Transformers Studio Series Barricade review

This bad cop's design hasn't quite been done right enough in the Deluxe size class. The MV1 figure was understandably limited in engineering but the DOTM Deluxe was too wide yet felt thin at the arms, and let's not get started on the TLK Barricade. While the Masterpiece line gave us a Barricade that was pretty good, those that only collected the Studio Series line had to wait for a year until Barricade was made in the line. Is he worth the wait?

Here is Barricade in his altmode. Overall, it's got everything that you'd expect a Barricade figure's altmode to be present. What are the altmode's decals in real life are applied to this figure nicely, and there are no paint smearing or errors to speak of.

I guess the best thing to complain about would be how the headlights aren't painted and the Decepticon insignias aren't dark purple as they are in the film, but the rest of the altmode is pretty good. I don't even mind the clear windshield.

You can attach the spiked wheel from underneath the car mode so it can become an attack mode of sorts. Kind of neat though does beg the question on where the spare tire came from.

Here he is with the DOTM version next to him. For the most part, there aren't too many differences between this and the 2011 mold. I do like the front of the altmode better for the DOTM mold, what with the slightly better front grill, added paint apps, and the clear lights.

The size of the two of the alt modes is kind of different, but nothing too massive. I do like how Barricade's POLICE decal is done more professionally, and the added 643 and 9-1-1 decals are neat. I do wish his Decepticon Insignia was slightly bigger and more prominent.

You can see some of the differences in size and paint apps here, but the altmodes aren't really the focal point of the toy comparisons. Though the rear spoiler having the inverted colors is odd.

Here he is with Classic Camaro Bumblebee, and the scale between the two is quite well done. Mr. Bee was a slightly shorter car in terms of the tires touching the ground and the top of the roof. While it's not the Clunker variant released early in 2019, it doesn't look too bad next to Barricade, right?

Barricade's transformation is pretty involved; I like how the arms transform especially since they add a bit more bulk and don't look far too thin compared to previous releases. The front of the car becoming a backpack is kind of weak, but at least the chest doesn't end up looking too blocky. And the legs don't look too weird proportioned this time around. Some Deluxes either had the rear bumper at the ankles or near the butt; this time, the rear of the car mode is in the back of the legs and kind of makes the legs look slightly more filled in.

The robot mode is impressive. While the Masterpiece is slightly more accurate with its added size and engineering, this is the second-best take on Barricade that money can buy. The chest is deformed properly, the arms have a nice amount of bulk on them, the legs have a good balance of mass between the thighs and lower legs, and the hands aren't either molded-on or made to look really small. There are a few soft plastic parts, like the "wing" pieces and the head, and one of the wings is slightly lowered down, but the rest of the figure looks phenomenal for a mainline Deluxe.

The materials used for the head does somewhat obscure the sculpting with the paint, but at least it's done professionally. And the use of paint apps certainly adds a bit more to the head, what with the silver and gold on the face as well as the slight metallic blue and even the small red eyes.

Articulation is pretty good compared to previous releases. The head is on a ball joint, though you have to raise the head up if you want to make him look left and right. The shoulders can move front, back, in, and out on ball joints, and the transformation makes them move back as if they were a butterfly joint. There are bicep swivels, bends at the elbows, and fingers that articulate slightly. The hips move front and back, in and out, the knees bend at two joints, and the feet hinge forward.

It should be noted that the waist didn't quite tab in as well as it should. Not as bad as Combiner Wars Brawl, but it can be annoying. His accessory can be held on his left hand, though it does look a bit off as it looks more handheld.

For a size comparison, here he is next to the DOTM Barricade. I got the latter before the Studio Series version was announced, but you can see just how dated the DOTM figure is. Skinny arms, wide torso, hips that look too far apart and have a lot of mass up the rear of the thighs, and the head looked pretty small.

There's no contest with the proportions, but Studio Series Barricade doesn't have any problems standing up! This is one of the best benefits of the leg proportions with the legs. 

Here he is next to Bumblebee. I think the size difference between the two works pretty well. Though if there was one thing I do wish Barricade would come with, it'd be a Frenzy figurine. It doesn't have to transform, but I do wish it'd be included just to complete the 2007 Decepticons.

I'm happy to have both characters in the line, as the older figures age poorly due to how inaccurate and fugly they've become. While there are some things that these two could have a few fixes to make them a bit better, I'm content with what Hasbro's made. Where do I see Barricade in the future waves? Maybe his engineering can be reused for Sideways, while I do hope that the TLK Barricade design gets a new figure (rather than a head swap of the TLK release).

Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐