Tag Archives: Grimlock

Transformatorium, Transformer Toy Reviews

Toy Review – Titan Changer Grimlock

June 20, 2020 Big Angry Trev 5 Comments

The Authentics line is not the most beloved of Transformer toylines. People don’t rant online about their local store being out of stock or discuss on message boards how excited they are about a new figure coming up.

What the Authentics line is known for is being relatively cheap, usually G1 inspired and relatively easy to find. Most supermarkets will have a few Authentics toys in their tiny toy sections so if you live near a Coles or Woolworths chances are you can find one.

There have already been two Grimlocks in the Authentics line. If one were to use classifications from the Generations line you would say a ‘Scout’ class and a ‘Deluxe’ class. Both were OK looking, but of course not brilliant and made of extremely cheap materials. Hasbro has decided to continue with this theme but upscale it, so let’s have a look at the new Titan Changer class of Authentics toy with an all new Grimlock figure.

Robot Mode

Undoubtedly G1 inspired and with the simplicity of his look you could almost classify him as a representation of how he looked in the old G1 Marvel comics. Interestingly he has some shoulder mounted multi-missile launchers which are far more indicative of Cyberverse Grimlock toys. Perhaps this is to make up for the fact he has no other weapons and no accessories.

This figure has limited articulation, having some swivel at the hips and shoulders as well as being able to bend at the knees. No elbows however and no neck swivel.

The toy is extremely lanky, his overly long legs putting him on a height scale with many Generations Leader-Class figures. He is also extremely thin, and if you turn him around you will see there is almost literally nothing behind him.

Space Tyrannosaurus Mode

It’s…. OK. The back of the dinosaur mode is very boxy, almost the opposite of the overly elongated POTP Grimlock figure. The head is a lot flatter than your usual Grimlock toy. He has a small lever on the back of his head which allows you to open and shut the dinosaur jaws and is his only real gimmick. As the robots arms become the dinosaurs legs, the figure has no knee movement and his upper arms are locked in position.

Look, its not great OK. But we’ve had some pretty average looking dinosaur mode toys for Grimlock over the years so it’s not like this one is significantly worse than a lot of the others.

The Space T-Rex sniffs the air, trying to locate the scent of its next meal

Overall

I think my kids put it best when they were fiddling with this figure this morning: ‘This is a kids toy isn’t it Dad, cause’ it’s so light’. Firstly I love the fact they think most of my Transformers are intended for adults since its dad that gets them – bless their hearts! But it was a good analysis from them – this toy being such a big figure made out of such cheap plastic means that it is best suited for younger fans who want their own Grimlock toy to play with. Combine this with a simplistic transformation and relatively low price tag (mine cost $30[AU] from Aldi) and it means that while this is a Grimlock most collectors will happily skip, it may be a great gift for their offspring.

Got something to say about this figure? Pop it in the comments section below!

Related Articles:

POTP Dinobots: Wave 1

Cyberverse Grimlock and Shockwave

Games & Competitions, Transformatorium

Exclusive Cards Reveal: Dirge and Defensive Driving. Transformers: TCG

February 8, 2019 Big Angry Trev 2 Comments

Last time we discussed Transformers: TCG – the new card game that has many parallels between it and Magic: The Gathering, we looked at The Metroplex Pack, which introduced the new concept of Titan Cards.

Well Wave 2 is coming out now, and since we already have Titans on the board, it’s time to introduce the other behemoths from the Transformer franchise – gestalts. Rise of the Combiners will be introducing gestalt teams such as the Predacons, which looks to open up the range of gameplay even more.

However it’s not just the Combiner Teams that are being introduced in Wave 2. We are getting some other new Hero Cards as well, along with some new Battle Cards for gameplay. Once again, Hasbro has been kind enough to offer bigangrytrev.com an EXCLUSIVE SPOILER to reveal! So in this exclusive reveal let’s look at one of the new characters as well as one of the new battle cards: Dirge, Doombringer and Defensive Driving.

*Note: Like last time, no money has changed hands for this EXCLUSIVE SPOILER, and Hasbro & Wizards of the Coast have in no way tried to dictate the contents of this blog article.

HERO CARD:

DIRGE, DOOMBRINGER

I was pretty chuffed when Hasbro gave me Dirge as an exclusive reveal. Dirge was my first ever Transformer way back in the 80’s, so whilst not the most popular of the Seekers, he has always held a special place in my heart.

The Artwork

The artwork for this card was originally seen in a TF game app years ago, Transformers Legends. Though that game is dead and buried, the fantastic artwork from it still crops up here and there and has been seen with some of the collector cards that came with figures from the Titans Return, Power of the Primes and other Transformer toy lines. It’s great this artwork has seen the light of day again and Dirge looks excellent here, blasting away in his robot mode and conversely zooming off in his jet mode. The art of both modes are based on the Generations toy Dirge received back in 2010, to my mind the best toy of Dirge we’ve had (perhaps barring the Masterpiece version that came out a couple of years ago).

Card Power

The term ‘Dirge’ has to do with laments and music for the dead. And the way this card plays on the board is very appropriate for the character’s name indeed, for he kills the weak stone dead and gains power from the death of others.

Robot Mode

Dirge is rocking stats of 2 Attack, 11 Health and 2 Defence in robot mode. Whilst not staggering stats, it’s his power of Pierce 1 that makes him so valuable. It means no matter the defences up, Dirge is going to inflict at least 1 damage to his opponent, very handy if your opponent has characters that are well defended but also on the brink of death.

Jet Mode

Jet mode has stats of 4 Attack, 11 Health and 2 Defence, so much like the robot mode. The power of his alt-mode is to get an extra attack point for every character you have KO’ed of your opponent. So if you have KO’ed say 2 or 3 of your opponents Hero Card’s already, it can bring Dirge’s attack up to a power of 6 or 7.

Card Functionality

The above powers means both sides of Dirge’s card greatly complement each other. You can use the Pierce 1 of his robot mode to kill off weak opponent cards, then flip to his alt-mode in order to gain extra attack power from those aforementioned KO’ed Hero Cards. You then use this extra power to knock off your opponents healthier Hero Cards. This gives Dirge a great deal of latitude in regards to what kind of decks you can put him in. Indeed Dirge will be a real asset in particular to decks where you have other Hero Cards taking care of the major offensives and defences. Make sure you use him in the right deck though – at 8 Stars he will take up nearly a 3^rd of the total stars you can use to create your team. Used correctly however, Dirge will indeed be a bringer of doom!

BATTLE CARD:

DEFENSIVE DRIVING

Artwork

The artwork for this card is actually taken from the IDW Transformers comic book series. In particular the subseries Maximum: Dinobots, published all the way back in 2008/09. The picture shows one of the Sunstreaker clones (bearing a striking resemblance to Cordon), created by Scorponok, defensively driving out of the way of a tail swipe from Grimlock. I love the fact that this card series takes its artwork from so many different sources, not just the one.

Card Power & Functionality: UPGRADE – ARMOR

It’s a good thing that these cards are intended for the more advanced way of playing Transformers: TCG rather than the basic, as there is no way my 6 year old son could figure out the power of this card, it even took me a minute of two!

Essentially this card offers extra protection to your characters when played. Whilst not defending from a direct attack, what is does do is lessen the damage taken from non-direct attacks by your opponent by 1. This can be extremely handy to play when your opponent has multiple non-direct attacks set up on the board, as they can add up and easily KO one of your Hero Cards. With this card protecting one of your characters, your Hero Card stands a much better chance of surviving non-direct attacks in order to fight another round.

So as we see, Transformers: TCG continues to expand. I personally will be hoping I find both Dirge and Defensive Driving in blind packs when they are released in March this year.

How are you enjoying Transformers: TCG so far? Would love to hear in the commments section below! And for more card reveals, check out Lisamaree on Life With Sprogs to see some great battle cards!

Related Articles:

Transformers TCG: Metroplex Pack

Toy Review – Masterpiece Dirge

Toy Review – POTP Dinobots: Wave 1

Transformatorium, Videos

Video – My 150+ Generations Autobots

January 25, 2019 Big Angry Trev Leave a comment

Several months ago I did a short video showcasing from my personal collection 100+ Generations Decepticons. Well now it is the Autobots turn. These figures are mainly of G1 characters who have received an update through toylines such as Thrilling 30, Combiner Wars, Legends, POTP and so on.

So enjoy this short video I made of the display. Also below you will find some screenshots and a full list of the Autobots onshow, along with links to reviews of many of the figures displayed here – have fun!

Air Raid, Afterbreaker, Afterburner, Alpha Bravo, Alpha Trion, Arcee

Beachcomber, Blades, Blaster, Blurr, Brainstorm, Brawn, Broadside, Bumblebee

Caliburst, Cerebros, Chromedome, Chromia, Circut, Cliffjumper, Cludburst, Cloudraker, Computron, Cosmos, Crosscut

Depthcharge, Dustup

Eject, Elita-1

Fastlane, Firefly, First Aid, Fisitron, Flak, Fortress Maximus

Gears, Getaway, Groove, Godbomber, Grappel, Grimlock

Hardhead, Highbrow, Hoist, Holepunch, Hot Rod, Hot Spot, Hound, Huffer

Impactor, Inferno, Ironhide

Jackpot, Jazz, Jumpstream, Junkheap

Kup

Landmine, Lightspeed, Lightsteed, Lio Convoy

Metalhawk, Metroplex, Mirage, Moonracer

Nightbeat, Nosecone, Nova Prime, Novastar

Omega Supreme, Optimal Optimus, Optimus Prime, Orion Pax, Outback, Override

Perceptor, Pipes, Powerglide, Prowl, Ptero, Punch, Pyra Magma,

Ramhorn, Ratchet, Red Alert, Rewind, Roadbuster, Roadhandler, Rodimus Prime, Rook

Sandstorm, Sawback, Scattershot, Scoop, Scrounge, Seaspray, Sentinel Prime, Shuffler, Sideswipe, Silverstreak, Silverbolt, Skids, Sky Lynx, Skyburst, Skydive, Slash, Slingshot, Sludge, Slug, Smokescreen, Snarl, Springer, Steeljaw, Stripes, Stormclash, Strafe, Streetwise, Sundor, Sunstreaker, Super Ginrai, Superion, Swerve, Swindler, Swoop

Tailgate, Tracks, Trailbreaker, Topshot, Topspin, Twin Twist, Twinferno

Ultra Magnus

Victorion

Warpath, Wheelie, Wheeljack, Whirl, Windcharger, Wreck-Gar

Related Video

My 100+ Generations Decepticons

Transformer Toy Reviews

Toys Review – Cyberverse: Grimlock & Shockwave

September 3, 2018 Big Angry Trev 1 Comment

With RID disappearing into the sunset, leaving most fans with a ‘yeah, it was alright I guess’ taste in their mouths, many have been anticipating the new Cyberverse cartoon and toyline. However if what one reads online is to be believed, fans are already being put off with what they perceive to be overly simplistic figures.

On Father’s Day I received two from the new line, and both characters I obsessively collect. So without further ado let’s take a look at Cyberverse: Warrior-Class Shockwave and Ultra-Class Grimlock.

Shockwave

Robot Mode

Though small in stature, Shockwave comes in a really vibrant purple with pink highlights via circuitry lines on the arms and the hexagon on his chest. He has shoulder, elbow and knee articulation though his head is immovable. His proportions are quite good and he has his signature blaster on his left arm.

I really like the head on this Shockwave. I think because you only see the bottom half of his eye so it makes him look far more angry than usual.

His ‘Wave Cannon’ weapon sits behind his right shoulder. Moving it up onto the shoulder makes the pink laser fire automatically pop out. Personally I prefer to leave it behind his shoulder but it adds a lot of play value for the kids.

Cybertronian Spider-Tank Mode

Really, this is the first alt-mode of this kind we have seen in a Transformers toy. There was Thunderhead from DOTM which had treads so perhaps this is the first walking spider-tank in the Transformers line *. That novelty value alone made me want to grab Shockwave. It looks odd but fairly good overall. Really they needed to find a way to shorten Shockwaves thighs so that the two back legs were the same length as the front, and have a bit more detail and variety in colour so it’s not one big block of purple. It’s nice to see that they have kept with the theme of Shockwave not having an Earth mode, and this makes a nice variation on the Cybertronian Tank form he has been rocking for the last few years (such as in Energon, Animated, Prime and DOTM). Since all 4 legs are able to be positioned in different ways, both on the horizontal and vertical axis, it means this toy is great to set up on battlescapes with uneven terrain.

*I have subsequently been reminded by Laine from Melbourne that in fact ‘Scrapmetal’ from the Cybertron series can be considered the first ‘walking spider-tank’. Thanks Laine! I actually own this toy so I feel particularly silly for forgetting this figure 😉

The laser turret on top of the tank can once again activate his ‘Wave Cannon’ for pink laser fire but only one pops out. There is an Ultra-Class version of this character coming out in subsequent waves where the laser turret resembles his Prime incarnation more.

Grimlock

Robot Mode

It is a big bulky and solid looking Grimlock. Despite being depicted in the shots of the cartoon as having a mouth (like in RID) they have given Grimlock back his faceplate and overall a much more G1 head than the ‘teddy-bear’ look he was rocking in Robots in Disguise, which I was not a fan of. He is well proportioned and has a very G1/Evergreen colour scheme. This figure has minimal articulation, his shoulders and elbows both have a small amount of movement but he has no knee or head articulation whatsoever. The front half of his Dino-mode folds down the back of him and goes all the way down to his knees; the figure could have benefitted from this folding in half so that it formed a backpack, but I guess that was not possible due to the figure having to accommodate the ‘Rocket Roar’ feature that the robot mode doesn’t use. I quite like Grimlock having missile pods on each shoulder, it’s something new for the character and makes up to a small extent him not having any other weapon such as his signature Energon-Sword.

Cybertronian T-Rex Mode

*Look at my raised eyes, scientists must have put frog DNA in me*

It’s an interesting look, very distinctive with the raised eye sockets and the way it leans forward is quite indicative of the Animated version. The spikes on his back, forehead and tail are quite interesting too. A black tail instead of the usual gold but it still sorta works.

By pressing down on one of his back nodules (the foot from his robot mode) you activate the ‘Rocket Roar’ feature which not only shoots ‘fire’ out his mouth but also causes it to flare up from his back. It looks pretty cool and it will be interesting to see if this happens in the upcoming cartoon as I think it would look quite boss for his back to be spouting fire as he breathes it at Cons. My only gripe is you have to lean Grimlock even further forward in order to get the nub that activates the switch to be in the right position, meaning Grimlock has to be virtually horizontal for this to work.

Transformations

Both this figures are very easy to Transform, in particular Shockwave whom my 5-year old can do with his eyes closed. Didn’t take too long for him to figure out Grimlock either. Not much challenge for the adult collector but then that’s not who these toys are aimed at.

Overall

Look, I have to put my hand up to say that I’ve been feeling fairly negative about this new line from all the images I’ve been seeing online. But now having two in my hands I gotta say they are a lot of fun! I received these two for Father’s Day and I think my son played with them more than me and he had an absolute blast! I think given the relative simplicity of these figures that their price tags are a tad steep and feel that set at about 2/3rds their current cost would be more appropriate. However that said, if you are a fan of these two characters or you have kids that are really into Transformers they are both worth picking up.

Got anything to say about these toys? Would love to read it in the comments section below!

Related Articles

Toy Review: Masterpiece Shockwave

Toy Review: POTP Dinobots – Wave 1

Transformer Toy Reviews

Toys Review: POTP Dinobots – Wave 1

January 29, 2018 Big Angry Trev Leave a comment

The Dinobots – a fan favorite! Is there anyone that grew up with the G1 cartoon that doesn’t have a soft spot for this gang of cantankerous Autobots? Turning up in the Transformers Animated cartoon and even the live action movies the Dinobots have appealed to new generations as well. It’s easy to see how; Dinosaurs are cool, Robots are cool – transforming alien robots that turn from giant robots into space dinosaurs? It’s a no-brainer – they are awesome!

The new Power of the Primes toyline has finally given lots of Generations collectors what they have been crying for for years, new versions of many of these classic characters. Some have come out in the first wave whilst others are slated for later in the year and they come with not only a new character but a new trick – they combine!

But for now, let’s take a look at the four Dinobots that have been released so far – Grimlock, Slug, Swoop and Slash.

Grimlock

Robot Mode

The Leader of the Dinobots, unlike his compatriots, has not suffered from a lack of toys based on him over the years and here is the latest incarnation. At first impression his robot mode looks good but pretty stock standard. It is very faithful to his G1 cartoon incarnation as have many toys over the years (FOC in particular looking great!). Don’t get me wrong, this is what most Generations fans are after, their childhood characters reimagined but staying true to their roots. He looks good – he just doesn’t take your breath away.

Instead of his usual weapon of choice – a big red energon-sword, Grimlock is sporting what could best be described as arm-mounted knuckle-dusters. These also become the feet of the Dinobots combined form. I kinda like this idea – Grimlock is definetly a character that would enjoy smacking a few Con’s in the face with these! Also you can place the little Prime characters in the slots to, I dunno, add a splash of colour.

Space T-Rex Mode

*“Me Grimlock cut out carbs – lose weight good!”*

Big alien-metal T-Rex – just so cool! However not the coolest Grimlock we have seen. His body is a bit too elongated which makes him look like he needs bulking up. Also there is a gap between where his chest armour stops and his underbelly armour begins, making him appear he is wearing a golden nappy (diaper for you US readers). There is good rotation on his little forearms and his jaw opens and closes, a shame you cannot swivel the head though.

Swoop

Robot Mode

I think this is the best official Swoop toy we have seen since G1. Energon Swoop had odd hands and odd colours and Animated Swoop was painfully thin. This Swoop does a great job of looking like he did in the G1 cartoon, right down to the blue body. Personally I would have liked red more like the G1 toy in order to fit in with the other Dinobots better, but then you would have had people complaining about that so it shows you can never please all the fandom. He is the only Dinobot so far I’ve seen to come with their signature swords.

Space Pteradon

The Pteradon mode is quite good but the legs add a lot of bulk to the back, taking away a lot of the streamlined look you would expect in a flyer. In this case he does resemble Energon Swoop. The feet hang off the back of the body at the bottom but can be folded underneath so Swoop can sit up, a position he looks surprisingly good in.

*“It’s why they call me Swoop – NOT because my old name got stolen!”*

The mouth on Swoop opens well and looks excellent open. You can position his sword under his chin but frankly it looks ridiculous. What I do like is not only can you fold the wings in closer to the body but you can also angle them up – giving Swoops alt-mode a multitude of flying-poses.

~~Slag~~Slug

Robot Mode

Slag has a reputation in the fiction as being second only to Big Grim in terms of strength and ferocity and even outstrips Grimlock in terms of temper! Therefore it would have been nice for Slug to look a bit more bulky in robot mode. Whilst not slim, he lacks that bit of thickness that would have suited him, his proportions are good though. The way his robot head is imbedded into the underside of the Dino-head is super G1-esque, the colour scheme is spot on and he looks grumpy enough. I would have liked to see him have his sword though.

Space Triceratops Mode

*The cooler version of a Star Wars AT-TE Tank*

Looking at this mode, you can imagine him having been a tank before he got outfitted with an Earth mode. Very strong and compact. His mouth opens the least of any of the new Dinobots which makes it hard to make him look as though he is breathing fire. But like Swoop, this is the best rendition we have had of the classic character since G1. A shame he is not Voyager-sized – now that would have been something to behold!

The legs all have knees so that can change his pose slightly. His gun can be put in multiple ports – personally I think it looks best on his back but it can be put in his hip like the rocket-launcher on the G1 toy.

Slash

In the Movieverse line, there has been a raptor character named Slash. Slash has had a sex-change (according to Jurassic Park they can do that) and is now the first official female Dinobot toy. Slash is significantly smaller than the other Dinobots and sports no weapons but is nicely proportioned and has a suitably feminine face. I don’t mind them introducing new characters to classic groups, teams grow over time and the X-men would have been pretty dull if they still only had the 5 students.

Space Raptor Mode

It’s not a bad looking raptor, but like MP Dinobot, suffers from looking odd around the ribcage. The arms and neck are manuverable and she looks quite good with her jaw open ready to bite. Something that is disappointing is that Slash, in no way I can find and certainly not in the instructions, does not combine with the other Dinobots. It would have good for her to turn into chest armour (like CW Groove) or a weapon (like CW Shockwave or Powerglide). However a little Prime figure can ride on her back, much like the Diaclone versions of the original Dinobots.

Combined Mode

I’m not really going to comment on this much since I am waiting to see how Volcanicus will look with Sludge and Snarl onboard – I tried making him with Jazz and Dreadwind and it just didn’t work for me. Stay tuned for that review down the line.

Overall

Swoop could have been more streamlined, Grimlock less streamlined and Slug bigger. Besides that I think this is a really good Generations outing for the Dinobots and if you are a fan of the subgroup then I heartily recommend you go and grab these bad bots up!

Got anything to add to this review? Would love to read it in the comments section below!

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Toys Review: POTP Rodimus & Optimus Prime

Transformatorium: Visit to Hasbro Australia!

Transformatorium

Big Angry Trev visits Hasbro Australia!

December 19, 2017 Big Angry Trev 3 Comments

On Monday, myself and 14 other lucky fellows were treated to a behind the scenes look at the offices of Hasbro Australia, located in Sydney. Organized by the operator of Ozformers, this was for a hands-on experience with the newest Transformers toyline: Power of the Primes.

After a short wait, myself and my compatriots were ushered up to the fourth floor of the Hasbro offices where a space had been prepared. Scattered around various parts of the room were examples of some of the great Transformer products that have come out of recent.

Of course there was one other major Hasbro product on show and that was My Little Pony. Whilst this was largely ignored by the Transfans I couldn’t help but have a good look. I loved the huge Pinkie Pie – if it had been Rarity I would have forgotten the TF’s altogether and tried to work out a way to smuggle her out of the building for me to ride whenever I saw fit (sounds kinda dirty I know but Rarity – I loves ya!).

Power of the Primes

Of course the main point of the day was to give fans a hands-on experience with the new toyline. This consisted mainly of Wave 1 which has been released in the USA already and is due out in Australia within the next few months. Whilst this is all the same toyline, it can be broken into different groups.

The Dinobots

Something that has all the fans excited is that for most of the Dinobot characters this is their first Generations treatment. On display was the latest (of many) Grimlock‘s as well as Slug and Swoop. Also on display was the newest addition to the classic Dinobot team – a female raptor named Slash.

Of course, without Sludge and Snarl we couldn’t see the fully combined form of the Dinobot gestalt but I will say that what we could put together did look a lot better than what I had seen in photos to date.

The Original 13 & Pretenders

Now I’ll admit – I was not a fan of the Pretenders from G1, not particularly liking organic modes. But many of these characters have been brought back and in a bizarre twist, has been combined with the characters from TF lore which constitute the first 13 Primes. The classic Pretender shell characters are used to ensconse the mini-Primes within. Rather odd, but I know when they hit the shelves I wont be able to resist.

*Apparently Landmine & Alpha Trion were the same dude*

The Primes

A rather interesting concept that has been done here is with Optimus Prime and Rodimus Prime. Not only do both transform from Truck/Cybertronic Winnebago to robot, but you can remove a smaller robot which transforms into their pre-evolved forms – Orion Pax and Hot Rod. I really dig this concept and both toys looked great! Both also came with a Matrix of Leadership.

And the others…

There were several other figures on show from the new line. These included Beachcomber, Windcharger and a Dreadwind which is based on an older Combiner Wars figure. The Ozformer owner was also kind enough to bring a couple of figures that were US exclusives that not many Aussies would have touched – Arcee and Grotusque.

So overall it was a very interesting hands-on experience and behind-the-scenes look at Hasbro. I’d like to thank Hasbro for the opportunity – I’m sure my fellow 14 fans had as much fun as I did! And to top it off, in the raffle at the end I scored a The Last Knight Hot Rod to take home!

Got anything to say about this visit to Hasbro? Would love to read it in the comments section below!

Random Reviews, Transformatorium

Movie Review – Transformers: The Last Knight

June 21, 2017 Big Angry Trev 1 Comment

Here we are – the fifth installment of the live-action Transformers movie franchise.

These movies have caused a lot of debate over the years. Many of the critics and your more traditional Transformer fans have hated them – citing such things as poor plots, juvenile jokes and lack of characterization. However the general public has loved them – all four previous movies still remaining in the top 100 highest grossing movies of all time.

So will Transformers: The Last Knight fare any better than the previous four with the die-hards? Let’s find out!

Oh, and SPOILER ALERT! This is a movie review – so if you haven’t seen the flick yet and don’t want to know what happens, read no further (but please do come back after watching I implore you).

This movie picks up not long after the events of Transformers 4, and unlike that movie brings back a lot of what happened in Transformers 3 as well. The Transformers are still all hated and hunted by the human governments, yet they keep arriving. Most of the Autobots are living in a junkyard which they periodically leave as they try to find more of their lost brethren with the help of Cade. Megatron (Galvatron being just a phase he was going through) is enacting plans with the help of his henchman Barricade and Optimus Prime is off in space trying to find the creators of his race so he can put the smack down. Oh, and the new plot has flashbacks of Merlin dealing with a bunch of Cybertronian knights that can combine into a 3-headed space dragon – now there is a twist that not a lot of movies can boast eh!

The first half of this movie advances these plot lines. Megatron does a hostage swap of some humans in order to get some of his captured crew back from the military. Cade and the Autobots hiding out unwillingly adopt a 14 year old orphan girl and Optimus lands on Cybertron to meet Quintessa, his creator. Soon conflict (and Bayesque explosions) come into play. Megatron (tracked by the military) finds the Autobots and has a scrap, most of his henchmen we had only just met being killed in the process. Quintessa brainwashes Optimus into becoming Nemesis Prime and sets the broken planet of Cybertron (which got royally f’ed up at the end of TF3 by a spacebridge explosion) on a course to Earth to siphon its energy to make the metallic husk pull itself back together. We also get introduced to two new plot lines: The first is that Anthony Hopkins rocks and has a bunch of old Autobots at his disposal (including a quite psychotic character named Cogman) and is trying to figure out the whole Merlin angle. The second is that, like the TFPrime cartoon, Earth actually is Unicron and he is extending his horns out through various parts of the planet!

Phew – that’s a lot going on eh?

To prevent this they…..

…you know what, bugger it – if I list the 8 millions plot twists this review is going to become a novel! Chances are if you are reading this you have seen the movie and know what happens! So how about I save us all a bit of time and go on a few pro’s and cons eh?

PRO’S

*Lots of explosions

*Tons of action

*Nice boobs for the boys, nice ab’s for the girls

*Anthony Hopkins was awesome

*Cogman was funny

*A good variety of different robots

*Great fight scenes

*Expanded the movie lore

*Genuinely funny moments

*At least some characterization of Decepticons

*The action was not too close up and frenzied so you could actually tell what was going on most of the time

*Cullen and Welker reprised their roles as Optimus and Megatron respectively

*A Transformer clock killed Hitler

*Autobots, Decepticons, Quintessons, Combiners, Cybertron and Unicron!

CON’S (no, not those Cons)

*Bumblebee coming apart and coming back together contradicted a lot of TF deaths from the previous movies

*So many Transformers didn’t actually transform! Grimlock, ~~Slag~~ Slug, the baby Dino’s, Cogman, Wheelie, Sqweeks, whoever the female submarine was etc. It was like reading an IDW comic!

*A lot of the Transformers that did transform never did it on screen, such as Optimus himself.

*Contradictions in plot

*Too much human focus

*Hot Rod is french?!

So overall, is this movie worth watching? Well I’d have to say yes. All the people that complain about the Transformer movies would do well to remember that these flicks are based on a cartoon from the 80’s about shape-changing alien robots fighting a civil war. It’s not supposed to move you and make you cry – it’s supposed to entertain you! In that regard Transformers: The Last Knight certainly delivers the goods! It (like all the others) is a long movie but I can’t say there was any point where I was bored and frankly I found the whole movie quite fun! It’s not a movie you are supposed to take too seriously and I think some of the critics and die-hard fans need to remember that sometimes. Overall I’d say that this was not as good as TF1, about on par or slightly better than 3 & 4 and much better than 2. I had a great time watching it with a half dozen mates and I can’t wait to see what happens with the Unicron angle in number 6!

This movie gets 4 out of 5 energon cubes.

Got something to say about the movie? Would love to read it in the comments section below!

Big Angry Trev!

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