Transformers Review – Crankcase (DOTM Deluxe-Class)

Intro:

 

            Welcome back Cybertronians. For today’s review, we are gonna take a look at one of the extras in the DOTM – Crankcase. Crankcase, as most of you should’ve known by now, is a part of the Decepticon subgroup called the Dreads. I’d like to think that The Dreads are the Decepticons’ answer to the Autobots’ Wreckers, minus the intelligence, but a whole lot more feral. The Dreads are sort of like the Decepticons foot soldiers. I like to compare them to the G1 Sweeps, as members of both of these factions are almost drone-like. I also like to think that Crankcase, although it was never mentioned, as the leader of The Dreads. Based on the written specs on the box, Crankcase is an expert tracker and infiltrator – well, that sounds like Scourge to me. Well, The Dreads, consisting of Crankcase, Crowbar and Hatchet, had quite a memorable highway chase scene with several Autobots, which ended with a bloody showdown. 

 

            Anyways, enough with the babbling and let’s get to the meats and potatoes.

           

Alternate Mode:

 

            Crankcase’s alternate mode is that of black colored Chevrolet Suburban. One of the discrepancies between the Dreads movie depictions and their figure forms is that in the movie, The Dreads all had Suburban emergency vehicle modes, whereas the figure had assorted alternate modes – both Crowbar and Hatchet’s alternate modes are not Suburban. 

 

 

            Anyways, Crankcase’s alternate mode isn’t really that brilliant. The bottom of the car reeks of kibbles and doesn’t have as clean a finishing as most other recent figures. 

 

            However, once you are able to ignore the kibbles, it’s still a decent little figure on its own; although I kind of think that he’s a bit inferior to most DOTM Deluxe-class figures. I also like to think of Crankcase as Barricade’s successor due to their similarity of having an emergency vehicle as alternate modes.

 

 

            Crankcase has 2 Mech-Tech ports on top of the hoods to fit in his Mech-Tech weapon. The weapon resembles a blaster, which can morph into a claw-like contraption. 

 

            This mode doesn’t do a lot except that it rolls freely on all of its fours.

Robot Mode:

            To me, Crankcase’s robot mode ain’t that bad, but it ain’t that excellent either. I do, however, love his head sculpt, which kinda reminds me of the Predator. And somehow, it kinda reminds me of the GI Joe’s Dreadnoks. I don’t know why, but probably the hair kinda reminded me of some biker gang or something and the Dreadnoks themselves are biker gangs. Plus, how coincidence is that for both of these factions have the word Dread in their respective team names. 

 

            The articulations consist of the following: the head turns 360° and is on a flap that moves up and down; shoulders are on ball joints; the arms rotates halfway between the shoulders and the bendable elbows; the wrists swing in and out; hips are also on ball joints; bendable knees and claws that move up and down. 

            The joints are fairly loose on this one, which is ashamed really, since the poses won’t lock in like how you would have wanted. The feet flaps also won’t lock into place, so unsurprisingly, this set tends to have really bad base. 

 

            I do, however, like the wings/ horns sticking out of the back of the shoulders, which kinda reminds me Snarl from the G1 Dinobots.

            So, again, to me, the robot mode is only average.

Overall:

            Honestly, I think this figure could’ve been way better. It could’ve been executed way better than it was. If only there was a way for the feet flaps to lock in and the joints (especially the hips) to be tighter, the points could’ve been higher.

            Final verdict: 6/10.