Name: Optimus Prime
Series: Generations
Allegiance: Autobot
Alternate Mode: Cybertronian Truck
TRUCK MODE
Height: 9cm Length: 14cm Width: 5.5cm
A red and blue truck, Optimus Prime has a rounded red front with a navy blue back section. The front bumper along with some rear features such as his angled smokestacks are grey while the six tyres and top-mounted gun are black. The hubcaps are grey with narrow fluorescent red rings around them. This fluorescent red is also featured on his front bumper and a couple of other places. The colours are very much Optimus Prime, and the general layout also fits the character, even if this truck isn't typical for Optimus. There are no Autobot logos here.
This is not the truck form we're familiar with. The front curves down and there's no big window (nor a small one, come to that). The rear isn't really a hitch and the lines are more aerodynamic than most trucks - a racing truck perhaps. The exhausts are sloping backwards while the two front tyres are notably larger than the four rear ones. The black guns sits prominently on top of this vehicle.
Aside from the rolling wheels, there's not really any play value here. The gun tends to unfold easily, but that's more of a shortcoming than anything meaningful. The gun can detach, I suppose.
Despite this lack of play value this works well thanks to a curved & well shaped front - he avoid seams quite well considering how complex his transformation is. Perhaps the best aspect of this vehicle mode is that it brings a new dimension to Prime as a character, being something different to the usual fare of shortnose cabs while the colours ensure that we know exactly who this is meant to be.
TRANSFORMATION TO ROBOT MODE
A very complex yet well engineered transformation. The front explodes into a bunch of panels, with the chest and head revealed while much of that front ends up as a closely-worn backpack. The rear unfolds relatively simply to become his legs, but even there we have a few tricks, such as the wheels flipping over to be at the back of his shins and the smokestacks pivoting to point up. This is possibly the most complex Deluxe transformation we've seen - Prime is a real puzzle. Even the gun transforms -when you push the fin on top to one side it springs down to point out to one side and the rear extends.
ROBOT MODE
Height: 14.5cm Width: 11cm
A red and blue robot, Prime's colours are very traditional here. The torso & arms are red while his head, boots ad fists are blue. The shoulder struts, elbows, groin & thighs are all silver along with his mouthplate. There's quite a bit of that fluorescent red here - most notably on the Autobot logos stamped on either shoulder. His eyes are black while there are silver false windows painted on his chest. It's a good colour scheme which really fits the character, and even the fluorescent red works here.
There's a lot of detail here and while the vehicle mode had an awful lot of smooth surfaces, there's a complex sculpt here and few smooth surfaces. The chest & waist are very much G1 Prime and while the smokestacks aren't on his shoulders, they're still prominent on the outsides of his boots. The face is unmistakably Optimus Prime even if his antennae are a little tall.
The play value here is a little mixed. The gun can plug into either hand or into holes on the outside of either forearm for an arm-mounted cannon, and both options work well. His neck, hips and ankles are all ball jointed while the shoulders swing and lift out to the sides. Prime's elbows are hinged with rotators while his wrists also rotate. His waist is fixed while the knees are hinged with supporting rotators just below his hips. There are no heelspurs, so it can take a little time to find a stable pose, but there are a lit of those here thanks to the tight ball joints in his ankles and the poseable arms. While the poseablity has some shortcomings, it works well overall.
A god robot mode than nails the tribute, exhibits fine sculpted detailing and some nice options for his weapons. The poseability is good despite a couple of flaws - and the heelspurs would be a dealbreaker on many Transformers will lesser engineering.
VARIATIONS
None that I'm aware of.
OVERALL
A very well engineered toy which manages to provide a new take on Optimus Prime while offering a different style of vehicle other than the standard truck. While his play value isn't fantastic, the poseability of his robot mode is pretty good - especially for a toy without a waistjoint or heelspurs, making this a rewarding toy. With a good sculpt and complex transformation, WFC Optimus Prime has a lot to offer despite some shortcomings - 9/10
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