Air Attack Optimus Primal's (commonly abbreviated AAOP) beast mode is a technorganic gorilla. As stated above, AAOP was only released in Toys 'R Us stores as an exclusive. This mode is incredibly well-detailed, with fur detailing everywhere it's needed, and some mechanical detailing here and there as well. The only part that's really sparsely detailed is the armplates, but this is to create a smooth, armored impression. Speaking of the armplates, that's one downside to this mode; they don't really "clip on" anything underneath them, and thusly don't fit all that snugly. So the end parts tend to flop around a bit. That isn't what really bugs me about this mode, however; it's the fact that his beast mode legs really aren't all that convincing. They're obviously his robot legs folded in half, and this detracts from the overall look of this mode quite a bit. His feet (which form the upper legs in his robot mode) also look like they have sandles on them. Also, a rather odd "extra" was thrown in this mode- Optimus Primal has a pink butt! Not only is it extremely odd, but actually adds a bit of comedic value to a toy that should have none. And the panel sort of "hangs out" in this mode- it doesn't connect to anything, and sort of gets in the way of leg movement a little. On the other hand, AAOP's beast mode face is excellently detailed, and actually has a little electronic gimmick. If you press AAOP's chest to "power him up" (during which he makes a slight droning sound), then press down on his head, he'll say one of two things: either "RAAAAaaar!" or "Optimus, Maximize!" (even though Primal doesn't maximize in the Beast Machines cartoon). One of the best parts about this gimmick is that the voice not only comes through very clear, but it's Gary Chalk himself doing the voice work! Good job with that one, Hasbro! One more note about this mode- although the instructions say to actually bend Optimus' midsection back a little bit for the "hunched" look, it actually causes there to be a big gap between the chest and the stomach, so I just leave the midsection straight, as it looks much better.
    Unlike his "merely okay" beast mode, Optimus Primal's robot mode just plain rocks. The only bad things about it at all are A. The arm plates that look rather odd hanging off his upper arms, B. The "pink butt" panel right behind his head, and C. The off-white color on his lower chest and hands doesn't fit in with the rest of the color scheme. Other than these three flaws, this mode is awesome (albeit the second flaw is a rather silly-looking one). Optimus Primal retains all the awesome detailing from his other mode, and, in fact, gets even more of it, in the form of paint detailing. Nice detailing on the back of his forearms, on his feet, midsection, and head are all incredibly well done. Optimus Primal is also incredibly well-articulated, even for such a large toy. Not only does he have all the standard articulation, including hip, ankle, knee, shoulder, waist, head, and elbow articulation, but his four fingers have TWO points of articulation EACH! (The thumbs have only one point each.) This is incredible, and allows for some really neat gestures. What's also really neat about this mode is that the electronic gimmicks don't get in the way much, and he's got tons of 'em. To activate them all, you've got to press on his chest to enter his "power up" mode. Although the droning noise in the background IS a tad annoying, it's a plus because of the bonus that you don't accidentally activate any of his sound gimmicks if you don't want to. Like the beast mode, if you press down his head while he's "powered up" you get sounds- only this time, you get three instead of two. They are: 1. "The seeds of the future lie buried in the past!" 2. "Graaaah!" and 3. "Maximize!". All, again, very clear and done by Gary Chalk himself. By pulling back on the shield-tab on AAOP's upper right arm and then pushing it forward a bit (it takes some getting used to), you can have Primal emit a "punching grunt" sound (provided you have him "powered-up", of course). This is the only gimmick in the entire toy that affects playbility- in the right arm, he only has one point of articulation at the elbow instead of two. This may not seem like much, but it rather limits the gestures he can make with his fingers on this hand because of the angle it's at. If you press the tab on Optimus' lower back, it fires a disk out of his stomach, just like on the Beast Machines television show. A "firing" sound also sounds if you have him powered up. A nice touch, if a bit oddly placed on the body. Last but not least, we have the gimmick that gives Air Attack Optimus Primal his name- if you have him powered-up, pressing a small button on his upper back will deploy his jet-pack (which is very well-detailed, I might add). A continuous "thrust" sound will eminate from him, the thrust sound getting higher or lower in pitch depending on what motion he's currently doing (flying level, diving, or climbing higher into the "sky"). This noise effect is VERY well-done, sort of a "how do they DO that?" kinda thing.
    Air Attack Optimus Primal is a very neat toy, and with tons of sound gimmicks that don't really hurt the toy's playability performance at all. However, because of his useless "pink butt" panel and the fact that his legs look so odd in beast mode, as well as his arm guards that don't stay in their place that well, I can't quite bring myself to put him into the "must-buy" category of 9.0 or above. He's still a really great toy, though, and a value for $30.

Review by Beastbot

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