After watching the movie and reading a couple of rave reviews on the Leader Class Op Prime, I decided that after 20 years, it was time to get a Transformer toy again. This will be my second Prime figure, 1st one being the Power Master Optimus Prime which my mum got me when I was around 10. Well, I hesistated in the beginning due to its hefty price tag after receiving a email update from my regular Japanese toy supplier. $80 seemed a tad expensive, so I told myself I'll just wait until they slash the prices like they did back in 2007, where the Leader class Prime were selling as cheap as $40 when the movie fad was over. Well, I got more worried as I passed by more and more departmental and specialty shops which only packed dozens of Leader Class Megatron. No Prime to be seen anywhere. It was completely sold out. Even Chinatown Square Central only had 1 or 2 left, and it was sold as part of a bundle. In the end, I had to go to OG Chinatown as a last resort. Spent $109.90 on a damn toy which I'll most probably not touch after a day. At least I've not been spending much lately.
I'm not going to write a review, but just post some thoughts on this figure. First, this thing is huge. Lotsa parts, articulation, and well painted too. Looks really realistic as well, much better than the 2007 version which didn't look anything like its movie counterpart. The 2 forms, vehicle and robot look really good too. This is as faithful as can be to the movie, especially when you're talking about a CG robot with millions of moving parts.
However, the transformation between the 2 modes is a total bitch. Pardon my language, but it took me an hour on my first attempt, and seriously the instruction sheet didn't help and instead made matters more confusing. I'm think I lost a couple of years lifespan trying to figure where all the parts go to. The packaging says it's for kids aged 5 and above. I'm sure most adults might find Rubik's cube a tad easier. Seriously, the adults who bought this toy for their kids are most probably the most frustrated lot trying to transform the toy for them. Just check out this video and decide for yourself (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Loqr7EFWZMI). Like the person, I was swearing while trying to make it transform, though my words tend to be of the Hokkien variety. 
But on the whole, it's a very nice figure with great asthetics. My Gundams might not really welcome the new addition, but I've already made space for him. Just don't request for any transformation when you visit. Macross Valkryie VF-1J was already a pain, but this one takes the cake. :p
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