Optimus Prime A Time Machine to My Childhood: New Toy Robot Sparks Nostalgia

Toys have changed quite a bit since I was a kid back in the 1980s. Growing up, I thought I had the most amazing toys in the world. I had every Smurf, EVERY SMURF. I had every Smurf related toy, plushes, games, trading cards, if the Smurfs were on it, my 5 year old self had to have it. Luckily, when I was a small child and the economy was very different, my parents had a lot of money and thus I had most, if not all, of the toys.

After finally growing out of The Smurfs, I switched my allegiance to Transformers. I wanted ALL of the Transformers. I got most of them. My favorite, everyone's favorite, was Optimus Prime. My 8 year old mind was absolutely blown by the idea that I could turn a truck into a robot and then back into a truck. For 1984, this was the height of technology. Yes, eventually, changing from Truck to Robot would become impossible, pieces would fall off and eventually Optimus Prime became a one armed permanent robot that could double as a semi-truck that had been in a horrible accident, but nevertheless, 8 year old Sean could not believe his luck in having this robot truck.

Outside of having to suffer through multiple awful Transformers movies for my job as a film critic, I rarely think about Transformers these days. My toys were long ago destroyed, as great toys should be, via intense play from my childhood, I had a vivid imagination and while I wasn't a psychopath who intentionally broke his toys for some kind of sick, twisted pleasure, the normal amount of playing and fight re-enactments inevitably led to numerous sad, Transformers funerals before many retired to boxes on shelves to be forgotten for years, the normal toy cycle.

Thus, I was pleasantly returned to my childhood when I received an email from representatives of Robosen Robotics and Hasbro toys. It was a standard press release sent to any number of members of the media, but it caught me by surprise as I was immediately brought back to my childhood dreams of fighting alongside Optimus Prime, valiantly defeating the Decepticons in battle. The Decepticons, much like G.I Joe's foe, Cobra, were rarely more dangerous than the Washington Generals of Harlem Globetrotters fame, but the battle was still always met by me and my pal Optimus Prime.

The press release from Robosen and Hasbro was an announcement of a brand new Optimus Prime robot and it kind of blew my mind in a new way. This new Optimus Prime is a robot that can transform itself, drive and walk around and you control it via an app on your phone. You might be expecting me to say this is bad or that it's less fun than my more physically interactive Optimus Prime back in the day but no, I don't feel that way. I actually kind of love this. Check out the video they've created for this robot and tell me you aren't a little impressed yourself.

This robot Optimus Prime has more than 5000 components, it talks, it responds to voice commands, and, are you ready for this, it Transforms on its own via your commands. Admit it, that's kind of awesome. Sure, it's not going to be for kids to play with and imagine with. It's a collectible and people might show it off here and again, but for a Gen-Xer with heavy nostalgia for the toys of my childhood, this is kind of a dream come true. It's like seeing my childhood come to life in front of me.

Of course, I can't afford one of these. The cost is $699.99 from Robosen and Hasbro's website. Still, it got me. It made me dream a little. We often degrade nostalgia in our culture. That's in part because so many marketers use our nostalgia to sell us things we don't need in a cynical capitalistic pursuit. Nevertheless, when you really drill down on the idea of nostalgia, toys like Optimus Prime or my obsessive 5 year old collecting of Smurfs memorabilia, act like time machines back to your childhood. Close your eyes for a moment and think of your favorite toy. The memory of playing with that toy, for me, is so vivid, I feel like I am there, if a little hazy and ever so brief.

Childhood aside, the Elite Optimus Prime is just kind of cool. I love the idea of it. I love the look of wonder that a child will get when they see it talk and move and respond to their commands. I love the extension of the imagination that this toy might provide, ever so briefly to those who buy it. Sure, more than likely, the Elite Optimus Prime will be unboxed in YouTube videos, shown off to old friends and children at nerdy dinner parties, and spend most of its existence on a lighted shelf as a collectible, but it doesn't change the way seeing it made me feel. It made me whimsical, it caused me to dream a little, and it took me back in time to my childhood, happy memories of play that still provide a little respite from being a responsible adult. For that, I say thank you Robosen and Hasbro and good luck with your new, very expensive toy.

Find my archive of more than 20 years and nearly 2000 movie reviews, including reviews of all of the Transformers movies, at SeanattheMovies.blogspot.com. Follow me on Twitter at PodcastSean. Follow the archive blog at SeanattheMovies on Twitter. Listen to me talk about movies on the Everyone's a Critic Movie Review Podcast on your favorite podcast listening app. If you've enjoyed what you have read consider subscribing to my writing on here on Vocal. And, if you really want to support my work you can make a monthly pledge or leave a one time tip. I promise to spend your donation by buying this Optimus Prime robot. Seriously, I will buy the robot.