Here we have Optimus Prime fully assembled, and one thing that genuinely surprised me was how complex his build was compared to other Champion Class figures. Obviously this is a live action design, so no shit he's going to be fairly intricate in some regard, but as I always look for with every subsequent release, accuracy at such a small scale is always a treat. Granted, this Optimus is easier to translate because it's based on the basic G1 design, but at the same time, I dig that these parts are broken up more and integrating less toyetic joints like what older figures used to have. These feel more like the larger model kits than the smaller ones people usually collect, and I like that we stray further away from the chibi aesthetics and joints to make these feel more movie accurate. Not that the older figures were bad, but I always appreciate seeing them go further beyond with what they can achieve. This Optimus is a good way to experiment with that in case they want to do revised versions of the older figures they made, and I do like how well painted he is at this small scale.
His articulation consists of a ball joint at the neck, shoulder rotation, outwards arm movement, butterfly joints, bicep rotation, double jointed elbows, ball jointed wrists, an ab crunch, a waist swivel, hips that are no longer ball jointed but can now swivel front and back as well as hinge in and out, we get a small bit of thigh rotation, double jointed knees, and ankles that are on ball joints. His accessories are a massive Ion Blaster that would mean Optimus is compensating for his terrible voice acting thanks to Travesty Knight telling Peter Cullen to impersonate the mediocre Jon Bailey. A blast effect is included but it doesn't stay on that well. He also has pointing hands as well as open jazz hands in addition to the standard light up eyes.
For a size comparison, he is not only taller than his 2007 counterpart, but also much taller than the ROTB version that kick-started this whole Blokees craze (and for good reason especially now). The 2007 build is still great, don't get me wrong, but imagine if it went with a more complex assembly without some of the chibi attributes. Hell, the BBM model makes the ROTB version look like the Fortnite skin! Ironically, it can open its chest unlike the new one.
As for Bumblebee, he's pretty close to the CG model as well, though it's the first time I have a figure that actually matches the rounded proportions instead of the lanky toys from Studio Series and Masterpiece. Not just from the use of outdated concept art, but most of these toys also had to work in transformations for a design that had as little engineering real estate as old AOE figures (even if he had the front of the car as well as the shoulder blade wheels and hints of doors on his back). So naturally, the most accurate version of this design in my collection is the smallest one that can't transform. At least here, being a simpler look than what we normally get with the other movie designs, he doesn't really need to be as detailed as others normally are. Only thing I would add is some paint for the rims, but what is more interesting is how the torso is built: the inner frame where the torso lights up is flipped upside down so that it maintains the proportions of the upper body. This version of Bumblebee, despite aiming to be cutesy and whatnot, still feels like a robot version of those hulking He-Man style figures, and Brawn almost gave me Ninja Turtle vibes.
As for his articulation, it's generally the same as Optimus's, though keep in mind his bicep rotation works separately from the shoulder pads, and he also has no ab crunch. As for his own accessories, he just comes with an alternate pair of open hands, a boombox that can rest on his shoulder, a cannon arm with the same blast effect that stays on little better, an alternate head with the battle mask, and twin arm blades that would be cool if not for the fact that they didn't mirror them.
For a size comparison, here he is with his DOTM and ROTB counterparts. The former is still my favorite version of the character in Blokees form, but the ROTB version doesn't come off as chibified as other characters in the first wave did. I am surprised to see no part reuse whatsoever, not even the head!
And here he is with his Studio Series counterpart. This is the 2.0 version that tried to be closer to the movie design than the original. Even with the heftier lower legs and bigger head, this Bumblebee still can't match the CGI model as well as a nontransforming figure could. I think some of the 3P Legends figures could do better than HasTak. Either way, the Blokees version may scale better with Studio Series figures.
And here they both are with the Ballroom Blitz himself, representing a small trio of an already small cast of BBM characters. The amount of robots in that movie, minus the generics, may be the same as the total cast of the 2007 movie. Either way, I'm pretty happy to see these two continue enhancing what we got with Blokees engineering and making the Champion Class better with each subsequent release. I don't know if the 2007 duo with Optimus and Megatron would get redos to feel consistent with the more recent builds, but I hope this quality continues overtime. That said, I bet they would go all out for the 10th anniversary of the Bumblebee movie than they would the 20th anniversary of the 2007 movie.
Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ and a half out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (for both)
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