Here we have Lockdown in his vehicle mode. Already accurate to the original Animated version, this one goes for a bit more realism in the design to help better fit the live-action aesthetic. It kind of feels more hardcore with the added spikes, a bit of extra gold, and a bit of extra green. Interestingly, he has two shades of green for the stripes on the hood, probably evoking a two-tone look seen on reptiles. In fact, a small part of me always felt that way with Lockdown's Animated design overall. I love the translucent red on the windows and headlights, and the exposed engine would certainly give G1 Hot Rod a run for his money.
The side profile is equally as good, and it arguably feels more like a Batmobile than the one Battinson has with the shape and aggression. That being said, I always wished the flat grey plastic was painted silver to match the spikes on the rooftop. I know they're made out of a softer material (especially the hook, which should be taken care of when rolling this car on a surface given it's underneath it), but at least make them look nicer. Regardless, the car looks great, and there is nobody else you could mistaken him for than good ol' Lockdown.
For an altmode comparison, here we have him with his AOE counterpart sold in the Studio Series line. While Deluxes have shrunken down in size, the later-released Lockdown's honestly comparable in scale to previously made releases. I'm not sure how big a car said to be a mix between a 60s Cougar and a Corvette from the same time period should be, but this is close enough, right?
Transformation is similar to, but not exactly like, his Animated counterpart. The front section still becomes the legs, but they end up more like how you see them work on most Wheeljack. Meanwhile, the arms transform with a bit more asymmetry than with the Animated version. Also, he never had the windshield serve as his chest, but it works regardless. The robot mode continues the trend of being a live action filtered version of his original form, which could be comparable to the MCUified versions of comic costumes where they add lines, but honestly, the Bayverse aesthetic works much better than the average MCU aesthetic apart from some earlier character designs. The lanky, Frankenstein's Monster influence is already one of the best things about Animated Lockdown, but the more alien motif of the movies makes for an even better Lockdown. Keep in mind the engine has to be pegged on the left forearm. You can swap it with Ratchet's EMP generator if you have that figure, but keep in mind that the hook is a permanent part of this toy, unlike the accessory from the old Deluxe. Once again, I wish there was silver paint applied onto the figure, especially for the hook and hand just so they can be a bit more rigid given they're made of rubber. If you gotta go with safety reasons, at least compensate in a clever manner. Otherwise this is already a great bot mode.
Head sculpt is a Moviefied take on the Animated design, which I'd argue is even better given what I previously said about the stronger Frankenstein monster motif in these aesthetics. If his Animated counterpart would briefly spare his prey just so they can see what his intentions are, then this dude would extract their sparks, as he did to Ratchet in Age of Extinction. I also love the light-piping in his head, which would commonly be excluded nowadays for painted eyes or better detailed Movie faces. His articulation consists of FOUR ball joints at the neck, as well as ball joints at the shoulders and elbows, universal style hips with admittedly limited range, double hinges at the knees, swivels joints for the thighs, and pivots that work decently.
As far as reuses are concerned, Axor was part of the 2010 Hunt for the Decepticons line. His existence was hinted in a few Hasbro-provided materials, such as the instructions for Lockdown and a sourcebook that featured his head. Honestly, the deco feels more like a late Marvel G1 character to the point he could almost pass as a version of Straxus. Instead of an hook, he has an axe, and I prefer his engine piece over the one in Lockdown for the added paint.
Circuit is an exclusive to the Collector's Club, and he is not only in a G2-esque color scheme but is also an Autobot this time around. Apparently, he hails from an alternate timeline where the Decepticons won the Battle of Mission City instead, and he somehow ended up in the Axiom Nexus.
For a size comparison, Lockdown towers over both AOE versions of Studio Series Optimus Prime and himself, all stemming from the fact that sizes shrunk over the years. While you can shorten the old Deluxe's legs and do something with the neck, he would scale better with the TLK Voyager or the Yolopark model kit if we're being honest. Regardless, ROTF Lockdown represents a time gone by with older Transformers lines, where accuracy was getting better yet figures were a lot more enjoyable to mess with. A time when going to the store to buy Transformers felt exciting instead of dealing with the preorder waits. A time when people can enjoy the movies with far less purists breathing down their necks angrily. While Lockdown is expensive in the aftermarket, he is still worth every penny, and I recommend you find the best deal possible no matter what.
Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ and a half out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
No comments:
Post a Comment