YouTube Video of the Week: Transformers Toy Reviews

I don’t know why but lately I’ve been incredibly fascinated with toy critics who mostly (if not only) focus on reviewing Transformers toys.

As a kid I had Transformers and Beast Wars figures and the idea that a toy could change into several forms was a winning concept that changed ideas of what toys could be and how to get the most out of a toy. Many battles were fought and won in my room, living room and backyard as a child.

Now don’t let me think I am making fun of these guys. I mean honestly having an intense knowledge and passion for anything is awesome in my book, but there is something more here that I can’t even explain.

There are three reviewers I have been following: Goktimusprime, DCompose and MatrixPrime. The videos I selected for all three are a review of the same toy (Movie Leader Optimus Prime) so you can get a better sense at their differing styles.



Goktimusprime was the first reviewer I found and he is perhaps the most knowledgeable of Transformers reviewers. His reviews aren’t flashy, but he works with a relaxed but focused level of precision. Not only does he give you a nice history of the figure (character and manufacturing history), but also a very balanced and fair sense of criticism that speaks to my style of critiquing as well.



You’ll notice immediately that DCompose has a very different style. His reviews are a lot more cinematic featuring a lot more angles, shots, cuts, etc. He speaks with a mellowed sense of excitement, but the kicker is his seductive tone that he takes when talking about each toy. I swear I want to have sex with Optimus Prime after watching this review.



Watching MatrixPrime’s review is like watching an infomercial. He speaks about the toy so matter-of-factly like it’s a knife set or a blender. He captures every little nuance of a figure and nothing is left unmentioned. Reviewing from his point of view is probably the smartest way to review these toys allowing us to see the details very clearly.

So in the end we get three very different ways of looking at the same thing. Each one picks out something new or something unthought-of by the others. It speaks volumes to bigger ideas such as representation and taste (among other things).

Also it makes me want to dig my old Transformers out of the attic.

Link:
Optimus Prime on Wikipedia