Transformers Studio Series Jetfire review

Jetfire's backstory of being a Seeker that was left to rust on Earth before he was discovered by the Autobots and their allies was something I liked about the Movie take on the character, as he had a larger knowledge of the history of the Transformers and their actions on ancient Earth. Some say that he should be friends with Starscream, but I prefer his stubborn yet wise behavior in Revenge of the Fallen. Also, his interest in looking for a Prime shows how he's not all bad despite his Decepticon history, especially when he was willing to help Optimus defeat The Fallen in what seemed like a hopeless battle against the Decepticons. Sadly, I never got to experience owning a Leader Class Jetfire from the ROTF toyline, and I can only see the more lucky Youtube channels review a figure that I once saw at a Target without working electronics. Thankfully, I got Optimus and Megatron in the same year, but the lack of a Jetfire made me feel left out with recreating the final battle of the movie. Let's see if the Studio Series line fills in the gap!

Here is Jetfire in his jet mode, which unfortunately suffers from the same kibble issues of the original figure, it's a bit worse here because you can tell that the face is prominent from the bottom with the beard. At least the top of the altmode looks fine, and the other robot parts blend in a bit better because they aren't from a different color that doesn't entirely match the black of the altmode. The proportions of the altmode with the new figure compared the original (shown from the bottom) makes it hard to decide which of the two is more accurate, though I guess it's somewhere in-between either one and at least the real Blackbird won't have any robot kibble from underneath! Sadly, the Studio Series version of the character lacks the rolling wheels that the ROTF version has. You may notice a small dot on one part of the nose cone; that comes into play later.

Transforming Jetfire is fairly involved, though not as frustrating as what the original Leader seemed from the reviews I've seen. The only thing I don't like is that the shoulders when going back into vehicle mode don't like to tab in their slots that well. I also want to comment on the waist; as rock-solid as the connection is, it can be a bit hard to detach the waist halves without feeling like you're going to break the toy.

In robot mode, Jetfire captures the elderly look that he has in the movie. It also does a better job than the original Leader figure did. Here is a comparison between this and the original Leader Class mold; while the old Voyager didn't look awful, you can tell just how the proportions contrast from each other, with the Studio Series version having more accurate proportions compared to the 2009 mold. You can even pose Jetfire to make him look even more like he has both hands on the cane as he talks about the stories of the Primes. Also, you may notice another small dot on the right foot. That will also come into play later.

The rest of the views look pretty good, too; the back has the hunched over appearance of an elderly man while the back now looks more like it's transformed. I guess you can say the back of Jetfire could flow a bit better and not have so much of a gap, but it's not too noticeable like it would be on ROTF Megatron.

The face sculpt looks really close to the movie, but the eyes do look a bit weird. They have the red paint for the optics yet there's a slit that gets in the way, which kind of ruins the look of the face and makes him look a bit blinder than if they weren't there. I've seen modifications from other fans remove those pieces, though IDK how they're supposed to be removed without damaging the eyes.

Jetfire's articulation is pretty good for an old guy. The head can't quite move left and right too far, but it's able to move slightly in either direction; moving up isn't much of an issue, however. The shoulders move front and back, in and out, swivel at the biceps, bend at the elbows

His cane isn't the only thing that he comes with, as he can also use an ax (which can be stored underneath the altmode), though the hands don't make it look like it's being held on there too well. Perhaps if the fingers were poseable and if the 5mm hole was deeper, the figure can look better holding onto it.

Here is a size comparison with his fellow Mark Ryan voice actor characters. It's something I wanted to make for lols, though Mark didn't voice Bumblebee in The Last Knight (some other jabroni did the role, and then another one did the voice for that Beewun movie). These aren't the only robots Mark voiced in the movie continuity, though he sadly didn't voice any from either Dark of the Moon or the Beewun flick.

Here are other characters to scale with next to Jetfire. I like how he's bigger than most of the characters, which makes sense given his altmode size. Originally, Jetfire was a shorter bot than Optimus was, which didn't make much sense aside from wanting to make both figures be in the same size class to make the combination work better. We need a Studio Series version of The Fallen, though...

We're currently missing a Jolt in the Studio Series line, but you know what's coming up...

Optimus and Jetfire can combine the Jetpower form. Originally, Jetfire had to be reconfigured to fit around Optimus, but here, Jetfire serves as the armor for Prime, similar to the Siege Leader Class figures (and more exciting, too!). Here are the pieces Jetfire ends up as before you attach them onto Optimus:

The combined mode feels massive, and it's also a lot more accurate than the original version was. Sure, there's the nostalgia value of having toys with denser plastic and more ratchet joints to boot (which I'm missing half of the experience as I never owned the original Jetfire mold), but it feels more satisfying to attach these parts on Optimus since that's how it was done in the movie, and at least Optimus doesn't look like he's on his toes. If you can at least see one of the yellow dots, you can now understand why they're there: they add a sign of marking which part goes where in the combination.

The side profile looks massive, and it does weigh him back a bit, though back should look a bit more broken up; at least the articulation isn't entirely lost on this figure, especially with the joints being tighter than they would be with the first figure.

As you saw, he can hold a blade and minigun as he once did in ROTF, but he can also use the small minigun mounted under his forearm while he can also use the big frickin' gun to blast the sun harvester! It does weigh his the arm down, so you will have to find the right pose for it.

For a size comparison, here he is next to Megatron and The Fallen. Now he's gotten the right height to be on equal footing against the master and the apprentice.

You can recreate Optimus pointing Megatron's death claw at his face (especially if you have the retooled version of the character) while also stabbing The Fallen's mask before he gives Optimus his face.

The DNA Design upgrade kit adds more to your Jetpower Optimus Prime combination. The jetpack looks a lot more dynamic this time around, the cannon's not as bulky as it originally was, the legs have more beef added, Jetfire's hands are poseable, and the new parts can be used in both vehicle modes of Jetfire and Optimus Prime.

Having Jetfire in the Studio Series line is great enough, but the fact that he and Optimus Prime combine makes this set feel even more worthwhile. Jetfire's the best Leader Class figure in the line, surpassing Blackout, and while the hands and undercarriage are annoying issues with the toy, I still recommend this figure to fans that want to have a more accurate Jetfire as well as a less frustrating combination with Optimus Prime.

Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Transformers Studio Series DOTM Megatron review

The Decepticon Leader had a couple of issues in the early toylines. He had two MV1 figures that sucked, then he had one meh Leader and one okay Voyager in ROTF, and his DOTM figure selection was terrible. His Voyager was close to being good yet there plenty of problems on it while a Leader Class figure was nowhere to be seen (which upset fans as the DOTM Leaders only had Autobots). While the AOE Galvatron figure was decent minus the lack of paint and the TLK figures were pretty good (the Voyager being better than the Leader), the trilogy designs hadn't gotten any good figures until the Studio Series line showed up. ROTF Megatron managed to be better than the old mold, but will the DOTM version of the character beat the 2011 mold?

Here is Megatron in his truck mode. It's a pretty accurate take on the altmode, though in-hand, the look of it doesn't really hide the feel of it. The grill spikes being made from rubber does make sense for safety reasons, but they can look a bit bent from being in the packaging. The truck cab is pretty hollow when seen from underneath, which is due to it being used for the leg transformation. The rest of the truck mode does look pretty good, though you can't swivel the truck and the trailer. Another issue I have is that the tires don't always roll simultaneously. 

It's certainly a nicely done take of the vehicle mode, though you can see the problems from the side a bit easier. It's not awful, but it's something I have to mention. You can also display the tarp and chains like in the movie.

You can store the gun from underneath the cab, which looks really hollow as previously mentioned. That's why you can't swivel the truck from the hitch as you would on the Voyager.

Included with him is a small yet decently detailed Igor figurine. It's articulation consists of ball joints at the shoulders and conjoined hip movement. It's kind of neat that he has a little buddy to go with him, sort of like how Blackout comes with Scorponok. Unlike Scorponok, Igor doesn't need any extra paint apps in order to look better. I say that knowing that there are some extra paint apps that he could use, but they're not as needed as they are with Scorponok.

Here is the Studio Series version next to the DOTM version. The new Leader figure, if you can't tell, is not in scale with your original ROTF Optimus Prime or MPM-4 Optimus Prime. It's something that many fans got disappointed about they forget about how this new Megatron's smaller than the old Leaders. This figure is supposed to be in scale with your new figures, even in vehicle mode where the truck cab scales well with this wave's Optimus Prime. So overall, it doesn't work as a Leader Class figure for your DOTM line because it was never meant to be. That being said, it does look like it's slightly bigger than the new one, though it's not exactly like that.

In this image, the size difference strikes me because of how small DOTM Megatron was for Voyager standards. Both figures are meant to be the entire truck and trailer in one piece; think of Motormaster from G1. Unlike G1 Motormaster, who never worked in his first try and later had a single unit for Combiner Wars, DOTM Megatron once went from having a Voyager that felt small in altmode to an altmode that feels a bit more proportionate with the rest of the line.

It's nice to have a larger DOTM Megatron that's not smaller than it would be next to other Megatron. Also, the original Megatron would swivel at the hitch while the tarp was made of a rubber material (and the chains were etched onto the tarp).

As previously mentioned, Optimus Prime scales well with the new DOTM Megatron. I do wish the smokestacks were at least as long as Megatron's, but this is a pretty good scale in my opinion. It makes me want to get Jetwing Prime soon, but you can see just how small DOTM Megatron looks, even with its own smokestacks. 

You can display Megatron without the tarp or the chains if you want, which even if it's missing the accessory the altmode at least still looks good.

Transforming Megatron can be a bit annoying at times. At least the cab's transformation into the legs works well, but you may run into some issues with how you're supposed to do it if you're rushing to the robot mode. The arms folding up from the back doesn't seem like a bad idea, though getting them to straighten can be confusing with the forearm panel, the space issues you may experience, and just trying to make the shoulders line up with the rest of the head and the chest.

The robot mode is a lot better than I expected. The proportions look a lot more accurate here than on the original figure, and while the transformation does use a faux chest instead of having the front become the chest, at least the resulting robot mode doesn't look incomplete overall in terms of proportions. From the sides, you can see just how blocky the legs are. While they look better in hand than they did in the official images, the lower legs look as blocky as the already blocky G1 bots in their cartoon models. The back also has an etched in the back that does its purpose in keeping everything secure, but it contrasts badly compared to the rest of the toy when viewed from the back.

The head sculpt, while accurate, does have this weird thing of having three different colors, what with the bare gray plastic, dark gray plastic on one part of the head, and some silver paint. At least you have the red eyes and gold mouth. Also, this head does not reuse the retooled Target exclusive Megatron from the ROTF line.

Articulation is standard for a Leader of this line. Head is on a balljoint, shoulders move front and back as well as in and out; elbows bend at two points, and the right hand can hinge up and down while the left hand can slightly pose. Hips move front and back, in and out, swivel at the knees as well as bend on two points, and the toes can pivot slightly.

Let's add the chain straps onto Megatron's chest as I mention that you can attach little Igor behind Megatron's head. Of note, the left foot of my Igor does have a bit of trouble attaching onto the small peg.

The tarp that covered the vehicle mode can now be used as his cloak, which is one of the signature traits of the design. Being made from cloth means that you'll need to make it look a bit less awkward than the rubber material cloth, but at least you can pose the left shoulder better.

He can also hold his shotgun with a proper 5mm peg compared to the original having a gas tank become the oversized cannon (though Evasion Prime did come with a shotgun that he can hold). It can be held either with the 5mm compatible right hand or the left hand if you utilize the small tab on the same side used for storage on his back. 

This figure is one of two Leaders to be repainted in the Studio Series line. It's exclusive to the Universal Studios ride for Transformers, and the deco better matches not just a normal Megatron but more so to the theme park mascot, which was what Megatron looked like in the ride (though he should have the right arm of the ROTF design, which is what the Ride version of Megatron had). It looks cool, but I heavily doubt that I may ever buy it since I can't visit the theme park (I would love to, but the next best thing is going to TFCon). At least it's more accessible than the Blackout repaint, though this guy lacks the tarp and Igor figurine. 

Here is Megatron next to his ROTF form and the retooled Optimus Prime. I like the scale between the three, though I will admit and say that Megatron should be adjusted a bit better to scale nicer with his ROTF form in order to not look so 

Optimus can hold Megatron's shotgun with the same 5mm pegging system this time around, while in the old days, Megatron had his own unique method while Evasion Prime had to hold it like G1 Prime did with his old rifle. It's a really tight fit that makes me worry about how thin the hands are since they're really picky with holding accessories (he can only hold the ones that are normally included with him), but at least he can be posed as he prepares to shoot Sentinel Prime for taking away his weapon specialist!

Here he is with the original mold from 2011. The old figure doesn't seem too far off from the height of the new version of the character, though the proportions make the Studio Series Megatron feel bigger in comparison, His head doesn't look tiny, the torso compared to the legs at least look more accurate in this figure than it does on the old figure, and the shoulders don't look too narrow.

If the new figure doesn't look like it's enough to convince you to buy it, then maybe comparing the heads will. The original version not only looked small but had sculpted details that are embarrassingly bad when compared to some of the other contemporary DOTM figures. The soft sculpting, big light piping eyes, and the size make this feel like a knockoff toy had its head chewed a bit by a rat in the factory would later ship these to Aliexpress. Even the colors looked bad on the old one; you can say that the colors of that figure looked more uniform than the new figure, but they don't look too accurate, and the light gray plastic made the old toy look unappealing.

The Voyager had a big MechTech gimmick where a gun can become a bigger gun or in some instances a melee weapon or even something random. The old Megatron in the images above has the rifle that came from the AOE Evasion Mode Optimus Prime. Until that figure came, you had the gas tank serve as an arm-mounted fusion cannon to be your arsenal. It was okay for its time, and it can look better with the claw motif, but it did look awkward in some poses.

This version of Megatron isn't perfect compared to some of the other Leader Class figures in the line, but at least it's an overall massive step up in accuracy and quality from the original figure. While the original figure did have the swiveling trailer hitch, it reeked of aging so badly, which makes me more happy to own the Studio Series version of Megatron overall. I will admit that there are a couple of problems with this figure, like the transformation being a bit inaccurate, the legs looking really blocky, and the backpiece looking really bad compared to the rest of most of his body, but it's still a nice version of the Decepticon leader to own until we get a Masterpiece version of the character (which will hopefully have a complex yet accurate transformation as well as scale nicely with MPM or ROTF Optimus).

Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐