Prime Knockout

Robot Mode: What can I say about Knockout's robot mode? Well, let's start with the positive: it looks good. While there are some differences to the computer-animated character from the screen, it looks enough like him to be easily recognizable. You got a cocky grin on his nicely sculpted face and the look of the figure is pretty cool.

Here endeth the good parts, sadly. Well, not quite. One can mention that Knockout's articulation is pretty good, though that is a standard for modern-day Transformers figures. Unforutnately it turns into a two-edged sword here, because Knockout has a terribly unstable torso. None of the pieces that form the chest properly peg into one another, so the slightest movement of the arms causes the whole thing to become undone. Plus the forearms are pretty much open pieces formed from the car doors and are connected to the upper arms by rather weak-looking hinges.

I should mention that Knockout has a spear which he can wield as one piece or in two and also store on his back, but I'm lacking the energy. Knockout's robot mode is all show, really. Great to look at, but good for no more than that. Let's put the robot mode aside and see if anything can be saved for this figure.

Alternate Mode: After a truly lackluster robot mode, we come to the car mode, which is both flawless and completely boring. It's a red car with a partially purple hood and roof. Okay, I'm not really sure what you could have done to make this car mode more exciting, but seeing how it has to make up for a truly bad robot mode, it's simply not enough. It's got clear windows and detailing that's okay, if unspectacular. Maybe I'm being unfair here, but to me this car mode is mostly one thing: boring. You can fasten Knockout's spear to either side, though I'm not sure why you'd want to. Bottom line: a completely average car mode.

Remarks: Knockout is one of very few new characters appearing in the Prime TV series. If he's close to any pre-existing character, I'd have to say Tracks, mostly because he's a narcistic jerk in love with his own vehicle mode. Unlike Tracks, though, he's a bad guy, the closest thing the Decepticons have to a medic, and a rather campy fellow. Little anecdote here: when asked whether Knockout was supposed to be gay, the Prime writers at Botcon answered that there must have been a glitch in the AllSpark the day Knockout was created. Funny deflection or incredibly offensive to homosexuals? You decide.

Knockout is one of the most interesting new characters in quite a while. Sadly his toy incarnation doesn't even come close to doing him justice. If you just put him up in a cool pose to look at, then he's okay, but the moment you start fiddling with him or look at him from any angle, he starts disappointing in a big way. I got Knockout pretty cheap thanks to my buddy James and I got him because of the TV character. Which is pretty much the only reason this toy is worth getting. In just about every other way it's one to leave on the shelves.

Rating: D+