Long before Michael Bay got his hands on them, waaaaayyyy back in 1986, there was a Transformers animated movie. It was simply called Transformers: The Movie and it was used as the way to move the story into the next generation. It featured all the familiar characters and voices, but added new characters and big name voices, such as Leonard Nimoy as Galvatron and Orson Welles (Google him, kids) as Unicron.
SPOILER ALERT: The movie is most well known for its brutality when it comes to the Generation One characters, with the majority of them being killed or reborn as different characters entirely. Starscream, Megatron, Ratchet, and other Autbots and Decepticons are mercilessly killed in the first half of the film. But, the moment that left an indelible mark on legions of children everywhere, myself included, is the death of Optimus Prime. For one thing, there was no internet yet, so no one saw it coming. It hit like a gut punch across the world. Two, the scene is INCREDIBLY emotional. Prime goes out a hero, having had his final confrontation with Megatron and forced the Decepticons to retreat, Prime succumbs to his injuries after turning over the Matrix of Leadership to Ultra Magnus. After hanging over the Matrix, Prime loses all his coloring and turns grey, signifying the end.
But, before he dies, Prime puts on one of the most badass fighting performances ever. He shows why without a doubt, he is a warrior to be feared. He arrives on the battlefield at Autobot City, uses rockets to propel himself into the air, transforms mid-air and starts blasting away at Decepticons after Decepticons. It is a truly awesome sequence.
When Hasbro first announced the special Studio Series assortment honoring this movie, the speculation about what Optimus Prime would look like began almost immediately. Well, he is finally here and I think he may be the best Optimus Prime Hasbro has made in recent memory. He is definitely one of my favorite Transformers I have ever owned, and maybe my favorite Optimus Prime.
As with all the Studio Series figures, Prime looks like he stepped right off the screes, with all the colors and details matching the movie. He stands 7 inches tall, so he is a sizeable figure. Unlike the heads on most of the other Prime’s his eyes are actually painted blue, to further capture the classic G1 animated look. He also comes with a beautifully painted diorama with a platform for him to be displayed on.
The best part is, since they made the wise decision to make Optimus a Commandeer Class figure, he comes with a full size trailer. Just like the original G1 figure, the trailer opens to reveal a maintenance bay, with a maintenance robot. You also get Roller, the little car, which has been repainted a screen accurate grey, instead of the normal blue. The trailer also acts as a storage bay for all of the accessories, with a clever tab or slot system put in place.
Until you pick him up and realize how light he is, you forget he is made of plastic. He has all the articulation you would expect, with some neat additions, such as his ear antennas. Also his chest panels open to reveal the Matrix of Leadership, which is removable. His hands have individual jointed fingers, perfect for pointing, making a fist or holding his trusty blaster rifle. When necessary, the fists fold into a compartment inside the forearm, leaving pegs, which are perfect for attaching Optimus’ energy axe weapon, which is included. Also included are two “energy blasts, that can be attached to Optimus’ plasma rifle and two “rocket effect” elements that fit into slots on the bottom of Optimus in truck cab mode and allow you to create the launching into battle scene. All of these pieces are cast in a translucent orange plastic.
After admiring the robot for a while, it was time to transform. Now, I will admit, I approached this part with a little reprehension, as I realized how long it had been since I had transformed an Optimus Prime with a trailer. Everyone remembers the original G1 Optimus transformation sequence. It’s about 10 steps and most people who own or owned the toy can do it in their sleep. This figure took 40 steps and I had to watch a video. The key to this transformation being successful for you is to remember that the upper and middle torsos rotate independent of each other. I will say, in both the robot and truck cab forms, Hasbro has done a great job of creating a system of tabs that lock securely in place with an audible snap and the finished product is sturdy and spectacular. Once you’ve done it successfully, it is easy enough to replicate once you see where everything goes and how it all comes together.
As a Commander Class, this Optimus is a higher priced than normal figure. Is it worth it? Absolutely. If you are a fan of G1 or Optimus Prime, you must own this figure. It might be the best “Masterpiece” G1 Prime Hasbro has ever done. Get yours now and Roll Out!
The Transformers Studio Series 86 Commander Class Optimus Prime gets a 4 out of 5.
