Transformers Studio Series TF One Megatron review

Rushed villainy could sum up D-16's transformation arc as Megatron in Transformers One. On paper, it's comparable to Anakin Skywalker's turn to the dark side during the Prequel Trilogy or Magneto's push for anti-human bigotry in First Class. The execution makes it feel more like a complete 180 with how angry he suddenly became after finding out the obvious truth over Sentinel's lies on top of his dialed-up beef against Orion Pax (even with the minor scuffles they had, which are more comparable to a generic animated movie where friends get at odds with each other). If the movie was longer, maybe the arc would have been fleshed out better. Anyways we better move on to the review because God forbid anyone criticizes this movie. As Thew Adams once said, movie suck does not equal plastic suck...right?

Here we have Megatron in his Cybertronic tank mode. It's got a lot of empty space in the front, so one could say that it's loosely similar to the ROTF alt mode. Rather than have his head piercing through creepily, his robot chest is stuck in the middle of the two treads. It's more inset compared to the way it was done on BBM Megatron, so it doesn't look too bad. I guess this is accurate to the way the altmode looked in the movie, but I should mention I left the barrel incomplete since the smaller cannon can also peg on the turret despite it intending to peg on the barrel. Like with BBM Megs, there are no small, rolling wheels whatsoever, which is a miracle Optimus has any in his altmode.

One annoying thing about the figure would have to be exposed robot head if you choose to leave it rotated 180 degrees; a tab that goes into the back of the head helps secure it in somewhat, and while you can leave him planting the face into the torso, this may risk damaging the paint.

Here he is with his former BFF yet sudden enemy, Optimus Prime. As far as I can tell, very little seems to be different between their alternate modes right after they got their T-Cogs and later when Optimus got the Matrix and Megatron receiving Megatronus's T-Cog....which begs the question if swapping a T-Cog alters a robot's physical appearance even further, or if Megatronus's T-Cog was specifically able to modify him differently from how Prima Prime's T-Cog altered D-16 the first time around.

Transformation is rather simple for a Studio Series Deluxe, mostly with the arms and how the legs need to be straightened out. The lower leg transformation is somewhat involved, mostly with how the tank treads embed into the shins and calves. The resulting robot mode feels more comparable to the Prime Changers rather than the Studio Series figure, and while there is a good bit of color breakup from the front, the back does look almost like a Titan Hero. That, combined with how lanky the legs are as well as how basic the design is, doesn't help matters. Maybe if he was painted in silver, Megatron could look a little better than he currently does; granted, leaving most Megatron's in a flat gray isn't our of the ordinary, but given how basic the engineering is, on top of how other Deluxes before him like Bayverse locals Jazz, both versions of Sideswipe, and DOTM Soundwave, it is possible for a coat of paint to be applied. Also, the back section could be left off if you want to pretend this is D-16's midway design, but the 5mm port will look awkward.

Head sculpt looks great, even if only the face is given a metallic paint application. Much like Optimus Prime, the eyes here look better than on the actual TFOne movie, where they ended up looking doofy compared to most Transformers eyes, be it the traditional ones like G1 and the Unicron Trilogy or the more detailed eyes like on the movies and Prime. With his accessories attached to his arms and back, Megatron's articulation consists of ball joints at the neck, shoulders, and hips, swivels at the biceps, wrists, waist, and thighs, and hinges at the double-jointed elbows, knees (which click when straightened), and ankles, albeit with much less range than usual.

The fusion cannon isn't entirely accurate to the movie, but you can theoretically have the backpack attach onto the forearm, or you can store the smaller gun on the back.

Here he is with his former BFF once again, and I kind of feel like it's Siege all over again, only this time with designs that feel AI generated (though not to the same extent as the fake pictures plenty of amateur nerd culture news sites use). Honestly, while Optimus Prime was not too bad for what he had to offer, Megatron falls short. Maybe one could argue that he didn't have enough of a budget to be good, though Prime proves otherwise with how he turned out. That or the designers are tired of doing slightly different versions of the G1 designs. Maybe wait for this to go on sale.

Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐ out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Marvel Legends NWH Green Goblin/Doc Ock/Sandman review

1998's Blade managed to make the genre not only feel more like the actors embodied the characters they played instead of feeling like it's dress-up, but the villain was equal in quality to the hero. We saw this as well for X-Men, but the Spider-Man trilogy perfected it with both Green Goblin and Doc Ock; Spider-Man 3's gets flack for either having too many villains or not having Sandman be the focus, but Venom makes sense given how he represents Spider-Man's darker side as well as how the film revolved around the battle within Parker's mind. No Venom or New Goblin for the NWH wave of Legends figures (yet), but we at least have our trio of iconic Spider-Man villains featuring the maniacal Green Goblin, the ever-devoted Doc Ock, and the unlucky Sandman. 

Let's start things off with the Green Goblin. Right off the bat, this guy manages to nail the shackled state of the suit as it appeared in No Way Home. While some will point out the slight gut that he has betraying his fit, the rest of the body at least looks good. It's no surprise Hasbro tends to put a lot of attention on the MCU shit as history reminds us, and moreso than most of their comic figures, but it is nice to see them also apply the same treatment towards those who were not originally in the MCU. The green is metallic with not as much marbling as I hoped, the paint apps are applied appropriately, and design elements like the cloth on the torso combined with the belt and strap harness on him match the movie perfectly. Those added details, combined with the original suit design, make for the perfect way of homaging the comics while adding to the downward spiral of Norman Osborn's mentality, showcased with the damage on the suit and the blade now deployed without a retracted look.

The head sculpt captures the evil essence of Norman Osborn under the influence of the Goblin, with a grin and hairdo to match his appearance in 2002...with a hing of Jerma985 somehow. Adding the goggles and hood over the head as well as adding the sole pumpkin bomb in his right hand, the articulation consists of a ball jointed head and disk for the neck, shoulder rotation, outward arm movement, bicep rotation, double-jointed elbows, wrist rotation, inward wrist hinges, a diaphragm joint, a reverse ab crunch joint, ball-jointed hips, thigh rotation, double-jointed knees, and feet that can hinge as well as pivot.

If you want, you can use the included Green Goblin helmet if you really want to display him in a look closer to the old suit, but the lack of a proper neck piece for the rest of the suit makes the skin tone stand out. The inability to remove the cloth details and the harness without disassembling the toy also keeps you from making a closer vanilla Goblin look. We'll probably get it retooled to look more like the proper suit, though the glider may be the same as the one we got. So far, the paint apps on it are mostly for thepurple areas, and it's mostly cast in a vaguely metallic gray plastic to keep Hasbro from having to splash out and paint it. Some assembly is needed for the foot attachments, which grant rotation to go with the rest of the glider's hinges for the Goblin to turn in either direction. While the sculpted details are great as always for a Marvel Legends figure with a higher price tag, paint is still lacking, sadly.

This pic should be a decent-enough demonstration, though the flight stand we have is the one Hasbro comes up with for their Legends figures, such as last year's Hawkeye. That one's stand got loose rather quickly, but this one is very tight by comparison. We'll see how loose it'll get. For a size comparison, here we have him next to Spider-Man, who is a noticeably shorter figure despite the fact that the heights of their actors are very close (5 feet, 9 inches for Willem Dafoe and 5 feet, 8 inches for Tobey Maguire). While I never liked Hasbro's Tobey Spidey, I am afraid the Figuarts version is even shorter. I am tempted to see if the MAFEX version would scale better, as it is 6.29 inches rather than the Figuarts' 5.91 inches (or Hasbro's simple 6-inch size). This version of the Green Goblin is generally great, though I feel there is still room for improvement when it comes to the accessories as well as there requiring paint for the glider as well as alternate hands in case we don't always want him to hold the pumpkin bomb (though I don't geel comfortable removing the right hand with how tight the peg is).

Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Up next, here we have Doctor Octopus, or Doc Ock for short. I tried taking pictures of him without the tentacles getting in the way since they are non-removable. The trenchcoat he's seen wearing throughout most of the movie is forest-green to homage the prominent outfit his comic-self usually wears. I do like that there is another coat inside the green coat, which likely goes well with the gloves he's seen wearing. Everything appears to be new tooling, even if one could say that one of the trench coats is reused from another figure (the arms could be seen as reused). While there isn't much else to say with the clothes beyond me wishing they'd have some more paint beyond the buttons to make them appear dirty, especially the shoes, I do like that the waist harness that holds the tentacles is sclupted with a decent bit of paint work for the lines. 

His head sculpt is what adds to the personality along with the tentacles, as it decently represents the de-aged Alfred Molina likeness we saw in No Way Home as an attempt to capture his 2004 counterpart seen in Spider-Man 2. Speaking of, it's interesting how he is labeled as a SM2 figure while the Green Goblin and the carded figures are part of the No Way Home line. Perhaps that is because the movie Otto appeared in turned 20 this year, and Hasbro likely didn't want to go through the trouble of making a NWH version of the character with Nanotech Tentacles just to later paint them gunmetal. Speaking of, the articulation is mostly the same with other Legends beyond the torso and elbows, but the tentacles stand out because of their bendy-wire capabilities as well as the ability to swap the claws, giving you either articulated, curled, or flat claws depending on how you pose him.

The tentacles are very stiff, and making him stand on the flattened claws is a chore if the surface area you use isn't practical enough, but it is possible. Oh and he has alternate fists. I kind of wish we can display him without the shades since he was seen at times without them. Even if there are some things I find could be tweaked, like the tentacles not being as stiff or how much of a chore it is to have him stand on two, but he manages to hold up fine enough. And hey, he found his own Peter!

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

And finally, here we have the Sandman, albeit in a "naked" look that is due to the character remaining stuck in a completely sandy look because of the way he's mutation later rendered him permanently unable to revert to normal. The real-world reason is due to the actor, Thomas Haden Church, likely being unavailable for filming given COVID restrictions at the time or limited availablility. As a result, we get what could almost pass off as a unique reference to human anatomy in an action figure. I'm reminded of the blank Figuart bucks for both genders that depict them with no revealing details from the front yet they have defined butts whenever I look at this sculpt, even though the texturing here is rougher while the feet are less defined than the hands. Sandman's not entirely just a flat beige color, as he also has a bit of dry-brushing throughout the body in order ot make him look closer realistic, though perhaps it could be present a little more than it currently is (it's a YMMV sort of thing).

His head is able to capture a somewhat melancholy look to Flint Marko in this permanent mutation, with a little bit of paint work here and there to better define the facial details. Could be done better, but it looks mostly fine. The articulation is the same as with the standard Legends figure, though much like with numerous Iron Man sculpts, female Legends figures, and a majority of Black Series figures, the diaphragm joint is the sole torso joint we have for this figure. One could say it's likely due to the need to keep the torso anatomy from being broken up. He has forearm sleeves and giant fists hands meant to make his forearms much larger and organically transformed for combat and dynamic display options.

Here he is next to Spider-Man with regular fists this time around, and the webhead has enough abuse in this review, it seems. While Sandman isn't that great of a figure compared to the Deluxe duo, he still manages to be better than Raimi Trilogy Spider-Man somehow. Sandman's a figure I recommend you can get at a cheaper price if you're not invested in a naked-looking guy at $25.

Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐ out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Transformers Studio Series Core Class Starscream and Frenzy review

The Core Class line began with Kingdom and made its way into Studio Series as well as the Legacy trilogy. Next year, we won't get dedicated waves of the line, though we can blame Beewun Ravage and the first wave of Legacy Cores for warming pegs and made future waves harder to get. The final wave we have here consists of the last new mold (since Legacy United BW Dinobot was canceled) as well as a repaint of a dud from earlier. Let's give them a look.

Here we have Starscream in his tetra jet mode, better matching the CG model somewhat in spite of some new issues it has when it comes to kibble management. In terms of positives, the design is much sleeker thanks to an undercarriage that is nowhere near as obtrusive, and the wings look much closer to how they normally would appear. The entire arms are sadly visible, and I wish there was a way to fill in the gap in the middle. At least the cannon can still be placed underneath.

For a size comparison, the Voyager figure obviously dwarves the Core Class, but I feel the smaller figure manages to have the better altmode by comparison. While the Voyager has the proper details and more visible tailfin, not to mention the addition of null rays, thr undercarriage never sat well with me for how half-baked it turned out, on top of the wings looking clunky with the thickness and reliance on hinges for the outer parts than normal. That being said, it's middle region is more filled in by comparison.

Transformation is different from the Voyager in terms of the arm transformation and how the torso uses a ball joint to rotate it around, but the legs and the nosecones more or less work similarly to the larger toy. The resulting robot mode manages to feel more refined and closer to the design compared to the Voyager, with the better implementation of the wings combined with the the limbs not being too gangly. They overall physique feels more dynamic overall, and the sculpted details don't disappoint (even if I kind of wish the paint apps wouldn't forget about the shoulders).

Articulation consists a very tight neck swivel and ball joints for the shoulders, elbows, hips, and knees; the ankles could rotate due to transformation, and he ironically holds his gun better than the Voyager. While the Voyager has that mannequin look to it thanks to the awkward limbs and how close the arms are to the torso, the Core Class manages to work better as a figure on top of capturing the proportions of the CG model better.

Let's quickly cover Frenzy since he's a straight repaint of Rumble from earlier in the year. The altmode can fit inside Voyager Soundwave and still sucks.

Robot mode is the same in terms of tooling, though the groin and I guess other highlights here and there are different. Functionality is still the same, so no proper elbow joints just like with Rumble.

Overall, Starscream manages to be a not-too-terrible Core Class figure, and I'm relieved he doesn't suck while being the final mold after the blunder that is Steeljaw. As for Frenzy, he is just as mediocre as Rumble.

Starscream's ranking: ⭐⭐⭐ and a half out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Frenzy's ranking: ⭐⭐ out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Transformers Legacy United G1 Optimus Prime review

Toy-accuracy has been a random trend in Transformers history. In the past, we see Hasbro homage older toys while Takara focuses on cartoon-accuracy; after the brand unification, we get a more cartoon-inspired toys first and then we got Gen Selects-inspired toy redecoes (while the Masterpiece line would be the same for both HasTak with reduced toy-inspired repaints). Ever since the Missing Link line gave fans literal "G1 with knees", a description that I and some others gave most CHUG toys, the idea of making more articulated G1 toys became less of an issue as we focused more on other universes with Legacy. Speaking of, this line gave us a surprisingly neat remake of G1 Optimus Prime, though with the budget of a current Deluxe. Let's see if this is worth getting if you're not interested in Missing Link.

Here we have G1 Optimus Prime in his vehicle mode. As expected, it's faithful to the original toy, though with some sculpted details deviating slightly here and there. No die-cast is used, but we do have some rubber tires similar to what Beachcomber and Sandstorm have. The chrome grille and bumper are replaced with silver paint but it generally looks comparable enough to the vac-metal; I kind of wish the smokestacks were painted silver, though. The most notable differences would be the windows sticking out slightly while the headlights lack holes. All of the wheels are pinned on, and they compliment the rubber tires. The Autobot insignia surprisingly has a white outline, though it is lower than normal given where the shoulder joint's pin is.

There is weapon storage in the back for both guns and the axe, making it reminiscent of the Chronicle version of Prime who had a retooled trailer hitch to store his gun while also being able to haul the trailer associated with DOTM Deluxe Prime (the same one that was a Walmart exclusive and later a Movie Trilogy repaint). 

Optimus can haul the Earthrise trailer, which looks surprisingly decent and in scale with him despite its cheap feel. He even has the ability to haul the G1 trailer despite being undersized while in front of it!

For an OG toy comparison, here he is with the Walmart reissue, where even with some slight sculpt work, scale, and cosmetic differences, we have quite the resemblance between the two of them. I bet we can go further with that Hot Wheels Prime that transforms or a proper-color KO version of G2 Prime whose off-colored variant was covered by TheCollector75.

For a comparison with the Earthrise version, the latter version manages to look more like a realistic truck in spite of some sculpted details that make it more futuristic with the bumper and side windows. A comparison with the SS86 version will be interesting for Earthrise.

Transformation is almost the same as the G1 toy, with some differences being how the hands transform, the bumper and hip wheels being on hinges, the hands being integrated via an assembly that is part of the forearms, and a backpack that fills in the gap normally seen on the G1 toy. The resulting robot mode is basically a somewhat altered version of the original toy when it comes to the proportions, mostly with the thighs being thicker and the forearms being chunkier. The rest of the toy manages to resemble the vintage action figure decently well, even if it doesn't have die-cast or chrome. There are no stickers nor paint apps to carry out the toy-accurate details seen normally on the forearms, knees, and toes, but they are sculpted if you prefer a decent medium. The only issue I have would be how you can see some of the red inside Prime's hands since they're painted blue, but this is still an amusing recreation.

Head sculpt matches the old toy's rounder shape and squinty yellow eyes, which now have light-piping that isn't associated with said toy. At least the mouthplate and forehead are silver. The articulation is said to be comparable to Missing Link's, with this figure having a ball-jointed neck, rotation for the shoulders moving front and back, biceps, waist, hips moving front and back, and feet for side-to-side motion, hinges for the shoulders moving out, elbows, outward leg movement, knees, and ankles for downward and pivot movement. It's ironic how the G1 toy has unintended wrist rotation while this doesn't, and it's because the removable fists were on little round pegs.

Going over the accessories once again, Optimus has two Ion Blasters: his right hand holds one based on the old toy, and his left hand better matches the proper character model's weapon. Thankfully there are no awkward faux handles nor are there any offset angles that kept the guns from being held straight. He also has an axe that simply goes over the hand, which looks pretty good on this figure. Interesting how this, Missing Link, and SS86 are adding the axe this year.

Opening the chest a la the Diaclone way reveals he also has a Matrix of Leadership, which on one hand, is a unique sculpt and isn't a reuse of the one first seen with Earthrise Optimus Prime...though it is inexplicably left unpainted. Also weird how it is the only part of the toy cast out of clear blue plastic since neither the windows nor eyes are the same color. His smokestacks are removable, but they lack 5mm ports and simply rest in the hands.

For a size comparison, here he is sandwiched and dwarfed by the original G1 toy and the Earthrise figures. Despite his smaller scale, I really like how this little Prime turned out. I assumed many would dismiss him as "Missing Link at Home", but he's a genuinely fun surprise if you want an articulated version of that old toy's design but without spending a lot more money for the Missing Link options. He may not have die-cast, but he still has the touch.

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