Grimlock

Grimlock really inspires mixed feelings in me. I love the car mode, as I am a fan of the new Mustang. The robot mode is not bad, but transforming it makes me want to tear my hair out.

In car mode Grimlock is a shiny silver new Ford Mustang. The hood, doors, and trunk all open. The interior is detailed, and the front wheels move in tandem. The tires are rubber. The silver painted parts tend to scratch easily on my toy.

Transforming Grimlock is a lesson in humility. I guess these things were not designed for 32-year-old men to transform. It seems the part of my brain that used to be able to instinctively figure any Transformer out is gone. I couldn’t get it to work without popping off doors, arms and this big plate that attaches to the waist. The feet are easy, but above the waist is a pain. The whole mechanism to get the head out is odd, and I can never seem to figure out how to get it back into car mode without looking at instructions.

Once transformed, Grimlock looks… OK. He is bulky, and the feet are kind of tiny. I like the doors becoming shoulder pads, but there is this big solid plate that hangs behind him. In car mode, this plate covers the bottom of the car, but it is really unnecessary.

Grimlock has 2 weapons. A translucent sword fits into his hand via a peg on the hilt, and it stores under the car when in vehicle mode. The engine becomes a double-barreled gun, a nod to the G1 Grimlock. This too is secured via a peg on the handle.

While I appreciate that this is an original design and not a repaint, I still can’t get into it. I’ve tried, but it went back into the box and into storage. Your mileage may vary, depending on how into Transformers you are.