Review: #71
Name: Longarm and Bumblebee
Brand: Transformers
Allegiance: Autobot
Line: Movie (2007)
Year of Release: 2007
Size Class: Deluxe and Figurine (Screen Battles Wave 1)
Variations: this was a minor repaint of the original version
VEHICLE MODE:
Longarm here transforms into a Ford F-350 tow truck, and while he's fairly simple and low detail in sculpt on first sight, there are some really good elements here. Obviously all four wheels rolls, and Longarm rolls very well mind you.
It is a very well formed truck, and the diamond grip molding on the floor of the truck is excellent. He's lacking some paint in some of the more elaborate sculpted details like tail lights and the tow arm looks really bare.
However, the main attraction here is the actual working use of the towing arm and hook. If you've got a suitable vehicle (one that has a gap underneath the hood so the hook can attach) Longarm can tow it around, this is an excellent feature and surprisingly really fun.
Funnily enough, there's a molded Mikaela in the driver's seat, to emulate the scene in the movie. Also, you can fire the missile in this mold, there's a gap at the front that lets the missile go through, whoa... The only complaint I have here is that the light bar is situated awkwardly high, and it looks really weird.
The final play feature here is the ability to attach the legless Bumblebee, to complete the iconic scene. There's a dedicated slot for the hook on Bumblebee's back so he attaches very securely. A brilliant vehicle mode, if easily forgettable since nothing really stands out.
TRANSFORMATION:
Quite an ingenious transformation. The hood of the truck unfolds (via a lot of hinges) into his legs, the cabin behinds the chest, and everything else at the back becomes the arms. Yup, more than half the truck becomes arms (well, there's also the humongous gun). Folding the legs back into the hood can be somewhat tricky the first time around and takes some guess work. All in all, a simple transformation that's really fun to convert.
BUMBLEBEE FIGURINE:
A figurine that feels like it's just the Robot Replicas with legs chopped off. In reality, it's actually a brand new mold. The plastic used is very rubbery and it just feels wrong.
He's jointed only on the shoulders, hips and head. Not exactly the best, and is very limited in terms of poses. He's also missing his iconic door wings, although there's holes for it, so maybe it was planned at one stage?
The head is detailed and accurate I guess, which means it's pretty ugly. A pretty forgettable part of the set, I got this set only for Longarm to be honest.
ROBOT MODE:
Longarm's robot mode, just like the vehicle mode, at first glance, looks to be unmemorable, but the more you handle him, the more you'll find he has some nice hidden surprises. Probably the first thing you'd notice is this huge gun on his right arm, it's screwed into place and so it's not removable. This can make for some awkward poses for his arm though.
There's some kibble around the place, notably on his shoulders (which is the sides of the truck, folded together) and the cabin, complete with doors, on his back. It's not as bad as it seems. The legs have way too many joints in them though, sometimes making it hard to find a good stable configuration.
The fun comes in with the gun. This is made up of the tow arm and hook, and the orange missile can be fired by a very tiny button.
There are some really nice details too, so it actually looks like a gun and not some random piece of plastic that doesn't look like anything.
What's cool is that Longarm is jointed enough such that he can hold the gun in both arms, which makes the proportions much better (it feels too big and unwieldy on one hand).
The head sculpt is excellent, and easily one of the best I've seen. It has a distinctive Hoist feel to it, and the orange lightpiping works very very well.
Articulation is only hampered by the huge gun and shoulder kibble. Otherwise he has an excellent range of motion and is a great figure to play with.
OVERALL:
The dark horse of the movie line, Longarm does not get nearly as much recognition as he deserves. This is a wonderful figure, that scores points in every single category, whether it's for transformation, articulation or play value, Longarm is a well rounded figure. The only reason you would not get this toy is if you don't like the aesthetics.
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