Here is Starscream's jet mode, this time taking us back to his MV1 deco. He's got a nice deco on the top of the
Here is Starscream's jet mode next to the Hunt for the Decepticons Leader Class figure on the left and the Dark of the Moon Deluxe Class figure on the right. It's strange to compare this to the other figures in terms of deco since it's got no tattoos on him, but for their sizes, You can say that the Leader is good for a vehicle mode size since F22 Raptors are going to be larger than a semi-truck like Optimus Prime or a car like Bumblebee.
This was something I wanted to make, but here's a deco comparison with the Takara repaints of the other figures I brought in. So from top to bottom, it's the MPM-1 version of Leader Starscream, the Movie Advanced version of DOTM Deluxe Starscream, the Movie the Best version of the ROTF mold, and the Studio Series version of the character. Their takes on the same deco don't have quite the same synergy. The MPM-1 version has its camo in a darker color while the nosecone is brighter, the Movie Advanced version looks less like camo and more like a Rorschach test, the Movie the Best version has a brighter deco, and the Studio Series version's deco is slightly bluer (but not as blue as in the stock photo used).
Who has the better jet mode? Well, the Leader is good for size, though the undercarriage makes the jet look bulky from underneath. The DOTM Deluxe (and by extension the Studio Series Voyager) aren't as bulky as the Leader. The ROTF Voyager does look cleaner but has the hands exposed from the back. At least its wheels roll, so the jet mode functionality is there on that and the Leader.
Here's a look at the jet that is used in the first movie, and its deco better matches the Movie the Best version, though none of the toys use a gray cockpit (not that it's a bad thing since they help add a bit of color).
Transforming Starscream is almost the same as the DOTM Deluxe, and I say almost because there have been comments mentioning that this Starscream is an upscaled version of the original Deluxe, yet whereas previous upscaled versions of figures made by Hasbro have felt unworthy of the price tag (Cybertron Supreme Starscream) or don't add anything new (the 2014 Beast Hunters upscaled Deluxes), this figure feels nicer to handle than the Deluxe with the plastic feeling less cheap, and the use of universal joints than ball joints makes the figure feel more professionally made than the Deluxe was. Also, there are two chest pieces that fill in the gaps that were normally present in the original release.
Starscream's robot mode is the same alien take on the Seeker body-type, which as I mentioned still kept purists triggered even to this day, but enough about that. The look of the figure looks like how it should, with the proportions matching those of the CG model, and all the details that normally aren't present on previous figures are either finally now made or they're picked out in some paint apps.
The side profile looks flatter than the wide-body, though that's something the model has (and it also fits with this body design); the backpack does bulk things up better. The legs are digitigrade as on every Movie Starscream figure in history, but they don't really make much of an issue with stability since the feet are long enough to keep him from falling over and the joints are nice and tight. The back does have some molded details that include both the 5mm peg holes included on the DOTM Starscream (despite MechTech not being a thing for this line) and a new 5mm peg hole that is normally used to store the weapon he comes with. A paint wash should make those details stand out more instead of looking like flat plastic.
The face sculpt is sharper than most Starscream figures, yet I do wish the head was shinier since I remember it being more silver than usual. Also, the eyes would greatly benefit from some added paint apps, but the blob red paint makes the eyes bigger than they should be.
While this Starscream is next to the other figures I included, I'll go over the articulation of the figure. It may seem like it's functionally the same as the Deluxe, but there are a handful of differences that make this figure feel less like it's a straight upscale of the Deluxe. There is a swivel at the head and a secret neck hinge to make the head look up, a joint that the Deluxe never had. At the shoulders, there is a universal joint instead of a ball joint, so the shoulders could move forward and back on one joint and hinge up and down on another joint. There is a bicep swivel whereas the Deluxe had a ball joint on the second elbow joint. There is a double-jointed elbow, and the wrists can fold up nicely due to transformation, but the Deluxe had a double hinge whereas the upper part of the joint on the Voyager is a hinge that feels like a ratchet joint while the lower part of the joint has the wrist on a ball joint. At the hips, Starscream's legs move forward and backward, and they move in and out on universal joints instead of ball joints. The rest of the leg articulation below that is relatively the same, with two joints to bend the digitigrade legs and a lower leg swivel that serves as a form of ankle pivot.
In between both figures, Starscream may be in his MV1 deco, but he at least looks like he transforms similarly to the other toys. I feel that the Leader figure is better suited for a stand-in for a Movie Masterpiece stand-in before we get a proper new mold (especially if you remember this being repainted for the Masterpiece line) while the Deluxe may be good for a kid if you want them to play with the Movie toys but don't want to share your Studio Series display. In case you're wondering, those guns on him are from AOE Crosshairs.
For a closer look between the Studio Series mold and the Dark of the Moon mold, here is a comparison with the Movie Advanced version (credit goes to Ben's World of Transformers as the pic belongs to his review). For those that thought Hasbro used a growth ray on the Movie Advanced figure, that's not the case due to the sculpted details being sharper on the Voyager, the plastic colors being more cohesive on the Voyager (whereas the Deluxe has some brown plastic due to Hasbro wanting to make their figure less monochromatic at the time), some added paint apps to break up the plastic colors, and the use of more robust joints. In case you're wondering, the weapons the Deluxe Starscream has are not the MechTech weapons but instead the axes that the 2014 Beast Hunters Smokescreen came with.
Now here's a robot mode comparison with the ROTF mold in the appropriate color scheme (pic credit goes to Pax Cybertron). So here's where fans that don't have the Studio Series mold may not really want this mold if they have the ROTF Voyager. The mold's already good for today's standards, the articulation's still comparable, and the transformation is unique compared to other Starscreams. That said, there's still a handful of fans that either never got the original mold, no longer owned it over the years, or want to be completionists, and they'd want to give this new Starscream a shot. Either way, both figures are good on their own rights.
Starscream comes with one accessory due to his size taking more plastic, but he has a missile rack that he can hold with either by attaching it on the 5mm peg hole or by folding the hand up and slotting it in the wrist. The latter method gives the impression that Starscream's forearm deployed the weapon. It's the missile rack well-known for being used in the first movie when he attacked the Hoover Dam as a first warning that the Decepticons were after Megatron and the Allspark. There have been stock photos of the toy that came with a buzzsaw accessory that has since been absent on recent Hasbro images and in the final product. That's likely done to prevent this MV1 deco from making the ROTF repaint somewhat meaningless, so the repaint comes with the buzzsaw accessory.
Speaking of, here is the ROTF repaint of the mold. Aside from the tattoos, the figure comes with darker colors, a more detailed face, a darker cockpit, and a black nosecone, which isn't accurate but likely done to make the repaint a bit more different than the original repaint. Also included is the buzzsaw accessory, which was going to be included with the original version.
It should be noted that if you are searching for the repaint online (or in a store where toy swapping is frequent), be sure to avoid this upsized knockoff of the DOTM Deluxe. THIS is what an oversized toy looks like. It's identical to the original toy, with the only differences being that the tolerances are worse than the original, and as a result of it being a larger version of the Deluxe, the sculpting is worse than before. Hints as to this being the knockoff include the toy being in a TFP-esque packaging and normally found in pictures alongside other knockoff toys found from the Dark of the Moon or Age of Extinction toylines, with group shots including Optimus Prime, Megatron, Ironhide, Skyhammer, and Bumblebee, another upscaled Deluxe.
For a comparison (pic credit goes to Instagram user Transformers Sentinel Evil), here is the official Studio Series ROTF Starscream repaint on the left next to the upscaled knockoff of the DOTM Deluxe. Not only are the colors different from each other, and not only are the molded details more crisp on the Studio Series version, but the heights are not the same, with the official version being a head taller than the knockoff.
Overall, Studio Series Starscream manages to be a great Voyager despite being similar to the Deluxe figure. The figure poses well, has tremendously molded details, and ironically makes the original Deluxe feel like a knockoff. Sure, some paint apps could help make the head or the back stand out, but at least the deco is clean overall. No quality control issues in sight! Sadly, fans that have the ROTF Voyager may not feel that this new mold is worth buying, but for fans that want to get back into collecting the Movie line now that the more iconic characters returned in toy form, this will happily fill in all gaps.
Oh...how it pains me to do this...don't worry, this Starscream wasn't harmed during the making of this review. He'll return for a later day.
Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ and a half out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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