Plastic Addict 12: Activator Lockdown

TJ Omega starts off by praising the Transformers Animated toyline for being a fantastic line, with tons of great figures, with a few exceptions. However, there's always a rule to have at least one bad toy in the line. TJ thought that there were some good ones, but he's been getting requests for one particular toy from the Animated line. Giving in, TJ decides to review the most current toy on his show and reveals it's Animated Lockdown... in his Activator class.

Starting in vehicle mode, TJ can already see the problems. There are exposed hinges, gears, posts, and pegs showing on the sides of the vehicle, and there are floppy panels on the side. The windshield isn't painted on either side of the car, and where it is painted has a gap right in the middle of it. The only good points TJ can say about this mode is that it rolls nicely, and the front of the vehicle is accurate with the bumpers colored nicely.

TJ decides that he needs to compare Activator Lockdown with another toy, so he brings out Deluxe Lockdown for comparison. The Deluxe version's vehicle mode doesn't have visible posts or hinges, it rolls nicely, and the deco looks great with him praising the color on the bumpers and hood spikes being cartoon accurate. Activator Lockdown doesn't look like his deluxe version, as it's too squat which makes him the same height as the deluxe version, much to TJ's confusion.

TJ decides to look at the auto transforming gimmick, but finds it really difficult since the arms are too tight. He criticizes this toy for not working properly, noting that Hasbro got it right before with Activator Bumblebee and the Activator Seeker molds. Robot mode is where things only get worse because he doesn't look like how he was in the cartoon. Despite the same leg designs, his arms are half way down the body, and the chest is big on him. TJ then criticizes the arm panels not locking into the main body, and nothing locks in together. This also angers TJ since Activator Lockdown breaks the number one rule TJ has; Don't sacrifice the toy for the gimmick. The only good thing about robot mode is it's articulation. The shoulders have good articulation, the legs are good, but with everything being loose, there's barely a chance for possibility.

TJ ends this video by saying that this video should prove that we can't condemn a toy based on a few flaws. He admits while Deluxe Lockdown might have a few flaws (the hands a little odd, and the knees don't bend all the way) he still thinks this toy being great as it's being huge for a deluxe, the vehicle looking great, it's very cartoon accurate, and highly possible. Rather than focus on a toys few flaws, he has to look a toys many flaws, which is what Activator Lockdown has.