TRDQ: The Transformers The Movie – Hot Rod – Review

Well you can all shut up now, he’s here. Your Pink Hot Rod that you’ve cried for – for years! Dry those eyes. To be honest this is very cool and exciting and I’m very happy he’s here. A reissue of the original 1986 Hot Rod toy in more screen-accurate colours. In terms of presentation they’ve really gone full force – look at this fantastic box – beautiful artwork for Autobot Cavalier Autobot Hot Rod. Wonder which side he’s on. We get a fun throwback tech-spec at the back – and yeah it isn’t often that I’m tempted to keep

a box, y’know? Still let’s get this thing opened up. Inside we have Hot-Rod packaged in Vehicle mode – like ALL TRANSFORMERS SHOUUUUULD – alongside his two photon laser pistols. Immediately we see that the reissue sure is pink. I love it. Right away we’re missing out on some chromed parts, like the engine block and the exhausts but honestly it doesn’t really bother me that much. I think if anything, it adds to that much cleaner, streamlined look. No stickers to apply to the bot – he comes as-is. It feels great – nice and heavy – no doubt

helped by these die-cast stompers at the back – and those rubber wheels add a touch of class. It rolls well – and you can plop a gun into the engine here. The other one? Uuuuh… So Transformation is pretty easy

– I have to say I very much like the look of the instructions – clean, retro inspired and ends in a pose the toy can’t do. And here we go – it’s Hot Rod – and Kup and the Dinobots- no we’re not doing that. Doesn’t that look incredible? Sure you’re limited to rotation a the shoulders and

elbows – but he can hold both guns in this mode – what else do you want? The extremely minimalist look – the lack of tons of sticker detail – I really like this one, folks. I am a little weirded out by the engine on the back of his head – imagine someone poking a finger in there. Something I really like is comparing these toys to what came only a few years before and you can see that change in design philosophy – we’re bigger, chunkier, perhaps more kid-friendly than those 1984 bots. That’s not a good thing

or a bad thing – it’s just interesting, alright? The only thing I’m not 100% on is those metal feet. Which is an odd thing to complain about – but if you’re not using chrome on the exhausts or engine – just use the same consistent plastic look for them? Maybe it’s to trick my brain in to thinking I’m getting more value for money. Still, this is the stuff – highly recommended, verging on Jhaixus levels of ‘I didn’t think we’d ever get this toy’. Right, see you later.