RID 2015 Thermidor

Prelude: Thermidor is a repaint of Bisk, who appeared first in the cartoon and was supposed to come out first in the toyline, too. Sadly Bisk has been absent from German toy shelves so far, but Thermidor turned up recently.

Robot Mode: Thermidor is a big, broad robot whose design just screams power and muscle. He is almost as broad as he’s tall with short legs and giant claws for hands. Like most RID Decepticons he is animal-themed and clearly intended to be a lobster. The head follows that design as well with two big antennas and a kind of ‘beard’, too. Very nicely done, I love the design of this guy.

Articulation is very good, no complaints here. Especially the arms with the big lobster claws can be posed in all sorts of ways and you can attach Thermidor’s two black guns on top of them for firepower. On the detailing side he is minimalistic, like most RID figures, but that doesn’t hurt him much. He just looks cool. So overall, a very nice robot mode, a cool design, no complaints. Two lobster claws up!

Alternate Mode: Thermidor transforms into a futuristic blue sports car with black windows and red-rimmed tires. The car looks very sleek and fast, a nice contrast to the big, bulky robot it transforms into. There are no visible robot bits, everything fits together nicely, and you can mount Thermidor’s two black guns on the front to give the car firepower. So bottom line: a very nice, cool-looking car mode. Nicely done.

Remarks: Thermidor was a member of the Scavengers, the main bad guys in the second half of Robot in Disguise’s second season. He used to be a pirate captain, but had his ship taken away from him by Clawtrap. He also talked like a pirate, pretty much all the time. In the end he was defeated along with the other Scavengers and transported back to Cybertron by Optimus Prime to face justice.

Both Thermidor and his mold-mate Bisk are actually named after lobster dishes. Lobster Thermidor is a French dish consisting of a mixture of lobster meat, egg yolks, and brandy stuffed into a lobster shell. Well, at least it’s not a soup like lobster bisque. Also, there are actually blue lobsters, though they are very, very rare.

If there is one thing the Robots in Disguies line is really, really good at, it’s its outstanding Decepticon designs (though sadly not all of them are seeing toy form). Case in point: Thermidor, a sleek blue sports car that transforms into a broad, powerful-looking robot lobster. What more can you want? Whether you prefer blue Thermidor or orange Bisk is pretty much a matter of taste (though Bisk does have a different head, too), but either way: if you are a fan of non-standard robot designs, then at least one version of this mold should be in your collection.

Rating: A-