Fall of Cybertron Grimlock Transformers action figure review (voyager class)

The second installment of the Transformers video game called "Fall of Cybertron" has some really neat characters designs in it and we're about to see a whole slew of fan favorites from Hasbro in 2013. They've even introduced three voyager class FoC characters, Soundwave, Blaster, and Grimlock, leader of the Dinobots. Here we'll take a look at the robotic T-rex himself in this larger-than-deluxe scale.

Grimlock stands 7 1/2 inches tall and is sporting a really nice robot mode. The wide chest and broad shoulders give him an inposing look and his thick legs add to the appearance of a tough bot to take on. The sculpting is top notch as we've come to expect with all sorts of little ports, panel lines, and sections that grace the something-happening-to-Cybertron lines. I like the asymmetrical look of his chest which is the only part of him like that, standing out from the design.

Articulation for robot mode is plentiful and useful. Grimlock has excellent shoulder range and they can even swing up and forward thanks to ratcheting sections inside. His head is ball jointed and his wrists turn. He's lacking a waist and side-ankle movement however but everything else swivels or hinges with plenty of posing options. Given he comes with a sword and a shield you'll get plenty of use out of the joints given.

Paint apps for Grimlock are also plentiful with gold, dark metal, red, and silver applied. The plastic is very sturdy feeling with some sections molded in a matte, almost sanded texture while others are done is smooth glossy plastic which contrasts well. There's an Autobot symbol on his dino-mode's head while he has a feral-looking Autobot symbol in bot mode of which I'm not familiar with. (I'm now told it's the  Lightning Strike Coalition variant)  All the metallic plastics and paint make him look really sharp and there's no slop at all on the figure I picked up. Great light-pipe eyes add to the look.

Dino/alt mode looks as cool as his robot mode thankfully. Expect a classic lumbering T-rex with short arms, large head, and a huge tail. That tail may draw some criticism as it's basically Grimlock's legs folded together and is pretty thick. But from the front or side you really don't notice it all that much as you'll be staring at his toothy maw most of the time. In dino mode he's a bit hollow from the underside because of the unfolding of the dino head that is normally stored inside the bot-mode back, but there's a reason for this.

And that reason is the light-up/action feature! Press the fin behind Grimlock's head in dino mode and he opens his mouth wide emitting a blazing reddish-orange glow from deep within his throat. In robot mode the head is inside his chest and now lights up his clear chest-ports/ Lightning Strike Coalition symbol. This allows for the light-up feature to work in both modes which was an excellent choice. I really like how the light shows the 'inner framework' of the head and chest when it's lit almost like a furnace glow.

Dino-mode is less articulated than bot mode with the hips pegging up into the back. You don't really need to do this and leaving them loose lets you pose his legs in far better positions than just straight down. You have to love the little ball-jointed t-rex arms that can flail about. As I mentioned before the legs become the dino-tail and it looks as if he's wearing his feet from the back which may deter some folks as we usually have alt-mode kibble, not robot mode kibble which may be a first here.

Grimlock comes with two great looking accessories, a robotic looking sword and shield both made from clear plastic and sculpted in excellent detail. They can be held in bot mode, pegged to his shoulders/forearms, or stored on the t-rex mode hips. His little flail-rex arms can hold them too if you fit the shield on a finger tip and the sword in the other, just for laughs of course.

Transformation is incredibly simple and basically the same as other Grimlocks before him. You don't even need the instructions. The knees may pop out of peg-place when moved because the joint is so tight. To fix this extend the leg panel as far down as it will go to make the tail and you'll see the knee-post inside. Coat that with some superglue and let it dry before pegging it back in. It will stay together much sturdier this way will hold together through posing.

So what's the verdict here? He's Grimlock, how are you not going to buy him? Honestly tho this is a solid figure and looks awesome in both modes, has a glowing feature for both, and comes with two great accessories. He easily replaces my classics Grimlock in design and size. He's trickling into stores now along with Blaster but instantly disappears from the shelf. I'd suggest ensuring you get him by snagging one at our sponsor Big Bad Toy Store at the normal retail cost. This way you won't be disappointed when all you see is Soundwave and Blaster on the shelf which is quickly becoming the norm.