Name: Optimus Prime
Series: Convention Exclusives
Allegiance: Evil Autobot
Function: Commander
Alternate Mode: Semi Trailer Cab
TRUCK MODE
Height: 8.5cm Length: 16cm Width: 6cm
A purple and black repaint of Classics Prime with very dark brown plastic tyres and smoky transparent windows. This truck is typically Optimus Prime in shape, although the colours are anything but normal for Optimus Prime. The cab section is purple with silver battle-damage like patches. There are giant purple Evil Autobot logos stamped on either side, both tilting towards the front of the cab. On the left side of the windvane we see "'TIL ALL ARE GONE!" in what looks like handwriting - a play on the famous catchcry from the 1986 animated film. The bumper and grille are black, the base of the truck is charcoal - including the hitch section. The headlights and running lights on the roof are lime green while the smokestacks are painted silver. There's a wash of brown on his windows, with circular gaps in this to compliment the moulded wipers (a really nice touch). The right side of the windshield has a distinctive painted while crack. The look here is very different from not just the original version of this toy, but also any Optimus Prime toy. The level of detail in the paint job is impressive.
It's a fairly solid shortnose truck with the previously mentioned windvane on top, and most likely a sleeping area behind the side windows. The moulded detail is perhaps a little disappointing for a Classics toy, although it's by no means poor. In any case, the distinctive painted details here take your attention away from the mould, so it's a moot point.
We don't get a lot of play value. The wheels all roll of course, and this really represents the play value here. While there are two different weapons available to the robot mode, both are integral for now - the smokestacks and windvane become handheld accessories later but can't simply convert now - both actually transform. There's no actual hitch, although Prime does carry a small block near the back which is a pseudo-hitch. Optimus Prime doesn't come with a trailer anyway.
While it doesn't do too much other than sit around being a truck, for the most part this is a good truck mode. The colour scheme and paint job dominate this vehicle mode anyway, and they're certainly eye catching. He ranks as one of the more creative exclusive repaints, and this vehicle mode is distinct and works very well as an alternate universe Prime. The added details in the paint job make this a great repaint.
TRANSFORMATION TO ROBOT MODE
Detach the windvane and exhaust stacks. swing out the stock of the gun from the lower strut of the exhausts, flip out the trigger section, fold the exhaust together to form a handgun. Fold the sides of the windvane down, swing back the crest and fold out the barrel. You now have a silver & black handgun and a purple windvane-like blaster cannon. Set the weapons aside.
Swing the rear section down, fold down the side panels, lift up the kneecaps, swing up the feet and split the boots. Swing the side windows right out to the sides, taking the sides of the cabin with them. Stow the bumper behind the grille and rotate the top of the cabin around to form the chest. Lift up the head and rotate to reveal the face. Rotate the shoulders into position, flip up the hands, fold the side panels onto the outside of the forearms, facing up. Lastly, give Optimus Prime his two hand weapons. Incidentally, the windvane _can_ actually stay attached to the truck - its attachment point is on a neck which can fold down into his back, and the windvane will sit flush on his back.
ROBOT MODE
Height: 17cm Width: 13cm
Just like the truck mode, Prime is purple on top and charcoal on the bottom. The thighs, fists, upper arms and waist are black and there are brass-coloured pseudo headlights on the waist. The truck windows on his chest are transparent while his eyes are red (and have lost the lightpipe). There's a false grille on his waist smattered with silver paint. This silver paint is also on his thighs and shins, giving him a comic book "battle weary" look - something that crack on the windshield contributes to. The head is charcoal and his mouthplate is painted silver. There are various brass coloured details here and there and two purple Evil Autobot logos on his shoulders, rounding out the colour scheme. Again the paint job is very well done and detailed - the battle weary look is nice and there's more than a hint of alternate universe here.
This robot mode is littered with typical Optimus Prime features, which is to be expected. There's actually very little of the truck mode visible here, although there's not much kibble either. The windshield forms the chest while the false grille sits just below this, with the false bumper on the groin. The boots are formed from the hitch section, but there are no visible tyres - they're hidden underneath the side panels. The windvane and chest are the only significant truck elements visible now - and that's if you have the windvane in his hand. While the front tyres sit behind the waist, the panels on his forearms are all we really have for kibble. On the whole it's a well laid out, attractive, robot mode.
The poseability is quite good, and the lack of kibble makes Prime stable in a variety of poses. The head turns as does the waist - although only if the windvane isn't flush against his back. There's another pivot between the chest and waist anyway, which can substitute. The shoulders swing and lift out to the sides while the elbows bend and there are rotators in his upper arms. The hips swing and lift out to the sides while the knees rotate and bend. The feet, which incorporate heelspurs, fold down and anchor a wide array of poses with a little work. The exhausts form a really nice double-barrelled gun and the windvane a bulkier gun - with the "'TIL ALL ARE GONE!" visible, making it look more like a weapon than the same piece on Classics Prime. Prime has enough articulation to allow for some fun double-gun poses.
A very playable robot mode with two useful weapons and a great battle-worn look. The colours and painted details really set this robot mode off. It really does look like some sort of corrupted Optimus Prime, and displays well anyway. I'm very impressed with the level of painted detailing and love how well the windvane gun is used here.
VARIATIONS
Sold exclusively at BotCon 2008, Shattered Glass Optimus Prime was likely limited to a single production run. As mentioned, he is a repaint of Classics Optimus Prime, and also shares the mould with Classics Ultra Magnus.
OVERALL
With an excellent paint job on top of a very good mould, this is a spectacular repaint. Granted the giant logos on the sides of the truck are a little cheesy, but they fit into the theme and bring out the sinister look of the character, through a vandalised look. The painted details are numerous here - far more than on most Transformers. The weapons work and both modes display well. Better than the original toy in some ways, and while I'll stop short of recommending what's likely yo be a very pricey toy on the secondary market, I'd certainly encourage anyone with the desire and means to spend the money - 9/10
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