Here we have Bonecrusher in his MPV Buffalo mode, well-known for its more abstract design amongst the land-based Decepticon trio from the first movie and the monstrous claw normally not found from the real-world vehicle. I always felt that past versions made the proportions look a little wonkier than they really are on the Buffalo, with the first movie Deluxe being the prime suspect of said discussion while the Voyager aimed to better perfect the accuracy of the vehicle. The MPM might win on that front, aiming to keep the details present while also making everything look clean without any gaps or discrepancies found on the prior toys. I don't find anything wrong with this alt mode, and the kibble management is handled properly here while the windows don't look undersized. This is one of those vehicle modes that you really need to get an up-close look at in order to understand the scale right. And hey, gotta love the paint apps he has on the windshield, vents, and tires. Speaking of, the branding on said tires reads "MEGATRON" with a Decepticon insignia.
His boom claw is able to separate in pieces, as it comes out of the box. It's able to swivel at the base, hinge at two points of the arm, and swivel at the fork. The arm having screws on one side does suck, especially when they don't blend in with the beige.
One detail that I do like is the decal representing all of the controls that the boom can do, though while the OUTER ARM text is in the middle, UP and DOWN are repeated on the top and bottom rows. The letters are a bit lopsided but it's decent otherwise.
For a vehicle mode size comparison, here he is next to Barricade, the only other Decepticon who followed him in the highway (Brawl was somewhere else and he doesn't have an MPM yet). This size is more or less accurate to the actual vehicles, though Bonecrusher should be larger as seen when the they were on their way to the location of the Allspark.
Transformation is just as involved as Blackout and Starscream, with a much greater emphasis on nailing the robot mode better than his past 2007 Deluxe and Studio Series Voyager toys ever did. The arms have their panels fold onto each other more, the windows now wrap over the shoulders, and the legs feel more complete thanks to the added parts that connect to the prongs of his foot design. And while swapping the forks out for the robot mode is partsforming, it's not entirely mandatory if you want to keep the normal claw intact. The robot mode is the best we've ever had from Bonecrusher in not just an official HasTak toy, but also surpassing that of the Dream Factory offering from years ago. The figure nails the CG model perfectly, all without leaving any robot parts feeling under-engineered or omitted. Bonecrusher has the wide gap between the legs (har har), the lanky as hell arms, the hunchback physique, and the more dynamic claws on his back that were either too thick on the original Deluxe or undersized on his his now 5-year old Studio Series toy. This guy also feels huge thanks to the size he gains on top of his width being put in great consideration than with past toys. You have a few rust or weathering paint apps on some of the robot parts to make him grimier than past versions of himself, which I greatly appreciate as much as I do the small but sharp Decepticon emblem below his chest. Best of all, he features die-cast parts on parts of him, notably the ball halves sandwiching a square that surround the area where his head is.
His head sculpt is even better than the Studio Series version, as it features a sharper set of eyebrows/lids than previous toys did, and a set of mandibles are even sculpted in his mouth! It's something they didn't need to include yet they did. As for Bonecrusher's articulation, his head is in a more expressive ball joint, shoulders ratchet 360°, they move in and out if you move a panel out of the way, the biceps swivel, the elbows are double-jointed, his wrists swivel, and there is a bit of finger articulation present for the thumbs and somewhat for the outer-facing digits. He has a waist swivel for the first time ever, his hips ratchet front and back and hinge in and out, his thighs swivel, his knees bend, and the ankles can untab so you can pivot them. Combine the enhanced range with the more dynamic design and it makes his poses more alive than with prior toys.
His boom claw is decently articulated in bot mode as it was in Buffalo MPV mode, and the alternate claw makes it look even more impressive for an attack in fan photos. Annoyingly, it does unclip easily than it does clip in place.
To replicate the scene where he rams through a bus and has some flames on him, 6 uniquely-sculpted flame effect pieces are included: two for the shoulders, one for a hip piece, one for the crotch, one for the right forearm, and one for the right foot. Now you can pose him plowing through buses if you have any in this scale. As for the normal claws, they can be stored on his back so you won't lose them if you plan to display him only in bot mode.
If you swap his face, you are left with a decently-detailed inner "skull" of sorts that reminds me of when The Fallen and Scourge lost their masks in their respective movies, only this feels more incomplete than theirs did. His alternate faceplate depicts him with his left optic dangling after a severe upper cut from Optimus seconds before his decapitation. Cool, mom!
For a robot mode size comparison, here he is next to Blackout. Their robot mode heights are accurate if you remember Blackout being 29 feet if you only count his head while Bonecrusher is 25. They never stood side by side, but if official references are anything to go by, then this is perfect.
Interestingly, one of the flame pieces goes on Bonecrusher's crotch, a body part that lit up after Lennox shot Blackout in his robo jewels. Bonecrusher doesn't seem to mind as much as his partner in crime.
Here he is next to Starscream. Both of them possess unusual body designs that make them unique from one another, something that we probably won't get from future movies if we see more Decepticons on the big screen after Rise of the Beasts.
And here he is next to Barricade, a Decepticon who is obviously much shorter than him. Barry should be a lot shorter but it works for the most part. No Megatron pic because he'd obviously tower over him.
And here he is next to the Autobot who took his face and with good reason. This scale is pretty close to how they stack up in the movie, though in some shots, Bonecrusher was either as tall as Prime or taller than him overall. It depends on the perspective of the scenes they share together.
No other truck is included in this shot, but you can get a sense of how menacing Bonecrusher felt the moment he got all animalistic towards Optimus in their battle.
With the alternate face, Prime can punch Bonecrusher's eye out before resorting to the iconic Energon blade, stabbing the evil Decepticon after getting his "NO-!" cut off.
And while Prime remains victorious once more, that doesn't stop Bonecrusher from being a great Masterpiece figure overall. And in a way, he beats Optimus when it comes to movie-accuracy! Overall, Bonecrusher, like Blackout and MV1 Bumblebee before him, is an immediate slam dunk with very minor issues that do not detract his overall quality. I know some fans have issues with their ratchets not being assembled right out of the box, so do check on that. So far, it's not a widespread issue so I wouldn't be paranoid over it. Beyond that, I am happy with how he turned out, and I hope Brawl keeps the streak unbroken in 2024.
Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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