Review: #245
Name: Bumblebee
Brand: Transformers
Allegiance: Autobot
Line: Transformers (2014)
Year of Release: 2014
Size Class: Legion (Wave 1)
Variations: a repaint of the Universe Legends Bumblebee, later on repainted into Cliffjumper
VEHICLE MODE:
Released in 2014 to fill in the gap left by the Age of Extinction toys which had no Legion size class, Bumblebee is a repaint from the Universe toy and comes in a packaging reusing the artwork from his earlier Generations toy.
He transforms into a sporty car with black stripes outlined with a darker orange.
This is a good car mode and I really like how they bothered to paint the taillights red as well. Of note is that Bumblebee is a darker orangey yellow than normal.
He is fairly small being in the size class that he is, his wheels roll and this represents the only play value that he has.
Most of the side windows are painted, there is a small bit of the window at the back of the car which isn't but it doesn't stand out too much.
There are some good sculpted detailing and the stripe outlining of most of the vehicle is pretty good.
A good car mode overall instantly recognizable as Bumblebee. While the paint job is more inspired by the movie incarnation, it's not a far departure for the character.
TRANSFORMATION:
Transformation is simple but impressive for its size. I love the way the back of the car folds to form the robot mode back, revealing the hard and just making everything slot into place. The legs for the way you'd expect but it is still fun nonetheless.
ROBOT MODE:
Robot mode is classic G1 Bumblebee and he looks absolutely fantastic here.
He wears the back of the car as a backpack but it sits so flush that it feels a natural part of the robot anyway. Apart from that, there are no other pieces of kibble.
The head sculpt is good, the head itself is fixed so it cannot be moved at all.
He is the height you would expect of a toy this size. In terms of proportions, his legs are a little bit on the short side since the torso is so long.
If you thought that his arms would be restrictive, the designer has gotten you covered. The shoulders have a joint which allows the arms to lift slightly outwards for a more natural stance.
Articulation is limited for the most part, his shoulders can rotate 360 degrees, his hips are on balljoints and due to transformation, the ankles can tilt backwards.
His feet are huge which allows him to be quite sturdy.
A good robot mode and much better looking in hand than pictures might show.
OVERALL:
This mold has been released many times now but it is good enough such that you should at least get one version of it. As a Bumblebee toy, it is excellent, with two good modes. There is a decent amount of paint on this version of the toy and he is quite inexpensive.
-----------------------------------------------
Other toy reviews can be found on this page.
