Optimus Prime
Transformers the last knight has come and gone and, although I was admittedly excited for the movie, and hoped it would be good, I never actually saw it! Here’s hoping that the Bumblebee movie will be better but honestly I’ll believe it when I see it or more accurately, if i see it.
What is good however, is the Premier Edition voyager class Optimus Prime figure, and while many fans are in agreement over that figure’s superiority towards their leader class attempt from Age of Extinction, there’s a knockoff that actually does that design much better!
Yes, last year the company known as “Black Mamba” (possibly owned by weijiang or kubianbao) released a slightly oversized, diecast, repainted version of the Premier Edition Optimus mold that might as well be called the “definitive edition” If the sdcc version just isn’t big enough for you, or you like the die cast metal.
Truck mode is the most unremarkable, as other than the size, (which we’ll touch on later) few aspects have changed. As far as paint apps go, the flames are pretty well done but are absent from the back of the truck just like the official version. A really nice addition is the silver painted back panel of the cab, and smokestacks which both look much better than Hasbro’s sort’ve cheap looking gray plastic used on theirs. In all honesty I think the truck mode looks really good, but could use some additional details to really make it look great. Despite that, I have to mention the die cast metal hood pieces, which gives the figure a very nice weight, and is just really satisfying to touch. Overall, I like Prime’s truck mode a lot.
Optimus Prime’s transformation is interesting and fun but it does take some getting used to, just remember to remove Optimus’s weirdly small accessories from it before you do so. The roof and side panels of the cab fold away, making them the only real pieces of shell on the figure. The rest is very well thought out, as the front of the truck swings all the way around to the back, orientation themselves into Prime’s legs, while the body, arms, and head are already exposed, you just need to put them in their proper places.
Optimus Prime in robot mode does a great job at showing everything that makes the Black Mamba version of the mold better than Hasbro’s. First of all, the added paint adds so much to a figure that had a good mold, but not very much in the way of accurate color detail. My favorite examples of new paint are the gold accents added to his chest and shins that highlight the rich molded detailed they are applied upon, and the flames added to his chest panels (which are diecast by the way!). Both of these added applications make this version of Optimus Prime look very dynamic and visually interesting in a way that I really like although it will never cease to blow my mind that they didn’t fix the eyes in any way, because honestly they look bad! In its physical design, I think Prime’s robot mode is handled very well. The backpack is a lot less obtrusive that on the Age of Extinction figure, although I will say they could’ve done even more, as I think the backpack still looks questionable, it’s a big improvement, but not a solution. Articulation leaves little to be said as, it’s very typical of a modern Transformer. I will say that a wrist joint would elevate the figure to a whole other level, and the knee joints can only bend to about a 45 degree angle which is kind of annoying.
Prime’s accessories are a little annoying as well, because although the sword is very well painted, it, and the shield are really small for some reason! I don’t really care that much though, because Optimus still looks heroic holding them, and the sword fits into a hidden sheath on his back!
Black Mamba made a strange decision when upscaling this figure, as I don’t think I remember Optimus Prime being a full head taller than Megatron in the trailers! This figure stands at about 8 inches tall, which if anything, is value for money because it only costs around $27.00.
Overall, I have to say I’m very impressed with Black Mamba’s Oversized Diecast repaint of The Last Knight: Premier Edition Optimus Prime. The Transformation is interesting, paint is admirable, and the die cast metal parts here and there really make it something special. Now, there are some questionable choices made here, like the small accessories or unchanged eyes, but none of those things are deal breakers in any way. If you are ok with intentionally purchasing bootlegs, you definitely won’t regret buying Black Mamba’s Last Knight Optimus Prime, I know I sure don’t!