Transformers Masterpiece Ultra Magnus Review

Back in the early aughts Takara designed the Masterpiece Optimus Prime figure, which was an extremely accurate foot and a half tall representation of Optimus Prime. It weighed over a pound from metal content and by many it is considered the best Transformer ever made.

That was many years ago now and the mold in Prime's traditional colors is rarely found for under $200. When I bit the bullet and bought this mold, I went the relatively cheap route and spent $100 on the Takara Ultra Magnus variant. I am very pleased with this figure, but it has several major issues:

1. Its massive size and weight make it extremely hard to pose. If you are not careful there is a large chance this figure will topple over, which can potentially break it.

2. Its absurd weight requires that the figure has incredibly strong ratchet joints (although in some areas not strong enough), which has the unfortunate side effect of make it possible to BREAK several joints in the legs, most commonly the hips.

3. The overall figure looks incredibly stiff, a symptom born of the figure needing ridiculously tight ratchet joints to the point that very few poses can look decent. This also feeds back into the balance problem, sometimes the possible joint locations just don't allow for good balance.

These issues basically relegate the figure into being an impressive transforming statue. This figure is worth owning, but it IS NOT and CANNOT be a toy. If you're looking for a toy, there are several reportedly high quality down scaled knock offs of this mold that can be bought for about $100. I'm glad I own this, but I have to like it for different reasons than I like most figures in my collection.