Transformers Construct-Bots Not Only Transform, But Introduce a New Form of Play with Interchangeable Parts

Thank you to Hasbro for providing complimentary product samples for us to base this review upon. All opinions expressed are my own.

We have two huge fans of Transformers in our house, so when we were sent the Hasbro Wheeljack and Ironhide Transformers Construct-Bots to “try” for ourselves, there was quite a lot of excitement. I quote “try” because who are we kidding, to play with!

The Elite Class Transformers Construct-Bots kits, but not the Scout Class, come in wonderful reusable cases instead of throw away boxes, what a great idea. The storage container-like cases can be used to store the disassembled kits or any other knick knacks you may have. I always ask myself why building block toys come in throw away boxes when it is so important to store and keep track of your parts after play. Nice touch.

The kits are bright and colorful and scream to be opened. Although the kits state they are for children 6 years old and up, the assembly was not easy for our 9 year old. A couple of the parts needed a bit more force to get them together than he could muster. Once assembled, the Construct-Bots are appropriate for kids aged 6+ to play with. The toys convert from vehicle to robot easily….. after a bit of practice. Once you master transforming one robot, you will be able to transform the others because they all have a similar design.  I can see a parent needing to help a younger user a few times to master the conversion (Our 9 year old did it fine on his own).

Unlike the classic Transformers, the Construct-Bots are made so that children can switch the parts between two or more bots. This requires at least partially disassembling each bot in order to reassemble them with new parts. Again, a child as young as 6 years old may have difficulty with this.

The fun factor is pretty much out of the park with these kits. Transformers, vehicles, guns, buggies, robots, all the usual things required to unleash some play fury. My only complaint is the material used for the tires. The tires are made of plastic and just don't feel right. They spin easily, but tires not made from rubber or silicon just aren't good enough by my standards. I would happily pay a little extra money to get the tires right, they are that important.

Although disappointed that the tires aren't made of rubber, the Transformers Construct-Bots are great fun and the kids love them. I cannot imagine that a child opening one of these kits as a gift this Holiday would be disappointed in any way.

At the Hasbro Construct-Bot website there are games, videos, and even an app for your smartphone or tablet to enhance your child's play. The kits sell for $9.99 and up and would make excellent gifts for any child from 6 to (*cough*) 43 years of age.

"Real Steel" . . . Slideshow, Movie Clips, and Review

On January 24th, Real Steel comes out on Blu-ray/DVD, DVD, and digital download. Our 8 year old son showed a lot of interest in seeing this film when it was in the theaters, but my husband and I thought we should watch it first to see why it is rated PG-13.

Since I did not pay too much attention to the press about this film, I did not know what to expect.  I knew it had robots in it, but that was about it.  Well, it turns out that this is more of a boxing movie than a techie robot movie.  Although I am not really a fan of boxing, I did enjoy this film, which was centered around the concept of robot boxing.  I also found it interesting that Sugar Ray Leonard was the boxing consultant for this movie.


The "Real Steel" movie trailer . . . 





In this film, Hugh Jackman (Wolverine in the X-Men films) plays a talented ex-boxer named Charlie Kenton, who is heavily into the robot boxing world and always seems to owe somebody money.  Although Charlie is not a con artist, he is always on the road and thinking about what he can do next to make some money.  Even with a longtime friend and somewhat love interest Bailey (played by Evangeline Lilly of ABC's Lost), Charlie just could or would not change his lifestyle.  It took the insertion of his estranged 11 year old son (played by Dakota Goyo of Thor) into his life to make Charlie care about being a better person and to put someone else before himself and before money.


"Real Steel" still images slideshow . . . 





Although Charlie has a love interest, this is definitely not a romantic movie.  The film does evoke emotion as the movie goes on and this is achieved mostly from the father-son bond that is growing between Charlie and Max.  Personally, I think the most moving part of the movie is when Jackman's character fights one last fight.

Even though this is a boxing movie more than a techie movie, the robots had a high coolness factor.  It was interesting to learn from one of the bonus features that each robot was actually built and not solely computer generated.  You can meet several of the robots on the RealSteelMovie Channel on YoutTube, including Atom, Noisy Boy, Metro, Zeus, and more.

Another bonus feature I found to be very engaging is the "Making of Metal Valley."  To see what it took to put together that short, but extremely exciting part of the movie makes the viewer appreciate all the work that went into the special effects and the execution of the stunts.


Video clip from "Making of Metal Valley" . . . 





In the end, my husband and I enjoyed Real Steel, but we will not be allowing our 8 year old son to watch it. Although there is not too much foul language or graphic violence, there is some violence that is not robot-related.  I also think that the Metal Valley scene might be too dark and suspenseful for him.

You can pre-order your copy of this film now or purchase it starting on Tuesday (1/24).  Through 1/19/12, you can snag a $5 off coupon for the Real Steel 3-Disc Combo Pack by visiting www.steelgetsreal.com.


Thank you to Click-Communications for providing a complimentary product sample for us to base this review upon.