Transformers Movie Deluxe Decepticon Brawl (Toy)

Brawls seems fairly durable and does look menacing. However, the recommended ages from Hasbro and Amazon should not be taken seriously. Any kid under 7 or 8 will have a very difficult ranging into impossible time transforming Brawls, and since his ability to transform is a big part of his value, keep that in consideration. A Transformer savvy adult, with the instructions, can transform Brawls for the first time in say 10-15 minutes, and get down to 3-6 minutes depending on one's dexterity.With tons of practice and Chopin-like fingers you could probably do it in two, and impress the ladies. For kids, the initial times are much longer and really depend on age and development, and parents should expect to help out, especially with those first couple transformations.

In robot mode, Brawls can stand up without tipping over, though consistently getting him to stand takes a little practice. Previous experience with Transformers and other action figures is a big plus. The fact that his tank treads can act as secondary leg supports in robot mode allows a couple more poses/balancing schemes than there otherwise would be. As a tank he cuts a mean profile and its easy for the imaginative to forget he's a relatively little toy. Be very careful with the clip-on turret missile launchers, the clip-on front bocage cutters, and the long, red projectile he fires. These parts are super easy for kids and adults alike to lose, and are such nice touches that you certainly won't want to. Hasbro was on the ball when they designed Brawls to transform without removing these parts. Also, his gun fires the projectile a few feet and you really can hit things, to the delight of children and yourself.

A note on pricing and value. I bought Brawls at my local Toys R Us for $9.99. That's right- $9.99. While he makes a cool collectible I doubt whether he'll hold his value over that in the near future, especially since I'd imagine Hasbro is quite likely to put out another production run given the success of the movie. How much you want to spend is up to one's your individual judgment but keep in mind that people are super-stoked about Transformers right now, and psychological considerations are probably driving up his and every other Trasformer's prices considerably.