Transformers Reviews - POWER-PUNCH

Takara Masterpiece MPM-4 Movie Optimus Prime - Review

12/3/2017

Takara Masterpiece MPM - 4 Movie Optimus Prime, brings you the detail of the Takara Masterpiece figure with a lower price point and obnoxious Hasbro instructions. This figure will cost you $99.99 and has die-cast metal parts but comes with some issues. Keep reading to find out more!

PACKAGING

The front of the packaging for MPM-4 is your average Takara packaging with the addition of "Hasbro" written in the corner. I was having some issues with my camera so these pictures did come out a bit washed out I apologize for that.

The back of the packaging shows us Optimus Prime in a cool battle pose that you will most likely never get him to pose it on your own. We also get to see some of his included accessories, he comes with the movie Matrix of Leadership in his chest (and yes it's removeable), he has a changeable face piece that takes about his mouth plate, 2 Energon Blades and his Blaster are also included. The back of the box is written in English since this is for Hasbro.

MPM-4 comes strapped into his plastic shell with rope ties and Hasbro's favorite plastic straps. He is easy to remove and already comes in Robot Mode. (I am guessing this is because nobody at Hasbro or Takara could figure out how to Transform him...I will touch on this later in the review)

ROBOT MODE

This figure is really detailed, the design is near perfect and the articulation is great. That being said, it will make a great displace piece in Robot Mode and it's worth the cost if that is all you want to do with it.

TRANSFORMATION

GOOD LUCK! If you have ever purchased a Takara MP figure you know that the instructions are usually very clear pictures on a glossy paper with some writing in Japanese (which can be translated with Google Translate fairly easily if you get stuck). Hasbro inserted their typical paper instructions, this one being 43 steps of confusion with a gray image showing moving parts in red, not only do I always hate their instruction system on their cheaper figures, but it does not work on a complicated figure such as an MP at all! They didn't even bother adding words to help you along the way! The Transformation process is complicated and I actually had to give up about half way through it because I couldn't follow what needed to be done. Besides that stress, I barely moved part of his foot and snapped off a toe? I am guessing its a toe... I am going to have to fix it with some model glue. The frustration caused by these instructions are really ridiculous and could be avoided if Hasbro would just get on the same page as Takara and make more detailed instructions for their harder figures instead of using this cheap half assed system they are using now.

FINAL THOUGHTS

THE GOOD

THE BAD

Great Price Point for a MP Figure
Very Detailed & Accurate
Includes Accessories

Impossible to Transform
Pieces Can Break Easily
Instructions are Difficult to Understand

Overall satisfaction with Takara MPM-4 started out high, out of the box the figure looks amazing and is movie accurate. However once you start to manipulate the figure and Transform him into Vehicle Mode the satisfaction quickly fades into frustration because of Hasbro cheaping out on the instructions. The figure is fragile and can break easily which is also brings it down very quickly. If you are looking to just display this figure on a shelf and never Transform it, then it is definitely a good purchase for the price.

These are the reasons I am giving Takara MPM-4 Movie Optimus Prime...

2 out of 5 PUNCHES!