General Information:
Release Date: March 2023
Price Point: $14.99 (depending on retailer)
Retailer: General Release (Amazon, Target, Walmart etc.)
Accessories: Chainclaw beast/chainsaw
Official images and text below in italics are from Amazon.com:
- BUILD THE ULTIMATE BEAST ALLIANCE: Classic Transformers robots and beast robots join forces in an epic alliance! Combine Beast Alliance robot toys with beast weapon figures to gear up for battle (each sold separately, subject to availability)
- BEAST WEAPONIZER 2-PACK: Beast Weaponizer 2-Packs come with 2 Beast Alliance figures: 5-inch Battle Changer and 3-inch Beast Battle Master toys. Convert Chainclaw figure to weapon mode and attach to weaponize Optimus Prime action figure
- 2 MODES: The Transformers Optimus Prime action figure converts from robot to truck mode in 13 steps. The Chainclaw toy converts from wolf to chainsaw in 4 steps
- TRANSFORMERS: RISE OF THE BEASTS: Featuring robot and beast characters inspired by the epic Transformers movie, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts!
- LOOK FOR MORE TRANSFORMERS MOVIE TOYS: Beast Weaponizer 2-Pack toys are cross compatible with other Beast Alliance figures. Collect other Beast Alliance toy robots to build the ultimate beast alliance (Each sold separately, subject to availability)
Optimus Prime, the noble Autobot leader, teams up with his beast partner, Chainclaw, as they charge into battle! Classic Transformers robots and beast robots join forces in an epic alliance! Combine the Beast Alliance Beast Weaponizer 2-Pack Optimus Prime and Chainclaw toys to gear up for battle! (Each sold separately, subject to availability.) The battle on Earth is no longer between the heroic Autobots and the evil Decepticons. Transformers: Rise of the Beasts introduces mysterious factions, the Maximals, the Predacons, and the Terrorcons, in an epic 90s globetrotting adventure. Build the Beast Alliance and gear up for battle with Transformers Beast Alliance kids toys inspired by the new Transformers movie, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts! TRANSFORMERS and all related characters are trademarks of Hasbro and are used with permission. © 2022 Paramount Pictures Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Licensed by Hasbro.
Packaging:
Optimus Prime and Chainclaw are packaged in a cardboard box that wraps partly around Optimus Prime's feet while Chainclaw is attached to the card to the side. This packaging is intended to minimize the amount of plastic used so you'll only find plastic on the hook used to hang this on pegs. The ties holding the figures down are rubbery (though I'm no expert on ties so they could be plastic as well). The packaging is open, so sadly I fear there will be more than a few stolen figures in the future from this line, especially Chainclaw who can be torn out of the box pretty easily.
The box artwork features a background reminiscent of the art used for Kingdom with a stone like background featuring drawings of the Autobot and Maximal symbols as well as animals from Beast Wars (including some who do not appear in the film). These drawings are all made to resemble ancient cave paintings and they look cool. I thought at first these were just recycled from Kingdom (which featured a similar motif) but some of the art is very different (such as Rhinox's art). The Rise of the Beasts logo is set in the front of the box with Primal's CG model on the right and the action figure pictured on the left in beast mode. The vertical Transformers logo is set to the right. There is a very 2000's looking logo on the upper right of the box that says "Beast Alliance", a reference to the figures in this line that show two characters teaming up.
The back of the box shows Optimus Prime and Chainclaw in both their modes. Primal's 13 step transformation is called out while Arrowstripe's is 4. This packaging is beautifully done and I love how many layers of art have gone into it.
Background:
Anyone who has seen trailers or promo images for Rise of the Beasts knows that Optimus Prime will be in the film, so it is no surprise that he will be represented (a lot) in the toy line. This two pack teams up Optimus with an "off screen" character: the Maximal Chainclaw.
Accessory:
Optimus Prime includes a Battle Master style figure as his accessory: Chainclaw. The name "Chainclaw" might be familiar to some fans since it was used in the G1 era for an Autobot Pretender Beast. However, this Chainclaw is not a bear but rather a wolf!
Beast Mode:
Chainclaw mostly features robotic designs including a spine that has metallic looking ridges running along the back. In a bit of a necessary, but funny design choice he has kind of a stubby tail, which wolves aren't really known for. I suspect this was necessary because of the way the figure transforms. A hypothetical tail would have tucked between the legs in weapon mode and maybe the designers feared it would break off. That or they wanted to cut costs. Interestingly, there is a small gap on the top of the tail that maybe could have fit a tail piece so I wonder if one was planned but cancelled.
Some more organic detail comes into play with parts like the snout, ears, neck and legs where you'll see fur details. I love the combination of techno and organic sculpting on the figure.
Chainclaw is made up of blue and silver plastic. Paint details are done in silver. This is very different from the box illustration which shows him as mostly green in color.
There are four points of articulation in this mode: the legs. They can each move forward and back, which is about right for a Battle Master.
Transformation to Weapon Mode:
- Swing the front legs up (so they are on either side of the head).
- Swing down the peg on the bottom of the figure.
- Swing the rear legs forward. The rear of the body will swing down and the saw blade will reveal itself.
Weapon Mode:
Why would you name a wolf Chainclaw? Well, sure he has claws but where does the chain come in? This mode answers that with Chainclaw's chainsaw mode! The only newly revealed details are the chainsaw blade and the 5mm handle but it looks great. I mean, look, I know it kind of looks like a wolf is hiding in between its front paws with a chainsaw sticking out its posterior (well okay, that's exactly what it is) but it does look like one mean weapon and I dig it. The chainsaw has some nice "teeth" details running along the edge which is a really nice detail.
The chainsaw blade and the peg are silver plastic with no paint details.
You can attach this weapon to other figures using the 5mm peg on the bottom.
Robot Mode:
Optimus Prime has appeared prominently in much of the marketing material for Rise of the Beasts so we have a good idea of what he looks like in the movie. Optimus has a lot of the traditional design elements like the smokestacks on his shoulders and windshield windows on his chest of course, but other details are more specific to this version including:
- The smokestacks feature curves at the end.
- The face area has a lot more details and mechanical bits on it than before.
- The mid-body area has a lot of machinery detailing in place of the traditional truck grille. The waist is also very narrow in proportion to the chest and hips.
- The legs have a different shape than say, G1 Optimus Prime. His knee armor leads to parts of the lower legs that angle forward before angling inward again towards the ankles. He does however retain the traditional vent like panels on the lower legs.
- The feet feature two small points that look almost like toes.
I would say the main "weakness" of this sculpt are found on the fist area and the back. The fists have part of the truck wrapped around them. They are not as severe in design as the "claw hands" of Authentics Optimus Prime but it's not ideal. Also, the back of the lower legs and the back (behind the chest) are hollow, which doesn't look great on a mainline figure (as opposed to the Authentics figures).
Optimus is made up of red, blue, silver and black plastic. Paint details are done in silver, black and light blue. The shame of this being a figure aimed at a younger audience is that the sculpt does not have the deco I think it deserves. There are so many great details that could have been accentuated with paint but they are left unpainted (such as the legs). Overall, the deco is "okay" but not great.
There are fourteen points of articulation on this figure. This includes three in each arm and leg. The elbows and knees feature ball joints, so the range of articulation is good for a figure geared towards younger fans. Each arm has two 5mm ports, one in the fist and one on the side of the forearms. Each leg also has a 5mm port. You can also use one of the two 5mm ports on his back for weapons storage. Get enough Battle Masters and you can really load up Optimus with a ton of weaponry!
Transformation to Vehicle Mode:
- Detach any accessories and set them aside.
- Straighten out the arms and legs.
- Swing each heel pieces into the feet.
- Connect the legs together by sliding the left lower leg's connection point to the right side.
- Swing the robot head back into the chest.
- Rotate the top half of the body around.
- Swing the forearms up.
- Swing the shoulders back.
- Swing the forearms forward.
- Swing the legs up and connect the tabs from the back of the forearms into the knee armor area.
- Chainclaw can be attached to the 5mm ports on the sides of the forearms.
Vehicle Mode:
Unlike his appearance in the first batch of live action Transformers films, Optimus switched from being a longnose truck to a more traditional, boxy looking truck in the Bumblebee movie. This form carries over to this mode. Of course, this is not a licensed vehicle mode, so it is more of a generic truck form with two windows, a large grille, covers over the windshield windows and the smokestacks in the back. Smaller details include headlights in the front of the vehicle and what appear to be storage tanks on the sides behind the front wheels.
This mode features the traditional Optimus Prime color pattern with the front mostly made of red plastic while the back is blue. The wheels are black plastic. Light blue paint is used for the windows in the front while silver paint is used on parts like the grille and smokestacks.
There are four available 5mm ports in this mode but unfortunately the one on the middle wheel is kind of tough to use except for very small or thin weapons. The best ones to use are the ones on the sides of the forearms.
Final Thoughts:
Keeping in mind that these Weaponizer two packs are aimed at a younger audience, I really dig this two pack. The Optimus figure is cool (but could have used a better deco). Meanwhile I welcome any animal additions to my Battle Master army. Keeping this in mind this set is recommended!
Pros:
- Optimus Prime has a really nice sculpt given the figure's target audience.
- Nice sculpt on Chainclaw.
- Fun (and different) weapon mode for Chainclaw.
- Good play value.
Cons:
- The deco could have been much better.
- Less big gaps on Optimus would have been cool.
