TRANSFORMERS TOYS AND MERCHANDISE SECTION

Robot Mode:
Alternate Mode:
Box Art:
Technical Specifications:
STR
INT
SPD
END
RNK
CRG
FPR
SKL

fort max's review of: Cruellock

Name: Cruellock
Allegiance: Decepticon
Function: Energon Collection/Cannon Fodder
Sub-Group: Terrorcons
"By the time you see me, it will be too late."

Cruellock is the most powerful and cunning of the Terrorcons, combining incredible strength with lightning speed. He is a great tactician whose hunting skills are unmatched. In raptor mode, he can jump to great heights and attack his enemies with powerful energon claws and teeth. In robot mode, his energon-cutting blade can slice through anything, or anybody that stands in his way. It has been said by many that Cruellock's gaze is as deadly as his bite. Beware!

Alternate Mode:
Finally. A raptor toy that has no connection with Beast Wars Dinobot whatsoever. Hasbro is finally getting my death thr…letters. To be wholly honest, I almost didn't buy this toy. Sure it's cheap, and the Terrorcons have, up until now, been great toys. But the one thing I was unable to get past is the more than passing resemblence to Roland Emmerich's 'Godzilla'. The spines on the back, the prominent jaw, it's all there. However, I am learning to adjust. Moving on. Cruellock's beast mode, while not quite on a par with some of the other toys in the basic assortment, is still quite good. He is very imposing, and the color scheme works surprisingly well. One of the things that really surprised me on opening this toy is how stable it is. I suppose I was expecting it to fall over in a stiff breeze (what with the five-foot tail), but I was amazed to find that this is one of the better-balanced toys in this line. I've pushed and pushed, but he absolutely refuses to fall over. In fact, there is only one real issue I have with Cruellock's beast mode. Simply put, his lower torso is an eyesore, with criss-crossing pieces of plastic and a gap in the pelvis wider than David Letterman's teeth. Admittedly, it does make it easier to transform him (In fact, the bulk of the transformation is as follows: Push the pieces of Cruellock's shattered pelvis together. I'm sure you'll be able to figure out the rest.), but it just looks awful.

Robot Mode:
The biggest problem with Cruellock's robot mode can be summed up in one word: Kibble. For one thing, his tail just kind of hangs there, not really doing anything. It just takes up space. But that's just a minor complaint compared to what happens to the beast mode's head when Cruellock is transformed. His head just sort of folds back. Not entirely, mind you. Just enough to be out of the way of his robot head. At least Dinobot had a little more thought put into him. And then there's his robot head. Not sure who designed this toy's face, but he looks hideous. Admittedly, that's probably the point, but he doesn't really look 'horror movie' ugly. He's just plain ugly. But it's not all bad news. For one thing, the translucent plastic looks really good. It's just the right shade of green, and it winds up blending seemlessly with the rest of the color scheme (even the orange). The claws on his hands even look good. Also, Cruellock has more articulation than you would expect (certainly more than Battle Ravage), making him extremely posable. Just don't expect him to look radically different than he did in beast mode.

Cruellock's Energon weapons are probably the weakest part of the toy. One is a good-looking sword, and the other is a stumpy gun. When combined, the gun…makes the handle of the sword an inch longer. Fortunately, the gun can be stored in Cruellock's tail and easily forgotten.

Transformation: 1 - Probably the easiest toy in the line.
Durability: 9 - I don't see anything snapping off any time soon.
Fun: 8 - The tail pieces do get in the way, but not bad.
Price: Not quite $7 US. Certainly not enough to break the bank.
Summary: 7 - Lack of imagination in the transformation and horrible cinematic flashbacks did hurt Cruellock's score, but he is a solid toy with a solid price.