No, not that Dropkick.

This isn’t one of the main baddies from the Bumblebee movie. This is a toyline only character from the 2007 Movie line! Actually, no. Dropkick was one of the generic enemies you fought in the excellent movie tie-in video game. There were droves of Dropkicks.

Also, yes. I called the first Transformers movie tie-in game excellent.

I will die on that hill.

Vehicle mode

Dropkick turns into a very nice looking pickup truck. It looks super realistic and would be great disguise… if not for the gigantic Decepticon logo that takes up half the vehicle mode. Even though that logo probably took a lot of paint to make, Dropkick is still pretty nicely detailed and painted everywhere else as well.

Seriously, though. This is probably the best pickup truck Transformer ever released. He has a detailed bed and a spring-loaded tailgate. He’s also got a bed cover. Does Ironhide have that? No, he doesn’t.

For functionality, Dropkick has four rolling wheels and the aforementioned opening tailgate. The opening tailgate is way more fun than it should be.

Transformation

The transformation is that sweet spot of not complicated enough to make you pull you hair out but not so simple that it’s boring.

The Automorph is also pretty smart but I’ll talk more about that later.

Robot mode

Dropkick looks good in robot mode but is just a tad generic. That makes sense though, cause Dropkick is supposed to be the Bayverse equivalent of a Vehicon. Not much new paint on display here but the tiny Decepticon logo on his chest is nice. Also, his head is hilarious. It’s nicely detailed and all but it looks like he’s wearing a baseball cap.

Dropkick has a ton of kibble but none of it feels obnoxious. Also, it doesn’t get in the way and can be arranged how you see fit. The kibble gives personality to Dropkick.

Dropkick’s posability feels a bit dated. He has a ball-jointed head and ball-jointed shoulders. He’s got bending elbows. His hips are ball-jointed and he bends at both his knees as well as his feet. The lack of bicep and thigh swivels really hurts Dropkick.

Gimmicks

I almost always love Automorph in Transformers and the Automorph has Dropkick is no exception. Pulling up the hood halves automatically moves the doors into place for robot mode and vice versa. It’s neat cause it’s cool to see the parts shift on their own. Also, pulling the roof back treats you to a spring-loaded head reveal! I always love those.

For weapons, Dropkick has those built in arm cannons I mentioned earlier and one more thing. The truck bed cover transforms into a functioning weapon. And when I say functioning weapon, I mean functioning pliers. It’s so dumb. How is this a weapon?! It’s the opposite of intimidating! Best to ignore it.

Toy or collectible?

Both, I think. Dropkick would be a pretty nice Transformer for an older kid. He’s simple enough to transform, has a great truck mode and a good robot mode. Weapon is dumb though.

For adult collectors, he’s a chunky Deluxe Transformer from over a decade ago who’s obscure but also quite good. Great for them too!

Closing

Dropkick is a great Transformer and I recommend getting him if you get the chance. He’s nothing mind-blowing but he is a solid Transformer with two good modes, a fun transformation… and a dumb weapon. Personally, I like Dropkick so much that I’m considering troop-building him.

PS: This Dropkick is a country mile better than the Studio Series Dropkick. The helicopter one. I haven’t messed with the car one yet.