Review: #94
Name: Soundwave
Brand: Transformers
Allegiance: Decepticon
Line: Prime - Robots in Disguise
Year of Release: 2012
Size Class: Deluxe (Wave 1)
Variations: none as of yet
JET MODE:
Soundwave transforms into an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that is based upon the General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper. For obvious reasons, he doesn't have a cockpit.
At first glance, it's an okay plane, but under closer scrutiny, you will see a lot of bits that shouldn't be there, particularly all the robot molded detail around the back. It's distracting to the point of looking messy and is the biggest flaw in this mode.
The whole topside should be smooth, but the back has a lot of unevenness, and there is no good reason for that! This section of the plane ends up on Soundwave's back, out of sight, so I cannot fathom the reason why it is still so 'detailed'.
There's a lot of panel lines, and gaps where the wings attach. There's also one landing gear, underneath the nose. Soundwave doesn't have wheels so he cannot roll.
This is a very thin jet, with barely any undercarriage kibble. The light blue colour scheme is okay, I would have preferred if it was a darker shade like the cartoon. There are various purple accents around the toy.
The underside doesn't give much away, except probably which part of the plane forms the legs.
You can attach Laserbeak on top of the plane, but this looks stupid. If you store is where it normally goes, the wings of Laserbeak will dislodge when you try to hold the plane.
The other big thing is that Soundwave is small, much much smaller than you would expect. Prepare to feel ripped off mass-wise (especially with the price increase). While you're holding him, you can't help but notice how little mass he has, and the thin profile of the plane doesn't help matters much. A fairly bland jet, which suits Soundwave just fine.
TRANSFORMATION:
This is one of the most surprising aspect, you would have expected a somewhat complex transformation to get from this fairly simple jet into the complex show accurate robot mode. However, it's a very simple transformation!! Elegant though. I love the way the wings turn into the thin but wide arms just like the show, but basically, most of the robot mode details are underneath the plane, so it's kinda cheaty there. It is this aspect where the cheapness of the plastic shows through. It feels really flimsy, and softer than any Deluxe before, it makes you want to be careful about it, especially with the thin pieces and twisting around of said pieces. There's also some swirling in the plastic, which is never good news. Another noticeable issue is that the swivel joint for the shoulder likes to pop off while you're trying to fold another piece over it, it's very annoying. There's also a head reveal gimmick, as you open the back of the plane, the head springs up.
ROBOT MODE:
One word, awesome. Soundwave's robot mode is awesome. Sure, it takes some acquired taste, but the show accuracy is just astounding. You get Soundwave's hunch, and the really long and thin arms. As you'd expect, a thin plane produces a thin robot.
He's also relatively kibble free. Nothing really gets in the way, although once again, there's not so much paint here, but it works. Soundwave is supposed to be the subdued robot standing in the shadows (watching and recording your every move).
One thing that's interesting and something I've never noticed in the show, was that Soundwave has 'chicken legs', that is, it's bent backwards at the knee. This causes all sorts of problems, which I'll get back to later.
The headsculpt is great, it's fitting that Soundwave, one that doesn't talk (yet) in the show, have a mouthless (and mouthplate-less) head, that turns into an UAV. I know some people would have preferred a lightpipe, and there could have been one here (the way the head is put together allows it), I don't think it would have suited the character, since his face was always dark. Would have been cool if there was a soundwave etched on the screen though (and surprisingly, they painted the back of his head in silver... whoa?).
Okay now, have a good look at the picture above. What do you notice? Well, Laserbeak resides in his chest (just like the show!), and it blends in there very very well.
Taking Laserbeak out, and folding his wings up, we get that lump of a plastic above. It's pretty undefined if you didn't know what is already was beforehand, the wings are adjustable but that's about it.
Oh yeah, your guess is as good as mine as to which side is the 'head', although I'm pretty sure you can tell from the way the wings are angled (usually angled to the back).
Laserbeak has a 5mm hole, which corresponds to one of the holes that's punched through completely through either of Soundwave's hands. This is specifically for Soundwave to 'hold' Laserbeak.
And... what does the chest look like without Laserbeak? Still decent, but I prefer with Laserbeak on.
Soundwave still feels pretty small and light in this mode. It's a very thin robot, but Deluxe height.
The arms have a lot of joints, they're very very poseable. The same can't be said for the legs... They're pretty much static, with only adjustable feet. He's got hip joints and swivels, but as for bending his knees... good luck.
The head is on a spring, due to the gimmick, which makes it annoying to pose his head as he'll look down without proper support.
You can still get Soundwave into some decent haunting poses with a bit of effort (I couldn't be bothered...). I wished Soundwave could have come with some sort of weapon other than Laserbeak (which is a surveillance drone anyway).
Either way, still a really good robot mode. He looks great on display and evokes his character well.
OVERALL:
Engineering and design wise, elegant and interesting. Execution? Well, if Soundwave was bigger, and the plastic used didn't seem so cheap, them it would have been perfect. However, what you do get is still a good toy, although I don't think I can recommend him at full RRP. The Laserbeak gimmick is well implemented and will be an excellent addition to your display shelf.
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A couple (well, maybe more than a couple) of other toy reviews can be found at this page.