Dark of the Moon Guzzle

Robot Mode: Guzzle here is a clear homage to the G1 Sparkabot of the same name. The look in robot mode is a very close match, both the colors (yellow chest, blue face, white helmet) and the basic design (gun barrel on the back, tank threads on arms and legs). Of course DOTM Guzzle is a lot more detailed and posable than the G1 figure could ever hope to be, but they’re clearly the same character.

Guzzle has as much posability as you’d except from a modern-day Scout-class figure (or Commander-class, to use the current term). He can even turn his head, in theory at least, though the kibble surrounding it pretty much negates any movement. One strange thing: The big tank barrel on Guzzle’s back is very posable, it can twist a full 360 degrees and lift up a full 90 degrees... but I’m not sure why. In robot mode Guzzle can’t really use it (not for firing forward, at least) and in vehicle mode (see below) it’s completely locked into place. So I’m not really sure why they bothered adding all this movement in the first place.

Lastly, weapons. Guzzle carries two handguns that can combine into a single bigger weapon. The weapons look nice for their miniscule size and easily fit into Guzzle’s huge, very nicely sculpted hands. Guzzle really has huge hands and connected to those gigantic limbs (each limb is at least as big as the torso) one wouldn’t want to get into a fist fight with him. So bottom line: a very nice robot mode depicting one of the lesser-known G1 characters and being a fun figure in its own right despite the strangely mobile tank barrel on his back. Thumbs up.

Alternate Mode: First off let me write something that I never in my wildest dreams imagined I would ever write: The G1 predecessor of this figure is more posable than its present-day incarnation. At least in vehicle mode. Simply said, DOTM Guzzle is a complete brick in vehicle mode. Nothing moves. The turret doesn’t turn, the barrel can’t be raised (despite being fully posable in theory, but it’s locked in place by the robot arms forming the turret), nothing. So G1 Guzzle, whose turret can turn a full 360 degrees and whose barrel can be raised quite a bit, trumps his present-day successor. For some reason I really enjoyed writing this part.

Apart from his utter lack of moving parts, Guzzle makes a decent tank in this mode. No robot parts are visible except from below, the tank is nicely detailed and looks pretty realistic. Still, I would have liked a turning turret at least, but the way the figure transforms (shades of G2 Megatron)makes that pretty much impossible. So a good-looking, but limited vehicle mode.

Remarks: Guzzle has yet to appear in any Dark of the Moon related media, but that’s not a problem, as the figure itself is clearly a homage to the G1 character of the same name, more specifically said character’s appearance in IDW’s Last Stand of the Wreckers comic book. I loved that comic, so I had to have this figure. The vehicle mode is somewhat limited, but the robot is pretty awesome and more than makes this figure worth getting. So the bottom line: a clear recommendation.

Rating: A-