Review: #562
Name: Megatron
Brand: Transformers
Allegiance: Decepticon
Line: Generations - Studio Series
Year of Release: 2019
Size Class: Leader (Wave 2)
Mold Status: new
VEHICLE MODE:
Megatron transforms into a licensed Mack M915 Line-Haul Replacement Tractor, with a few modifications of course. The most obvious one being the massive cow spikes in front of the truck (which is made of soft flexible plastic).
There is a tarp covering the trailer, and it is made from actual cloth, while the ropes are soft flexible plastic.
Megatron is a long truck but thin and light. Above is a comparison against Age of Extinction Optimus and Megatron definitely feels much more insubstantial in comparison.
Unfortunately, due to transformation, the front half is completely hollow and this is what makes the figure so disappointing. The hollow cab just feels cheap. The tolerances warp the plastic and so all ten wheels will never all touch the surface at the same time. The underside also stores the robot gun.
If you remove the tarp, it'll reveal some tanker elements. Also due to transformation but the whole vehicle is one solid piece, it cannot bend at the hitch.
Megatron comes with a small Igor figure, with movable arms.
A quick comparison of Igor against Megatron and it shows that despite being small, it isn't *too* small.
A vehicle that looks good but the illusion is shattered as soon as you pick him up.
TRANSFORMATION:
The transformation is very easy, much easier that you'd expect for a Leader. The panels of the cab unfolds and folds to form the feet, while the rear splits to form his arms. You need to take the tarp and plastic ropes off and the put it back on after you have transformed him.
ROBOT MODE:
Megatron's robot mode looks great at first glance but like the vehicle mode, there are some flaws that start to show themselves once you pick him up.
Surprisingly, he doesn't carry much kibble. Sure, he has a panel on his back, but it is used to secure the rope across his chest. His legs are a bit messy and blocky looking, but they are fairly compact.
The headsculpt is strong and he has the damaged head as shown in the movie. It is on a balljoint and is nicely painted.
He is okay in terms of height, yes, he is a bit shorter than previous Leaders but Hasbro has been continually cost-cutting for a while now so that's not unexpected.
As part of the Studio Series line, he comes with a cardboard stand.
The stand depicts the African base he has during the Dark of the Moon movie.
There are some small pegs around Megatron that you can peg Igor onto.
Articulation is pretty good. He has joints for his head, shoulders, elbows, hips, knees as well as limited ankle swivels.
Despite being mainly beige, if you look carefully, you can see various different shades that helps to highlight the intricate sculpting.
His weapon in robot mode is a shotgun.
The shotgun is designed to be held in his right hand as there is a 5mm peghole there.
Megatron is able to pull some menacing poses but he usually has a hunch due to the way his knees are designed.
During transformation, you would have removed the tarp and the rope.
The tarp turns into a cloak and the holes are strategically placed for his head and shoulder to poke through.
While a robot wearing a cloak is stupid, this was in the movie. All in all, this is a solid robot mode.
OVERALL:
Megatron is an okay figure. While he looks great in both modes, unfortunately, he is let down by the cost-cutting measures that makes the figure feels really fragile. The hollowness in vehicle mode ends up making the robot mode fragile as well. He's a worthwhile pick up on a deep sale, but not so much for normal price.
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