Transformers Classics Bumblebee review

I've reviewed Titans Return Bumblebee and thought that would be my definitive CHUG Bumblebee. Then I got the WFC Netflix Bumblebee and made him my definitive CHUG Bumblebee. But there was always that itch for an older version of the character that may not be on my main G1 display but at least have a spot for a neat Bumblebee figure. Apart from the smaller-than Deluxe guys, there is the duo of Masterpiece figures that some would encourage to get but they're a double-edged sword; one is off in terms of proportions and the other is pretty messy. So the only other figure that fits around that scale that doesn't have wonky proportions or doesn't suck would be the Classics guy. So let's see what he's got to offer as a 15-year world toy.

Here we have Bumblebee in his vehicle mode, which is a fictionalized Honda Civic from the 90s with the addition of custom parts to make it further stylized than the original vehicle. It's one that fits well for Bumblebee without him being a Volkswagen Beetle, and I do appreciate that the proportions and custom parts are added to make it look a little tougher than he normally would be without the customizability. The details on this car are fairly smooth, which is appropriate that he has minimal sculpting applied given how this alt mode wouldn't normally be seen as too heavy on the details beyond the panel-lining. What I do like is the raised hood for the engine, the spoiler on the back, the fully painted and pinned rims, the clear headlights, the subtle silver for the grille, and the inclusion of stripes. The stripes were an addition to make the toy look colorful on the shelf, and while it may not be accurate to G1 or not look as good as the black stripes, it does fit him quite well. 

The vehicle mode's got some nice proportions that fit the line between looking cartoony and somewhat small at the same time, yet it doesn't feel too super-deformed. I also love how the interior has seats to make it look a wee-bit more complete, even if there is no minifigure compatibility or proper scale next to Classics Prime's seats. One thing I found unusual is that the back third of Bumblebee has a mismatched shade of yellow next to the rest of the toy molded in yellow plastic. It's not a dealbreaker and does look better than some recent attempts, but it is worth mentioning.

The jet ski trailer can tow on the back of the car with an additional little peg that it slides into. It does come off easily, and the jet-ski itself may be out of scale with itself for how undersized it is, but it serves another purpose that we'll get to. It's otherwise a cute accessory, but now I just noticed how the back looks like a pogging clown.

For a vehicle mode size comparison. here he is next to Optimus Prime from the same line. He's still smaller than Prime but may believe he is a little too such like he's supposed to be smaller than him. It's not an awful scale, but I'm sure that the seats of a Civic are smaller than that of a truck.

Transforming Bumblebee feels rather interesting; as while the Classics line felt like it borrowed engineering traits from Cybertron, Bumblebee feels more like he transforms similarly to what an Alternators version of him would be like. Of course, Bumblebee never had a figure in the line beyond the pre-production stages, but between how clunky the figure looks and how the figure transforms, you would likely think he is not a mainline release with how he works. Unlike Optimus, Megatron, Starscream, etc, Bumblebee feels more like a robot that is designed after the fact that a vehicle exists, which is the opposite of other Transformers when its robot mode is designed in conjunction with vehicle mode choice and transformation. The resulting robot mode we end up with is definitely chunkier than what we're normally used to for the character. This guy was designed to be based on a teen with a hoody back in the 2000s; this is especially seen with the arm panels, bulky legs, and how low the chest piece goes down. It thematically fits him when he first came out while Hasbro tried to upsell the first mainline Bumblebee toy since G2. I like how it turned out, even if the figure does have car chunks to get on some's nerves. Some issues include how the left engine block having some stripes not match while the arms don't go all the way down. Also, it is ironic how the figure looks bulky until you remember how the midriff behind the windshield works. On a side note, he has a rub-sign like most Classics figures did.

Head sculpt looks insanely good, and it fits the character quite well. Even if the eyes aren't light piped in an appropriate color like light blue. His articulation is fairly solid but a little limited, with ball joints for the head, shoulders, elbows, and hips, while the upper leg swiveled and bend at the knees. His jet ski, the Wave Crusher, can split into two halves, swivel around, and become a jet pack for him to use decently! It further completes his look with the fact that it covered the hollow spot behind his back.

As far as repaints are concerned, this is the Legacy of Bumblebee set that was released on Walmart in 2008, depicting this guy who had black sprites instead of white and was included with Premium Series Bumblebee toy as well as one for Animated. The Wave Crusher is molded in different colors though.

And this is the third Hasbro Bee from this mold, this time in Reveal the Shield. He's closer to the movie deco and looks quite nice for a bystander. This was one I'd likely have gotten back then.

Next up, this is Henkei Bumblebee, depicting him with a cartoon-accurate deco, blue eyes, and the inclusion of chrome on the spoiler and engine block. Nice as it may look, though the chrome was random as was the case in the Henkei line. 

This is the United Bumblebee figure, giving the toy a cool metallic paint job as it resembles how a Goldbug would work. It does chip too easily. though.

Now we have the canceled blue repaint of Bumblebee which interestingly resembles Glyph. Beyond that, nobody knows what it was for in general.

After covering all the Bumblebee repaints, here we can see only Hasbro covered the different characters. This is Cliffjumper, who may be a red Bee but at least has some silver paint apps to make him a little more distinct. Some new weapons and an alternate would be fine for creativity and what-not.

And finally, this is Bug Bite from BotCon 2007! He's based on the 2005 G1 Gobots version of the toy with the added tribal decals and head with a different shade of white from the rest of the toy. This goy looks cool although Generations Selects is more frequent.

And for a size comparison, here he is with Optimus, Megatron, and Starscream! He's shorter than them all but still feels big in some capacity. It's interesting because Bumblebee never felt this size in fiction but was a sign of how Deluxes in different sizes could gather attention. And while he may not be as modern as the WFC trilogy, he is still a nice, chunky toy that anyone should get in spite of how it's sometimes in the clunkier side of things that makes him feel more like the Citroen C4 robot than a real Transformer.

Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Star Wars: The Black Series Lucasfilm 50th Anniversary Luke Skywalker review

You already know Luke Skywalker by now, I'm sure. He's the son of Darth Vader, brother of Princess Leia, an ally of the Rebel Alliance, and the galaxy's greatest Jedi...until a certain mega-corporation messed it all up. That being said, I never owned a Luke Skywalker figure until now, simply because I dread collecting Star Wars toys after being so invested in Transformers and now Power Rangers, especially considering how frequently I buy from those lines than I do Star Wars, Marvel/DC, etc. And of course, much like Iron Man and Bumblebee, Luke Skywalker has been well-known for his different outfits from the Original Trilogy, with 4 in the A New Hope, 3 new ones in Empire Strikes Back, and 1 new outfit with setting-specific additions for Return of the Jedi. I should have gotten a ROTJ Luke because that was my favorite version of the character, though this one was more readily available at the time when I wanted to get free shipping with Premium Edition Ratchet. So here he is on my desk.

Here is Luke Skywalker in-hand, in his signature appearance from A New Hope. Of note with this figure is that he has cloth goods for his shirt, which may be a selling point for the toy, but it looks puffy on him and nowhere near as refined as the sculpted pants and boots. I'll give them credit in making the shirt look how it should, but it just looks more like something a doll would wear than a 6-inch action figure. One interesting aspect about the figure is that underneath the shirt is a bare chest and arms, which does allow this sculpt to be used for any shirtless characters Hasbro may want to make figures of. At least the belt and pants look appropriately sculpted and have some decent colors used for the plastic they're made from to look accurate to the movie. 

Head sculpt looks pretty bad. Sure, it attempts to look closer to Mark Hamill in 1977 than the previous version did, but he doesn't quite nail it that well. Also, is it me or does one side of the face look misshapen than the other? At least the hair is decently painted as well as sculpted, and the yes and mouth look realistic, but otherwise, a bad likeness to Luke. I'm afraid Hasbro has yet to depict the perfect likeness to Mark Hamill in their figures. Anyways, articulation is par for the course with the Black Series but is missing key points. The head is on a ball joint on one part of the neck and can hinge up and down on the other, the shoulders can move front and back, in and out, though the shirt does inhibit the movement, the elbows bend at 90 degrees as well as swivel in lieu of a bicep swivel, and there is a diaphragm joint. The hips move front and back, in and out, swivel at the thighs, bend at two points of the knee, and the ankles hinge as well as pivot. He has no alternate hands you you're gonna make do with him holding his lightsaber. Yeah, on top of Hasbro still missing alternate hands for their figures, I'm not a fan of how we still don't have butterfly joints or double-jointed elbows on Black Series figures.

He does have another accessory, but it's the binoculars that he mainly used when looking for R2-D2 on Tattooine. He can't hold them properly so he instead has to hold the dial with one hand and balance it on the other. Like I said, I wish Hasbro can give us alternate hands for these guys. Oh and he can store his hilt on the belt and it turns out that the blades can come off, but I'm surprised that they could because I thought they were not able to this entire time! Either way I don't want to risk it because my Darth Vader's lightsaber tore off at the peg.

You can also store the binoculars on the belt if you so desire and it fills in the gap on his belt but also doesn't mess up any articulation. Overall, Black Series Luke Skywalker is kind of a mixed bag for me. I was generally happy with the other Black Series figures I got, but he just seems kind of like a reminder as to why I don't really want much to do with the line apart from an occasional purchase or two. Between the lack of articulation and limited accessories, as well as the way the likenesses can be inconsistent, I'm not too sure if I'd recommend this Luke Skywalker or not. Maybe a blaster or a training helmet would suffice, but he is the "vanilla" Luke of the Black Series line. I'd probably be happier with a ROTJ Luke.

Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐ out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Transformers Masterpiece MPM-10 Starscream review

Starscream's already had quite a bit of presence in the Movieverse when it comes to his toys that I've covered on the site. I first reviewed the Studio Series version, then I took a look at the Leader Class figure from Hunt for the Decepticons, and 2 years later, I reviewed the Bumblebee movie version. But while I am alright with the first Voyager, liked the Leader, and was disappointed with the second Voyager, I always wanted more from the guy. Ever since I started collecting the Masterpiece line, I knew I had to get myself more from this character. So I finally jumped the bullet and decided to  get Starscream when he was at a good price. Now I haven't seen many reviews on the guy because I wasn't too focused on getting the MPM line back then, but now that the amount of MPMs has quadrupled to go along with Optimus Prime and Bumblebee, what better time than now to finish off the currently released MPMs from the first movie than with the Decepticon released last year. In other words, IT'S STARSCREAM!!!!!

 

Here is Starscream in his jet mode, which is a licensed F-22 Raptor Fighter Jet from Lockheed Martin. As always, the vehicle mode is accurate to how it looked in the movie, and while this deco may not be quite as prominent as the more famous tattoos he received in Revenge of the Fallen, I'd say it looks better in-hand than with some of the earlier stock images; they made him look like he's on a less accurate shade of gray and darker than usual camo that didn't make him look that great. Here, Starscream looks very good to how he appears in MV1, especially with how subtle the deco on real F-22s are. The panel-lining is there, and while a wash would help accentuate the details, the plastic quality is great enough that it doesn't feel washed out. I also love how there's a seat inside the cockpit, with the canopy being in an orange clear plastic that, while not accurate, does feel like Starscream and would look weird without it.

The undercarriage isn't that great, however. It's not that he has it but moreso that it looks pretty messy. Previous versions have varied with how the undercarriage should be handled, but the legs especially make it look messier and fragmented from the sides. If they were removed, I'd say that the undercarriage would likely look less egregious than it currently is. At least there is some landing gear to make it evenly balanced, but it's kind of hideous if we're being honest.

The weapon storage is serviceable, though while the minigun looks pretty coon underneath the cockpit, the other weapons look out of place when stored underneath the wings. It is what it is, there's no other way to store them in clever ways unless you make them further complicated.

For a comparison with the HFTD Leader Class figure, it's not going to be a 1:1 comparison because one was made with gimmicks and an easier transformation at the time while the other is more of a collector's item and has had a decade's worth of lessons learned from previous Starscream toys while making this one accurate. That and their decos aren't the same, as they're based on different movies, too. I can't really say that one is more accurate than the other in terms of proportions since, unlike the Optimus Primes from the ROTF and MPM lines, these two are barely different in terms of silhouette and sculpting. Sure, one may be more refined than the other, but at first glance, there's not much that makes them different apart from the tiny fins on the MPM nosecone.

Comparing the undercarriage proportions for both is a different story, because they're not 100% perfect by any stretch of the imagination, and the side profile is where you might see some differences. For example, the nosecone of the Leader is shorter than the MPM, but undercarriage is where things are different. The Leader's undercarriage is smoother as far as flow is concerned, while the MPM is messier by comparison. Basically, one has fewer gaps than the other. Also, the landing gear is more noticeable on the Leader, but both do roll beautifully.

And here we have Starscream next to Megatron, who may have barely been in jet mode together in the movie and were even distanced from each other in robot mode, they did look like they'd have this exact size in the movie. It's hard to tell since Starscream tends to shift the jet parts around so as to not tower over Optimus Prime too much and to be shorter than Megatron, but they line up well here.

Now here's a picture I always wanted to recreate. The Autobots as well as Starscream and Barricade recreating a promo photo of the many vehicles used in the movie. Obviously, Megatron's not a real jet, but it is amusing how Blackout, Brawl, and Bonecrusher were not in the photo. Anyways, the size is DEFINITELY not accurate to the real world equivalents. Bumblebee, Jazz, and Barricade were already a little oversized next to the bigger Autobots, but Starscream's undersized next to everyone else. If the other guys were Studio Series sized, perhaps that would help make the figure feel accurate to the way he appeared in the movie. 

Transformation is RIDICULOUSLY complex. I know Starscream's design is the least easy to tackle for toys, but the efforts went in making this guy feel accurate to the movie is so devoted that it makes me feel more like I'm transforming a third party rendition of an AOE/TLK figure than I am a normal Movie Trilogy figure; those designs are easier to do in toy form, and while I appreciate the uniqueness he has in how he handles it, my God was it so long to do, but it's even worse in vehicle mode because the parts have to be in certain places or else they're going to confuse your brain and make it fart like it happened to mine. The new steps are great and likely never implemented on previous figures, but man is it a long ride. The resulting robot mode, however, is very accurate to the movie, with the exact proportions, wing positioning, and foot design that I feel had only been replicated properly by the ROTF Leader. AS we'll see later in the comparisons, this guy captures the gorilla-like proportions of Starscream quite well. The details of the figure are quite well done, too, especially with how a good majority of the figure doesn't have the details etched onto big chunks of the robot mode and instead make him look more mechanical and complete. The chest is the perfect example of it all, as he looks like he's actually got a proper amount of parts to make it lack any gaps that other attempts would have. The wings are especially spot-on, and the back doesn't have any structural hollow bits (and neither does most of the front view because of the layers of parts), but the best thing about this Starscream is that he's the first to have the back boosters that I don't think previous attempts had until now. Some may find the colors of this guy to be not 100% accurate or a little drab, but for what it's worth, he looks appropriate for the deco compared to, say, the beige or gold of the Voyager and Legends from MV1. Oh, and he has die-cast on his shoulders and feet.

Head sculpt is good to represent the character, and I like how uncompromised the eyes look thanks to the sculpt work and paint apps, but it does such that his noggin's not given a sweet silver head to further complete the look. I'd be okay if it was the only major robot part painted silver so long as it blended in with the rest of the toy. Also, no Decepticon insignias? C'mon, son! His articulation is quite extensive for a figure of this design, but one major point is missing. His head can swivel left and right as well as look up and down, the mouth can open and close, the shoulders move front and back, though despite using ratchets, the left shoulder is looser than the right shoulder (which leads to a problem as we'll get to in a moment); the elbows can bend, the forearms can swivel, and the hands can swivel at the wrists, flex at two points for the thumbs, and hinge their three fingers. There are butterfly joints, which is surprising given how uncommon that is for a Transformer like this. Hips move front and back, in and out, the thighs swivel, the knees bend a two points, and the lower leg swivels. There is some ankle pivots, but untabbing the feet may provide unofficial points of articulation. If you were paying attention, you should know that he's missing bicep swivels. Yes, the more expensive figure is missing a joint that other, cheaper versions of the character have. WHY?! I know the transformation's kind of hard to make it possible, but if the cheaper toys can add biceps, why cant' he?!

The accessories he has are nice to use in this mode, whether it's the mini gun or the sawblade combined with the rocket launcher. I know the saw blade was actually from ROTF, but it's like the blades and Matrix of MPM Optimus: he's gotta have it. The saw blade spins nicely and the rockets can swivel to simulate it having that reload scene from when Starscream was on the bridge near Hoover Dam. And going back to the tightness of the shoulders, combining the added length and weight makes the shoulders harder to hold the weapons up in higher spots, especially the left shoulder because of how loose it is. Seriously, I don't know why it's like that, and I can't take it apart because it uses bolts instead of screws!

As far as weapon storage works, it all tabs in on the back perfectly fine, though the gun is more subtle than the other weapons are.

The inevitable repaint known as the ROTF tattoo paint job looks deliciously iconic, and it further completes this guy since he's better known for the tattoos. He has stronger ratchets but still no bicep rotation.

For a mold comparison, where we have the MPM next to the Leader, and yep, one is taller than the other, but the proportions and general robot mode accuracy are also different! The chest is wider on the MPM, the wing positioning is more accurate on said version of the guy, the details better capture the look of the figure, and the overall accuracy feels much more complete than the other versions of the guy are. It's also where I appreciate the colors of the MPM version as it's more consistent than the Leader's brown plastic and red indicators for gimmicks. Also, the weight may be about the same; Leader Starscream has fewer parts than MPM Starscream but they're denser and are complimented with the gimmicks and electronics. 

The minigun execution is different for each figure, with one being an accessory and the other being a spring-loaded gimmick (on top of the former being able to spin), while the rocket launcher looks better for the MPM than the Leader, though the latter does have the simpler connection and a missile launcher.

So who's better?So the MPM version wins in the looks department, but honestly, even if it's inaccurate, HFTD Starscream is still a nicely done version of the guy for his time, and I think he's still good even in spite of some of the dated design traits he has. He's kind of like the good parts of Classics, Universe, and Generations, where the figures may be less proportionate or refined than the WFC counterparts but are at least nicely made toys nonetheless. While you can still own ROTF Starscream and not go for the Studio Series, I'd say you should still get MPM Starscream but keep the Leader if you want. Both he and Optimus Prime are characters that have had good Leader Class toys and good MPM figures.

And for a size comparison, here he is with Megatron and Barricade. He's definitely in-between them in terms of height, and it makes me want to see the other Decepticons in the line. I really hope we get a Blackout at some point because he would be so awesome to get (the price will make me say otherwise, though). I do believe that the height is accurate, even if Barricade should be shorter or Starscream should be at a closer height to Megatron.

Overall, MPM Starscream is one of those figures that I do like in spite of some of the issues I have with the toy. Jet mode looks great from the top yet has some ugly undercarriage junk, transformation is the most accurate yet can be confusing, robot mode looks perfect yet some details can be under detailed, and the articulation is almost there (BICEP SWIVELS). There are other things I don't like about the figure, like the weak shoulder ratchets and the way some things on the guy don't quite tab in securely. He's still an amazing figure, though he is one of the few you may want to get from a 4th party KO with better paint apps. I got the regular version for consistency sake with my other MPM's, and he was at a cheaper price than the KOs at the time I got him.

Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐