Here we have Masterpiece Grimlock in his dinosaur mode, representing the upright stance a Tyrannosaurus Rex used to have. This figure has all the usual G1 details carried over for this figure, from the clear neck with gold chrome insert to the hinges that hold the neck and what will be the wing kibble for the robot mode. In addition to the chrome within the clear neck and belly, you have die-cast gold talons for the dino feet as well as silver chrome for the tip of the tail, the claws, and the teeth. The sculpted details are astounding as always for an earlier Masterpiece, something lacking from the 2016-now MPs that I hope we see return for the MPG line, especially with the paint apps in the sides of the torso as well as the silver paint on the dino arms. Grimlock's articulation consists of the jaw, neck rotation that moves when you wag his tail (which is a bit unneeded given how better the neck movement would be), ball joints at the dino arms AND hips, elbows that bend 90 degrees, very stiff articulation for the individual claws, rotation below the hips, and knee bends on the lower joints. You could see a little flamethrower in his jaws!
The dino eyes can switch color if you want them to be toy-accurate red or cartoon-accurate blue. There is a button on the left cheek that lets the lower jaw snap in place, a bit redundant if you can do it yourself but at least it's not something older fans would complain about like with AOE Voyager Grimlock's jaw gimmick. Of note is a s seat that may or may not be a call back to the Diaclone pilot seats. I don't know how many people notice that.
For a size comparison, here he is next to the SS86 version, seen here being shorter than the MP version by comparison. The newer toy manages to look blockier and more in line with the Sunbow aesthetics, something the Masterpiece version deviates from to maintain toy details. I prefer how the MP version uses a white outline for the Autobot insignia in addition to the arms not looking super cheap, but the Leader Class is still not a bad toy.
Transformation is what you'd expect from a Grimlock, dino legs become arms, belly becomes upper body, tails become legs, wing and T-Rex head kibble on the back, though there are some differences to make it more like a proper Masterpiece, such as the rotating assembly that keeps the shoulders up as well as a slightly different lower leg transformation that involves a joint that bends inwards within the shins so it can hinge the feet in place. This was one of the first G1 Grimlock's to place the tail halves within the legs, though they don't really tab in anywhere. There isn't much else to talk about with the robot mode given how, you know, this is Grimlock we're talking about; that being said, this one does feel a bit more stylized in some areas while still feeling accurate. The proportions lean more on an anime side with how thin the legs are in addition to how they flare slightly as we go down the knees. Meanwhile, the arms are huge in contrast to the torso, with the shoulders positioned slightly higher than they normally would be. The chrome chest looks rad as hell, but I hate how the Autobot insignia is almost positioned in the gap where it should be. Love the jet black for the hands and thighs, along with the red waist being a rich shade. The best part would have to be the clear plastic for the red and green bits on the lower shins, with the blue bits painted on. The wing kibble, essential for his silhouette, is articulated for a more dynamic look with ratchet joints to boot.
Head sculpt is sharp and manages to feel the most like a G1 Grimlock head, and I like how the mouth plate is in a gunmetal shade of gray to contrast the black from the rest of the helmet. His visor is in blue chrome reminiscent MP-01 Optimus Prime and the RID 2001 Transformers. His articulation gives him a neck swivel and neck hinge combo, the same leg articulation from dino mode now serving as the arms, with double-jointed elbows, wrist articulation, and ball-jointed thumbs, an individual finger joint, and the rest of the fingers conjoined for the left hand joining along. There is a waist swivel, hips that move front and back as well as in and out, thigh rotation, knee articulation, and slight foot movement.
For his accessories, he has his signature sword in clear plastic and a chrome red hilt. The blade is colorless but is done as such for a good reason.
The gun is mostly painted black with only the handle and twin barrels left in unpainted clear plastic. The more articulated left hand can hold these weapons by using a small peg near the wrist to keep them in place better given how the handles are 5mm ports.
They both light up when they're held in the right hand, something I wished to show on my RID 2001 Scourge/Car Robots Black Convoy if it weren't for the light up gimmick being removed. Seeing the sword blade and the gun barrels light up is cool, though they, along with the light-up Matrix from MP-01 Prime and the LED in MP-05 Megatron's fusion cannon are a reminder of how Masterpiece gimmicks used to be.
And what is a king without his crown? The one included with Grimlock is astounding on him, making his head stand out even more. Combine that with the optional chrome red visor by flicking the switch up on the back with his head, and it screams Marvel Comics.
As far as reuses are concerned, this is the original MP Grimlock that was from TakaraTomy. He came with the IQ transfer helmet used on Computron and plenty of water accessories, both of which are associated with Season 3. This version is more or less similar to the one I have and the 2014 Hasbro reissue thing in with Age of Extinction.
All other releases came without the butler and helmet accessories, starting with King Grimlock, colored to resemble the Marvel Comics with blue replacing the black, an orange-bladed sword, silver paint applied on the gray plastic, a bluish silver for the arms, and gold dino talons for the feet. I was so close to getting this but at least I still got the mold.
And finally, this is the 2010 version Hasbro put out. The colors appear to lean more towards toy-accuracy, and his hips, thighs, and biceps have additional paint apps to further push the homage. He comes with the crown rather than the butler gear and helmet which is fine if you got this one. Him Grimlock no butler, him king.
For a size comparison, here he is next to the SS86 version once again. The Leader Class version definitely favors cartoon-accuracy more, but I still feel the older toy is still a great figure to get if you don't care that he isn't the same size as the other Dinobots. Seriously, the Masterpiece version is somehow easier to get than any version of the Leader Class mold. Whether it's regular Takara, King Grimlock, this version, or the Hasbro version, you can't go wrong with a standalone Grimlock that may or may not fit with your current MP display given how short he is compared to any version of Optimus. That and how Takara never made the other Dinobots.
Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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