Transformers Studio Series 86 Grimlock review

Grimlock's already been covered in my reviews. He was one of the first characters in the Studio Series line, he had the Fall of Cybertron figure on my table, and a while back, the Cyberverse version got the spotlight. They did get smaller as the reviews went along, but now we have the Studio Series 86 version of the guy, who I did want but I wasn't too keen on how the cartoon portrayed Grimlock. Like he and the other Dinobots were the same guy just split in 5, so I kinda preferred Grimlock being more intelligent and even more hateful towards the Autobots in the Marvel Comics. Of course, cartoon Grimlock being stupid won fans over, though I do find it works for his dino mode than his robot mode. Oh and Wheelie's included...he's just there to add to the collection. Now let's get to the review!

Here is Grimlock in his Tyrannosaurus Rex mode, which is in the traditional upright posture he's known for. This guy has the fat yet charming look to him that makes the design iconic to old school fans, and while there are some weird design aspects to him that I don't like, such as the holes on one side of his face or the gray arms looking cheap, he does have a good feel in terms of plastic quality compared to some of the other Leaders in the past. Mind you, it's not 100% as dense as the Masterpiece, but it is close enough if you ask me. The sculpted details look great on him, and the gold for the stomach and neck are nice touches compared to the bright yellow from the initial pics (the neck was originally clear instead). Another weird thing I found on the figure is the lack of front teeth. The articulation on this guy includes a head that looks up and down, opening jaw, neck swivel, hips that move front and back, in and out somewhat, knees that bend, swivels above the dino knees, and arms that move on a ball joint here the shoulders are as well as hinge up and down at the elbows.

He has one of two accessories, which include a nontransforming figure of Wheelie. This gut is smaller than a Core Class figure and has some hollowed parts yet does look nicely painted as well as have a separate accessory for the slingshot. He's even posed to hold the slingshot, but this is a pre-posed figure. He has a ball-jointed neck, ball-jointed shoulders, a waist swivel, and ball-jointed hips. He can sit on Grimlock with the two tabs around his neck and have him sling whatever he uses against the Sharkticons! Grimlock lacks effect pieces but I used Cyberverse Grimlock's fire breath accessory to compensate it.

For a dinosaur mode size comparison, here he is with Siege Ultra Magnus, Earthrise Optimus Prime, and Thrilling 30 Jetfire. I think the size he has is correct, as he should be the size of a real T-Rex while not being in the current posture. He's at the same height as Magnus, taller than Optimus, and shorter than Jetfire. Also shows how Optimus and Grimlock are meant to be in the same line, as the sculpted details between the two are on-par with each other; Magnus is more detailed than either character while Jetfire is somewhat more stylized and smooth. Also lacks some of the WFC-styled weapon ports.

Transformation for this guy is exactly how you'd expect, as he's got the tail-becomes-legs, legs-become-arms, and stomach-becomes-chest type of conversion Grimlock has. Simpler than the Masterpiece version of the guy, but that's not a bad thing since he's still fairly involved. It isn't just G1 with knees, and stuff like the back kibble being on there gives him that distinct Grimlock sihlouette. As for the robot mode, it's undeniably Grimlock as always. He's got the same amount of rich details sculpted from top to bottom, and the gray complemented by the red, black, and gold makes this figure work even more. The dark clear chest piece is distracting at first, but I think it works well and also makes the chest have a little more color to it. The lower legs have these rectangular shin lights(?) that are in the proper colors and also add a bit more color to what would be the more monochromatic part of the toy. If you look at the shoulders, forearms, and lower legs (even the feet and back!), he has more WFC weapon ports than with either character used in the Studio Series 86 line. It's almost like Grimlock was meant to be in Earthrise or what would be a version of Kingdom before the Beast Wars characters were brought in; Jazz, Kup, Blurr, and Hot Rod have 5mm feet, but Scourge and Grimlock feel like the bigger signs that point to the fact that this was not meant to be a Studio Series 86 release.

Head sculpt is perfect for the guy, and while I prefer the red visor, the blue visor is nice, reflective somewhat, and looks cool on him if you ask me. The sculpting is also more detailed here than with the other guys, who look more cartoon accurate while Grimlock's more pronounced. His articulation is the same as with every WFC guy in existence, including a waist swivel and ankle pivots!

The gun he has can be held in his hand with no problem, though he lacks a sword. At the very least, Wheely can perch on his shoulder so the two can take down the bad guys together! Still, a sword accessory would be nice if you ask me.

As the first repaint of an SS86 Leader, the Shattered Glass subline gave us an evil Grimlock, much taller and a better toy than the old Classics Deluxe. I do wish the grey plastic was painted silver on the claws and neck, but I would love to see that metallic purple on a sexy sword if we're going to exclude Wheelie. Still, thr Trypticon colors are good on him.

For a comparison with other Grimlocks made before him, here he is with the Masterpiece and Power of the Primes version of the character. The Masterpiece still holds up as a great figure even without the cartoon style recent offerings had; in fact, I prefer MP Grimlock over the recent MPs! He's got some chrome on him as well as a somewhat-stylized take on him that makes him feel less proportionate to Grimlock's character model, which the Studio Series 86 figure does by having him be beefy. That being said, both are really good versions of the character, but now that I own a nicely-made Grimlock that cost me a good price, I wouldn't really need to put the MP Grimlock in a CHUG display. As for Power of the Primes Grimlock, well, he was fine for the time, but he definitely feels more like a midpoint toy between the Studio Series 86 guy and the Authentics figure that is bigger. Like the proportions are wonkier with that figure, the wings aren't there, and the figure had to compromise its appearance for Volcanicus. Now Volcanicus was a cool idea, but it is proof that with how pre-established Grimlock's design is before becoming a torso, it'll be hard to make the design work well without compromising Grimlock himself. Not a bad toy, but it dated faster now that we have SS86 on board.

And here he is with the same figures I had, which now has Grimlock tower over Magnus by a head while still being shorter than Jetfire. Wheelie is obviously the smallest of them all. The scale works well to me, and while some will say that Siege Jetfire is more accurate, he's too tall next to the other guys and thus requires me to go with Thrilling 30 Jetfire instead. That won't stop me from wanting Siegefire if I get him at a good price. But yes, these guys look good overall, and it makes me hope Hasbro does the rest of the Dinobots. Sludge should be a Leader, while Slag, Snarl, and Swoop should be Voyagers. When and how we'll get them is beyond me, though.

And here he is with other Grimlock figures from different eras of the franchise, consisting of Studio Series Grimlock as he appeared in Age of Extinction, Cyberverse Deluxe Grimlock, and Generations Fall of Cybertron Grimlock. While the AOE guy is the most distinct of them all, he is the biggest (and would also get the help from both RID Grimlocks to shut up naysayers about his appearance). It's funny how I have FOC Grimlock here because some would use him as a CHUG Grimlock compared to Classics if they don't have the Masterpiece, but it makes me so happy to own the SS86 version of Grimlock instead. Like, there's nothing else that he needs apart from a sword and maybe a crown. Forget about a stupid apron and drinks! I don't care about the brain transfer helmet! This guy's perfect and is also the best out of the offerings in the SS86 wave! Still waiting for The Fallen and the other AOE Dinobots, Hasbro. In the meantime, get this guy if you see him in stores, and I do mean it because of how the scalpers are with getting toys.

Final ranking:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Transformers Kingdom Megatron review

Beast Wars Megatron is my favorite version of the character, yessss. Between his voice, his motivations, and his design, I can't see any fault with this badass Predacon leader. Most normies would go "hur hur hur this Megatron knockoff is basically Barney hur hur hur gunn, not trecks", but the thing is that this Megatron knows how to make his plans unfold more than his ancestor, who's usually seen making STUPID devices in the cartoon and fail until the next episode. And sure, BW Megs tends to lose, yet he seems more fulfilling to win by comparison. I mean look at how he won during Beast Machines for most of the series! The dude turned every Cybertronian into Vehicons and ruled the planet until he died! And now I'm more than happy to own a version of him in the Kingdom line! As of now, we'll wait and see if he'll actually be as well-written in the Netflix show, but even if he doesn't sound glorious and is yet another Jason Marchonda slow-ass dude, at least his toy's awesome.

Here is Megatron in his Tyrannosaurus Rex mode, which is done up to look more like a realistic T-Rex rather than the more cartoon-accurate design from the cartoon. I don't mind it because the figure still has the spirit of the cartoon in this form and also looks awesome with the realistic proportions as well as the color scheme. This guy looks badass, and I have to give Hasbro credit for giving this guy the perfect balance between looking cartoon-accurate and realistic, something the Universe line's take of the Beast Wars characters didn't really strike. The beast mode pieces use a rubbery material for the texture, and while some parts are annoying to tab in place, it at least allows the materials to be better etched in place. I even like the deco that we have here, with the green on the back and the yellow in the bottom giving Megatron a little more color than he would normally have. And the articulation on him is pretty good! The jaw opens, the head turns left and right somewhat (the panels around the neck are spring-loaded so as to make his skin look less broken up), the little arms move around, the legs move front and back as well as in and out slightly (thanks to the shifting hip panels, the knees bend, and the ankles hinge as well as pivot. Even the tail can move, at two points no less! Pretty sweet!

For a size comparison, here is Megatron in-between Maximals Cheetor and Optimus Primal. These three are how we do the Beast mode scales right. Megatron should be the biggest of them all, especially as a Tyrannosaurus Rex is known to be the king of the Dinosaurs. If you feel like Primal is too short, then stand him upright!

One of the things I like about the Beast modes is the potential found from displaying them. You can have Primal and Cheetor harming him no problem while also having Megatron grab Cheetor and nearly kill him, requiring Optimus to grab him by the tail and try to stop him.

Transformation is undeniably Beast Wars Megatron's method of transformation, as while the leg's don't do as much beyond shifting in place, but the upper torso is quite involved; the way the panels fold up in the back as well as the way the torso swivels before tabbing in place. The back kibble and tail kibble are there, and it can be messy for the uninitiated, but let me say that it doesn't bother me since it's not as frustrating as on a shellformer. It's not as awful as some Beasties tend to have as he at least makes the most out of the parts into his outstanding robot mode! This design captures the feel of Beast Wars Megatron as well as he could, from the color scheme to the dino head and tail arms, and especially the kibble. It'd normally be weird to have that much junk on him, but it works so well that it doesn't bother me as much and instead works as Megatron's design. It also helps that the sculpted details of the robot parts are as intricate as the beast mode details, especially when it comes to the chest including the teeth collar and the four vents. Very nice touch!

Head sculpt is accurate to how Megatron looks in the series, and while he's not smirking, growling his teeth, or laughing, he has the proper shade of people, the red eyes, the frown, and the helmet design...if only they painted the back of it! At least his Predacon insignia is kept intact. His articulation is the same as with every WFC figure, though his arms work differently thanks to the dino head and the like. Interestingly, his left hand can hinge up, though it's not for any discernable reason I can think of. At least it has a 5mm post for anyone wanting to give him a gun.

There is apparently a variant head that has gritted teeth present, albeit unpainted. It lines up with the original toy's gritted teeth face, though it looks better here than it did with the original toy. If the teeth were painted properly, then it'd look more Megatron than the old toy's retro Ninja Turtle faces.

As far are repaints are concerned, this is T-Wrecks, based on a Dinobots/Beast Machines repaint of the original Megatron toy. Deco-wise, the dino mode definitely reminds me of the Red Ranger Tyrannozords from over the years, while the robot mode looks kind of plain with the bare gray; some added paint apps or silver would make it look nicer. A bigger offense is that he doesn't have the intended snarling head that would make this release so much cooler, and it'd also be a nice alternate head for the original figure while this can be the default head and be swapped with the mutant head. COME ON, HASBRO! #RestoreTheSnarlingHead

And for another take of the mold, this is Tyrannocon! A Jurassic Park-themed repaint of the mold, she turns from a realistically-colored Tyrannosaurus into a robot with a few G1 Dinobot color influence. Her head looks like a mix between Grimlock's and the mutant head of the original Megatron. Rexy came in a 2-pack with JP93, a new mold that not only turns into an officially licensed Ford Explorer from the movie, but it also looks like a Unicron Trilogy design. In fact, I bet JP93's engineering would be PERFECT for Armada Red Alert.

Finally using the alternate snarling face, Megatron gas a much more a screen-accurate deco.with a bit of a paint pattern on the skin to have it be purple and lavender. He is in the Beast Wars Again subline and comes with Optimus Primal, only renamed as the less-cool-sounding Convoy.

For a comparison with prior versions of Megatron, here he is next to the original toy, the Robotmasters version, and the Masterpiece version of the character. The old toy certainly holds up more than nearly every G1/2 toy made before it, but it's even clunkier than the Kingdom figure is. Also, the color scheme isn't exactly accurate despite being the 10th-anniversary version of it. The gimmicks are cool but it was a thing that makes it feel a little dated. I also think the head looks a little bad, what with the wrong colors and incorrect color scheme. The face even looks wrong! The Robotmasters version, seen here as the Telemocha version of the guy, is a simplified and shrunken-down version of the toy and lacks some of the finesse the original toy had to some extent. Looked more like a budget toy despite being twice as expensive as the original toy was thanks to the import prices. The masterpiece figure certainly is the best of them all, what with the design looking exactly making him look like he stepped out of the cartoon and into the real world, but that's what the line is about, which is why I can't be upset about the Kingdom version being less cartoon accurate and focusing on being the perfect mix of cartoon and realism.

For another comparison with some Beast Wars characters this time, here is Megatron sandwiched in-between two of his Maximals. It's so amusing to see this more monstrous Megatron contrast the macho beef of Primal and the normal design Cheetor has as a Transformer, though Megatron is monstrous in appearance as his character is more charismatic. I can't wait to get the rest of the Season 1 Predacons!

This guy is so outstanding to display in fight poses, as he can be seen giving Primal a big challenge in fighting him, capturing Cheetor in his possession, and leaving Rattrap in fear of not being chased by the big Predacon! Also, what's Blackarachnia doing in the background?

Here he is now sandwiched in-between Siege and Earthrise Megatron. Both versions of his ancestor are good toys (the Siege one better than the Earthrise one, admittedly), but I prefer the Beast Wars character much more due to his design being a lot cooler and his character being badass by comparison. Also interesting that he's taller than them! He's not as tall as Leaders were in the past, but he at least has a bit more weight to him thanks to the rubber.

This is something I always wanted to do when I got Kingdom Megatron: the Virgeewun Saturday Morning Cartoon Bad Guy vs the Chad Dinosaur Yes Man!

And now, it's time to add a bit of a backstory on how I got this guy...you see that Optimus Primal he's threatening? I used a link at Walmart.com to get me Leader Class Megatron, I waited for it to pop up, and while the package was quick, the figure I got was the wrong one! I got pretty upset that I told Walmart to give me a replacement! Surprisingly, they gave me a free replacement AND is indeed Megatron! So now I have a spare Leader Prime and the best version of Megatron yet!

Overall, this guy stands out as my favorite figure in the line so-far. Both modes look badass, the rubber pieces on him give him a great feel in terms of mimicking the organic skin without making it weird, the transformation is nice and involved, and the articulation in both modes, especially the dino mode, make him feel like a mini-triumph like the Masterpiece figure! And here he is with Optimus Prime's Core Class figure! I can almost hear him say "Muhahahaha! Say goodbye to the universe, Maximals! The future has changed, yessssss. The Autobots lose! Evil triumphs! And you...YOU NO LONGER EXIST!"

Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Transformers Studio Series 86 Scourge review

Thundercracker turned from a blue Starscream into a guy of his own...at the cost of being an old fart. Not a bad thing since Scourge's design was pretty cool, and it amuses me that while Cyclonus was more of a Batman sort of design, Scourge is more Man-Bat by comparison. I never owned any version of Scourge before, and while I was dead-set on buying the Universe version of Cyclonus, I wasn't sure which Scourge to get. Do I get the Generations one or stick with the Titans Return version? Well, Studio Series 86 is here to say "FUCK THOSE ONES, GET ME INSTEAD". And now let's check out this guy in his review.

Here is Scourge in his vehicle mode...which looks like a bath toy. It's funny how Galvatron was the seed of Megatrons becoming tanks in some universes while Cyclonus went for being a badass space jet. Scourge? He's a patrol vehicle that looks more like a bath toy. It's the precursor to Cybertron Thunderblast, and had this been painted in pink, there would no doubt be a perfect crossover with sci-fi Barbie (or in the Hasbro property case, Pinkie Pie). IF you think the boat comparisons can't be stopped, look at how the light-blue border looks like either the front of a boat or the inflatable part of most boats. Then you have the three...cannons? Turbines?...that look like propellers. Scourge? More like Poopdeck!

The effect piece can be plugged on any of the turbines, and the gun can be stored on either side. If you want to have Scourge and the Sweeps gut Ultra Magnus, then you can reveal the face and hope he can see straight on without being distracted by the face cover looking poorly placed like that.

Here he is next to Cyclonus, who definitely shows how much of a contrast there is between the slick and advanced Cyclonus and the dumpy & archaic Scourge. I get that Scourge is an old fart compared to Cyclonus, but while Mr. FuckIfIKnow got upgraded into a cool robot, Unicron certainly gave Thundercracker a weak downgrade. It's like going from Windows XP to Millennium Edition.

Transformation for Scourge is somewhat simpler than with Hot Rod, as he's a shellformer once again. I'll give him credit by saying that the really unique thing about him is how he places the wing kibble as well as how he places parts of the torso from around the thighs back on him, but that's pretty much it. At least the robot mode looks pretty cool, and while the wing kibble is pretty clunky when viewed from the sides, it looks solid from the front. The design is very faithful to how he looked in the cartoon, what with the design as well as the colors used. It's mostly the same kind of blue with highlights of the bluish-white on the thighs or hands, but his fingernails are pink! Maybe he's obsessed with running a nail salon! The square holes on the thighs are annoying, and it's weird seeing the screws on the top. Also, his Decepticon insignia looks kinda fat.

Headsculpt looks accurate to him, though it is amusing to see Thundercracker go from a blue Starscream to becoming an old fart...at least he has some identity to him, though his hat looks stupid. Nice beard, though. Articulation is about the same as with every Studio Series 86 & WFC figure in the line. His gun can be held with no problem, and it looks pretty cool despite it being molded in blue plastic.

The effect piece can plug on his gun and make for a cool blast attack, but I'm not going to lie, it looks like a dildo! And that is a throwback to Chad Warden's diss on the Nintendo Wii! You don't get something like that under new YouTube!

If you think his arsenal is lacking, then you might want to reconsider going with Siege Skywarp's Fracas! He's a slightly pearlescent version of Firedrive, but it works well in his favor since he looks better. The gun and articulation are the same as before...

...but it's pretty cool that he has new blast effect pieces in terms of their color: orange-yellow instead of purple!

As far as the reuses are concerned, we get a Sweep...which is just said to be a toy-accurate repaint with mirrored hands. That's it! Pretty lame if you ask me. A Devcon would be cooler in Generations Selects.

And the Legacy line retools this guy to make A Hero Is Born Alpha Trion, who came with a Orion Pax that was retooled from Kup. He now has both hands with relaxed hands, a retooled torso, and arms that are altered. His cape makes for a cool change, though it's amusing how similar Scourge can be to AT.

And for another reuse, one that I felt was expected and honestly looked forward to, this is Senator Ratbat! It's cool that we're continuing the trend of Scourge being retooled into IDW's take of G1 Ratbat, but while the robot mode stands out the most, the vehicle mode is mostly the same. He came with a Miner retool of Megatron (but not a minor retool, eh).

For a comparison with prior versions of Scourge, here he is next to the Titans Return, original Generations, and Titanium Series versions of Scourge! I'm gonna be honest and say that Scourge was kind of a hard character to nail right. The Titans Return version just looked a little too blocky and its wings unimpressive (would work well for some Sweeps), and the Generations version had the alt mode yet was maybe a little too fat since the legs looked kind of skinny (on top of his arms being farther apart from the shoulders), but the flaws in those two pale in comparison with the flaws present with the Titanium version! The skinny arms, the clunky legs, and the oversized head make him look like a laughing stock compared to the other versions. It was one of the better figures from that line (because man was it a hell of a mixed bag), but while some old toys from that time period like the Classics guys hold up decently, the Titanium Series mostly doesn't work too well.

For another comparison, here he is with Kingdom Cyclonus! Many complained about the two figures not being of the same height, but I do believe Cyclonus was actually taller in the show compared to Scourge. That being said, they look pretty good next to each other, though there's no denying that Cyclonus is the better figure of the two. Now, all we need to complete this trio of 86 movie Decepticons is Galvatron.

 

While Scourge sucks on his blast-effect-that-totally-doesn't-look-like-a-penis, I want to say that he makes for a good version of the character in spite of me feeling his alternate mode is goofy and his transformation a little basic. If you do happen to see him, be sure to pick him up and enjoy him! As for whether or not we'll get Sweeps, we'll see.

Final ranking: