Beast Machines Rattrap

Series: Beast Machines
Allegiance: Maximal
Categories: Mega
Year: 2000

My mind is my ultimate weapon!
Wisecracking Rattrap always has something snide to say, and is known as a chronic complainer. Recon and surveillance expert. Fits into the tightest of places. Although weaponless in beast mode, his tail is a major asset - tacticle capabilities grab objects and act as an electro-whip weapon. In robot mode, weapon serves multiple tasks - can tap into computer systems, break codes and pick locks. His resourcefulness and intelligence are major assets to the Maximal cause.

Robot Mode: In a line where the resemblance between the toy characters to those seen on the TV screen was mediocre at best, Rattrap is a very welcome exception to the rule. While he's not a hundred percent perfect replica of the Rattrap we've seen in the Beast Machines episodes, he comes closer than just about any other BM figure I've yet seen, both here in robot and in beast mode, too. Just about the only things that differ are the colour (TV Rattrap was more brown where the toy is green), which is not a deal breaker for me. Originally I believed that the robot mode had the rat's head sticking out behind the robot head, seeing as that's how it was shown on the tech spec card, but I've since learned to transform him correctly and hide the rat head (except for the ears).

Rattrap features two different configurations in robot mode. One is the way we saw him on the TV, where he hasn't got proper legs, but rather wheels. In this mode you need to plug in his rat tail in the back for added stability, otherwise he can't stand. He looks pretty good here, though, and copies his TV counterpart near-perfectly. Unlike in the TV series, though, Rattrap can fold out proper robot legs to stand on, leaving the wheels on his knees. The wheels can extend three blades each, giving him a devastating kicking attack.

Wheeled or legged, Rattrap makes for a highly detailed and pretty posable robot. The latter is only slightly restricted in that he lacks wrist joints, so he can't twist his wrists. Not a big thing, really, but something I'd have liked to see. Rattrap's head is very nicely done, as close to the TV look as possible, but something is lacking here as well, seeing as Rattrap can't fold down his helmet/visor like he often did in the series.

For weapons Rattrap has the aforementioned blades in his wheels, as well as his rat tail, which he can use as a whip, much like he did in his Transmetal incarnation. He hasn't got any ranged weapons, but that's consistent with how he was shown on TV, so no complaints. So bottom line, a very nice robot mode with only some very minor flaws.

Alternate Mode: Once again Rattrap turns into what you'd expect from a character with his name, a rat. And it might just be the most detailed and coolest-looking robot rat I've ever seen (not that there've been that many, but you get my drift). The detailing is tremendous, especially in the rat head, which features a working mouth and moving ears. The rest of the body is pretty detailed as well. The proportions might just be a tiny bit off, I don't think natural rats have hind legs that big compared to their front legs, but that's just a minor thing.

Rattrap can walk on all fours or stand up on his hind legs, both of which looks pretty cool. The front legs could have been a bit more posable, but apart from that I can't really say anything bad about this beast mode. There is a mechanism hidden in the body that causes the head (and the ears) to move when you wag the tail sideways (or vice versa), which is a nice detail. So overall, possibly the best Rattrap beast mode of them all. Nicely done.

Remarks: I had a lot of complaints about the character Rattrap and the way he was portrayed in Beast Machines, especially in the beginning. Yeah, he's always been a whiner and a complainer, but behind that facade he's always been a battle-hardened veteran, always ready to jump into the fray to help his friends and with iron-clad values. Beast Machines pretty much dismantled him at first, portraying him as a coward. Only as the series progressed did he return to old form, proving to be the valuable team member we knew him as.

The toy incarnation of this character, though, is the first Beast Machine toy where I can say without any reservation: I like him. I like him a lot. There are some small things that could have been improved, but when aren't there? Among a toy series that mostly ranged from mediocre to downright terrible, Rattrap is a shining beacon of hope. In my mind he's the best Beast Machines toy I've yet seen. That's the bottom line. If you're a fan of beast Transformers or the character Rattrap, then go get this wonderful figure.

Rating: A-