Optimus Primal w/Skullcruncher (Beast Combiners/Beast Alliance)

Getting back to Beast Alliance, Optimus Primal is the weird one of the bunch. The only Beast Combiner so far to be a Maximal main robot and a Decepticon partner. However this works out for one gnarly looking combined form that grew on me really fast. Skullcruncher returns from his Beast Battle Master toy, and his crocodile beast mode paired with Optimus Primal makes me draw mental comparisons to the original Beast Wars 2 pack. Just wish Primal had his bat alt form. Primal does resemble his original Beast Wars design a lot, however. Like the Beast Weaponizer toy, he's made from an earlier design for the movie. They've gave him Transmetal colors this time and that just makes me want an Apelinq from this mold now. 

Unfortunately, Optimus's mold isn't as great as his Beast Weaponizer toy. Beast Combiner main bots are more simple figures and there's just no ignoring it here. He's arguably more simpler than a Beast Changer figure and it's a little disappointing. Really though, you got the figure for the gimmick. Skullcruncher combines with Optimus just like all the other Beast Combiners including the tail becoming a melee weapon and an appendage folding out to become a gun. Obviously they all follow a similar template to allow for interchangeability between figures, so this is all pretty standard fair. Yet the vision of crocodile armor on simian robot mode is just so bizarre... this just might be the most original Beast Wars feeling toy of the new Rise of the Beasts toys. Not just because of the two beasts, but the overall look of the toy. He looks like Beast Wars box art and I freaking dig it.