Dinobot Grimlock Volcanicus Torso! Transformers Generations Power of the Primes Voyager Item No.: Asst. E0598 No. E1136 Manufacturer: Hasbro Includes: Combiner feet, Dinobot Enigma, 1 of 12 Trading Cards Action Feature: Transforms from Robot to Dinosaur to Torso Retail: $29.99 Availability: December 2017 Other: Combiner torso, light on arms
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While a great many toys bearing his name have hit, we have had precious few G1-derived Grimlock toys in the "classic" styling. We've had even fewer toys of the other Dinobots. Toys inspired by the character exist in numerous forms, not the least of which is a Grimlock/Swoop combiner that was sort of awful. Fans have been asking for a Dinobot combiner for years, and with this Grimlock the request is really, seriously, finally being filled - and it ain't bad.

The robot mode is pretty good, considering the limitations imposed by his function. He has to be a torso, and a dinosaur, and a freestanding robot - so the fact that he looks a lot like G1 Grimlock with a bigger chest is pretty amazing. The torso splits so he can transform, and it's a little ugly. With double-jointed elbows and more than a little kibble, it's a definite improvement over the original robot in terms of mobility and size. I love the toy-like head, and the Popeye-esuqe arms are a nice touch. I'm not crazy about Hasbro's newfound love of foil stickers on Leaders and Voyagers, mostly because the quality is poor and they peel before you even open the box in some cases - and I don't know what kind of adhesive to use to reglue them. Deco is good, the clear plastic torso with gold paint underneath is pretty - and probably pretty fragile over the long run. We shall see.

My big complaint - along with the price increase - is the lack of a weapon. The feet don't count. I want a sword, or something to arm the combiner. All we get are feet. This puts him a few steps behind his Combiner Wars Voyager bretheren, all of which have at least a couple of weapons that can combine into something bigger and impressive for the mega robot. Here? Nothing. If the stickers ate the weapon budget, I am not pleased. You don't even see the stickers in combiner mode, save for the Autobot symbol... which could have been a tampo.

The Grimlock dinosaur mode is pretty good from the front, but from the back it's sort of a mess. You get the tiny arms, the classic Grimock dinosaur head with opening jaw, and a tail that has seen better days. Both the tail and the legs have to service the combiner mode, so they're a little chunkier with gaps to allow for everything to move in place. The arms move, and so do the legs, but the tail is a weird protrusion not unlike other recent releases. The original was no gem, but these are the sacrifices you make to get a giant dinosaur robot combiner team. The look is good, the design is nice, and the transformation is pretty decent. Having said that, I wouldn't be stunned to see a non-combining Grimlock in a few years. The Masterpiece isn't for everybody. As a new toy, this works - but if you want a classic Grimlock, pursue other options.

The big Volcanicus robot is new - but it's made out of old parts. You can see bits and pieces of the Dinobot team as this forms, and so far we've got about 60% of him in stores. He has a very small waist which you can augment with spare Deluxe toy fist parts if you so choose - this isn't displayed on the box. The combiner element is largely missing aside from the side panel artwork, so nowhere does it boast "Whoa, this thing is a combiner!" I don't know why Hasbro decided to do this - there are lots of places showing other features, but not the key selling point. It's a bit tricky to get everything in place, but there are plenty of tabs and slots to hold him together - and a decent amount of articulation as there's no nostalgic designs holding back what a dinosaur combiner should look like. The head is a bit of a mystery, looking like Grimlock with horns or a not-quite-crown. This would probably make him king.

The toy also has an Enigma of Combination - a Dinobot Enigma. It's silver with red, and it basically fills a gap on the foot or the fist. It's kind of unnecessary, and takes away the budget from another, useful accessory. I doesn't seem to have any fictional power, it isn't particularly prominent, and the design is nothing special. It fits in the feet holes a lot better than in the hand holes, so keep that in mind when you "Choose your Prime" like it says on the box. An Enigma is the kind of thing that you'll lose, or forget that you had in the first place.

You can hate this toy for what it's not, or you can appreciate it for what it is. Hasbro opted to not make a straight-up remake of the original Grimlock, but instead gave us something close with more new play features. I would give them demerits for lacking any G1-inspired accessories - "foot knuckles" to put on his arms aren't really at all cool - but you do get three pretty decent modes. They aren't all perfect, but you probably have one of the several releases of Masterpiece Grimlock by now. I'd say get it if you're a fan of combiners, but if you're happy with a Grimlock you already own this may not offer you incentive to buy it as a stand-alone toy.

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