Transformers Robots in Disguise 2001 Ultra Magnus review

The average Ultra Magnus is usually seen as a good friend of Optimus Prime, and even in Animated, he was in a mentor position who would tell him not to be a hero when it's not in his programming. However, the RID version of Ultra Magnus is nothing like the iterations from G1, Animated, and Prime; instead, he's dead-set on taking the Matrix away from Optimus Prime after years of envy towards his brother. A forced fusion led him to believe he could take all of Prime's power and the artifact from his possession, but Omega Prime combined the best elements of both brothers. Magnus would later help Optimus win against the Predacons, though he doesn't suddenly become a yes-man for Optimus Prime. And to celebrate this underrated version of the character, let's see how valuable he is as an action figure!

Here we have Ultra Magnus in his car carrier mode. While Optimus Prime was a major departure from his G1 self (in a good way, don't see me as shitting on RID), this guy feels a little more traditional when it comes to his choice of altmode, albeit more modern in aesthetics as was the case with the RID series. The entire vehicle mode is an inspiration for the Siege toy that the G1 character had back in 2018/9. While the trailer here is gray rather than blue, the white cab and the blue bumper are shared between both incarnations. This figure has chrome rims and rubber tires like Optimus Prime does, which read as "TRANSFORMERS" and "CYBERTRON"; none of them have cracked yet like how one has on my Prime. Differences are minuscule between them, but the Takara version is different from having slightly more metallic plastics and lacks the Autobot insignias. Either version is good, so no need to go over the Hasbro vs Takara wars. The bumper is even chromed in blue and silver, something that we don't see often. One other interesting aspect about this guy: he resembles the Godbomber design from Super God Masterforce.

The Autobot Brothers can be hauled by Magnus, with X-Brawn inside the trailer while Prowl and Side Burn go on the top. It's something I like seeing for toys like this, and it works better than with the Studio Series 86 Magnus. Yeah, I went there.

For a size comparison with his brother, here they are in their alt modes, and I love seeing when Optimus and Magnus have different vehicle designs altogether from each other. Optimus being a fire truck and Ultra Magnus being a different kind of car carrier is much cooler than how G1 made them the same cabs but with different trailers and that was it. Animated had them in different alt modes as well, on top of entirely different designs, while TFP was sneaky enough to have Magnus reuse Prime's body with a handful of tweaks before Prime returned in a much stronger and larger design.

The light on the siren correlates with a button in his robot mode's jetpack button where he would go "Ultra Magnus: Transform!" and that is it. More electronics are heard later in the toy's gimmicks, but we'll get to them in a moment. For now, have a pic of Magnus separated from the trailer. Will he have a smaller bot mode like Prime, or will it be a case of partsforming?

Transforming this guy is actually a case of partsforming, with the trailer becoming the legs after removing them from the cab. The upper body is more involved, as it contains the upper legs and pretty much everything else for the bot mode. A few unique tricks, such as requiring one of the wings to be shifted upwards from the assembly to transform properly, are utilized for a figure like this. The legs are simply panel-based for the transformation, meaning they end up becoming hollow from the back. The resulting robot mode is veeeeeeery lanky, what with how long the lower legs are in contrast to the thighs. As a result of having to transform like the G1 guy on top of also requiring the ability to combine with Optimus Prime, he ends up being much wonkier than expected. The rest of his proportions look just as unbalanced, from the undersized upper arms and hands versus the nearly Popeye forearms, and the torso does feel a bit hollow due to how the figure transforms. Not helping is that the weight of the jetpack, combined with the lack of any heels, results in the balance being worse for this guy. This is an issue with the lack of proper ratchet joints for the front and back hip movement, as it leans back to the point of tipping over due to said joints not being stable. Despite these flaws, I like seeing a one-of-a-kind Magnus that feels entirely different from the G1 guy yet feel like a version of the character regardless in terms of concept. I bet you that if this design was used for the Michael Bay movies, purists would get triggered AF.

His head sculpt is also very different from the usual G1 tropes, even compared to Optimus, what with the more Japanese-influenced super robot head aesthetics that don't match the white antennae or visor-like eyes on the original look. Yet it feels like A Magnus regardless, and it also carries that stoic heroism if you ignore his angst driven by the jealousy of not being granted the Matrix of Leadership in the cartoon. Hi articulation consist of a neck swivel, ball joints at the shoulders, elbows, and wrists (the former two not being as tight as I'd like, a bit of articulation at the fingers and thumb, front and back hip movement on swivels along with in and out ratchet movement, swivels at where the parts connect with light ratchets, and pretty decent knee bends if you don't bump into the robot kibble.

The Blue Bolts weapon is able to attach onto Magnus in two different ways. Firstly, you have him holding it on the left side as a blaster, with square pegs to denote that they are meant for this left side specifically when attached to the chest; press the button on the jetpack and you get the appropriate sound effects. As for the right side, the weapon becomes a gatling cannon, using circles as pegs along with their own dedicated sound effects. And yes, all of the sound effects are different from the Japanese version.

Alternatively, using both pegs can achieve a multi-handle weapon similar to the one Optimus Primal had in his Transmetal body, and you can flip out the targeting reticle to complete the look. A new sound effect is unlocked, with Magnus shouting "FIRE!" while heavier firepower plays. And yes I am mad that the missiles are missing.

As far as reuses are concerned, this is a translucent version of Magnus that came with the clear Prime that has silver hubcaps. The cab is still translucent but not to the extent of the trailer. Let's hope the dense plastic lasts longer than on either version. 

Another reuse by Takara, this time giving him a black and gold paint job. the windows are red, and it looks mean as hell for this guy, not going to lie; that being said, it is not going to be easy to get.

As for Hasbro, Magnus made most of the blue on this guy as black, which isn't that much of a mind-blowing difference when compared to the regular version but it was said to be cheaper to buy than the original.

And back to Takara, we have Encore God Magnus with a more refined deco to better match the cartoon, with a painted forehead insignia, no chrome on the bumper apart from the insignia, and overall cohesiveness at the cost of the quality control being poor as mentioned with pack mate Optimus. This version's sound effects appeared to be exclusive to this version compared to the original Japanese and Hasbro versions.

For a size comparison, here he is next to his brother in super mode. I like how both of them look when it comes to the super robot influence that they have. It makes me wonder if TF fans begging for an anime for the series even saw RID2001 or if they were referring only for a G1 anime which they still have with the Takara trilogy. Shrug. I should mention that depending on the copy you get online, you may have the white parts on both figures discolored at varying degrees, with my copies holding up alright.

We have Prime back into his regular mode because this part is cool to show off: As they showcased in the show, Prime and Magnus shook hands as a way to prove they're willing to put their grudges aside and work together. Magnus's thumb attaches to Optimus, and it would trigger the in-universe combination between the two as they both shout...

..."COMBINE INTO OMEGA PRIME!" Combining Optimus Prime with Ultra Magnus is similar to turning Prime into his super mode, only Magnus is disassembled from the legs and forearms while the torso becomes chest armor that is said to further homage Godbomber, resulting in more color breakup with gray lower legs, white forearms, and a blue chest with a gleaming gold Autobot insignia. Omega Prime looks impressive in this form, being reminiscent of the dual-combined Autobots like God Ginrai or Victory Saber before him, yet being a new concept to American fans. I like how they did the approach here, as the idea of Optimus combining with other robots would be another staple for Transformers in the 2000s, once again followed up with the Unicron Trilogy and Revenge of the Fallen. Here, Omega Prime combines the best of both brothers, from Prime being the central piece to Magnus adding flight capabilities. The chest piece isn't tabbed into anything so it could be loose at times. Also, pressing the button on the back in this mode has the sound clip going "Optimus Prime! Ultra Magnus! Combine!"

The new head is not a reuse of the original super mode head, which surprises me since it looks similar yet it has an angrier look on top of having gold antennae designed differently this time. Articulation is the same as with Omega Prime, but ankle rockers are added thanks to the new feet. Stability is still a concern as always depending on age on top of not every joint being ratcheted.

The Blue Bolts cannon has three modes. Two of which work the same as with Magnus and have heavier blast sounds this time.

The third mode utilizes yet another unique set of ports on the baby blue component of the Blue Bolts weapon, unlocking the "OMEGA POWER!" sound with a finishing blast. The eyes light up here as well.

If you want, the gear of Super Mode Prime on this guy, you technically can despite it being unofficial and unwieldily. Mostly with the ladder piece.

In addition, Omega Prime can hold Megatron (and by extension, Galvatron and all other repaints) in claw mode with one of the 5mm ports used to hold the chest. A Takara comic made it canon by the way.

As far as reuses are concerned, there is the aforementioned black repaint of Omega Prime and the clear plastic version that comes with the Matrix Saber.

Up next, we have the Universe 2003 and Cybertron versions of Omega Prime. Difference is the plastic colors associated with Prime.

And finally, Encore Omega Prime with quality control issues and Legacy Omega Prime who hopefully won't have the same issues. The katter will be bigger than this guy and I bet will have more going on with articulation.

For a size comparison, here he is next to Buster Optimus Prime. Yes, I own a Buster Prime. He towers over the already tall Leader Class figures of over a decade ago, which is impressive in my opinion. As for RID Magnus, I recommend him in spite of his flaws. While not as good as his brother, he at least manages to showcase a time when Transformers engineering and play features had a happy balance as well as value for money we lost through time and economic issues.

Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Transformers Robots in Disguise 2001 Optimus Prime review

The 2001 Robots in Disguise series is very underrated if you ask me. Between the way it unexpectedly reinvented the Transformers brand after 16 years of G1/2 and Beast Era media and the perfect timing of the anime craze that went on in the late 90s/early 2000s (far bigger than what was in the 80s and even compared to today), bringing Car Robots over to the US instead of doing TransTech was Hasbro's best decision made in that time frame. And it brought forth a new style of Transformers media not seen before at the time, alternate takes on established characters that deviated from G1 long before purists bitched and whined over Michael Bay, and new lore that gave it an identity of its own, from original characters like Sky-Byte to making the Decepticons a lower group compared to the Predacons. And what better way to start this iteration of the franchise in my review site than a review on Super Class Optimus Prime?

Here we have Optimus Prime in hand, a fire truck very different from the flat-nose-cab-with-trailer from G1. In contrast to the current days where Transformers media since 2018 would stick with a Geewunish look thanks to Hasbro's brand unification, this iteration of Optimus Prime along with the designs we got up until 2015. He turns into a Japanese fire truck seemingly based on the Mitsubishi Fuso K Series K201 ladder truck, which is the most distinct out of the trio of fire truck Primes compared to the Cybertron and Animated versions. Apart from the exposed super mode head and chest, this guy manages to look clean in vehicle mode, what with how chunky the toy is compared to later designs. While there is no blue in sight, it makes sense to keep the coloring intact for the alt mode given how mostly solid-red fire trucks tend to be. Sculpted details are there for an older toy based on an anime, but the things that make him stand out are the additions of chrome on the rims and the rubber tires that (even in spite of them cracking) give this a more collector-friendly vibe than the Generations line does of late. Prime's weaponry includes a quartet of missile launchers that can be deployed from within the ladder, with the Hasbro version here having manual launch while the Takara version has them fire the moment you press the button on the back.

The other features included with this toy are an extendable ladder that can reach a pretty good length as well as lights and sounds with the press of a button in-between the light bars. You get the following sound effects in no particular order: "Optimus Prime: Maximize!" (Last part was probably meant to either be Transform or Super Mode), "Fire!" followed by gunshots, a fire truck siren, and "Autobots, transform!". No new sound effects are unlocked in his other modes.

For a size comparison, here he is next to the original Studio Series Optimus Prime so you can get an idea of how big a figure that cost $29.99 used to cost compared to one made nearly 2 decades later. The front section can be removed for good reason, as Optimus Prime is able to transform into a smaller robot mode without the aid of the rest of the vehicle mode.

Transforming this guy specifically feels like unfolding a cube into a humanoid shape, on top of shifting down the forearm guards and flipping out the feet. I like how the spine is a heavy ratchet joint that can straighten out without just relying on the hips for make this cuboid shape for the front section. It's a simple yet effective transformation that I don't think has ever been done for Optimus. The robot mode is a showcase of how similar yet different the design is when compared to the G1 version of Optimus Prime. In Japan, this was just Fire Convoy, nothing too special considering Japan had its yearly replacements for faction leaders, with the Beast Era having two replacements for Optimus Primal with similar design cues. In the United States, this is our first new iteration of Optimus Prime. And what a great way to make a first-new reboot take on the lore. While there is a lot more red on this guy, and the design is nothing like the G1 version for obvious reasons, there are a few nods like the torso and head, albeit much more stylized to go well with the entirely new design. The result of being entirely different from the G1 Optimus Prime design philosophy with some elements retained is something I wish we saw more of. I also like the paint apps that are kept in the Hasbro version, whether it's the details on the shins or the chrome on the chest, even if it's begun chipping off. Due to age, Prime's thighs and forearms are slightly off-color but thankfully not as bad.

His head sculpt is our first stylized take on the G1 design, what with the more angular appearance and the yellow eyes being a mainstay for Optimus in media that wasn't the G1 cartoon or Beast Wars. The eyes are vac-metal chrome like the chest, which makes them reflective and shiny even if they don't quite match the show. His articulation consists of a ball jointed neck, shoulder rotation, outward arm movement on ratchet joints with heavy indents, bicep rotation, 90 degree elbow bends, ball jointed wrists, a waist swivel, hips that move on regular swivels instead of ratchets (which are present for the outward leg movement), ratcheted knees, swivels below the knees, and ball jointed ankles.

The battle platform can be made from the rest of the fire truck mode, which isn't really that mind-blowing apart from the way the parts are attached, but it is a new way to twist the concept of Optimus Prime using the rest of his alt mode for a battle platform. Alternatively, the back sections of the vehicle as well as what will be the gauntlets of the super mode can be attached onto the figure for added firepower and strength. It's a mid-tier mode between his standard and super modes, but it does the job fine.

For a size comparison, this guy is on-par with the sizes you'd probably find from a lot of the pre-2010 Voyagers because of how tall and chunky he is by comparison. I'm nor sure how tall this version of Optimus should be when put next to the G1 version, for example, but he certainly is a heftier guy compared to Earthrise Optimus and Kingdom Rodimus.

Turning him into his super mode consists off some neat tricks. The boots are stable thanks to the connection points for the shins and soles of the feet, and the aforementioned gauntlets are made for their intended use here. I wish there was some added stability for the chest piece and the shoulder pads, especially given how they don't feel as solid as the boots and gauntlets. The super mode's design is one that signified how different RID 2001 was going to be when it comes to depicting a character like Optimus Prime. Elements like the more prominent red, the sash-like chest sculptwork that adds a bit of asymmetry to the design, and a ladder that goes in the back contrast how the Powermaster version of Optimus Prime looked in G1. But it makes sense given how this was designed from the ground up to be a new take on the character even with it originally not being a new version of Optimus. I should mention that the ladder should hinge on the side, but it isn't always depicted as such.

Head sculpt is even more deviated from the original Optimus Prime head resign, being fully red, using chrome for the antennae, and having a Primal-esque mouthplate but without a mouth. It almost looks like a beard on him if the silver represented facial hair. His eyes are also chromed out but they seem a bit darker than the regular robot eyes. His super mode articulation is the same, but there is thumb movement instead of ankle movement.

The ladder can be swung around as a shoulder cannon for him to use, and the chest panel with the Autobot insignia can be opened to reveal his Matrix of Leadership (or a regular Energon Matrix if you're following Japanese G1 continuity).

I am sadly missing the gun from this release, which can also be used in-between the shins for altmode as well as be used in the super mode.

As far as reuses are concerned, this is Black Fire Convoy, who is not really fit for an evil Optimus since we have Scourge for that purpose. The chrome details and the clear plastic are notable for being colored differently. Gold rims, red windows, yellow chrome chest, and gray forearms and thighs make quite the contrast. It is rare to find.

We have a clear version that is noteworthy for the gold chrome rims but that's pretty much it. It is also rare to get.

Another clear version was included in a 2-pack with gives him silver rims this time around.

There was a plan to give this guy an OTFCC repaint depicting him as Hot Spot, who has a Defensor mode as part of a somewhat canceled storyline where the Protectobot homage was part of the final stand against Megazarak's Decepticons. The Defensor head is newly sculpted for this guy, but it was canceled. Another repaint in stealth colors would have also been made to help compromise the expensive nature of repainting a giant toy. But nope. Also didn't happen.

A repaint that DID get an official release is a Universe 2003 Optimus Prime that has him inexplicably all yellow except for the chest and regular bot mode head. Uh, here are some fun facts for this figure: Aaron Archer didn't like making Optimus all yellow, the figure could also represent an alt-universe female version of the character based on the one time a stage play had a female voice actress play the role of Optimus (albeit as a Spychanger), AND to represent Yellow Splendid Convoy in the nerdy AF Generations Select Special Comic.

Takara's Encore line brought back Fire Convoy in more anime-accurate colors that give him less chrome in favor of more traditional paint apps, which does make things a little more cohesive, on top of having much brighter whites than the 2001 version of Prime. I believe the sound effects are unique to this release compared to either Fire Convoy or RID01 Prime. Exclusive in a 2-pack with God Magnus, this set was unfortunately a victim of severe quality control including sounds playing at the wrong spots as well as misaligned parts. 

And with the reveal of Omega Prime courtesy of Haslab, a new mold made from the ground up is only logical. Updated articulation, better stability, higher sculptwork, and while there are details that don't quite match the original toy (such as the front section of the fire truck mode, the regular bot mode chest proportions), this is a very faithful take on the character, which says a lot about how we previously had both straight repaints of Laser Prime as Scourge while Tow Line was lucky to get a new head sculpt on an otherwise entirely inaccurate yet cool reuse of Scraphook.

For a size comparison, here he is next to Legacy Evolution Armada Optimus Prime. While he is shorter than Armada Prime, RID Prime is heftier in its super mode thanks to the denser plastic. I like both figures, though I have to commend Takara for taking advantage of their improved engineering for the Fire Convoy toy, which while it wasn't successful in Japan, it was beloved by American fans new and old when it came out, which I greatly appreciate since RID 2001 made for a great refresh that defined Transformers in the 2000s as the most creative of its years yet, bringing in new ideas in this series along with the Unicron Trilogy, the Michael Bay movies, Animated, and possibly the early bits of the Aligned continuity despite it starting in 2010. I guess we can add the early 2010s, but RID 2001 Optimus Prime is a badass action figure on its own, and while some things are dated like the stability and the hands not being as articulated, I always love seeing how much a figure can hold up for current standards, and if you've got this guy, you may not need the HasLab version unless you're a superfan of Omega Prime, which I'm glad to see more often since it's great to see a non-G1 series get love or else we'd probably have an unwanted Ark playset for the interior.

Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ and a half out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐