Optimus Prime (2007 Movie Version) [Classic Class]

Lately, a documentary about the live-action Transformers films has been making the rounds, and honestly, the random behind-the-scenes insanity has been pretty funny. It also got me thinking about those movies again—which, despite how much people complain about them, always seem to be playing on some FAST channel. Funny how that works.

As I’ve said before, flaws and all, I have fun with the movies. It felt like a good excuse to dig into my ever-growing backlog and finally build this Blokees Transformers Classic Class kit of Optimus Prime as he appeared in the 2007 film.

This one was a Christmas gift from the Mrs and works as a nice counterpart to the 2007 Megatron kit I covered earlier this year.

 I still remember when early images of this design started circulating around 2006. People lost their minds—mostly because the leak was of the truck mode. Instead of the classic flat-nosed cab, we got a long-nose truck with blue and red flames, and for some reason a lot of folks expected a straight G1 adaptation. Personally, I was kind of hoping he'd be for something closer to the G2 Laser Rod Optimus Prime design due to the truck… and, hey, he did end up with glowing swords.

At that point, after 20-something years of Transformers, I was already used to redesigns. I thought the movie designs looked cool—leaning more into something alien—and I was always ready for something new.

This kit ended up being a really pleasant surprise. Not just because I like Transformers or Blokees, but because the build itself was more involved than I expected. Most Blokees kits are quick, but this one took some time. All those layered details in the movie design? They’re layered here too.

I assumed parts like the chest might be larger, single molded pieces—but no, it’s built up from multiple components, which gives the figure a lot of depth. There’s also a solid amount of paint detail on things like the flame deco. It looks great—likely tampographed, which I’m totally fine with.

One thing that I've always noticed with this design is just how long and skinny his legs are. It never fully clicked until I was putting him together, but they honestly look like a pair of flared jeans with flame airbrushing—like something you’d find at Hot Topic in the late ’90s or early 2000s. I have no idea if that was intentional, but I can’t unsee it now.

Once assembled, Optimus is nicely articulated and can pull off a wide range of poses. He comes with his blaster, both swords, and multiple hands to make the most of it. Like other movie Blokees kits, he also has a light-up feature… and like my robot mode Optimus Primal kit from Rise of the Beasts, the battery was dead out of the box. Awesome.

My only real complaint with the build is that some parts require a very specific touch to get seated properly. I’ve got big fingers, so that didn’t help, but a few pieces definitely tested my patience. The sides of his head, in particular, kept popping off even when they seemed secure. After a few attempts—and some wiener voiced cursing—I ended up disassembling and rebuilding that section entirely. No idea what I did differently the second time, but it worked.

Also worth noting: to equip the swords, you’ll need to partially disassemble the forearms. It’s not a huge deal, but something to be aware of.

Despite a few frustrations, this was a really fun build. I enjoyed the layered construction, and the final result looks fantastic. There’s also an “EX” version with metallic parts and upgraded paint, paired with an “Iceman” Megatron in a two-pack. Based on how good this standard release turned out, I imagine those look incredible.

On its own, though, this Optimus already feels like one of the more premium Classic Class kits—and it looks the part.

Bios: Clocker

Before the war for the AllSpark began, Clocker was a professional racer on Cybertron. His speed and skill dazzled millions of fans, and for a while, he seemed unbeatable. He was on top of the world. Then war came, and there were suddenly no more races to run. He turned his skills to finding the AllSpark, stopping the Decepticons, and bringing peace to Cybertron. He dreams of the day the war ends, and he can race again alongside his Autobot friends with no limits on how far or fast he can go.

Strength: 5  Intelligence: 6 Speed: 10  Endurance: 5
Rank: 3 Courage: 9 Fireblast: 6  Skill: 8

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Bios: Fracture

Dedicated to Megatron and the Decepticon cause, Decepticon Fracture is a dangerous enemy. She is totally fearless, and probably a little bit crazy, as she dives directly into any battle, regardless of the odds. Although she carries a powerful negative energy blaster, she prefers to use the seismic energy dischargers on her feet to smash the surrounding earth to pieces. Any battlefield on which she walks shudders with the force of her steps.

Strenght: 7 Intelligence: 4 Speed: 8 Endurance: 8

Rank: 5 Courage: 10 Fireblast: 8 Skill: 3

Transform Squadron 34- Code Orange is Go!

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The spooky season is upon us as Rob discusses the first Halloween event of the year! Pumpkin spiced mayhem aside, talk of Star Wars Micro Galaxy Squadron is talked. Then, Rob speaks on what it was like as a Transformers fan 15 years ago before the movies. Happy Halloween, everyone... too soon? Every day is Halloween at www.zonebase.org!

Bios: Swindle

 

Swindle is just one of many Decepticons brought to Earth by Megatron to cause as much trouble as possible for the Autobots. He's not a great fighter, but he makes up for it in the amount of pleasure he takes just in blowing stuff up. His extending torso cannon fires explosive rounds, and he leaps around like a madman, firing randomly in a fight. Battling Swindle is like battling a crazy bundle of living dynamite!

Little Black Truck

 
It's said that dynamite comes in small packages, and I don't know if that's true but... that was a horrible start. Whatever. Robots in Disguise (2001) was the Transformers line that brought Autobots and Decepticons back into the fray and ended the beast era. Some like to argue that RID was part of the beast era due to the Predacon characters. I've also seen people argue with the cashier at Arby's that they sold cheeseburgers, sssssooooo....

Any who, RID was a unique line in the history of Transformers. Transtech was intended to follow Beast Machines as a hybrid beast/vehicle series. For whatever reason is given today plans were changed and the decision to go a new route was made. That new route ended up being Armada and needed a little more time to develop. In Japan Takara had already experimented with a more traditional TF show called Car Robots. Hasbro fast tracked Car Robots into Robots in Disguise to have a Transformers series on shelves and on TV to fill the time needed. Car Robots was a relatively short anime with a small toy line mostly consisting of repainted toy molds and a few new toys. Hasbro took that and added more repaints to fill out the line. One of the new Decepticons was a evil clone of Fire Convoy/Optimus Prime named Black Convoy/Scourge whom was a black and teal repaint of the G2 Laser Optimus Prime toy.

Hasbro expanded the Spy Changer by releasing same sized versions of the shows main characters. This was probably the most direct beginning of the Legends/Legion style of toys offering lower priced figures of the main characters. It was in this assortment that we got the really neat Spy Changer version of Scourge. Spy Changers were originally made from the G2 Gobots toy molds and were really great little toys. Basically you had a Hot Wheels size car that was even compatible with a Hot Wheels car track! They'd transform into simple robots full of charm. It's not hard for readers to guess I loved them.

For a short time it looked like this was the only toy of the character getting made and the Spy Changer versions were flying off the shelves! Unlike other Spy Changers, Scourge didn't come with a weapon, nor did he have his trailer. During this time there was a ton of people creating their own custom weapons and trailers for the toy. It was pretty fun to take in and watch.

In what has to be the only time it happened, a toy based on a repaint of another character got repainted into the original toys colors. Later a Spy Changers version of Optimus Prime was made from the Scourge toy as part of a line of Spy Changers based on the classic G1 characters. That was a mess of words that barley formed a coherent sentence and I'm not sorry for it. This little line was available as a discount line at Family Dollar type stores, though a year prior were exclusive to Kay Bee Toy stores in different packaging. Laser Optimus Prime was a good looking toy, Scourge was a good looking toy, so it goes without saying this was a good looking toy.

This little series was fun to collect, easy and cheap, you couldn't help but to acquire multiples without thinking or worrying about it. At a small local sci fi con, I had ran a Transformers panel and had them on hand as raffle prizes. I don't think I know anyone who hated them and if anyone did hate them... how? This great little mold got another use just a short while later in a really fun way.

I don't have to tell you the 2007 Transformers movie was a big hit. It's just a fact and there's no arguing that. Unless you're stupid and well, you're on your own there dummy. A movie meant to sell toys is going to have a ton of merchandise, it's why they made it. One such thing was a the pictured above pre-order exclusive for the DVD in Japan.

That pre-order exclusive was the last version of the great little mold, but what a way to go out! Now as the movie version of Optimus Prime the toy looks awesome. I distinctly remember the summer before the movies release (which is an awkward was of saying 2006) pictures of the movie characters first started hitting the internet and everyone was talking. Optimus's truck was shown before his robot mode and while some were hung up on G1, several thought they looked cool (money walks and bullshit talks). I saw the long nose truck and hoped for a repeat of the Laser Optimus toy as it was excellent and man those flames looked cool. While the actual toy was pretty different, I clearly wasn't the only one who had that idea.

Downshifting on Cybertron

Sometimes weird things happen. In Downshift from Cybertron's case, he was very obviously somebody else. Though depending on what story whatever Hasbro rep gave you, he was Downshift. Despite his naming causing a few headaches, the character got a great toy in Energon which was followed by an even better toy in Cybertron. That's what I'm focusing on here, a really great second toy of a character who isn't who all appearances would lead you to believe, but somebody else.

Overhaulin Cybertron

In 2005, Transformers Cybertron graced toy shelves with some pretty neat toys. Overhaul was in the initial shipments of the scout class and was a fast favorite of the line for me. Going with the Cyber Planet Key gimmick of the line, you'll notice that he's representing the Jungle Planet. The Jungle Planet was home to beast based Transformers and even though a jeep/SUV style vehicle would fit in that environment, Overhaul was a bit of a beastly bot on his own with claws, sharp teeth, and some distinct styling. Overhaul was effectively modeled after Wolverine.

Though that's not all to his Jungle Planet life. Overhaul was changed into Leobreaker, a lion based bot whom fit in among the Jungle Planet even more. You may notice his names don't exactly translate into each other. That's because Overhaul was originally planned to be Trailbreaker. Leo-Breaker, get it?

If you guessed the toy mold got a repaint, then you've been paying attention to the franchise for the past 35 years. Not too much long after Overhaul was released, a new Decepticon character using the mold was released named Brushguard. Brushguard was not just a cool blue version of the toy, he was also a botanist! He spends his time researching things like poisonous plant based toxins and how to use them in battle! He's actually working for money to spend on science fiction, what a nerd! Not to mention, Brushguard is actually Overhaul's cousin. Talk about an awkward Thanksgiving!

Later when the movie came out in summer of 2007, Transformers fans were treated with a DELUGE of toys! Target featured an exclusive line of basic and scout repaints in movie packaging. While that might sound boring to some of you, it was actually a really neat little line all to itself. The toys would have unique colors and bios expanding the universe of the movie past the handful of bots seen on screen. This lead to a new character using a familiar name-Warpath!

In an attractive red and black with light blue highlights, Warpath is easily my favorite version of the toy. Many of these off screen character types would pop up in movie themed comics where the characters would get into even more adventures. I personally really liked these comics. They weren't just more fiction in the universe, but usually really good too! Part of the fun of the first few movies was all the off screen characters. A mix of new molds and repaints, the toy line was really fun (depending on where you keep sticks on your body). It was so fun that it was easy to overlook the actual movie and focus solely on all the additional product and fiction.

These days the Overhaul mold doesn't get much attention (though Leobreaker's mold got used a million times), and that's a shame. It was a fun little toy that got reused in fun little ways. While I certainly enjoy things like Siege, it's hard not to back at times when Transformers was a little more inventive with it's lines. Something as simple as a repaint got a life of it's own, even if it was just in a few blurbs on the toys package, it was a good few blurbs!

A Landmine on Cybertron

In 2005, the then new Cybertron toy line had a nifty deluxe named Landmine. Presumably the same character from Energon before it, Landmine was an Autobot who transformed into a front loader. Landmine was an instant standout in the line for me as the figure was really good in both modes and just resonated well. Cybertron's main gimmick was the Cyber Planet Keys, which would unlock play features on the figure as well as being available in a multitude of colors and shapes (depending on the planet/faction they represented).

While I didn't mind the keys completely, I was often annoyed in cases where the key would be in the way of the toy in use. This was another good thing about Landmine as his key was out of the way when plugged in activating saw blades in the vehicles wheels. This ultimately just made for a cool looking robot mode more so than a weapon, but it was out of the way for the most part. As a character, Landmine was a seasoned warrior who was used pretty often in the show. A little later in the line saw a Walmart exclusive set of Landmine packed with a Mini-Con with a neat story blurb putting the two in an adventure. The toy was the same however, though this started a trend of the mold used only in exclusives for the rest of it's use.

The following year, the Landmine mold was used as a pre-Earth version of Rhinox for the 2006 BotCon exclusive box set. A straight recolor of the toy with his Cyber Key now colored to resemble one of the Golden Disks. I was particularly happy for this toy as not long after the original toy was released I thought it would make a good Rhinox. I guess I wasn't the only one who had that idea and the toy looked great.

Within a year the 2007 Transformers movie came out and was a big hit. Stores couldn't keep Transformers toys on shelves despite the onslaught of toys being made! It was during this time that in 2008 Walmart got a unique and cool set of exclusives. A new character named Grindcore was made from the Landmine mold. In more traditionally Constructicon colors, Grindcore was an Autobot that was another neat use of a great toy mold. Grindcore was featured in the fun movie based comics that were being produced at the time and is one of those cases where the character's name might be more popular than anything else. Sadly though, this was the last use of the mold, though still pretty remarkable. Usually a toy's various recolors can occasionally get a little bland, the Cybertron Landmine toy's various versions were all pretty great on their own.