Grimlock & Autobot Wheelie (Transformers

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Grimlock & Autobot Wheelie (Transformers - Studio Series) Review

Grimlock & Autobot Wheelie
Transformers - Studio Series (Hasbro)It's a good time to be a Transformers fan with all the different merch coming out, including a couple different sub-lines from Hasbro. One of those is the Studio Series, and while I've only gotten two from that line so far, both of them are really dang good. One of those is the mighty Dinobot leader Grimlock, and I'm not joking when I say he's my favorite one in my collection (well, second-favorite, I got that Masterpiece Shockwave).

Grimlock comes in a window box, since this figure was released before Hasbro decided to push for plastic-free packaging. The figure and nearly everything else are shown clearly in the box, and there's some cool artwork to complement it. There's a few plastic ties to snip to get the figure out, but other than that, everything can be taken out easily. The backdrop is meant to be removed, allowing for one nice display.

As the case is with most Transformers, Grimlock has two different modes, so I'll start with his bot mode. In bot mode, Grimlock stands 8" tall, the usual size for a "Leader Class" figure. His design comes from the 1986 movie, though there's a lot more detail on him her than he had on-screen. He's pretty accurate to his animated appearance, save for that bit of clear plastic on the chest; that was something the original toy had. The "kibble" on Grimlock, namely the halves of the dinosaur chest on the back and the toes on the forearms, do come from how he looks on-screen, but I doubt toon Grimlock had a dinosaur head on his back. Eh, it's not like there's any way to hide it. Overall, Grimlock looks very dead-on, and while there isn't so much paint as there is molded plastic, the few areas that are painted are very clean.

Grimlock has a lot of moving parts to go with the transformation gimmick, but there is proper articulation as well. He has a ball-jointed head that offers a decent amount of tilt, mainly up-and-down, but not too much side-to-side. The arms have swivel/hinge shoulders, swivel biceps and wrists, and hinged elbows, allowing for some nice poses with his weapon. There's also a swivel waist, and below that are swivel/hinge hips, swivel thighs, hinged knees, and ankles that rock in and out. The kibble "wings" even move up and down, something I didn't really take notice of before doing this review. The joints move well, and you should have no trouble getting him in the pose you want.

The transformation from robot mode to dinosaur mode is mostly easy, though there is a bit of a struggle converting the bot legs to a tail; the two sides don't seen to connect tightly on mine. Grimlock arguably has more size to him in dino mode, with him standing around 7 1/2" tall in the most upright position he can manage, and at least 10 1/2" long from tail to head (with the head looking up). The dinosaur mode looks great, and may be how most will display him. He moves just as well in this mode as well, with the arm articulation of the robot mode becoming the leg articulation here, and an added hinge for proper dino knees. He also gets a hinged head and jaw, a swivel neck, and ball-socket shoulders with hinged elbows.

As for accessories, Grimlock only has two. The first is his blaster, with can fit in either of his hands in robot mode, or attach to notches in the back in dinosaur mode. The other accessory isn't really an accessory, but rather a whole other figure. Wheelie was the little Autobot the Dinobots encountered when going to rescue Hot Rod and Kup, so his inclusion here makes perfect sense. Standing around 2 1/2" tall, Wheelie looks very nice, and he's holding his slingshot as well, and it can be taken out of his hand. He's not going to transform, but he does have movement at the head, shoulders, waist, and hips, Of course, he looks right in the one pose due to the sculpt of the limbs, but he's also meant to ride Grimlock, and he clips tightly to him in either mode.

Grimlock overall is a really nice toy, as he looks and moves great in either mode, and the inclusion of Wheelie adds to the fun. He came out last year, and I'm quite hopeful Hasbro does a re-release for those who missed out the first time. But until then, you can always try to find the best deal from resellers.

- 10/26/22