Mudflap (2009) | Transformers Revenge of the Fallen
Mudflap and Skids are known in Transformers Revenge of the Fallen as the “Twins”.
Usually, siblings in Transformers means cheap reissued toy moulds in new colours, but in the case of Transformers Revenge of the Fallen, “twins” means different moulds, different vehicle modes; almost an entirely different toy, in fact!
Like Skids, Mudflap transforms into an American compact car, this time a Chevrolet “Trax”. With a more conservative orange (though slightly metallic under the right light) and grey colour scheme, Mudflap comes across a little less garish than its brother.
Mudflap’s vehicle mode details and authenticity are on a par with the rest of the Revenge of the Fallen licensed vehicles; that is, very nicely done. Mudflap’s transformation to robot is so similar to that of Skids’s that it becomes clear very quickly why they’re twins. The engineering is a little less frustrating for Mudflap, making it a lot more fun overall.
Mudflap is leaner and better proportioned than Skids in robot mode. The car-part panels are still hanging from the robot in abundance and feel flimsier and more fragile on Mudflap than they do on Skids.
Mudflap features an over-sized arm (the left this time—Skids’s is on the right) containing the “Mech Alive” features. This time, the armour splits to reveal a working, spring-loaded missile launcher. Mudflap comes with one missile which can either be fired from the launcher or stored in the car’s exhaust, making it look like a plume of smoke.
Mudflap utilises the same “Mech Alive” architecture in the upper torso as Skids. In fact, there’s nothing new here. The head sculpt, translated faithfully from the film character, is just as unpleasant. Still, not all Autobots have to be femmebot magnets, do they?
Skids and Mudflap really are two sides of the same coin, and most collectors would do well to pick just one of them up. Which one depends entirely on taste but for this reviewer, Mudflap is the better of the two if only by a tyre-tread’s width.
Verdict: three stars out of five.
Tags: Car | Chevrolet | Mudflap | Orange
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