Toy Review Archives

[Detective Barricade]

I found him and Ransack. Saw Dune Runner, but I'll save getting him for another time.

[Tramp]

I've tried it just now. The back end is of course more secure. (since you're supposed to tab the rear stabilizers into the tracks) The 'nose' however comes apart at the slightest touch as the arms aren't really supposed to connect...

The trick is to fit the left arm into the groove that normally holds the blade in the right arm. It's no less secure than Chromia's chest plates.

[Tramp]

I just managed to pick up Chromia, and love this figure. The only downside with her is that the light piping (which was done in clear plastic with no color at all) was painted over opaque pale blue, but that was an easy fix. Some arcylic thinner and a toothbrush, and voila. No more paint. Then some blue clear coat, and she's got her blue light piped optics, like she should have. I also did her lips and some detailing on the helmet to better match the portrait on the front of the package. She is an awesome figure though.

[Detective Barricade]

In other words, Chromia's chest plates don't hold together very well either. I'm waiting on the supposed combined mode of the sisters before I pick any of them up. I'd need something like the tabs on The Fallen secure before I'd be comfortable with the jet mode, I'm afraid. Besides, I like the tank mode much better!:D

[Tramp]

In other words, Chromia's chest plates don't hold together very well either. I'm waiting on the supposed combined mode of the sisters before I pick any of them up. I'd need something like the tabs on The Fallen secure before I'd be comfortable with the jet mode, I'm afraid. Besides, I like the tank mode much better!:D

No, not really. They tab together but don't really lock together very well. That's one of the only issues with Chromia. She holds together pretty well, but not perfectly, and it's the same with Megatron's arms in "jet" mode. They fit together nicely, but don't lock together tightly. But then again, they don't really need to.

Personally, I like to transform him into all three modes. Fly him around in jet mode, drive him around in tank mode, and hve him displayed in robot mode battling Leader class Optimus Prime along side The Fallen.

[Detective Barricade]

Pictures!

1) Jet mode
2) Robot mode
3) pose

[Detective Barricade]

And now, time for ze pictures:

1) Microscope mode
2) Robot mode

[Detective Barricade]

Or, as I had them awhile ago, threatening Starscream for leaving him to die on that miserable little planet with The Fallen watching.

[Tramp]

Or, as I had them awhile ago, threatening Starscream for leaving him to die on that miserable little planet with The Fallen watching.

That works too. And then Starscream shooting him in the back once his back is turned.

[Blackjack]

Sorry, my bad... What I meant to say:

Originally, it was meant that Megatron could change between his old jet mode and his new tank mode.

Of course, speaking in toy terms it is impossible, so we get a winged tank/jet mode.

[Blackjack]

Name: Ultimate Bumblebee
Allegiance: Autobot
Function: Scout, Guardian of Sam Witwicky, Blowing Decepticons up, Being the poster boy for the movie
Sub-Group: Minibots Ultimate Class
Accessories: Projectile

"Check on the rep, yep, second to none." — Bumblebee being modest, 2007 Movie

Bumblebee is a star! In 2007, the blockbuster movie Transformers heralded the birth of a new Transformers line, following from the Classics/Alternators line. However, despite being the most expensive toy, Ultimate Bumblebee never got a review until, well, now. For those wondering, this review is written well after the second movie, Revenge of the Fallen, haS been released.

Bumblebee had a long history... First, he appeared in the original G1 Autobots line-up, functioning as the kid-appeal character. He was a major player in the first two seasons, but his appearances reduced into more minor roles in TF:TM and seasons 3 and 4. He's one of the few Transformers who appeared throughout all the four seasons of the cartoon, with him being upgraded into Goldbug in Season 3. In the comics, Bumblebee, and later Goldbug, would feature major roles, most notably his desertion with Blaster. Goldbug was killed by Starscream in the Underbase Saga, but was later revived by Starscream as Pretender Bumblebee. He appeared in semi-minor roles throughout the comics, as well as Earthforce. Bumblebee's so popular that he's in the Earth-bound Autobots of the modern G1 reboots (Dreamwave, and later IDW).

How about the toys, you ask? Well, G1 Bumblebee had a Minibot toy in 1984, and this toy would've been retooled with a proper head much later. He got a Goldbug toy, a Pretender Bumblebee toy and an Action Masters toy, totaling to four toys in G1, making Bumblebee the character with the most toys in G1. Even Optimus Prime only had three toys (Original, Powermaster, and Action Master) in G1. In G2, Bumblebee got two toys — a repaint of his original G1 Minibot toy and a GoBot toy. Then, all is silent as Hasbro abruptly lost the trademark to the name Bumblebee. The 'little yellow kid-friendly character' role would fall to Cheetor and later Hot Shot. Fear not, as Hasbro won it back again recently, before the first movie. This granted us the excellent Classics Bumblebee. The movie gives us the first Bumblebee not from G1, who transforms into a beat-up Camaro and later a 2009 concept Camaro. Animated gave us the third character to bear the 'Bumblebee' name.

Being the star (as Prime appeared nearly halfway through the movie) of the 2007 Movie, Movie Bumblebee got a whole truckload of toys. Two Deluxe class toys (the 1974's Camaro and the 2009's Camaro), Robot Replicas, Fast Action Battles, Robot Heroes, Legends Class, and Ultimate Bumblebee.

The Ultimate 'Bee is the one with the highest price point, and the subject of this review.

VEHICLE MODE

Bumblebee's vehicle mode is sculpted after the 2009 concept Chevrolet Camaro. The car is sleek, flashy and looks fast, while at the same time not too attention-grabbing (not unlike ROTF Sideswipe). Bumblebee's alternate mode is large, larger than Masterpiece Megatron's gun mode. It's also show accurate, with Alternator-level outer detailing. Though at this size, it would've been rudimentary, and not at all impressive.

The main colour is yellow with black stripes, like a real bee. Little Chevy signs and the fuel intake are present. Windshield wipers are molded in. The car plate (4N77454) is painted on the back, and a golden Autobot symbol adorns the hood. The windows are painted opaque.

You know, at the price we're paying for him, at least there should be interior seats and whatnot, right? Like the smaller Alternators? Wrong. Open the doors and what do you get? A solid lump of plastic that is Bumblebee's gimmick—electronics. Switch it on and roll Bumblebee around and you get sound effects. Engines starting up, car horns... you know. Rolling Bumblebee forward will create an accelerating noise, and some music. Stop his rolling and you get brakes. Rolling Bumblebee backwards will produce different kinds of sound effects, namely crashing ones.

Kibble check. From the top? No robots. From the front? Nope. The back? No. The sides? Nope. Turn him around, however, and you'll find that Bumblebee's entire robot mode is crammed onto his bottom. Okaaaay.

TRANSFORMATION

Transformation is fairly complex, but what else could you expect from a toy his size? Bumblebee's electronic gimmick detects which sound effects to produce based on what is attached to the electronics. Either the joints on the front wheels or the shoulders. Leave nothing attached or one of each, and Bumblebee will make stalling engine sounds. Whilst transforming, ye olde transformation sound effect may play.

ROBOT MODE

Bumblebee's robot mode is chock-full of details. The face, for one, is superbly sculpted. Details are, as expected from a toy this size, numerous. The chest panel are mistransformed on the toy. They could fold in a bit to be more show-accurate. Bumblebee looks show accurate, and his posability is excellent as well. If we could pose him freely, that is. The electronic gimmicks often rotates the shoulders in poses and forces them to be in that direction. And the head, too. Can't force the head to move.

The gimmickry makes the toy suffer a lot. The electronics are in a huge box, making Ultimate Bumblebee top-heavy. The larger feet often solves this problem, but he still feels off-balance, so I don't display him in robot mode, for fear of him dropping. I mean, what's the point? The Leader class toys and the Masterpiece toys all have good articulation (and an inflated price tag), but at least they can stand and be posed freely.

Bumblebee's gimmickry electronics are numerous (and very annoying). Fortunately, they could be switched off with, well, a switch. Pressing the button on his chest or his side would give a variety of sound effects, and his head, shoulder and 'wings' could move around. He also randomly shoots the projectile in his missile launcher arm. Oh, yeah. One of his hands is a missile launcher. With this size a toy, they could've made him cooler by making a missile launcher that retracts and changes into an arm, but nooooo.....

Some of the sounds are music, snipets from Devo's "Whip It", and an all-new "Trans-for-mahrsss more-than-meets-the-eye". There are also voice effects, like "Take that, Decepticon!" -shoots missile- "You're my first human friend." and, if left alone, "Where did everybody go?" That last one is cute.

But, is he worth it? When you could use the same amount of money to buy, say, ROTF Leader Optimus Prime? And have some left over? No. He is a good transformer, but the gimmicks spoil it all. Had he just been a Masterpiece-styled toy, with probably one or two sound effects, he's be much better. Not this one, though. There are better Transformers products out there.

[Marks out of ten for the following:

Transformation 7/10 Bumblebee's pretty complex, but you can't expect less from a toy his size. Bumblebee's easy once you get the hang of it. Takes a lot of steps, but easy.
Durability 9/10 Bumblebee's durable, if nothing. His joints could get loose, but the plastic joints for the 'wings' could wear out due to friction. His vehicle mode is very durable, and it could be used as a murder weapon. The projectile could get lost, but no big loss, there.
Fun 2/10 The transformation takes too long for playing, and besides, he's way out of scale with any other toys. Bigger isn't always better. Besides, Leader class toys are less annoying, cheaper and have more play value.
Price 0/10 Nope. In retrospect, I'd have the money.
Overall 1/10 Bumblebee's a great character, but if you really want a toy of him, get the Deluxe class toy/toys. Or, if you want BB to be big, the recent Human Alliance Ultra class Bumblebee would be more to your liking. Ultimate Bumblebee is just not worth the cash. I mean, come on! No one even bothered to review him for two years since he was released.

[Blackjack]

Awesome pics. Does he come with the glasses in the movie?

I think I may have found my new favourite transformer.

[Transformer Kamen]

In other words, Chromia's chest plates don't hold together very well either. I'm waiting on the supposed combined mode of the sisters before I pick any of them up. I'd need something like the tabs on The Fallen secure before I'd be comfortable with the jet mode, I'm afraid. Besides, I like the tank mode much better!:D

This is pretty much my opinion on the Arcees as well, though the combined mode better be hellava impressive before I consider it.

[Detective Barricade]

You can mistransform the arms on the Voyager to get something almost resembling a jet, but only really about as much as the original did, if that. There's pictures of it in the other review.

[Detective Barricade]

YES. I'm not sure if they're supposed to do this, but the glasses (pictured with them on) can be detached. I just assume leave them in.

[Tramp]

For anyone interested, there are more pics of his Cybertronian jet mode here along with other pics in robot and tank mode (it's the repaint I did).

[numbat]

You can mistransform the arms on the Voyager to get something almost resembling a jet, but only really about as much as the original did, if that. There's pictures of it in the other review.

Aye, I've been keeping up with that thread.

Not too impressed with the Voyager 'jet' mode, to be fair, as my comments likening him to Energon Scorponok may suggest...

[Dead Man Wade]

Just a heads up. It's, "Check on the rep, yep, second to none".

[Blackjack]

Just a heads up. It's, "Check on the rep, yep, second to none".

Thanks! I've changed it.

[Blackjack]

Name: Ransack
Allegiance: Decepticon
Sub-Group: Seeker
Function: Seeking

"Today we settle things. Just you and me." — Ransack, Revenge of the Fallen (novelization)

I love Ransack. Most versions of him, anyway... There's too many of him. In Generation 1 he was a Deluxe Insecticon, who transforms into a locust/grasshopper thing. G2 Ransack is a separate character, a Rotor Force Decepticon, and he transforms into a WWII Corsair plane. In Armada he's a Mini-Con who transforms into a dune buggy. In Universe, another Ransack is a Decepticon steam shovel, a repaint of Hoist. In Cybertron, Ransack is a luckless cannon-fodder Decepticon who transforms into a motorcycle. In ROTF, Ransack is a Decepticon that transforms into a biplane.

I like G1, G2 and Cybertron Ransack, though this Ransack may well work his way up to be my favourite.

Fact — the only WWI and WWII era planes are all named Ransack. ROTF and G2 Ransack, respectively.

The re-birth of the Scouts class toys in the ROTF toyline is a great success. Better than all those Real Gear Robots, and it's very refreshing to see Scouts class toys that don't have Cyber Keys or Energon weapons. For once they transform into stuff, and their alternate modes are simply beautiful. A futuristic sports car (Dead End), a forklift truck (Dirt Boss), a Red Bull-ish truck (Rollbar), a microscope (Scalpel), a warship (Depth Charge) and Ransack. Ransack transforms into a WWI era biplane, most likely a reference to G2 Ransack.

Oh, and Ransack actually appeared in fiction. Yeah. Specifically in the Revenge of the Fallen movie novelization. He appeared right after Jetfire transported our heroes to Egypt. After exchanging harsh words with the old Blackbird, Ransack tried to shoot Jets. Problem is, Ransack's weaponry are out of ammo. Jetfire stomped Ransack real good. Ransack is one of the Seekers. While he isn't named, he is described as a WWI biplane. ROTF Ransack is the only transformer that transforms into a biplane, so identification is positive.

Simon Furman says that Ransack would feature a big role in the Titans magazines.

ROBOT MODE

Ransack's robot mode, like fellow Seeker Jetfire, is modeled to make him look old. The Decepticon's head has a silver helmet with what looks like a lamp in the center, giving him a miner's look, so to speak. Ransack's face has lots of creases, giving him an aged impression. Ransack's arms are thin and long, ending in four-clawed hands. The right hand has two gun-barrels on the wrist, while the other hand has some kind of torpedoes. His sides have wings folded up, giving him a Powerglide-esque look.

Ransack's poseability is very good, especially his hands and legs. His knees are double-jointed, and his ankles could be angled in any direction, thus making him very stable. His foot is flat, helping this as well.

Ransack's supposed to be a Seeker that is one of the best and most feared fliers in his day, although he is past his prime. Looking at him from a distance does give the impression of an old has-been, but still having a punch or two left in him, kinda like G1 Kup. Basically, he is a very charming little Decepticon, with a multitude of poses and fun crammed into a Scouts class figure.

BATTLE MODE

Basically the robot mode with the propeller up and the upper wings extended in flight mode. Nothing much, but at least they didn't claim he's a triple changer. A nice bonus.

VEHICLE MODE

His vehicle mode is modeled after a WWI biplane, specifically the Albratos D.III. Again, like most movie molds, Ransack tries to get as much detail you can cram into a Scout class figure, and from pictures of the real biplane, I am impressed. There's a little seat with a molded chair, wings, ridges... They even molded the grooves in the wings that give it the characteristic 'papery' look. The rotor spins, but unlike his G2 namesake, it doesn't launch.

No robot kibble can be seen, as everything slides beautifully into the biplane mode. The entire lower body transform into the back part of the biplane. The head (and helmet) slid down into the engine. The hands fold up to resemble some sort of supporting metal beams, and the fingers are the only robot parts that could be seen.

His colouration translates beautifully into his vehicle mode, and he stands nicely on the two wheels. The hands fold under the lower wings, and the shotguns and missiles point forward. Two gigantic black Decepticon insignias with slight decoration adorn his upper wing, proclaiming his allegiance for all to see. The biplane, while looking old, still has a bad ass feel to it. Seriously, go get him. He's that good.

Marks out of ten for the following:

Transformation 6/10 Ransack's easy enough, but then, he's a Scout class. You do need to glance at the instructions at his first transformation.
Durability 8/10 Ransack's rather durable, but there are some parts that are easily broken off. The shoulder ball joints seem loose, and the pegs at his sides worry me. Still, he's a durable little toy.
Price 10/10 Ransack's worth every penny for a Scouts Class.
Fun 10/10 A Seeker, a very interesting alternate mode, and a nice personality... Ransack's damn fun, even if you get him as a troop builder.
Overall 10/10 Go get him. He's that awesome. The Scouts class toys are pure wins, and Ransack is one of the best among the best class in the ROTF toy line.