Transformers Mini Toy Review: In the MEANTIME, this figure kicks ass!

[toddly6666]

I don't buy too many Transformers toys, but I when I saw this Real Gears Transforming wrist watch - MEANTIME - I had to have it. In the 80s, I had a transforming wrist watch (check out the one I had - someone's got it on ebay for now - http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...tegory=753&_trksid=p3907.m29#ebayphotohosting). I don't think the one I had in the 80s was a Transformer transformer, but some other brand. Either way, I loved that figure. It was a real transforming wrist watch that could really tell time. Even when I had it in wrist watch mode, I transformed it in a way that it looked like some type of dinasaur...So regarding the other Real Gears Transformers, I almost bought the camera and the cell phone, but there was just something off about those Real Gear figures, so I just passed. This one however is almost 100 percent perfect. The only negative about this toy is that it's not a real watch, which is a shame. I guess it would have been a bit more expensive for Hasbro to actually make it a real working watch.

The robot mode is one of the best robot-modes I've seen in a long time. It's probably the most articulated robot for multiple poses. You can have him stand and almost have his back lean back as if he's dodging bullets like Neo. You can make him do splits. You can make him do a handstand. He can pose his arms as if he's saying "put up your dukes." It's such a great robot mode. And if you want, you can have the robot mode with the wrist watch clock as his back instead of his front. I always liked simple mechanical transformers/robots that are just simple, and with not too much flair. The only negative about that is that his hands will be upside-down, but you can barely see the fingers. The head swivels in any direction and it's got that eye visor in which you get let light pour through for the cool effect. And he's got a nice carved Decepticon symbol on his chest - no sticker here - that emblem is gonna stay. The arms and legs have as much possability as a G.I. Joe or Marvel Legends figure. Concerning the feet, you have a choice of having the double feet on each foot, or swing one back and have extra support (I prefer the later for posing and it just looks better that way) for standing.

The wrist watch mode is pretty cool as well. It's pretty good craftmanship how the arms and legs click together to become the wrist band. The clock circle chest can turn clockwise so that it's like you are wearing a normal wrist watch, and then you have to shift it back when transforming to robot. I'm assuming if you want this wrist watch to interact with other Transformers, you can almost pose the wrist watch as if it's a Transformer raven (distant cousin of LASERBEAK)

Overall, I do like these new Movie Transformers products, but lately, the recent engineering/complexity has been taking the fun out of it. Back in the 80s, I didn't need directions to transform a Transformer. Nowadays, these newer Transformers are so damn complex, that I don't know how kids transform them without breaking them or looking at directions. I mean it's still pretty amazing what these Transformer engineers can pull off, but I prefer the simpler transformers. This is what I like about Meantime - he has all the articulation of a new and improved Transformer toy with tons of articulation, and he's pretty easy to transform fast and without directions. Furthermore, he's the first Transformer toy that my 2-year old son likes to play with (especially in watch form).

Robot Mode: A
Wrist Watch Mode: B (for not having a real clock)
Playability: A+
Posability: A

Bonus Points: I can't stop thinking it, but Meantime is like an updated, highly articulated, awesome version of Soundwave's RUMBLE from the G1 cartoon. When his hands are folded in, you can pound the ground just like Rumble. And in robot mode, he just seems to have that fiesty acrobatic energy as that little pounding guy from the G1 Transformers series.