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Toy Line: Transformers Hybrid Style
Manufacturer: Takarai
Meat and Potatoes; 5.0
Perks; 5..0
Homer Factor; 5.0
THS Convoy is constructed of die-cast metal and plastic and is a beautiful reproduction of the G-1 version of Optimus Prime, with a few changes. First is the fact... well, he's only 4" tall in 'bot mode. Doh! BUT he's got a HUGE number of accessories, details, joints... oh heck, it's a butt-kicking version of Convoy!
But the classic version still has something special about it. You get the biiiiiig, baaaaad robot that's the cab of a tractor-trailer. Then you've got the trailer part that turns into this miniature repair bay with all sorts of cool weapons and stuff. Sigh. A tear comes to your eye, doesn't it? ... Ok, it does if you're a toy geek. How do you improve things? Well one way is to make a 12" Masterpiece version. Prime now has tons o' articulation, more accessories, blah, blah, blah. Ok, looks kinda cool... but at that scale I feel like I'm playing with Barbie. Sigh.
The other thing... shrink it. Pimp this figure out with more details, more accessories, more EVERYTHING. The end result? One baaaaaaaaaaad little Transformer.
Meat and potatoes are a surprise all things considered. Keep in mind I wasn't kidding when I said 'little'. The 'bot section of Convoy is 4" tall. No, I'm NOT kidding, he's that small, which makes the incredible amount of detail and sculpting even more beautiful to behold. The figure's sculpting is incredibly detailed, capturing every panel line and door you can imagine, even the Leadership Matrix! On top of that this thing is very, very flexible, almost on the level of a Marvel Legends piece.
The perks? Are you kidding? Your cup o' extras runneth over! Extra hands, a removable Leadership Matrix from Prime's chest, the trailer which transformers into a repair bay, it goes on and on and on and on! Keep in mind this is 4" tall in 'bot mode! Just as Prime/Convoy is mega-detailed so are the accessories. The trailer has doors that swing open and a retractable ramp, the laser rifle has a movable second handle, and it just blows your mind what this piece has! .
One problem, unfortunately, is the transformation from 'bot to truck is a little difficult. There are a number of awkward hinges and joints moved in odd ways. It's not impossible but you will probably want to have your instruction sheet around for a while.
Homer factor is waaaaaay high on this one. Sure, this is the umpteenth version of Convoy, but it's an outstanding version!
So what's the last word? Actually that's a tough one. If you've already got a G-1 Convoy, frankly you may want to pass on this one. Yeah, it's super detailed, et al. However, it's basically the exact same thing you have already. However, if you're a completist, your G-1 Prime sucks (Mine has seen MUCH better days. Sigh.) or you just want something really, really, REALLY cool, you cannot go wrong with this piece. It's a beautiful piece of work. Now if they could just do a version of Megatron...