Energon Grimlock

Review by Tobias H:

Prelude: If you look at the figures and characters from the days of Generation 1, many will recognise one or more of their favourite childhood heroes. Among those are, of course, Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, Wheeljack, and many others.

Grimlock is also among that group for sure. Over the years the leader of the Dinobots reappeared in many different toylines and series, most of the times retaining his original T-Rex form. This includes the most recent series, Animated, where he and his Dinobots caused their own share of mayhem.

Most of these figures are well known, but there is one incarnation of Grimlock, which is almost obscure. This figure did not appear in the TV series belonging to its toyline and is also relatively rare. So it's no surprsie that Energon Grimlock is not as well known as most of his predecessors and successors. For that reason alone it's a good idea to take a closer look at this figure in the form of a review.

Robot Mode: For a figure with a rather big alternate mode, Grimlock is rather short in robot mode. He is a Deluxe-class figure size-wise. Those remembering G1 Grimlock will no doubt notice many parallels to the original figure here. The legs, for example, are almost identical. The tips of the tail are on the sides of the rather large lower legs and feet, just as before.

Again like G1 Grimlock, Energon Grimlock's feet aren't separate from the legs. For fans of wide-range posability this might sound bad, but this little homage to the original figure doesn't just satisfy the nostalgic ones among us, it also serves an important purpose. This construction gives Grimlock a very solid stance.

He needs it, too, seeing as his backpack is quite the monster. You don't really notice as long as you're looking at him from the front, but once you check out the sides, it becomes obvious. If Grimlock's feet were any smaller, he'd find it impossible to stand up straight. As things stand (no pun intended), though, this isn't a problem. Grimlock's arms, too, are very reminiscent of the G1 figure. The hands emerge from the feet of the alternate mode and the foot claws are there as well.

What is different from the G1 days, though, is the fact that Grimlock is far more posable than his first incarnation. He can turn his head, move the arms up and sideways at the shoulders, and bend his elbows. The legs are also posable at two points, so dynamic poses aren't a problem. So all in all Grimlock's posability is pretty good, if short of extraordinary.

The figure's body is somewhat barrel-shaped, which, in combination with the black head (which is also very much G1-like), gives Grimlock a very stocky look. It fits him and makes him look like an overdeveloped body builder. Grimlock is also very well detailed. The grey-yellow colour scheme is accented by some red and black highlights and features a lot of sculpted details, though they don't come out all that well in the pictures.

Apart from the giant backpack there is another, though small, reason for criticism, which I'd like to mention. Grimlock comes without any weapons. Of course he has those claws on his arms, but a nice red sword (the main weapon of G1 Grimlock) or at least some kind of firearm, would have been a nice add-on here.

So all in all Grimlock's robot mode is very well done. Just a few small things here and there that could have been improved.

Alternate Mode: Grimlock's alternate mode is, of course, a mechanical Tyrannosaurus Rex. Unlike the Transformers from the Beast era he doesn't try to hide his robotic nature, though. Quite the opposite. You immediately recognise that big dinosaur for what it is and that's just fine with me.

The entire alternate mode is yet another homage to G1 Grimlock and the two look very much alike. The head is almost identical. The only real difference is found in the arms of the dinosaur. Because here they are posable.

In fact Grimlock offers absolutely no grounds for complaint posability-wise in this mode. He can move his head, open his jaws, and the legs (really the arms of the robot mode) are posable as well. Here you can even move the foot claws to make sure he has a solid stance.

What else can I say about Grimlock's dinosaur mode? It's very well sculpted and offers lots and lots of small details. I wouldn't go so far as to call it extraordinary, but it's very well done.

Combiner Mode: Yeah, you've read that right. Grimlock is really a combiner and I'm not talking about the ability typical for Energon Autobots to combine at will with just about every other Autobot. In fact he becomes part of an entirely new character, who deserves his own review.

Conclusion: Energon Grimlock is a worthy successor to his famous predecessor. The robot mode combines a classic design with a very solid stance, lots of details, and posability, which we usually expect from modern-day figures.

His only flaws are the big backpack and the absence of weapons. Here I'd have liked a little more effort, maybe an Energonsword or something included in the package. Apart from that, though, no complaints. His alternate mode is looking good and very posable as well, so no reason for complaint here, either.

In the end Energon Grimlock is a Dinobot, who fulfills the high expectations one has toward a figure of that name. He offers fans a rather unusual design, which offers a lot to the nostalgic fans of G1. He has a few flaws, but in the end I award him a highly deserved...

Rating: B