If you told me years ago that some of the best Transformers figures in the year 2024 are being made not by Hasbro but by some hitherto unknown company from China named Blokees, I would have called you crazy.
And even now as I stare lovingly at my Blokees Transformers figures, I still couldn't believe it. These non-transforming model kit figures are 3.75-inch bundles of fun to collect and build, so when they announced that they'll be releasing an enormous Optimus Prime as an "Action Edition" version, I couldn't pass it up.
And after months of waiting, it's now here in all its huge-ass glory! Join me as I take a look at the new Blokees Transformers G1 Optimus Prime Action Edition model kit!
Just like Action Edition Optimus Prime's tiny brothers and sisters in the Blokees Galaxy Version model kit line, you don't need any fancy tools to cut parts off of the sprue prisons. From the biggest frame to the tiniest detail, it can be snapped off the sprues easily and with lots of margin for error. It took me around two to three hours to build this dude, and it was satisfying every step of the way.
There really is no joy like seeing the cool thing you've been building come together part by part. Once I was done, I was giddy as a schoolgirl. Blokees knocked it out of the park with Action Edition Optimus Prime.
This is undeniably the Optimus Prime I grew up with. Blokees spared no expense to capture every iconic detail, from the faceplate to the grill abs. His buff, heroic proportions are complimented by the gorgeous red and blue plastic used. Just looking at him standing on my desk makes me want to watch him bust Decepticon heads!
If you're thinking of using Action Edition Optimus Prime as a stand-in for the Autobot leader of your smaller Galaxy Version Blokees figures, you might want to hold that thought.
Prime here is twice the size of their regular figures that he feels more at home with
actual Transformers figures than the blind box kits. There's no fudging the scale difference in your display — Optimus is positively
Devastator-sized when placed beside his Lilliputian brethren.
Personally, I don't mind. I never intended to mix the Action Edition with the Galaxy Versions. Optimus Prime is altogether different beast!
I haven't touched a
Gunpla in ages, so I forgot just how much articulation a company can pack in a figure like this. Despite his blocky appearance,
Action Edition Optimus Prime actually moves with the best of them!
Butterfly shoulders, double-jointed knees, ankle rockers, and hip skirts that can move away to give his legs some, well, leg room, allow you to put Prime in some satisfying poses. He's even got a goddamn ab crunch that puts my tubby ass to shame. Most mainline Hasbro Transformers can't even do that!
Sure, Prime can pose up a storm, but he's still got to kick Decepticon ass. Good thing Blokees loaded their Action Edition Prime with his signature weapons!
First up is of course Prime's legendary Ion Blaster, which is also a buildable piece and not just a pack-in. It's appropriately huge and pegs nicely into either of Optimus Prime's hands. As a sort of fun "bonus", the gun sports a "
Mech Alive" gimmick wherein you can pull on the barrel for the "sight" to appear!
Next up is Prime's one-off yet nonetheless memorable "energon axe" cast in clear orange plastic. You can replace either of his hands with it when it's time to slice and dice. Woe to the poor Decepticon when this Autobot leader is feeling "choppy"...
Some smaller doodads and doohickeys are included, like a holographic screen and a laptop (?) that plugs into either of his forearms. Stickers are included to fill in the blank spaces of said doohickeys, and what's fun is that the sticker sheet also includes decals and details you can stick on Optimus when you want to represent his "toy version" rather than the cartoon's! Talk about bang for your buck!
Finally, you can also build Sideswipe's Optimus Prime's rocket jet pack, which you can peg into his back. He never did give it back to Sideswipe, didn't he?
Of course, Prime ain't a licensed Prime without the mythical Matrix of Leadership, and I love how Action Edition Optimus Prime has one! You can actually open Prime's chest and install the Matrix onto the pegs inside. And when it's lit up all exalted-like? Unf. So sexy. Alexa, play Stan Bush's "The Touch".
Oh, did I say it lights up? Yes, as you may have noticed, this Optimus Prime figure is fitted with LED lights like the boss he is! The housing for the lights and batteries are inside his chest, and it glows a cool blue that channels into his head and chest to light up his eyes and the Matrix crystal.
There's no switch that turns it on and off, but Blokees figured out a cool way to hit the lights: an Autobot logo-shaped magnet! Simply touch the logo on Prime's torso area and it triggers something inside the chest to light up the LEDs. Touching it again turns it off. Magnets, how do they work?
The LEDs turn off automatically after around 10 to 15 seconds so don't worry about wasting battery life. There doesn't seem to be any other way to turn on the LEDs, so if you lose the magnet you're shit out of luck. Good thing the magnet is big and... blocky. *wink wink*
I don't know how the guys at Blokees did it, but I'm glad they got the touch the license to make Transformers figures. Dare I say they're giving a lot more love to the brand than Hasbro does on a good day!
Bottom line is, Blokees Action Edition Optimus Prime is an incredible figure that's fun to build and packed to the gills with everything you need for your Transfomers shrine. This bodes well for Blokees and for model kits of Transformers characters in general, and I have to say there's now more to them than meets the eye.
I got this for around 35USD in my country, which is par for the course for model kits. I think it's worth every penny, now that Optimus stands majestically on my desk ready to take on all comers like the hero he is.
I hope you found this review helpful. What do you want Blokees to make an Action Edition of next? Let me know in the comments. Stay safe out there and thanks for reading!
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