Review: #114
Name: Starscream
Brand: Transformers
Allegiance: Decepticon
Line: Prime - First Edition
Year of Release: 2011
Size Class: Deluxe (First Edition - Wave 1)
Variations: retooled into JP Skywarp and Thundercracker, repainted in a 2pk with Bumblebee, repainted in Dark Energon Starscream and retooled into Timelines Slipstream (Wow! They really used this mold up)
JET MODE:
Starscream transforms into what should be a very thin and sleek jet. Apparently, it's based off a General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon, looking at pictures, there is a passing resemblance.
There are three missiles under each wing, they are made of soft rubbery plastic (which are unpainted).
He has a single molded thruster and underneath that are clearly his legs, albeit folded up.
There are gaps all over the place in the fuselage, and what is clearly his chest just behind the cockpit. This is all due to the back of the plane comprised of his robot arms and shoulders, it's not exactly the best jet around.
What's more, he has some pretty hefty undercarriage junk. They're his robot mode legs, not exactly tucking away. Starscream has three molded wheels so that he lay flat on the table.
As a jet, there's the illusion he's bigger than he is. Take away the wings (which are apparently shorter than they should be on a real jet, but I don't really see the problem) and you're left with a tiny mass of plastic. It might be normal now, but back when it was released, you'd expect it to be heavier.
Either way, this is *just* passable as a jet. It's better looking as a silhouette due to all the gaps and robot bits you could see. Oh, and Starscream has a rubber nosecone.
TRANSFORMATION:
Starscream has a very interesting transformation, the engineering that went into it is very impressive indeed. While the legs are basic (just folding down), the arms are slightly more interesting, I think it's the way the designer placed and manipulated the kibble that makes it all much more fun. I wouldn't say it's complex, but it's elegant and intuitive once you've done it once (or seen someone do it). The waist joint can give you heart attacks since it feels so thin and fragile (but I have never heard of it having snapped before, so it's overreaction there). The transformation does rely a lot on thin and long joints, so over time, I think it would be more fragile (since they're mostly held together by pins). There's a lot of moving parts and small bits and pieces that make him more show accurate, like the small fins you can flip up at the back of his legs.
ROBOT MODE:
It's amazing how well they have captured the tall and lanky Starscream from the show into toy form. Kudos to the designer, they have done an amazing job (and at Deluxe size too!).
Starscream is extremely show accurate, right down to the high heels. Surprisingly, he's quite stable and easy to stand with his small footprint.
The head sculpt shows a lot of attitude, it captures Starscream's character really well. The evil red eyes with the subtle smile/smirk. His fin is made of soft rubber, and with a lot of Starscream's, straight out of packaging and their head fins are bent. I had to fix mine (not perfectly) with a hairdryer. The fin folds back for transformation so the head can tuck it, but more than often, it'll bend against something, quite annoying.
If you hadn't known, Starscream's torso bears a passing resemblance to the Movie Starscream's head, apparently this visual homage was unintentional (would have been cool if it was intentional).
Starscream's thinner than you would expect, since it's unprecedented on such skinny characters having a toy (as far as I am aware, I'll probably be proven wrong). He does make up for it in height, he towers over a normal Deluxe. Just note that the knee spikes are also made of soft rubber :(.
This is a First Edition toy, so blah blah blah, he has a stand. Obviously, you cannot place his jet mode onto the stand since the wings will get in the way.
Starscream looks good on the stand, what more can I say?
Starscream is super poseable. Imagine the most poseable toy you have, and make it even more poseable, that's Starscream. I'm still amazed at the number of joints he has and the range of motion he possess.
However, the biggest threat against Starscream would be his hip joints. They're inherently loose, causing him to topple over in many a circumstance.
He's not too stable in extreme action poses either due to his static feet (the spurs can only fold in, very limited when folding out). You can have Starscream in all those flattering or grovelling poses that you see in the cartoon.
This is a surprisingly good robot, you can see where the designer has focused upon. One word. Wow.
OVERALL:
This turned out to be a surprisingly good toy. From initial pictures, I thought that the jet mode was too compromised, but it turned out to be quite good, and the robot mode is just stunning. It's amazing how well they have captured the character, the gait, the smirk and the lankiness. Being super poseable also helps, and the plane thruster being situated on his back also lends to the plausibility of flight in robot mode.
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