ItsAllTrue Review:
Transformers – Rodimus Minor

Being a big Hot Rod fan, this toy had a lot to live up to in either mode and I think he does a good job on both fronts. His robot mode seems a little top heavy, but you get used to it after awhile and he blends in great with the other animated toys. The only thing I’m not really satisfied with is the head sculpt. It’s not bad, but he just looks odd without a nose. He’s mostly accurate to the cartoon, and like a lot of animated characters, the extension from the brow is supposed to form the nose. But in Rodimus’ case, it either ends too high or his face is too tall to give that illusion. It’s not bad, but it looks like there is a little too much space above the mouth.

One of the really nice things about the robot mode is that it can really move. He’s got ball shoulders, elbows, wrists, hips, and ankles, swivel thighs and waist, hinge knees, and a ball-jointed head. Plus his calves and neck have a little more movement to them thanks to some transformation points. His shoulders do bunch up against his hood in robot mode here and there. The articulation is good it’s just that when they come into contact, they tend to pop off instead of offering resistance. All the joints are tight (even the shoulder) and he can hold his poses really well.

In terms of paint, most everything is molded in the appropriate colors with very few paint apps. The paint apps tend to be clean except for a little bit of fuzziness around the neck and face. One odd thing to note is that the shoulders are molded in a different color than the rest of the body and then painted to match. I have a feeling that’s going to chip off after awhile.

Rodimus also includes the energy bow he used in the episode he appeared in. It’s a great accessory that he can hold and pose with well, but mine has a hair trigger and will launch if you look at it wrong. I didn’t grab a picture of it, but the bow will also clip onto Rodimus’ roof in his alt mode, but I recommend attaching it with the missiles unloaded. It’s a little hard to get it situated and you’re bound to shoot the missiles while trying to snap the bow into place.

Overall, Rodimus is a great addition to the Animated line. His alt mode is sharp as long as it’s not viewed from the back and his robot mode is great- just be careful to not pop off / scratch up those shoulders. One thing I’ve noticed about the Animated figures is that, in general, the later figures tended to blend the two modes better while keeping a great aesthetic. Rodimus exemplifies that to me despite the one or two faults. It’s a shame that he might be one of the last, if not the last, figure to be released in the line. I think Animated could continue to run with a few releases in the Generations line if Hasbro was willing to make that commitment. If they’ve got more like Rodimus trapped in the halted production process (and you know they do), they shouldn’t be putting these toys out to pasture.

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11 thoughts on “ItsAllTrue Review:
Transformers – Rodimus Minor

  1. The pipes coming out of the trunk were just too weird for me. I keep him in robot mode 100% the time.

    1. And the Classics Rod’ looks like crap next to the G1 one in that picture. That blows my mind.

  2. Rodimus was always one of my favorites too along with Soundwave and Optimus. I liked the transforming, but I was always partial to the semi and hot rod. Soundwave was cool because of the cassettes and that from a distance he actually looked like a tape deck in my room.

  3. all of the animated toys look awesome!! the only one i have is soundwave and he is ok. i used to be an obsessive Transformers collector, but don’t but many anymore. hot rod looks fantastic though, great review.

  4. Great pics, but no strips? I come here for the strips! Okay, you have a sight gag in the last one…

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