So here we have Studio Series Sideswipe in vehicle mode, having the silver coat of paint that Jazz was given in the 2018 line up. It's also based on the DOTM version since Sideswipe was a convertible in that film. I'm curious to see how an ROTF version of the character would be done.
I don't like how the grill looks slightly unfinished, but what strikes me as odd is how the rims aren't given the same silver coat of paint, so they look unfinished. Still, the rest of the altmode looks pretty good.
I do appreciate that the figure has an interior given how it's exposed in the vehicle mode. Also done a lot better than the DOTM mold from 2011, though there are still no figures that scale.
The transformation is surprisingly complex for a figure at this scale. The size especially makes the conversion feel a little harder than it would be with the larger versions of the character. It's consistent with most Deluxes, which tend to be more involved than even previous Deluxes from AOE and TLK. Also, there is a bit of partsforming with the guns and the blades. They are both pieces that your car mode will need so it won't look incomplete.
The robot mode is what one would expect Sideswipe to look like. You have the rear of the car mode now turned into the chest, wheel feet that make this take on the character stand out, and the sleeker design that contrasts with the blockier G1 Sideswipe. I do wish that there is more consistency with the silver and grey parts, which don't mesh together even more than the rims did in vehicle mode.
The kibble is still prevalent in the back of the robot mode, which is expected to be unavoidable in this size class. I do hope that a Masterpiece figure can make the design look even sleeker than it is from the back.
The proportions of the chest are accurate here, and the head sculpt is just about slightly better than what other Sideswipes have. There should be some silver paint, though. It just looks like the head's from a version of the toy that didn't get the painted treatment, and it stands out worse than his other parts. Even Jazz had his head painted silver.
The articulation is of a typical Deluxe amount. Head is on a ball joint, shoulders move front and back as well as in and out on ball joints, somewhat hinge front and back a la butterfly joints, swivel at biceps, bend at the elbows, and curl inward at the hands due to transformation. Hips move front and back, in and out, swivel at the thighs, bend at two joints at the knee, and while it may seem like it, there is no ankle pivot on either foot. You can sometimes display him with his tires rolling, but for the most part, he's meant to have feet that help him stand.
On a side note, his weapons include the handguns used in Dark of the Moon and the two blades that he's more known for. The handguns can be held like any 5mm weapon would, while the blades can be mounted onto the hands to make them look like they came out from the forearms. Other Sideswipes had the blades permanently attached (Human Alliance), had methods of being deployed differently (like ROTF's scissor blades and the DOTM's basic toothpicks) or were absent (Sidearm Sideswipe). So on the plus side, this Sideswipe can be displayed with or without the blades, but on the minus side, they're needed to be kept close to the toy so its altmode wouldn't ruin its look.
Sideswipe returned 2 years later with an amusing reverse retool featuring his completed vehicle shell from Revenge of the Fallen. He is better painted and has some nicer darker grey plastic, and I recommend him a lot more.
Here is the Studio Series version of the character next to the original DOTM figure. While that version might have been taller and didn't need partsforming for the blades, the arm joints weren't the best, the gray plastic looks awful after previous releases had silver paint, and the toy was just very underwhelming. Also, since this was a figure from DOTM, he came with a gun that looked far too big on him. Overall, I'd avoid the original mold, and even if the Movie Advanced version is better painted, you might run into the shoulder joints flexing it the ball and socket connection is too tight.
In short, Studio Series Sideswipe has a few aspects that don't exactly make him perfect, but he is the best take on the character for the scale that he's in, and until we get a Masterpiece figure that'll hopefully streamline this design, this is the best take unless you have a Sidearm Sideswipe without the flames and blades to fit in your MPM collection. That or the Black Mamba KO.
Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐ and a half out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
No comments:
Post a Comment