COUNTDOWN: 4 Masterpiece Transformers that were total lemons

Despite recently being rebranded as MPG, the Masterpiece brand remains the longest-running line in Transformers history.

As the name suggests, it is also designed to be amongst the most premium parts of the brand, delivering high-end renditions of characters with a degree of complexity and accuracy that is mainly unmatched by most mainline retail offerings. Except with almost two-and-a-half decades of output, there’s bound to be a few bum notes along the way.

And so, today, we’re talking about the Masterpiece toys that perhaps didn’t quite live up to the title in one way or another – whether because of one singular but unfortunate flaw or just down to them being outright stinkers: here are 4 Masterpiece lemons.

#4: MPM-6 Ironhide

Turning our attention to the Masterpiece Movie line-up first, and as much as we hate to say it, the uber-detailed take on big-screen fan-favourite Autobot veteran Ironhide deserves a spot on such a list. In this case, it’s not just quality control grumbles that let the side down, as the inherent design adds plenty of oddities to the mix. True, it’s no doubt a difficult character model to compellingly adapt in 3D form. Still, the frankly bizarre solution for the shoulders here was just not the ticket, making for a rather awkward feeling robot mode which is tricky to pose at the best of times. MPM-6 might have weathered such a critique had it not been for the added annoyance of loose joints, meaning that even if you do manage to get Ironhide into a decent stance, he likely won’t hold it for long! Then there’s the transformation, a weapons-grade headache from start to finish. Trying to tug the truck mode together is sheer futility, as pressing on one panel will pop another out of place, only for correcting it to move an alternative piece elsewhere, and so on until you wonder why you ever thought you should attempt it to begin with. Still… at least it looks nice!

#3: MP-5 Megatron

OK, I kind of feel bad including MP-5 on the list because, let’s be fair, the designer of this incredibly complex landmark figure was granted just twelve days to make it happen. In many ways, that fact alone makes the result an incredible achievement, as does acknowledging the context of what it represented when it was released and the many things it gets right in terms of bringing a cartoon-accurate attempt at Megatron to life. For one thing, the gun mode is absolutely brilliant, and even if it is quite oversized, it’s still undoubtedly the best attempt at a Walther P-38 we’ll likely ever see on a Transformers toy. Unfortunately, for as much as we can admire such accomplishments, it’s also only right to acknowledge that MP-5 is still objectively riddled with flaws and arguably fails to meet the high bar already set by MP-1 Convoy. The most publicised problem is the common ‘cosmic rust’ that occurs on the diecast metal feet, which is highly unsightly if it happens on your copy! Secondly, many of the plastic tabs required to lock the gun mode together are simply not up to snuff, leaving breakage along the way a fairly likely occurrence. Finally, the joints employed were never the strongest, even out of the box, but after a while, you’ll no doubt notice that the maniacal Decepticon leader certainly has a decent dose of wobble to him, assuming he can stand stably at all! Still, one cannot deny this 2007 first attempt at the character was an ambitious project that somehow maintains its charm despite being such an oddity.

#2: MP-47 Hound

After many unofficial attempts at the character in Masterpiece style, TakaraTomy finally delivered their take on Hound in late 2019, and to say the reaction was mixed is a definite understatement! In fact, I have known several collectors who swore off the entire Masterpiece line after receiving their copy of MP-47, which is no surprise given how notorious and widespread the quality control issues were. It’s unfortunate because the design itself has some intriguing elements to it. However, it arguably also landed at the wrong time, coming on the back of the highly derided MP-45 Bumblebee and spooking many fans into believing the halcyon days of super-solid Datsun-esque carbots were a thing of the past. Choices such as the ‘floating’ head mounted on a pivoting arm didn’t help, especially as the transformation itself was a pain in the posterior, and getting it all back into vehicle mode meant a high likelihood of paint chips on the face! What’s worse are the many other problems people experienced, including everything from scuffs and scrapes elsewhere on the body to full-blown cracking plastic, even after minimal handling. Perhaps the most telling epitaph for this figure was seeing several dozen sealed copies of MP-47 in a heavily discounted bargain bin at a convention, with the only caveat being that they might well be broken inside, so buyer beware because the retailer would not be offering any refunds. Ouch.

#1: MP-9 Rodimus

Firstly, I feel the need to set the record straight here: MP-9 Rodimus is an absolutely amazing toy. Seriously now. The design of the thing is simply quite incredible, not least because it manages to deliver a surprisingly show-accurate take on both Hot Rod and his elder alter-ego and crams in their respective alternate modes to boot! Not only that, but it’s an outright stunner no matter which configuration you have it in, and dare I say, I don’t believe the Rodimus Prime ‘space Winnebago’ form has ever been bettered than what we got here. Beyond all that, though, it’s a fun toy with features aplenty and decent articulation for the time, meaning by rights, this should have been the definitive Masterpiece take on the character. Except… it was also absolutely riddled with quality control problems, from the comparatively minor but still annoying to the absolutely bizarre and completely unforgivable, and sadly, that is now the reputation this figure enjoys instead. The first release in 2011 was notorious for leg panels breaking or popping off, ankles exploding, the backpack not tabbing together properly and, weirdest of all, the recess in the trailer being too small and consequently scraping paint as you slot in the car spoiler. A second version followed, which attempted to fix some of these issues but sadly introduced other quibbles to the mix. Even a 2018 re-release proved not to be the perfect rendition we might have hoped for. Ultimately, it’s a crying shame, as this deserved to be a legendary release that enjoyed collector acclaim. As it is, and as much as we still love it, MP-9 deserves its spot on this list.

So that’s our list! Are there any other Masterpiece lemons?

TTFN