for a decent price there's certainly novelty in this toy. You're far more likely to find it with Chromedome and Fort Max than on it's own, and the set would be cheaper than the large Fort Max! On his own, I give Convoy Jr 6/10

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