Over the years, we’ve had a lot of Transformers-related toys, but we’ve never had a depiction of The Matrix of Leadership quite like this.
Introduced in Transformers: The Movie, The Matrix of Leadership was passed down from one Autobot leader to the next.
Its narrative origins are quite complex, but in the continuity that aligns with the movie, the Matrix contains the soul of Primus, which was the sworn enemy of Unicron.
While Galvatron steals the Matrix in the movie, he’s unable to wield it, and it’s Hot Rod who manages to open it inside the bowels of Unicron, evolving into Rodimus Prime and effectively destroying Unicron in the process.
All of this happens while Stan Bush’s The Touch is blaring in the background. As kids’ movies go, it was and is pretty epic.
Now, multiple toys of Optimus Prime have included the Matrix, even the new Missing Link version, but we’ve never had a proper, dedicated, and full-sized toy of the Matrix, and definitely not like this.
This is because this new Matrix toy not only lights up very brightly but also has various sound effects, and even plays The Touch.
Firstly, this Matrix toy requires 3 AA batteries (which are not included). You will need to disassemble the rear of the toy, and then use a Phillips screwdriver to release the two battery covers.
There is also a USB-C powered option, but batteries allow you to wield this surprisingly large toy without the need for cables.
Once you open the Matrix, The Touch starts playing, and the central orb lights up and pulses with light.
This is not just a big lamp, but the light effect imitates what you see in the movie, to give a sense that this thing is alive with energy.
Closing the Matrix again fades out the music and leaves the light pulsing until it turns off, or you hold down the button at the rear.
Holding the button at the rear also fires up the Matrix in its closed state, and you also hear a short clip of the Matrix theme from the movie.
The main thing here is that this is a large toy and very accurate to what we see in the movie. It’s not got any obvious diecast to speak of, but it is still fairly heavy, purely on account of its size..
You also get a stand included, which can hold the Matrix both in its open and closed forms.
Overall, this is easily the best dedicated rendition of the Matrix seen in Transformers: The Movie, with a very well-done light show, an array of sound effects, and also plays The Touch for added authenticity. This is definitely one for the fans, but it still comes highly recommended.
The Matrix of Leadership is out this August from Hasbro for $139.99 from their online store.
Disclosure: Hasbro sent me this toy for the purposes of this review.
Follow me on X, Facebook and YouTube. I also manage Mecha Damashii and am currently writing regular columns in Japanese about mecha games and mecha anime for both Game*Spark and Automaton.
