Here we have Bumblebee fully assembled and very accurate to his DOTM model. Something that the average transforming figure doesn't really get right would be the bulkier proportions found on this version of Bee; the shoulders are larger here than on usual versions of the character, and the rib section is more pronounced this time with the silver pieces on the deformed car front, making him somewhat reminiscent of his TFP counterpart on that front. As a result, the bot mode feels more dynamic than the prior versions of the character, which, at least in MV1 and ROTF, were a bit leaner in comparison. I also like that the shade of yellow is closer to what was on-screen instead of the brighter yellow associated with G1 Bumblebee. The doors on the back are more angled and closer together, which is always a bonus, and I also appreciate that the wheels aren't entirely obscuring them like on most transforming toys. Most of the time, the upper body is too broad to accommodate Deluxe engineering limitations, meaning the arms are farther from the body at times or the wings are closer to where they'd be on a G1 toy. Only the 2007 Deluxe, the MPM, and Studio Series versions based on the Camaro Concept design got that right, though the third example still has the wheels sticking out a bit more than normal (aka past the shoulders). The only thing I would change is adding some paint to make the Chevy logo stand out better, but beyond that, Blokees does the Bayverse designs some real justice in this scale.
As for Megatron, we once again run into a similar problem with the Yolopark version where the body is barely colored to match the CG model. Granted, the beats the weird green on the competing counterpart, but this feels more like a prototype with no real color break up. As usual, the sculpt looks great, and I love the asymmetrical arms, with one hand closer to a normal humanoid look and the other with a claw-like design that leaves me wondering: is this a tease for an updated ROTB Scourge from Blokees? So while the colors are not as ill-fitting as the green on Yolopark and the sculpt is still great, he could really go for some proper rust paint apps or a wash to make the sculpt pop better.
Articulation is mostly the same for both, but with a few differences. Both have ball joints for the necks, shoulders, wrists, waists, hips, and ankles, in addition to double jointed knees, but while Bumblebee uses the standard elbow/bicep joints, Megatron only has elbow joints with no real method of rotation. Bee also has double joints for the shoulders so they can shrug or raise better, which helps given how big the shoulder cannons are. Megatron does have a thumb joint to help keep his rifle in place, while his claw is at 4 points. Bee has alternate splayed open hands as well as an arm cannon that can split in half and go over the ball joint where the right hand used to be. Both have the same base that came with Jetwing Prime and matching flames to their colors.
Bumblebee has shoulder cannons that peg into the small rings between each shoulder and his head, though the small size makes it hard to do without disassembling him. Also, one of the rings has cracked though nothing is really broken yet, so be careful with your copy. Still, the inclusion of these missile racks is a rarity on Bumblebees like this, especially given how the Battle Ops version was the one closest to the film both in design and where they come from. And he also has the battle mask that straight up looks even better when you can see the eyes peering from behind. Wish he had a tiny Autobot insignia on the forehead but there's so much we can do. Also, you can barely tell, but the headlights are also glowing but barely given the distribution of the light in the torso versus where the pecs are placed.
Here he is next to his ROTB counterpart, showcasing a size bump and an evolution of sorts to his design. It makes me want to see the other versions of Bumblebee in the first two movies as well as AOE and TLK, even the designs he had in the Bumblebee movie. If we can get a beehive in Studio Series scale, then we can get one here.
Speaking of Studio Series, here we have him with the DOTM retool. I appreciate that we can have mostly consistent versions of Bee from the main Bayverse trilogy with the same base mold, but the Blokees version not only looks better as a benefit from not needing to transform, but he also fits in great with normal Studio Series figures!
Here is Megatron with his 2007 self. Weird how we skipped over the ROTF version, though maybe it's due to the 15th anniversary of DOTM, and who knows if Blokees will do anymore Champion Class dudes who are not from TFOne. I don't know if the silver is fully painted or molded in that color, but you can see the effort one has from trying to pop on a shelf better than the other. Imagine if the colors on the DOTM version were used on the 2007 body. It sure wouldn't look as nice, even with the price tag.
Here he is next to his Yolopark counterpart. The timing between these two seems a lot closer than expected, and I don't know if there was any embargo either company had to respect. Anywho, the colors on the Yolopark version are worse in some ways, and the silver doesn't help make the olive green look any more tolerable. That being said, both would look better if we had a needed wash for the two, and maybe some silver for parts of the gray used on Blokees Megs. Yolopark does win by including a place to store his rifle and bicep rotation, but neither have a cloak.
Overall, while Bumblebee is a slam dunk like prior Classic Class figures, Megatron looks more like a prototype in comparison. Still, for what you're paying, you can do much worse. At the very least, these two still cost around what Deluxes used to be worth, and while I can be harsher on a $20 Blokees than I would a $10 AMK Mini, you still get more value and quality than the price hiking at Hasbro. Now that's a fairer comparison than using 3P figures and average Deluxes (though comparing KOs of MPMs to the Leaders we have today makes more sense). I still recommend them, but be ready to improve your Megatron...again.
Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ and a half out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Bumblebee)
⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Megatron)
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