Movie Masterpiece Barricade

It's hard for me to objectively review Bayformer figures because I'm just not that enamored with the aesthetic. It's slowly growing on me, but there will probably be figures I'll never pick up. Barricade turned out to be a surprisingly satisfying find.

As a Saleen model squad car, Barricade looks really good. All the painted decals are cleanly applied, as are most of the metallic paint for the various turn signals and lights. On mine, one turn signal has sloppy edges. I like the translucent plastic for the roof lights, but wish it were a little thicker. The windows could have been tinted much darker to hide the robot bits. Unfortunately, unsightly panel lines mar the door panels, and the doors do not open. Robot hips and legs are visible in his undercarriage. He rolls just fine on plastic tires.

Not surprisingly, transformation leans toward complex. I do not like having to flex the door windows to get them to rotate past the windshield. His torso clip is not very secure. It's almost as loose as the chest clip found on KO Masterpiece Sideswipe figures. His forearms also tend to come apart. Going back to vehicle mode is a pain. With the number of transparent plastic hinges involved, I won't be transforming him again.

He pretty much nails how Barricade looked in the first movie, down to the gorilla length arms. The details in his face are done very well, even if they aren't as intricate as those found on Optimus Prime. I love the metallic blue paint that is revealed in this form. He has a piece of Die-cast frame in the middle of his torso, which gives him a little heft.

What is it with the Movie Masterpiece line and their cheap paper manuals? Perhaps less excusable, Frenzy is not included. He only comes with his rotor blade weapon. It spins, but it is simply colored plastics stuck together. Unfortunately, it doesn't attach very securely and is prone to falling off. I don't think it stores anywhere in vehicle mode. Too bad it doesn't split apart and attach to the wheels.

Barricade will be standing on my Movie Masterpiece display. I'm still not a big fan of the Bayformer aesthetic, but I do like Barricade enough to keep him on my shelf. Hopefully, Takara will see fit to bring out a Movie Masterpiece version of Megatron in his spaceship form.