Honestly an awful set to build. I was very much looking forward to building this, as In a huge Transformers fan. For the price I paid ($180 msrp) I expected so much more. The set's instructions were at times unclear, leading to errors I otherwise wouldn't make. It also is possibly the most fragile lego set I've ever put my hands on. You have to handle this thing like it's made of glass, I had to completely restart the set, as I when was putting the individual parts together onto the main body multiple pieces fell off in a way that I could not reverse. The same has just happened again while transforming him, and I am being INCREDIBLY careful whole handling it. This is the first time I've ever been disappointed with Lego, will likely be skipping future Transformer releases due to how poor this one is.

I absolutely love that lego is bringing on models that also give people an opportunity to relive their childhood. This set however was mildly disappointing. The build overall was fun, but once completely assembled this set is extremely flimsy and pieces fall off just by picking it up. Let’s not even get into trying to transform Optimus from Prime into a truck. It’s merely impossible without falling apart. For a set that was $180US I wish I had gotten more for my money. I was really interested in buying the Home Alone house but am now hesitant on spending hundreds of dollars on these sets after my experience with this one. Great for display, but not as a party favor if you want to transform.

Hey all, so I've been a builder for most of my life and I can verifiably tell you that this is the WORST lego experience I've ever had. The build takes forever and once it's done, there is a single piece that stays on the figure. Joints are loose, the legs are way too heavy for the torso to stay connected, the fingers are awful and just about every piece around the articulation points fall right off. I've been a life-long Transformers fan and I had extremely high hopes for this product and I feel let down in almost every aspect. For a near $200 price point, this is a major loss on Lego's part. Oh and mine didn't even come with stickers either, so mine looks like a bootleg too. Super disappointed.

Optimus Prime is a very good set for a Transformers fan. A little over a foot tall, loaded with accessories, and plenty of trivia in the instructions to go along with the build. Optimus, like any Transformer should, converts from robot to his classic G1 "square-cab" semi truck without the need to disassemble him - something the G1 toy couldn't replicate (you had to remove the hands). Of course, you'd have to switch out the 2x6 tile on his bumper for each mode, but this is negligible. Accessory-wise, you get Optimus' trademark Ion Blaster (which fills the leg gap in truck mode, and with that Technic peghole on the bottom of the gun, makes for a good trailer hitch - get working, MOCists!), his orange Energon Axe (which, I'll admit, kinda makes me think of a pirate's hook hand), an Energon Cube, the all-powerful Matrix of Leadership (Touch not included, but sits in his chest/cab doors thanks to small ball joint cups), and Sideswipe's jetpack used in the 3-part G1 series pilot (which does fill Optimus' back very nicely in robot mode). You even get the standard Lego info-plaque (which with two black Technic pins that were spare parts, I used to store the extra 2x6 bumper plate on the back - thanks, pinholes!)
Of course, Optimus isn't 10 out of 10 in all stats (just like the info-plaque says). The 1x4 section on his feet (the part with the clear red 1x2 tile) tends to pop a bit sometimes in transformation. The instructions tell you to put the stickers on his legs (the 2x6 tiles strike back!) upside-down, but a quick 180 fixes that right up. Optimus does have movable thumbs but his fingers are held together by a 1x3 plate, but whether or not you want to remove that is up to you - if you want articulated fingers, go for it. And be careful when you morph the chest - I tend to find that when I transform him and align the chestplate, over time the 4x4 round brick used for turning the cab around starts to disconnect slightly, but this could just be me being a dumb fleshling (as Megatron would put it - hint, hint Lego!)
Regardless, with the 40th anniversary of Transformers coming soon, I highly recommend any Transformers fan get this guy. Whether or not my review helps is up to you - after all, "Freedom is the right of all sentient beings."