Animated Ultra Magnus

Blah, I don't like the Animated TF series that much. I only watched one or two episodes. I do like the somewhat G1 styles though. Some designs are cool too, but the strangest of them prevail. Out of the Animated Series I have, Swindle, Soundwave, Samurai Prowl, and Ultra Magnus...

Ultra Magnus is a leader in the now defunct Animated line. Leaders of the Animated line usually run for $39.99 or more depending on the store. TRU is having a sale right now with the Animated Leaders and Supremes half off, so I got mine for $20. Who knows if this means the Animated Leaders and Supremes will be on clearance forever...

Magnus comes packaged in robot mode in the recognizable animated style box. There is a whole in the front to allow the person to push his Autobot insignia and make his mouth move with one of the three phrases:

Ultra Magnus Here
Don't be a hero Optimus... it's not in your programming
We must return the AllSpark to Cybertron

The speaker is located on the stomach, and the mouth opens and his "eyebrows" tilt to the side. In which his optics will have green lights, as well as yellow lights on his shoulder cannons. These are really decent features for a Leader Class...

The robot mode is great for Animated Magnus, not for the G1 counter part. The head is about the only G1 thing about him. Ultra Magnus is huge, it's like he's from Texas or something. Big shoulder pads, big arms, big legs, and his big Mass Hammer. Though not show accurate, it's better than not having one at all. The sculpt is pretty good, but basic. Some of the complex sculpts include rivets and wiring details, but it's basic enough to include flat sculpts with only indents of other shapes. The Elite Guard insignia is nicely sculpted. The paint on UM is pretty good. Mostly blue, some light blue, plastic grey, "AllSpark blue", red, silver, yellow, and black. He does have translucent tealish blue on his shoulder cannons and his Mass Hammer.

Part of his features also include the weaponry found on Ultra Magnus. Weather it be hidden or in plain view. As mentioned a few times his shoulder cannons folded on his back, goes on his shoulders. On the side of the cannons are tabs, you list it up in the groove and push it forward to reveal tank line cannons, or heavy cannons as the box calls it. Inside the shoulder is a battleship type turret. The shoulder pads are hinged in the front, pull the turret out and push the peg to extend the barrels. He's still not done. There is a bar on each shoulder on the front. It reveals Gatling guns, which are a bit hard to get out because I had excess plastic restricting it. His Mass Hammer extends when you pull the Hammer base. He's fully loaded, there's no competition!

Articulation is weird...a 360 degree cut swivel head, moving mouth, and eyebrows if you'd like to include that. Swivel shoulder, hinged shoulders at three places. On his shoulder blade, back of his bicep and his shoulder...Swivel bicep, hinged elbow, and hinged fingers, no individual finger movements. Hinged-swivel hips, hinged knees, and swivel thighs. His hip armor is also on hinges. His other weapons have movement, but it's more necessary to use them, that's why if you'd like to include his facial movement as articulation. One problem I do have is the weak click joints. You can't pose his with his Hammer straight out, his arm just tilts back down.

His transformation is pretty basic. The Classic Transformation sound are located on the shoulder blades when you unpeg them...

His vehicle mode... The box calls it an Assault Carrier. I can see that, it just looks weird. It's probably me because I'd rather have a truck or car carrier mode. All his weapon features are still functional in Assault Carrier mode with the exception if his Mass Hammer. It's a pretty solid vehicle mode though. He has eight nice rolling wheels. All is good in vehicle mode, maybe the back is kinda bare.

Overall a very well made TF. He's packed with fun, his full range of arsenal is something to be feared for any Decepticon. You guys should pick him up while he's on sale now. Tomorrow's the last day. A great figure with great features and tons of play value. Clearly a 10 out of 10, despite his shoulder problems.