Platinum Edition Grimlock (Fall of Cybertron)

Prelude: A little over ten years ago as of this review, the Fall of Cybertron video game came out and was accompanied by its own line of Generations figures. This line gave us, among others, our very first Voyager-sized G1-style Grimlock. That very same figure was re-released that same year in a Platinum Edition set, together with the Fall of Cybertron Combaticons. So here is Platinum Edition Grimlock, a shiny repaint of Fall of Cybrtron Grimlock. Is he worth your time? Let’s say go!

Robot Mode: Looking at him, Grimlock looks pretty cool. He has more of a swimmer’s figure than most Grimlocks, but that’s not really an issue. Detailing on the figure is quite good and what sets him apart from the original Fall of Cybertron figure is the shiny gold on his torso. The figure’s articulation is pretty good, though the knee joints are very, very tight and the shoulder joints are a bit weird. It comes with a very nice-looking sword for a weapon, as well as a shield it can attach to either arm.

Sounds pretty great, right? Well, it is, until you turn the figure around. Because Grimlock’s back is almost completely open. The lower legs, the lower back, the shoulders, all are open to the eye of the beholder. Also, the head and upper body of the T-Rex mode form a pretty big hump on his back and don’t fill out the completely hollow torso, either.

So bottom line for the robot mode: pretty nice from the front, just don’t turn him around!

Alternate Mode: Of course Grimlock still transforms into a robotic T-Rex. The transformation itself is nearly identical to that of the original G1 Grimlock toy. The resulting T-Rex as such looks pretty good, but sadly it has several problems. One, the tail is really far, far too big. It’s about the same mass as the entire torso and head. Two, the underbelly of the T-Rex is, again, completely open. And third, the way the legs (really the robot arms) are positioned, they can only be moved at the knees, not at the hip. And fourth, the T-Rex’ head looks as if it should be able to move, but it really can’t.

It’s not all negative, though. Like I said, the T-Rex looks pretty good and has a cool gimmick. The grey lever behind the head opens the jaws and activated the red light in his mouth, giving a very good impression of fire breath. Nicely done. Also, both weapons can be stored in this mode by attaching them to the sides of the T-Rex. So bottom line: a somewhat lackluster attempt at a T-Rex, though not all bad.

Remarks: Grimlock was a playable character in the Fall of Cybertron game. He and his fellow Dynobots were kidnapped by Shockwave and given their dinosaur altmodes against their will. Grimlock sought revenge against Shockwave and ended up destroying the scientist’s tower, causing the creation of an unstable space bridge. Grimlock’s final fate in the game’s universe remains unclear, though I think it is safe to say that, had there been a third part, he would have returned.

The Fall of Cybertron design for Grimlock is pretty cool, but sadly the toy based upon it is somewhat half-baked. It’s disappointing because you can easily see that it COULD have been a great toy if a bit more effort had gone into it. As things stand, you have a good robot mode (but only from the front) and a disproportioned T-Rex with a cool gimmick. So bottom line: if you can get him cheap, like I did, he’s a decent Voyager-sized Grimlock. I would have been disappointed to buy him at full price, though.

Rating: C-