So close to perfection; so close!
Producer: Fansproject
Price: $139.99 USD
Release: Mar. 2016
Height: Approx. 7.0″
WHERE TO BUY: TFsource
Fansproject takes a swing at the King with Severo which is their interpretation of the character Grimlock from the Transformers cartoon series. This is the deluxe edition so he comes with a chromed chest as well as accessories like a throne and extra Soleron (weapon-master) that won’t be coming with the regular version. Out of the box, what really stood out was the size of him. At about 7″, he’s not only a taller figure (In terms of Classics, Voyager scaling) but hes broad shoulders and thick arms/legs really give him a big, mean look. It’s intimidating, and that’s how I feel Grimlock should always be presented. Although its palette is primarily gray, the reds, silvers, and golds that accent it are bright and well placed.
This poseability is nice and even has a few extras like ab crunch and opening hands that give it a more higher-end appeal. The strong joints are great, especially when holding the giant hammer formed by his two solerons Kottav andf Pottaro. The other weapons include a sword, his classic blaster, as well as two, big chain blasters that can also be mounted on his shoulders (like the rest of his weapons,) or to his back. The throne is just incredible; check the video and the pictures. It’s just great.
I’d rate the transformation on the lower end of intermediate at most, and the alt. mode itself is pretty cool. It features a good amount of poseability, and I like how the chain guns attach to the back. It’s a pretty different take on a T-Rex (it may be a different dinosaur entirely; I’m not claiming to bee knowledgeable in that area,) but it looks good, especially when flanked by the other dinos in the Lost-Exo-Realm line.
The only part that was even the least bit off-putting about this figure for me is the head design. It’s good, but it’s a deviation from the classic, Grimlock head design which I felt may have fit the general Fansproject aesthetic even better. I also wish that there was better light-piping from the back of the head to let the really awesome and big eye-visor shine through.
Overall, this is a good looking and solid piece with a great amount of accessories that feel like they really fit and accentuate the Grimlock character rather than being a bunch of “stuff” that came with him. Severo is the definitive Classics-styled Grimlock toy that fans like myself have waited since 2007 for and even though I’ll buy the regular version for completist reasons, there’s no way I’d recommend anyone passing up on this variant over it.
Overall Score: 9.0/10 – Great work!
