Transformers Review: Barricade (ROTF Deluxe)

Intro:

            When the first Transformers movie was released in 2007, the fans were pretty darn excited. The movie line figures were selling like hot cakes, and Hasbro and Takara-Tomy probably never expected it to be that huge, hence some of the figures were really hard to come by such as Blackout, Frenzy (Fast Action Battlers), Brawl (Leaders and Deluxe), Bonecrusher (Deluxe), Optimus Prime (Leader) and of course, Barricade. Of those in the least, the only characters that I couldn’t get at the time were Bonecrusher and Barricade.

             Due to demands for these 2007 movie characters, HasTak decided to re-release some of these figures on the sub-sequent movie line – Revenge of the Fallen. I, for one, was really glad they did, because at least I had another shot at Barricade.

            Despite being the bad guy, the action figure was quite popular amongst the fans due to two reasons – a frigging awesome design, as well as the irony of a Decepticon transforming into a police car.

            There have been two variants of this figure: one that came with Frenzy that transforms into some sort of an engine block; and the second came with a claw-like contraption that also transforms into an engine block.

            This review will be based on the second version.

Alternate Mode:

            Barricade transforms into a Ford Saleen S281 police car. The colors are absolutely fantastic and who would’ve thought that a police car can look so cool?

            The black looked so slick and the various decals look pretty darn awesome as well. The light indicators on top of the roof are quite realistic. The word “POLICE” can also be seen on both doors, as well as on the spoilers.

            The numbers 643 can also be seen on the roof and front grill. I’m not sure what it means, but me thinks it’s probably just a random number. On the sides, there’s also a police emblem with a Decepticon insignia in the middle on both sides of the car. This emblem has proven to be quite popular as it has been sought after by many car owners.           

            The icing on the cake, however, must the slogan written slightly above the back wheels – “to punish and enslave”. 

            How cool is that?!

            Realistic looking alternate mode as well as brilliant paint application, what more could you asks for? 

            The engine block also transforms into a claw-like contraption, which can be reattached onto the car to replicate the first scene showdown between Barricade and Sam at the car park.

            Now that is cool…

Classic Prowl vs ROTF Barricade

Robot Mode:

            The robot is really subjective to your taste. In terms of designs, I would consider Barricade to be one of the better Decepticons figures available. Just like his comrades, Barricade tends to have an insect-ish themed face. 

            Barricade has quite a long set of arms, and his left hand, in particular, has a gimmick of extending arm. 

            The legs are a bit of a mixed baggage. I like how they design the feet to make it as though Barricade was wearing police boots, but at the same time, due to that design, the feet can sometimes falls apart too easily.

ROTF Barricade vs Classic Prowl

            In terms of articulations: the head is stationary; the shoulders are on a combination of ball and hinge joints that provide all-around motions, although the design of the hands may limit its movements; the elbows bend and with the hands built into the door panels except for the thumb, it means that only the thumbs are articulated; Barricade has ball-jointed hips with no waist movements; the chicken-legged knees bend limitedly and that’s about it.

            I can’t really say that I like the articulation combinations for this figure, and I do see a lot of rooms for improvement. 

            The claw-like contraption, formed by the engine block can also be attached to the robot’s shoulders to form some sort of a set of extra limbs.

            The chest is a bit awkward, in my opinion. The empty cavity within seems out of place. While the robot mode is somewhat accurate to the movie depiction, I wish they could’ve designed the robot mode a little bit better, streamlined and with a cleaner finish.

Overall:

            Among all of the 2007 movie Decepticon characters, Barricade is the only character that seems to belong on a normal road. He has a great alternate mode, but a bit lacking in robot mode.

            Still, it’s worth to have him in your collection, especially if you are a huge fan of the 2007 movie.  

            Final verdict: 7/10.