DNA Design DK-12 (MPM Ironhide) & DK-26 (MPM Starscream/Barricade) Upgrade Kit review

Back when yours truly was learning about Transformers more often in 2011, I discovered different continuities, multiple toylines, and different parts of what makes the franchise exciting, which included TakaraTomy and the third party side of things. It was interesting to see upgrade kits for pre-existing figures, fully original toys, and shrunken down iGear versions of Masterpiece Prime and the Seekers. Now, it's common to see upgrade kits for G1-related lines, Movie figures, some Prime releases, and plenty more, especially for the Generations-themed lines that grew in prominence. DNA Design is best known for making upgrade kits for the Studio Series and WFC Trilogy, and now they dipped their toes in the Masterpiece Movie line by reducing the issues of Ironhide's stability, giving Barricade his partner, and resolving a sin that Starscream committed as an expensive, modern-day action figure. Now let's see what the DK-12 MPM-6 Upgrade Kit and the DK-26 Gear Master Accessory kit have to offer.

Let's start off the more required upgrade kit of the two, that being the DK-12 set. Included are a back brace, two rifles based on the ones from Dark of the Moon (each with their own different sculpts), two knives meant to go with the rifles, and two adaptors that may pass for ammo clips. Almost every accessory is molded in a black or dark gunmetal gray plastic with silver paint apps applied throughout the toy.

Here is Ironhide's back with and without the accessory. On its own, it doesn't really look that incomplete, but the gaps that go behind all of the parts do mean that there could have been a way to make it less noticeable on a figure this expensive. Luckily, the back brace keeps everything secure for the chest, keeping it from becoming loose and unstable from trying to pose the arms. You interestingly have an Autobot insignia outline in the center of it, though no badge is tampographed for obvious trademark reasons.

Here is one of the two rifles that he comes with, showcasing the level of details included from the sculptwork and the added paint apps. These are almost reminiscent of how I'd expect Hasbro to paint up the accessories of a Voyager Class figure, or at most a Leader, but they look good overall, and I do appreciate the faithfulness they have to the designs in the movie.

You can slide the knife out and have it be held in his hands, though the grip isn't the best. However, the guns can be held with no real issue, especially with the back adaptor.

These weapons can attach to the back, and I also like how they possess a similar level of asymmetry much like how the arm cannons on Ironhide did. With the back panels now in-between the two canons, Ironhide feels much more complete. 

As for the adaptors, they add a much better connection to the panels and tabs of the forearms. While not 100% perfect because the pieces kind of like to be less secure with the clear parts on the forearm panels, they are a much better connection than whatever the fuck the HasTak designers were thinking. I mean, on top of having nonexistent solidity, you're relying on the least reliable use of clear plastic for something like this. So once again, not 100% perfect, but better than before.

Now your Ironhide is ready to kill some punk-ass Decepticons! I do find it sad that Hasbro could have easily included the Dark of the Moon guns so they don't have to worry about making the DOTM release any less interesting beyond the new weapons. I mean, if Optimus can have the two blades and the Matrix despite those being in ROTF, why can't Ironhide have the other guns? Oh and as the box shows, he comes with a Bad Mojo leaking lubricant all over his foot. Let's hope it's not going to rust.

Next up for the other upgrade kit, here's the Frenzy figurine. This guy is meant to go with Barricade given how the Decepticop was missing his little partner in the Masterpiece line as well as Studio Series. It's even worse how Scorponok was present in both lines while the boombox boi can't even pop up in that Buzzworthy 2-pack with his friend and Clunkerbee! Anyways, this Frenzy is designed to be inaccurate for the purpose of overall stability. In an essence, he looks like a more refined version of that Fast Action Battlers' toy, but not as fat and obviously lacking the ability to transform into a boombox. He's also got some spikes on his arms and back as well as some very long heels.

Head sculpt looks like how it should in the movie, with Frenzy having a very alien design that also possessed two pairs of eyes that are unusually blue for his allegiance. Apart from that, his articulation consists of a ball joint and two neck hinges, shoulders that are on ball joints for the butterfly joints and the shoulders, elbow bends with the very noticeable screws, a waist swivel, ball joints for the hips and the thighs, a knee bend, ankle hinges, and ball-jointed pivots. The tolerances of the ball joints could be better, though.

The gun mode's transformation is pretty neat with how the arms and the back spines serve as the front while Frenzy desperately tries to hide his head. The thighs, feet, and heels also become the back part of the toy as the latter serves as the handle. It's not a particularly unique design that sticks out for weapons, but it does feel alien enough.

The weapon does look as though it belongs to Barricade, though I have to admit I don't normally see Barricade as the kind of guy to use guns, since I know him best as the guy who uses a flail attack. The grip of the handle could be better, but so long as the fingers are tight, then it should be no issue. For a size-comparison, he is noticeably taller than he normally is in the movies, with Frenzy almost being 7 feet tall as was the case with the old figurine that came with the original Barricade. And I know people would wish for him to be in his chest, but I'd be okay if there was a display piece that lets you pose him coming out of the chest

And now for the Starscream half of the kit, you can tell how subtle the differences are at first glance. The sculptwork is different between the pieces, but believe me when I say that the result of the added articulation is much more appreciative. So on the left, the original forearms lacked any additional hinges meant to go with the swivels that were already on there, meaning any forearm rotation that worked with the elbow joint was nonexistent. Here, adding a new kind of joint for the latter, essentially a bicep swivel that also doubled with another elbow hinge, meant the arms can also bend inwards by using the replacement forearms.

The added articulation now has Starscream work with elbow swivels that were missing on the original release, something that should NOT be an issue for an expensive figure. I do wish his fingers would be replaced with more sturdy ones since my copy has them warped for the left hand somewhat. I will have to criticize them for not being tight enough to hold the weight of the weapons, something that affected the shitty ratchet joints of the shoulders. But regardless, these upgrade kits make for improvements that these figures should have had from the beginning. Okay, I would probably like to see HasTak implement the back brace without the partsforming, but Frenzy and added articulation on Starscream could have been easy additions for the toys. Regardless, these are highly recommended if you're not happy with the current state of the three figures in question.

Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ and a half out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Marvel Legends J Jonah Jameson (No Way Home/Armadillo BAF) review

JK Simmons playing J Jonah Jameson in the MCU probably means that he's the same-looking guy in all versions of live-action (related) media. It's not something I don't mind because he's the kind of guy that can pull it off as portraying the character no problem, kind of like how Peter Cullen and Frank Welker voice most versions of Prime and Megs in Transformers media. It was interesting seeing him in a role similar to Alex Jones but less insane, but he was seen more in-person during the events of No Way Home, which made him a stand-out part of the film if you ask me. My favorite part of him was when he blamed Spider-Man for "killing" Aunt May while he was on the electric billboard, showing how powerful he can be when putting others down as a news reporter. But while I wait for an updated Raimi Trilogy JK Simmons (and to some extent, a Commissioner Gordon to go with Batfleck), here's my review on the Marvel Legends version of the guy.

Here is J Jonah Jameson in-hand, depicting him in his blue suit with a light blue collar shirt underneath it. I checked the other suited Marvel Legends figures I own (Logan, Charles Xavier, Obadiah Stane), and he appears to have a different shirt with it being somewhat buttoned in the middle. I don't know if the legs or sleeves are different, but honestly, it's not much of an issue I'd have if they were. The proportions are good to represent the character as they would, even if some may think there is a disconnect between the hole where the arms would go through and the arms themselves due to how the toy is designed.

Head sculpt is very accurate to how he'd look IRL, which is something I can always appreciate when it comes to the current technology Hasbro uses for their characters whenever they have an IRL face to depict. His articulation is the standard for the Marvel Legends line, though it is worth mentioning that his right-pointing hand has a hinge that can go up and down while the left fist (or one of two splayed open hands) can hinge in and out. It's also worth mentioning that IDK what is going on with my copy, but his arms don't really like to move out that much because of the suit piece that he has. I'm not 110% sure on that. He has the left arm of Armadillo which is another step closer to getting us to completing the figure. I'll be honest and say that this guy is neat to get if you want to have a version of the man himself from No Way Home, since he was one of the stronger parts of the movie (along with the fanservice and when the MCU characters started to be more tolerable). If anything, he's at least neat to not have for when he's in dynamic poses if you ask me. And hey, he'll be great with some diorama images from Articulated Comic Book Art.

Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐ out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Transformers Buzzworthy Bumblebee Worlds Collide 4-pack review

It's pretty amusing that we'd get retail lines to expand the War for Cybertron trilogy. Apart from the traditional exclusives, we initially saw Walmart get the Netflix-themed line with repaints that tried to match the animation models as well as the two cool yet out-of-place G1-accurate retools for Bumblebee and Soundwave. Target got the Buzzworthy Bumblebee line, allowing them to have repaints of their own that were a mix of Studio Series and now having elements of the WFC Trilogy. Weirdly enough, they had new molds for Mr. Bee himself with the Core Class figure that came with Spike and the Origins figure that turned him into a flying saucer. It even led to a multi-pack that was almost ill-fitting for the line as a whole due to it having more niche decos that would win over older fans as well as having a retool of a Titans Return figure as some way of filling in the gap for a yearly Headmaster inclusion. IDK, it's something fascinating if you ask me. That being said, let's see how well the multipack works in this line-up as I review it nearly a year after its release.

 

Here are the four figures in the line, consisting of Bumblebee, Blackarachnia, Nemesis Primal, and Fangry. The first three molds were already covered in length previously with Earthrise's Cliffjumper as well as Kingdom's own Blackarachnia and Optimus Primal, so any differences regarding cosmetics and new tooling will be covered only. Fangry will be saved for last due to his status as a heavy retool of a figure I haven't covered yet.

Let's get Bumblebee out of the way. He's essentially a yellow Cliffjumper in vehicle mode, with his blue clear plastic replaced with black as well as having the engine intake painted on the front in a not-so-consistent manner. Honestly, the slight seams of yellow on the toy's black lines look kind of cheap and remind me of when anime would have its characters with incompletely drawn mouths that look odd and put me off. I'll give Bee some credit for having the insignia on his rooftop, something that most versions of the mold don't have. That being said, this guy feels boring. The yellow being unpainted plastic pales compared to the nice coats of paint that the other versions of the mold received. I don't have all of them because of my current buying plans prioritizing other lines, but compare WCBee to regular CJ, Netflix Bumblebee, and Gen. Selects Bug Bite; they all have a nice shine to them thanks to the paint applied to make the toys look consistent in vehicle mode. I wouldn't mind the lack of paint for this guy if he at least had something to make up for it. Racing stripes to match the movie figure would be neat! As a result, he looks like a less-polished Hubcap.

I don't like how cheap this toy feels, too. Maybe it's the mold-degredation kicking in, but I swear he doesn't feel as nice as the others without his coat of paint for the other parts of the figure. It also washes out some of the details that were decently present on the other versions of the mold. I also noticed a crack on one of the door hinges of the left foot, which is not an issue I encountered with the other figures. It's probably a rare QC issue, but I swear this all would have been prevented if Hasbro actually made the paint job lift the figure in a higher quality than it currently is. And next to the other versions, he looks fine but I don't think is as interesting as the other figures. Admittedly, he fulfills the digibashes fans made of an Earthrise Bumblebee simply by existing, but as mentioned before, something new to distinguish him from the other Bumblebees would be cool. That green cannon isn't enough in my opinion. I think he could go for the aforementioned racing stripes or maybe a masked facesculpt, reusing the Goldbug head in Bumblebee colors to homage the Movie guy and make for a unique companion piece with Earthrise Barricade.

Next to Hubcap, there's not much of a difference between the two apart from the yellow shoulders on HC as well as his own head and the Autobot insignia being on his right foot. But what makes Hubcap work is his yellow coat of paint, which helps him pop as nicely as the other examples of the mold I own, and presumably including Goldbug from Shattered Glass. Now I know the Buzzworthy line has a Cliffjumper repaint that ditches the coat of red paint throughout the toy, but at least it's an even higher effort in being animation accurate with the Allspark Power windows, brighter red, gray limbs, and steel blue cannon made it a visually unique redeco from the original version. WCBee just feels like a worse version of Hubcap if we're being honest. I mean, you can give his cannon to Ironhide like in that one G1 Episode that didn't know what weapon Ironhide had at the time, and he does come with a chance for you to get the Allspark accessory, but let me tell you that it doesn't like staying on the ports. IDK why it's even blast-port compatible when it would probably be decent on figures with articulated fingers. Then again, while the Cube from 2007 reminded me of why I love the Bayverse, the polygon model of the early 2020s reminded me of why I hate the Netflix show. Everyone kept saying "ALLSPARK THIS ALLSPARK THAT" I'll spark a fire on your enemy scrotum if you even dare change your mind on not a show based on Legacy!

Next up, it's Blackarachnia! Based on the original toy colors the character received, it doesn't really scream black widow spider like the cartoon color scheme did. That being said, this is the kind of deco I really like since it's something I never thought we'd get due to Hasbro initially wanting to go for a toy-accurate look for G1 stuff constantly and not so much for Beast Wars. This has begun the approach for HasTak to begin going for the toy-colored Beasties as we've seen on leaks for Scorponok as well as characters that were initially toy decos like T-Wrecks and Grimlock. The difference in color is especially striking for the legs and the abdomen, with the former being an orangey color compared to the solid black while the latter has a blue metallic sheen that makes it look more like the kind of spider you'd find at a rainforest. Even the green underneath the mandibles (which are the robot shoulders) adds a more toxic vibe to this color scheme, I swear it fits so well.

I have to say that the robot mode color differences make the figure much more dynamic and wild compared to the more dramatic and mature use of golden yellow and black on the regular figure. It's especially worth bringing up since toy Blackarachnia has the inclusion of more green and now purple to go along with the other colors shown in beast mode, the cheetah fur pattern on her breasts compared to the subtle gold highlights on the normal toy, and the new robot head better matching the toy head sculpt, which certainly looks better thanks to the mouthplate not having the gap from the neck hinge used for the mutant head gimmick. Admittedly, these colors are much more vibrant than the muted deco on the original toy, but I think it works as a great way to juxtapose it from the original version's cartoon colors. This Blackarachnia can be seen as the pure Predacon version while the cartoon version can remain as the Maximal-Protoform-Turned-Predacon character we all know and love. It's worth mentioning that the tab that connects the breasts is shortened to prevent breakage on the new version while my original figure has its tab broken off. It does make the talent not lock in place but at least it doesn't act as a major detriment. Some have opted to switch out the spider legs with the original release for a more cartoon-accurate look, but I'm sticking with the standard look for both of them.

After that, we've got Nemesis Primal, who was initially a repaint I was also not that thrilled by at first glance in a way similar to Bumblebee. Given how Optimus Prime already had a dark color scheme, I didn't really see much of the potential from Nemesis at first glance. However, the beast mode at least made his fur an even darker shade of black compared to the original figure (at least from what I'm seeing), and his bare skin is now in purple while his eyes are red, giving the illusion that this guy can also resemble an artificially made gorilla instead of a naturally organic one. But that's where the robot mode differences lie...

...because his deco certainly makes him stand out even more in robot mode! The chest is more thoroughly painted this time around (though the panel is a little floppy), the swords have blood-red blades for a more frightening look to them, the biceps, thighs, and cannons have metallic teal and some silver highlights here and there, and the headsculpt is not only newly molded to have the mouthplate and angrier eyes, but the helmet is painted black to make the details pop more in comparison to the flat blue plastic used on Optimus Primal, which, while cartoon accurate, does look drab by comparison. These details made me go from not wanting Nemesis Primal to then being happy that I own him. It also made me want to go out and get T-Wrecks in spite of him not having the correct retooled head.

And last, but certainly not least, we have Fangry. This guy makes for a really awesome surprise for those who never thought we'd get a niche toy like him, even if he's in a boxset with figures that are mostly repaints with new noggins. This guy is a retool of Twinferno, aka Doublecross, from the Titans Return line. The heavy retooling is extremely helpful as it makes him feel like a different toy all around, the same way it worked for Studio Series helicopter Drift compared to chopper Dropkick. Just about everything except for maybe the beast legs is new, and I can always appreciate how well-done the sculpt work is for the hands and the beast head; sure, it's a little more stylized than the Kingdom Beasties prioritizing realism, but at least it looks much more impressive than what the original toy had. His color scheme is accurate to the source material, and his articulation consists of wings that flap, a jaw that opens (which makes the beast head even more terrifying), shoulders that move front and back, in and out, bicep swivels that are kind of hard to move in certain angles, elbow bends, hips that move front and back, and knees that bend.

His Titan Master, Brisko, fits inside the chest compartment (though it can always be stored on the back with the Titan Master pegs), As for the little guy himself, he is essentially different from the Titans Return figure by not having the vehicle accessory in favor of having his face painted better. Otherwise, he looks the same in head mode.

Transformation is much simpler than the other guys due to the Prime Wars engineering not being as intricate as what we got from the new molds of the War for Cybertron trilogy. For a figure design like this, it at least doesn't bother me too much. While the arm transformation is kind of silly as it replaces where the forearms face as well as the hands while the wings and beast head remain tucked on the back, the way the beast legs become the feet of the robot is pretty cool if you ask me, with it feeling more like a unique trick that makes transforming the legs a little neater. As for the robot head, the Titan Master port seems a little snugger than I'm used to with other figures, but maybe that's on my copy. As for the robot mode, it certainly looks like a modern Fangry toy. Blocky proportions to give off that G1 but Deluxified look compared to the more refined designs of the War for Cybertron trilogy, he definitely stands out compared to the other figures in the line, even more than Apeface and Snapdragon! I can at least say that the chest design is neat to break up the mostly pink torso, and I like that the speed, strength, and intelligence tech spec tampograph is there to make it more like a normal Headmaster design from the past, with it being a way to help the toys of the past stand out further. One annoying thing is that because of his bac kibble, his stability is not only pretty weak for the heels but his knees are very loose on all copies.

Head sculpt is very accurate to how Fangry's face would generally look, down to the color-blocking green face.  The rest of it that isn't pink is pretty nice. His articulation is pretty much the norm for the line, even if it's slightly less impressive than the standard of the WFC trilogy. His head is on a ball joint thanks to the Titan Master neck, the shoulders have the same articulation, there is no waist swivel, the hips move front and back as well as in and out, though the skirt panel has to move up, the thighs can swivel, the knees bend either loosely or tightly, and the ankles don't pivot but swivel due to transformation. He annoyingly doesn't come with any accessories, though his concept art did give him his own gun. I wouldn't mind if he had the same Titan Master vehicle accessory he had in the line.

And that covers the set. Overall, this line-up of figures is very interesting if you ask me. We've got a Bumblebee that's fairly mediocre in terms of execution included with a toy-accurate Blackarachnia that looks even better than the old toy colors, a Nemesis Primal that's surprisingly good with its teal, silver, and purple, and a Fangry that, while flawed in some areas, does make for a pretty cool addition to the line in spite of being behind a buy-the-rest-to-get-this-guy type of paywall. I personally don't think you should get the set just for one figure only. Only get this set if you really want more than just Fangry. I bought it because Fangry was a neat addition to the Decepticon ranks while Nemesis and Blackarachnia looked like pretty cool repaints of molds I already got. That's 3/4 figures that got me sold on the set, and I honestly think that's a good way to approach the final verdict. If you want all four of them (including Bumblebee if you never got him in any other form), then go for it. If you want 3 of the figures, that's not too bad to an extent. I'd be hesitant if you only wanted half of the set while buying it at full price, but don't go for the eBay stuff and just by Fangry on his own unless you find a really good deal for him or the set s a whole.

Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐ and a half out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Transformers Masterpiece MPM-7 Bumblebee review

The funny thing about the MPM line is that while we were supposed to get another MV1 character, Bumblebee got another slot taken up; his third one in fact! Obviously made to tie-in for his titular movie, this figure tackles the second VW-licensed altmode that was previously seen (as well as used afterwards once again) for the G1 guy. The Autobot scout has also taken up the spot of the intended MPM-6 Ironhide by releasing earlier, but no such luck when it comes to the screen-inaccuracy of this guy with the way the doors are included. But regardless, let's see how this guy turns out!

Here is Bumblebee in his vehicle mode. It's a very nicely done vehicle mode with all of the benefits that make for a real-life vehicle translated into an alternate mode that's done up very well. While Bumblebee being a Beetle is an obvious callback to G1, I will at least say that the altmode makes sense for when he's a younger scout before we saw him in his tall, blonde, and gorgeous days as a Camaro. And while we have seen tons of Beetles in the toyline after 2014, it was great that the first MP figure made one and also looked accurate to the proportions of the Beetle. That, along with the entirety of the Bumblebee movie Beetles, and the Earthrise Netflix Deluxe were able to make the most out of having VW-accurate Beetles overall.

Thankfully, unlike the Studio Series version, it has more paint apps to complete its look in addition to having both the wheels complete overall, and the blue-tinted windows hide the robot kibble that is present in the original toy. I don't like how the fade effect for the back of the vehicle isn't consistent with the rest of the vehicle, specifically the part that connects to the rear arch.

The weapon storage of this figure isn't as elegant as what Camarobee has, as this figure has you attach the gatling gun, blade, and mask in a single clump of parts that peg onto the rear bumper. Nowhere near as cool as the original Camaro toy's weapon storage from underneath.

For a size comparison, I think these two look great together, showing Bumblebee in his youth before we see him in his older age 2 decades later. I think it'll be a more effective display if the Classic Camaro was put next to this guy, both in reference to the transition of vehicles Bee had from beginning to end in his solo movie and him eventually slapping it with his door after being frustrated with how limited his altmode felt. Either way, these two look great in vehicle mode, with one b being a very classy Beetle while the other is a badass Camaro.

Transformation is very complex, just as much, if not moreso, as his Camaro counterpart. Some of the details end up deviating themselves entirely from what the on-screen model would have for its own CGI design. For example, the doors are prominent from the back, and the tires stick out even more than they did on the CGI model. The leg transformation is especially precise with where parts have to go, and it also takes a few similar cues from the way the previous MPM worked. In fact, this guy's pretty much similar in terms of how the Camarobee transformed, but without as many clever trucks as some of the steps do feel closer to the Studio Series toy, mainly with the chest and backpack. As for the robot mode...I'mma be honest and say that it's a mixed bag. Bumblebee's design is fairly rounded in the movie, as it goes for a smoother look compared to his Camaro design, but the kibble placement does make things a little inaccurate. To his credit, his legs clean up better than the Studio Series figure, but his back transforms almost identically to it without the frustrating lack of clearance. Annoyingly, the wheels stick out from the back even more than on either version, and it doesn't help that they obscure the door wings! The chest being faux in the middle is fine, though it is a little odd how the bumper pieces on the pecs are also faux when they weren't on the Studio Series toy. Also is it me or does he feel flat from the front? It looks better in-hand than in-person, but it's still weird.

Head sculpt is pretty close to how Bumblebee would look in the movie, but I can't deny that the details look a little soft-focused. In fact, the headsculpt as a whole feels off. It's almost like they upscaled the head of the Deluxe toy and added some minor light-piping. It doesn't even make the Autobot insigniar look properly embossed. The outline for the helmet being in gunmetal is appreciative, but it's a little too thick and it looks like someone used the wrong size Gundam marker.Even the face doesn't feel like it's painted all the way, seeing how it stops between the front of it and the cheek guards. The face also has some smoother details on it, which would look better on a Deluxe than here. All in all, a strange head sculpt. The articulation is a strong part of this toy, though. His head is on a hinge and ball joint, shoulders that move front and back as well as in and out, a bicep swivel on an elbow that is actually single-jointed and not double-jointed. His hands can swivel somewhat while the finger articulation has a thumb swivel, a hinge for one knuckle, and the three fingers have the trigger finger as more articulated while the middle and pinky are individually articulated yet have have the same grasping pose. His waist can swivel, his hips are on ratchets front and back as well as hinge in and out, the thighs swivel, the knees have two points, and the ankles can pivot while the front of the feet can hinge up slightly.

The accessories of this figure are definitely plentiful than on the original Camarobee, seeing how he has his stinger blaster with an impressive size and paint apps applied onto it in addition to his arm blade looking badass in length in addition to how the arm opens up. The latter pegs on normally while the former has you attach the weapon from the inner side of the forearm while the fingers slide into the barrel. His cranium can be replaced with a battle mask, something I definitely don't approve because you'll lose them both if you're not careful! Oh and he has a feature similar to the G1 Seekers where his chest can open up and reveal missile pods that were missing in the movie unlike the yesmanisms of Travis Knight. It's a random accessory but at least they're painted.

For weapon storage, the craniums can peg onto the doors while the inner wings have tabs meant for the weapons as they hide under the wheel arches of the vehicle mode.

For a size comparison, here he is with his Camaro self, a form he'll receive 20 years later. I love the original MPM Bumblebee for how much it improved on the Bumblebee formula that was already there with the Human Alliance and HFTD figures, making a sleeker, refined toy that captured the CGI model beautifully. After tons of previous iterations of limited accuracy and then the budget cuts of 2011-4, it felt great to not just have the best Bumblebee from the movies, but to see its engineering passed on to the TLK Deluxe and the Studio Series line. The VW guy at least tries to be a creative toy, but honestly, with how nonsensicle the VW Bumblebee transformed in terms of what parts go where, and the fact that it didn't really look like it was rigged for transformation in mind, so it's no surprise that the MPM Beetle guy falls short to many. That being said, I like posing and transforming him, even if Camarobee manages to be the stronger release. It also doesn't help that he's gotten trial and error compared to VW Bee. At least the size between the two makes sense.

Overall, this figure is a decent addition in the MPM line, not being as good as Camarobee but still being solid as far as engineering and accuracy are concerned. He's a toy I'd recommend if you never got any of the othe Beetle boys from third party companies.

Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐ out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐