Classics Grimlock

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My Review:

Robot Mode: Grimlock manages to hold a great deal of resemblance to his G1 incarnation despite being set up quite differently. The feet are the T-Rex head split in halves, meaning he's upside down compared to the old way he was designed. Doesn't matter, though, the robot looks excellent. The detailling is very impressive, the posability is good despite being a bit hampered by the shells on the legs, and as an extra he has two different weapons, both of which he can store away on his back. They are a black rifle with a bajonette and the T-Rex tail, though I can't decide exactly what kind of weapon the latter is supposed to be. If he has one weakness it's that the feet are not the most stable feet ever, but that is a minor thing. To sum it up, an excellent Grimlock.

Alternate Mode: What else could a Classics Grimlock be but a T-Rex. Unlike the G1 version this T-Rex actually has posability, though. The tail can move side to side, the hindlegs can bend at the knees, and the forearms, despite being small, have balljoints for maximum movement. The detailling on the shell of the T-Rex is awesome, absolutely no complaints here. A great T-Rex. You can arm this mechanical monster with his rifle from the robot mode, but IMO that looks a bit ridiculous, so I'd rather leave it off. I doubt Grimlock needs firearms in this mode, he'd rather use his teeth.

Remarks: A line-up consisting of classic G1 characters reimagined for the new millennium has to include Grimlock, the bad-ass Dinobot commander. No way around it. Where the original was cool, but quite boxy and not very posable, this figure is quite excellent and conveys the bad-ass coolness Transformers fans have come to associate with Grimlock. To sum it up, go get this figure!

Rating: A-

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And for a second opinion, a review by Tobias H.:

Prelude: Everyone who is even slightly familiar with the G1 cartoon series has heard the name "Grimlock". The leader of the Dinobots, who were built on Earth by the Autobots to serve as a powerful strike force against the Decepticons. They quickly turned out to be a two-edged sword, because the Dinobots were very different from the typical, peace-loving Autobots, and no one more so than their leader Grimlock.

The Dinobots acted like they appeared: Mechanical dinosaurs with the average intelligence of a peanut. They were agressive, disliked authority, and were difficult to control. It went so far that Optimus Prime had them deactivated again only a short time after their initial awakening. They were reactivated again, though, and proved their value, causing Optimus Prime to give them a second chance. At the end of the day they could only be controlled because Optimus Prime proved himself to them as a strong leader and strength was the only thing the Dinobots truly respected.

Grimlock did not remain a stupid giant lizard, though. As the series progressed he became one of the favourite characters, who always stuck out from the Autobot rank and file. Once his intelligence was greatly boosted through an accident and he became a genius. He then created the combiner team the Technobots, but this caused him to lose his genius again. Still, Grimlock remains an extraordinary Transformer.

Robot Mode: The Classics-version of Grimlock has lost nothing of its old charme. He is highly detailed and displays the kind of good posability we've come to expect from the line. He's mostly gray, but features a lot of gold in the chest area, as well as some red and black applications. In this he strongly resembles the original figure from the 80s. His weaponry leaves little room for complaint, either, even though it does differ from the original. Where the old Grimlock had a red sword and the standard blaster gun, Classics Grimlock features a rocket launcher and a kind-of whip, which is the fully-posable tail from his alternate mode.

It is interesting to note that this robot is built differently than the original, even though they have the same alternate mode, which you'd expect doesn't leave that much room for variation. His feet are the head of the T-Rex, which originally just folded onto his back. His tail becomes a weapon, where it originally divided and hung off his legs. A remarkable new take on Grimlock. Either way, though, he was and is a very good robot.

Alternate Mode: Grimlock transforms into a Tyrannosaurus Rex. No surprise to anyone familiar with the old cartoon, of course, but it's nice to see that they kept the classic alt mode. Compared to his rater 'stiff' predecessor, Classics Grimlock is very posable in this mode, too, marking a vast improvement over the original. His proportions have beem improved as well. The dino is slimmer and can adopt a pose much more in tune with his biological look-alike, whereas the original could only stand very much upright, uncharacteristic for a T-Rex. The rocket launcher can be fixed to his back, making an already menacing Dinobot that much more dangerous.

That only leaves the question whether or not a dinosaur as an alt mode is still a seasonable choice these days. I can't answer that objectively, but Classics Grimlock is an improved take on an old figure, which was so well liked partially because of its unusual alternate mode. Besides, Grimlock's alt mode has a certain "timeless" quality to it, otherwise why would another new version of him turn up in the upcoming Animated Series? Whatever your take on the matter, I very much like Grimlock's alternate mode, even if only because I really liked the original.

Add-Ons & Extras: A rocket launcher and a tail-whip. Nothing extraordinary here, but fully sufficient for a Deluxe figure. You can't expect much more here. Maybe his Energo-Sword would have been a nice extra, but we did get the whip as a replacement.

Remarks: After thorough consideration I can not help but praise Grimlock to the best of my ability. He is a very well done figure and a highlight of every Classics collection. Just like most of the Classics figures he manages to recapture the flair of the original figure from the 80s while incorporating the qualities of the modern figures. So two thumbs up. Besides... isn't it cool to have a transformable Tyrannosaurus Rey? I think it is.

Rating: A straight A for Classics Grimlock. May other Dinobots follow.

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And for a third opinion, a review by Sam:

Robot Mode: Grimlock’s robot mode manages to look both modern and detailed on one hand, while still being a homage to G1 Grimlock. Very nice. The multiople small details really add to the figure’s great look. I especially like that red disc on his chest, as well as the colored highlights around his hip. Nicely done.

The figure’s posability is good, but somewhat limited in certain places. The head can turn freely. Grimlock can’t look up, but I don’t particularly mind that. His very bulky, muscular-looking arms can bend at the elbows and turn. The shoulders have room for forward and backward movement, but only very little for upwards.

The legs are as posable as they should be, but they don’t look the part. Seeing as the complete neck of the beast mode surrounds the legs like armor, Grimlock looks rather undynamic and stiff. He isn’t, though. His hip joints are a bit loose, though, and Grimlock sometimes ends up doing the split on slippery surfaces.

In terms or arms Grimlock carries the tail of his T-Rex mode as a whip. Personally I don’t like that gimmick. In a world filled with thick armor a whip is a rather unimpressive weapon, unless you’re looking to clean away a batch of Minicons or smash some annoying anime kids to itty bitty bits.

I like his second weapon a lot better. It’s a big blaster (who can fire his projectile farther than any gimmick weapon I’ve ever seen) which includes a bayonet. The latter is probably a homage to Grimlock’s classic Energon Sword. Both weapons can be stored on his back in a way that looks good without being cumbersome.

I find it hard to give a fair rating to this robot mode. Grimlock is a great homage to the classic Grimlock, who was one of the all-time favorites from the days of G1. The mode is good, no doubt, and its detailing impresses a lot. But sadly the posability isn’t as top-notch.

Robot-Rating: B

Alternate Mode: This is where the figure truly shines. Grimlock just looks awesome and dangerous in this mode. His body is positively covered with great detailing. I especially like the paint job on the torso, which looks a bit like worn metal. You also see welds, metal plates, screws, hydraulics and other sculpted details, which give Grimlock the perfect mechanical monster look. On his back he has a kind of exhaust stack, where his gun can be mounted (which looks strange, though). This stack kinda reminds me of a steam-powered monster and really fits him well.

The dinosaur’s posability is excellent. He can open his jaws wide, the small arms are on ball joints, and the legs are as posable as their multiple joints make you expect. The tail (though a bit short, proportionally speaking) has four joints of its own, so it adds nicely to the overall dynamic look of the dinosaur. Thanks to his large feet the T-Rex has a solid stance, too, even for the most dynamic pose.

On the torso’s left side you can find a rub-sign where, upon application of heat, an Autobot symbol appears. This was a very widely-spread gimmick on the 80s and 90s in a number of toy lines and it’s nice to see it here as well.

I like this beast mode a lot better than the robot mode. This one, too, is a perfect homage to the old Grimlock, while adding many nice, modern details to him.

Beast-Rating: A

Transformation: Despite the fact that a lot happens here, the transformation is relatively straight-forward and simple. I managed it the first time around without consulting the instruction sheet. The connectors on the neck hold together well and my fears, that Grimlock’s beast mode head would constantly split into its two halves, were laid to rest. No complaints.

Trans-Rating: A

Remarks: I bought Grimlock along with Jetfire at the C.O.N.S. ’09. They were a double act in a single box and since I always wanted Jetfire, the price was decent, and the box good-looking, I bought them both. I didn’t expect a lot from Grimlock and regarded him as little more than a nice add-on. By now, though, this figure has taken me by storm. It’s a nice reimagining of the original and offers a lot of play value. A clear recommendation on my part.

Rating: A-