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Tuesday, December 3, 2024

We Build the LEGO Optimus Prime, and it Actually Transforms

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There have been robot builds. There have been truck builds. But the LEGO designers delivered something truly special with this: a massive Transformers Optimus Prime that also turns into a semi truck. And believe it or not, it transforms the classic way–not by disassembling and reassembling its parts, but by twisting, turning, and tucking its appendages until the final vehicle takes shape. An arm or a leg sticking out would break the illusion; everything has to "go" somewhere. And it does.

The ingenuity to pull this off, with 1508 plastic bricks and Technic parts, is considerable. The form must meet the function; whether the model is in Autobot mode or Vehicle mode, it must look appealing and stand on its own. That's something the Transformers cartoons and movies never had to worry about. The perfectly proportioned fighter plane transformed into a perfectly proportioned Decepticon, because the plot demanded it and the CGI made it so.

We Build the LEGO Optimus Prime

But for toymakers, making these Transformers work, for real, was a puzzle and a challenge. I had a handful of Transformers action figures as a kid. And at least in the '80s, their transformations were imperfect. One mode would look worse in service to the other; the car would look suspiciously like a humanoid robot, or the humanoid robot would look suspiciously like a car. This set, thankfully, does not have that problem.

The LEGO Transformers Optimus Prime is a collaboration between LEGO and Hasbro, based on the original 1984 animated series and accompanying toy line. Its build is straightforward and self-evident, consisting of ten distinct steps. There is no "layering," where you establish the infrastructure and then flesh out the details on top of that sturdy foundation. Instead, you build each body part set to completion. You build one leg and then the other leg. You build one arm and then the other arm.

The ingenuity to pull this off, with 1508 plastic bricks and Technic parts, is considerable.


The detail is large and cartoonish–"chunky," for lack of a better word. The feet have distinct metal ridges and the shoulders have massive logos printed on them. The rubber wheels that line the legs are proportionally sized and fun to look at. The legs are thick, which allow Optimus Prime to easily stand on his own. The multiple points of articulation mean that he can bend his ankles to get into a fighting pose. The arms can bend at the shoulder, elbow and wrist, so he can raise his axe to defend humanity.

Along with the big guy, you also get an ion blaster, Energon axe, Energon cube, and the Autobot Matrix of Leadership, which you can store inside Optimus Prime's chest. Lastly, you build a massive jetpack that affixes to Optimus Prime's back via clamps and a placard for display purposes.

There is a simplicity to the build, aided by the distinctive red, blue, and gray color scheme. It is instantly recognizable for what it is. The work goes fairly quickly, and goes even quicker once the build becomes recognizable and you're motivated to finish it. The 18+ package labeling is less a measure of difficulty and more a measure of devotion and demographic. If you have an 11-year-old who loves Optimus Prime, he could build this on his own, and a younger child could too, so long as you're there to provide assistance.

Here's a question I had, which you may also have if you're torn on whether to buy this: How durable is this set? It's a legitimate concern, because the entire appeal of the original toy line was the act of transforming. Hasbro manufactured the toys accordingly; the average Transformer could stand up to an impatient kid who was trying to twist it the wrong way. But LEGO sets–particularly advanced LEGO sets–are often fragile. Can the LEGO Transformers Optimus Prime withstand a curious kid who takes it off the shelf?

The short answer is no. A seven-year-old will break this thing, and you will have to piece it back together. I speak from experience. And yet, it is heartier than you might think. The entire build is reinforced by plastic plating over the bricks, and the points of articulation are ball joints, which can rotate all the way around. It is certainly fit for adult play and subsequent display, so long as you are reasonably careful.

A note about the transformation: there are illustrated instructions on how to do it in the manual. The process is well-laid out and specific, and it's important to follow it exactly. One step, for example, asks you to bend something back at an angle. If you do not do this as written, it will not fit; the angled bend is necessary for two of the pieces to slide past one another.

I highly recommend this set, both for its phenomenal end result and its conversation piece potential.


I highly recommend this set, both for its phenomenal end result and its conversation piece potential. Years ago, I watched a TV show called Breaking The Magician's Code, where a "Masked Magician" revealed the long-held secrets to classic tricks. I learned that when the magician's assistant is locked in a cage and then "disappears"? The secret is that she is a flexible acrobat; she's squeezing into a tiny crawl space on the floor of the cage. The “magic” hinges on the psychological gap between what looks possible and what is actually possible. That's what I feel when I look at the LEGO Optimus Prime in his Vehicle Mode, with all his limbs and parts neatly arranged into the appearance of a truck. It looks impossible at first glance, and that's the beauty of it.


The LEGO Transformers Optimus Prime, Set #10302, retails for $169.99. It is composed of 1508 pieces and was designed by LEGO designer Joseph Kyde. It is available now.

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