Tuesday, August 2, 2011

DOTM DA-15 Supreme Class JetWing Optimus Prime Review


Transformers Dark of the Moon Jetwing Optimus Prime. Really it is a long awaited release which generated much excitement after the first trailer which featured Mr. Prime in the air in a split second maneuver. At first glance, it is thought to be his combination with Jetfire from ROTF, but the size is a tad too small for a combination. So, Jetwing is a standalone jetpack that Optimus wears in the “battle of Chicago” however, the origins of the jetpack is not mentioned anywhere in the film. (Guess is he uses his matrix to salvage some parts of the decepticons surveillance ships ^^)

Alright, lets move on to the review shall we?


Packaging:

It comes with a really huge box which resembles the one featured in the ROTF Buster Prime and Jetfire twin pack which is released some time ago. Jetwing is a Japan release only by TakaraTomy but it makes no difference as it is available almost everywhere eventually.

The cardboard quality used in this package is slightly better than the ones used in other “Leader Class” figures as this is technically called “Supreme Class” for what-so-ever reason that Takara might have. The sizes of the contents are exactly the same from any leader class figures that one might find in other releases.

The one that I’ve got does not include the exclusive coin as my supplier says that it will cost additional cash and they do not want to take that stock in which is like zzz… moving on…

The sides of the box illustrates the usual technical specs and some action poses.





There’s also a trading card included which has a very cool art in my opinion. Well, it’s gonna be in there in the foreseeable future though~


Alternate/Vehicle Mode

The vehicle mode as seen here is the exact version of the ROTF version as they use the same mold except certain parts which are remolded which is mostly the chest part which can be seen later in Robot mode. As this is the same mold, the re-presentation of the Peterblit 379 semi-truck is properly reproduced to its on-screen counterpart. However, some vinyls used in the ROTF version are missing as can be seen at the back part of the truck.

The details on the tires’ rim and threads are faithfully reproduced as well using semi-hard plastics. Though not as clean cut as the rubber tires used for MP-01, it will do just fine.


The plastics used for the front grill and exhaust system are just bare grey plastic which I think is a bit cheap on Takara’s part, as the price of this figure is so… what should I say; PREMIUM. At least the headlamps used clear plastics and not just painted on.

The Autobot insignia can be seen in detail though not as good as the one from Buster Prime.



Sad news for mechtech enthusiast out there as there are mechtech ports are spotted in vehicle mode which can make ur Prime look like a crazy all-firing thingamajic like the deluxe class “Topspin”.

With his Wings mounted:


With the Jetwing parts on Optimus in vehicle mode, now the truck looks huge and its length is increased significantly as the folded wings are not in a way “shorten”.


As I previously mentioned that there are no mechtech ports spotted in the truck, the Wings are abundant with the ports which one can have more armory from their other collections from the DOTM mechtech line.

On stability wise, the wings does not sag the truck towards the back, although some pictures might suggest so due to some photography by the writer of this ridiculous long review which has much more to go. ^^


Those rubber parts on the gattling cannons are made of very soft rubber which is very flexible at the moment, BUT… I have a feeling it will not last long as rubber parts tend to harden up with time. And from the way it connects to the “wing base” it is not recommended to connect and disconnect it as it only “tucked” into place. 


Robot Mode:

Again, its exactly the same from ROTF Optimus Prime, without the blade and an additional “six-pack” in the abdominal area. ^^


Remember the sound projections when the chest area is pressed down in ROTF prime? Mine is missing, might be QC error as other sound mechanisms seems to work. I don’t really mind though as batteries does not last long on display shelves and might cause damage when it eventually leaks. 



The battle mask is back! I never did fancy the open face since he looks grumpy whenever I look at him without his mask. LOL





The “back-pack” does make it slightly back heavy but due to the foot design on the front, if placed properly its gonna stand very sturdily. A good thing to note is that the Exhaust pipe/Buster Rifle from Buster Prime is maintained in this release!



JETWING PRIME COMPLETED! At first glance I was worried that the wings might be too heavy for Optimus but Takara made some “simply adjustments” which includes an extension to the foot of Optimus which generally makes it “longer” and thus stability!







The gattling cannons can only be placed on Optimus’s hands which is a bummer as there are no compartments for which the rifles can be kept like the buster rifle which can be kept behind the Wing’s “Boosters”. 



With its wings opened, the width of this figure expands to roughly the width of a 22inch monitor which might cause a major headache in the display shelves to some people out there; which is also the reason why my “photoshooting area” is not wide enough as this is widest figure in my collection yet. 







Details:

Those crunchy 6-packs will make any athletes drool! LOL



Arms? Not so~ 







Even though the wings are painted silver, the boosters and gattling cannons are just bare plastic. L





The major part that we are all paying for in this figure are the wings themselves as they are packed with details that rivals that of a perfect grade gundam. 



The rotary thrusters are delightfully painted red which brings up the dullness and makes the wings stand when viewed at an angle. 




More yummy bits of details~



Action Poses!
















As for dessert~
BOOYAHH!!!! 

Conclusion
-Transformation sequence is bit more tricky compared to ROTF Prime due to the same mold used. The reason for that is that the chest piece used is different, however it is supposed to be sloted into the same location when transformed into vehicle mode.

-The paintjob is superb, after the small facial blip as there no smudging of paint to the other parts and the vinyl is slightly shiny.

-Articulations are not bad for Optimus, however with Jetwing on, sorry to say the articulation is down by 70% at least due to the heavy wings which limits the angles he can tilt before tumbling over.

-Overall, Jetwing Optimus Prime is a definite must have for all Optimus/Convoy collectors out there if one is willing to spur out some extra cash as this figure costs more than its worth. A satisfying 8.5/10