Grimlock (Transformers (Super7)) Review

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Grimlock (Transformers (Super7)) Review

Grimlock
Transformers (Super7) (Super7)While characters like Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, and Megatron are getting the most merch, Grimlock is just as popular, mainly because he's a giant robotic dinosaur. How is that not cool? Recently, Robosen put out an electronic Grimlock that can transform on its own, be controlled with your phone, and even has his original voice actor from the G1 cartoon providing new dialogue. For over $1000, it's too rich for my blood, but there's much cheaper Grimmys out there, such as the Super7 Ultimate.

Normally, I wouldn't bring up the box here since it's the same uniform style all figures in the line have, but Grimlock's deserves special mention as it's utterly massive. His package is 13" tall, 14 1/2" long, and 6 5/8" deep, which can make room for it difficult if you plan on keeping it. Everything on the inside is easy to get out thanks to there being no ties; just a few pieces of tape.

Grimlock's box is huge mainly because the figure itself is pretty darn big too, standing around 9" tall, with his chunky body taking up a good amount of space. That said, his sculpt is very accurate to his G1 appearance, namely the Sunbow cartoon this is based off of. His design is somewhat blocky and simplistic, making it one easy to convert into toy form. The head is a bit flatter appearance than the rest of him, but it still looks nice. His lower jaw moves on s hinge, and can be lowered to reveal the flamethrower inside the mouth (but no flame effect to go with it).

While the sculpt is great, provided by Four Horsemen Studios, it's made out of two different materials. The head, neck, legs, and tip of tail are that vinyl-feeling material I previously saw on Megatron, and the rest is plastic. The torso and most of the tail are hollow, keeping Grimlock from being heavier than he needs to be, but the plastic used for them and the arms has a shiny finish, contrasting with the more matte look of the vinyl parts. I'd definitely prefer a matte finish all-around, because figures like this, especially at high prices, shouldn't look cheap. The paint on him is excellent, with bold colors and mostly clean lines.

Grimlock's articulation is a little unusual compared to your standard Ultimate due to his design, but it's all actually quite useful. He gets a barbell head like usual, with some good tilt, and it's aided by a swivel/hinge joint at the base of the neck so he can lurch forward more. The arms have swivel/hinge shoulders, elbows, and wrists, and they get some good range, but there is a bit of tightness, and you'll want to inspect yours closely to make sure the hinges are inserted correctly. The midsection swivels, the tail gets ball-joints at the base and tip, and the legs get quite a bit of movement with swivel/hinge hips and front toes/ankles, hinged knees and hind toes, and swivel shins. All in all, there's plenty of useful joints to allow Grimlock to take a variety of poses.

Much of the accessories are based off the cartoon, save for the crown, which I assume is a reference to his brief stint as Autobot leader in the Marvel comics (spoiler alert: he wasn't a good one). The dinobot gets a pack-in in the form of Wheelie, the little robot introduced in the movie. His sculpt is nice, being designed to ride Grimlock, along with clean paint and swivel at the head, shoulders, wrists, and hips, but he'll really only look good in a few poses. Referencing season 3's "Madman's Paradise" are a softgoods waiter apron, and a tray to hold six little glasses, most of which are duplicates. From another season 3 episode, "Grimlock's New Brain," are the mind transfer helmet, which fits snugly on his head, and the giant fish from the end of the episode. Lastly, Grimlock has three pairs of hands - clawing, splayed, and gripping - which swap with ease.

Aside from a few issues, Grimlock is a surprisingly good figure, maybe even the best of the line so far. With a spot-on sculpt, useful articulation, and plenty of accessories that'll appease any G1 cartoon fan. Of course, you'll have to make room for the big guy, and his even larger box, if you want to add him to your collection.

- 11/6/23