Transformers: Movie the Best Leader Optimus Prime

When I first saw the announcement of a tenth anniversary Transformers movie toyline in Japan called “Movie the Best” I assumed that was a bad translation. I mean, really, how stupid a name is “Movie the Best”? Apparently not stupid enough for that to be the actual name of the line. In any case, I’m only getting the toys with mold changes or added weapons.

I never preordered this Optimus Prime thinking that the mold was identical to the original release. Since realizing this mold was unique, I have done some research on it, and cannot believe I didn’t realize just how many mold changes have been made to it over the years. This is my 9th version of this toy, so I’ve complied the details on all nine of them. If you want more details, please refer to TFWiki’s Optimus Prime Movie Toys page. That’s where I got the info, but there you need to sift through all the info on every of Optimus Prime movie toy. Note, there are also a number of repaints of this mold, but I’m not going to mention them here because they have no mold or accessory changes.

Revenge of the Fallen

The first version of the mold was Hasbro’s Revenge of the Fallen Leader Class Optimus Prime. Then Takara remolded his fuel tanks for the Japanese exclusive Leader Class Buster Optimus Prime. These fuel tanks could combine into a large Ion Blaster. It also included a new head sculpt that had a mouth as seen in the movie. The Jetpower Optimus Prime/Jetfire 2-pack used the original Hasbro mouthplate head sculpt and the fuel tank Ion Blaster from Buster Optimus Prime. The 2-pack version is the only unique mold version of this toy that I didn’t have. I have now remedied that. Review coming soon.

Transformers 2010

For Transformers 2010 (gold boxes) Hasbro used the head sculpt from the Takara single pack Buster Optimus Prime, and remolded his flip out Battle Blades into Battle Hooks for Transformers 2010 Leader Class Optimus Prime. He did not include the fuel tank gun Ion Blaster from Buster Optimus Prime.

Dark of the Moon

For Dark of the Moon, Takara extensively remolded this toy as Supreme Class Jetwing Optimus Prime. He got a new torso and elbows to more closely match his appearance in Dark of the Moon. His forearms were remolded to add ports. His Flip Out Battle Blades were removed completely. (Note, from here on, the flip out Battle Blades and Battle Hooks were never used again, at least not yet.) He uses the original head sculpt with the mouthplate. Also added was the Jetwing backpack which gave him the flight mode and cannons similar to the movie. (I haven’t watched it recently, not sure how accurate it is.) There was also a modification to his back so the backpack would stay on better. This toy was later repainted for release in the USA without any mold changes.

Later, Takara released a Leader Class Optimus Prime for Dark of the Moon. Striker Optimus Prime included all the modifications of Jetwing Optimus Prime, as well as additional ports for weapon storage. He does not include the Buster Optimus Prime fuel tanks/gun, but has new fuel tanks and weapons two weapons, Eliminator Gun and the Assault Blaster, which can combiner into the Mega Striker as well as a new shield that becomes a new front for his truck mode.

Asia Premium Series

After re-releasing a repainted Striker Optimus Prime for the Asian market, the Asia Premium Series Optimus Prime Ultimate Edition became, as the name suggests, the ultimate version of this mold. The base mold is the Striker Optimus Prime mold. It uses the single pack Buster Optimus Prime head sculpt with mouthplate. It includes the Buster Optimus Prime fuel tank Ion Blaster, the Striker Optimus Prime Eliminator Gun, Assault Blaster, and shield/vehicle front, the flight pack from Jetwing Optimus Prime, the previously Toys R Us Japan exclusive Battle Blades, two brand new set of Battle Hooks, and a new Knuckle weapon. He also has new articulated fingers.

Movie The Best

The first Movie the Best Leader Class Optimus Prime was essentially the Asia Premium Series Optimus Prime Ultimate Edition with original mouthplate head sculpt, and fewer accessories. He includes the Buster Optimus Prime Ion Blaster, Battle Blades, Battle Hooks, and Knuckle.

The Movie the Best Leader Class Optimus Prime Revenge Version sort of went back to the drawing board. The base mold is the original Revenge of the Fallen Optimus Prime with all the accessories from the first Movie the Best Optimus Prime, but he does have a couple of modifications. He uses the forearms from Jetwing Optimus Prime that do not include the flip out Battle Blades and has another new set of hands. This is an interesting one, as the hands he has were seen on the original Revenge of the Fallen Hasbro prototype, but were altered before the toy was produced.

In case you lost count, that is nine separate releases, no two of which have the same molding and accessories. I actually have 10 of this mold, because I bought the Japanese DOTM Jetwing Optimus Prime not knowing they would repaint it for the USA the following year, which I also got.

For a review of Movie The Best Leader Class Optimus Prime, you can read my review of the Asia Premium Series Optimus Prime Ultimate Edition. The paint job on this version is less dark than the Revenge Version pictured for comparrison.

Thanks for reading!