Untransformable Age of Extinction Optimus Prime and I'm Kitting ... ...

Because this is what Takara Tomy dubbed as Dual Model Kit from the 4th Michael Bay's Transformers Movie: Age of Extinction.

This is DMK03 which means there were 2 other kits before this and they are Dark of the Moon Optimus Prime and Bumble Bee. I did not get those.

So, why get this? Have you see the horrible Leaderclass AOE Prime that was launched before the movie? Yes, Takara did make a revision to Prime but it still just look bad with the kibble hanging like a backpack. Then I saw the DMK03 and this is one of the best redition of Prime from AOE.

Open up the box and I was pleasantly surprise to see the inner frame already done. However, I was yet again disillusioned that I can complete this within an hour or two.

 

Then, reality check sets in when I saw the unpainted sword and shield. Pre-painted parts are really limited.

 Time to activate the Gundam markers but I don't exactly have the right color.

Closer look at the frame and it looks very similar to those from Master Grade Gundam kits.

Painted the hydraulics as seen on the packaging.

Not really sure why it's called Dual Model Kit... and I figured because it comes with 2 faces. This one is the one which Prime has a mouth.

However, it came with only the face plate and not an alternative head which collectors will appreciate because remove parts that are snapped together is tough to remove. Same gripe goes for the hands which requires removal should you need alternative hands.

Fixing this wasn't a very good experience as compared to Bandai's kit as the parts do not fit snuggly together and parts tend to fall off rather easily.

Another complaint I have is the water slide stickers aren't cut to fit the parts and they are all larger than the parts you need to apply on. This meant I had to individually cut out each part to ensure the stickers fit properly.

This made applying the stickers a nightmare as it took longer than usual and there are so many of the stickers due to the Hot Rod design Prime decided to spot.

Finally, Prime is completed after many hours of work and I really told myself this will be my last and final model kit. But wait, I still have some MGs and RGs lying around the house.

 

Poses are limited due to the weak joints which I will not be bothered to do anything about.

This is the Battle mask which Prime puts on when fighting.

The extended force shield and it really weighs down the arm.

Prime can pose better without the shield.

Overall, I like the movie accurateness of the kit but there are some issues that I can't say Takara Tomy is anywhere near Bandai's standard when it comes to model kit.