Review – Transformers Kremzeak

Formally known as Kremzeek (learn all about him at the Transformers Wiki), the bootleg Transformers toy manufacturer Impossible Toys tackles obscurity and toyifies it again with this little (approximately) 2-inch tall light-up guy. At $20 he’s way too expensive for what you get . . . but, since I’ve got him, let’s take the time to examine him.

Packaging

Unlike the other Impossible Toys Transformers bootlegs that I’ve picked up, Kremzeak isn’t boxed but is, instead, packed on a fairly simple clamshell that’s custom-fit to the toy’s shape. The art card inside the clamshell is single-sided and follows the same graphic design as the other toys in the series, but unlike the Quintesson boxes, this piece hardly feels worth hanging on to. (Of course, at the moment my plan is to tuck it safely away with the Quintesson boxes, but I’m insane so don’t try to follow my lead on this.)

Basically, the packaging is disposable and nothing worth writing about. (Oops.)

Kremzeak!

So in the episode with Kremzeak that’s found in the Season 2, Part 2 set (which I watched earlier this week, just so that I could properly review this toy), this little guy becomes a giant pain that eventually works his way into Blaster where he multiplies. Soon enough we have red, blue, purple . . . well, we’ve got a rainbow army of Kremzeak’s spreading across Japan. Impossible Toys just gives us the original yellow version, though, which is probably all that we even need.

Kremzeak’s a professional toy, made of a solid, durable plastic that’s semi-translucent and glows wonderfully when held up to a light. Cast in yellow, the only paint on the entire toy is his red eyes and mouth, and even that little bit of paint is handled perfectly without any crude lines or poor attention to detail.

His body, head, and legs are a single piece, while the arms rotate 360-degrees which provides the toy with the most basic of poseability. Arms up. Arms down. One arm up and one down. You know the drill. I’m constantly surprised that a garage operation like Impossible Toys is able to give us such high-quality pieces; except for the cost, this is exactly the sort of thing that Hasbro or Takara should be offering us these days (instead of $20 for one, maybe three different Kremzeak’s for $20).

And as good as he looks when held up to the light, that’s not at all necessary since Kremzeak includes a “light up” feature: twist the battery cover on his back and he glows! The image above and below shows Kremzeak with his light switched on; it’s a pretty simple gimmick, but it’s perfect for a toy that’s meant to represent an energy creature.

Closing Thoughts

There have been very few Kremzeak toys manufactured in the past, and reportedly this is the best of the bunch (I don’t own the other two, but this is the only one with the light feature and some articulation). For about a week he was available at BBTS for $10, which is a lot closer to his real worth to a Transformers collector. I’m ashamed to admit that I bought mine before the clearance sale, though, so I paid the full $20 for him. I don’t exactly regret the purchase, but it wasn’t the smartest buying decision I’ve ever made when it comes to toys.

Kremzeak looks good, feels good, has a great light feature, but he’s just too expensive for his size and play value. I’m not going to give mine up, but neither am I going to track down another one (despite how much fun it would be to have a dozen of these guys scattered throughout the toy collection).

Philip Reed hopes that someone comes out with a smaller — say, 1-inch tall — Kremzeak toy that’s cast of soft, glow-in-the-dark plastic. If that happens, and the guys cost $2 or so each, he’ll buy one dozen and get that army of Kremzeaks that he certainly doesn’t need.