Bumblebee quickly became the mascot of the 2007 Transformers movie, and after seeing Revenge of the Fallen, not much has changed. Thanks to his bright color scheme and cutesy catch, kids loved him and a lot of Transformers fans didn't. Does this new Deluxe Class Revenge of the Fallen figure float like a bumblebee, or sting like a butterfly? Read on to see for yourself!
Name: Bumblebee
Line: Transformers, Revenge of the Fallen, Deluxe Class
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Released: 3rd Quarter 2009
Price: Retail: $12.50-$13.50 Online: $11.99-$14.99
Accessories: Missile projectile
8 / 10 - Bumblebee looks like the Camaro he's supposed to in vehicle form; there are some big noticeable gap in car mode; robot mode is very busy and chaotic;the sculpt follows the movie design on a basic level, but misses in some places due to kibble issues; there are a lot of small details worked in across his entire body in both modes; shapes came out as they're supposed to (i.e., circles look like circles); his missile is sculpted with a fireblast effect at the end, but it doesn't look great; Bumblebee's face looks movie-accurate, which is to say it's very ugly, but sculpted with strong cuts and clear lines like it should be.
7 / 10 - Bumblebee is primarily cast in a yellow plastic that looks good, but may be a bit too orange to match the film perfectly; he's also composed of black, dark gray, and dark translucent blue plastics; the colors all look fine together, and the gray that makes up his robot body is just light enough to keep sculpt details visible; areas with yellow paint on the clear blue plastic are done sloppily, with some blue coloring showing through or yellow not achieving full coverage (like at the end of his rear-view mears in vehicle mode); the cut lines on these same areas are okay at best; there is a huge glob of yellow paint on his windshield (there must be big glowing bugs on Cybertron); Autobot and car decals are applied very cleanly; his face and eyes look great.
6 / 10 - Bumblebee has a solid number of joints to mess around with; his leg articulation is easy to use, but difficult to pose properly because of the odd shapes and lack of a thigh or knee swivel; arms can reach dynamic poses, but the shoulders are somewhat limited by the kibble behind his biceps; ball joints at his hips and abs are all somewhat loose, especially the ball right beneath his chest; head has a full range of motion which can add some personality on shelf; Bumblebee's transformation can be fussy and require a bit of manhandling; wheels spin freely and doors open (to robot guts) in vehicle mode.
10 / 10 - He's two toys in one, both of which are enjoyable; the transformation process adds so much play value; comes with a missile firing action feature (3-4 feet range, which is a blast); recognizable character and mascot of the films; packaging includes biography and statistics information to add a story to play sessions, it's possible to find a couple cool poses for your display shelf; nothing is too frustrating or problematic.
9 / 10 - Bumblebee costs about $12-13 dollars are full retail price in most stores; relatively averagely priced for a figure in this scale, considering that he actually transforms into a second toy; some obvious engineering and thought put into the design; packaging does its job and offers some collectability with images and text; there is a small nonessential piece that keeps falling off, which may limit value to some due to concerns of durability; holds up through multiple transformations; has some weight and feels good in your hands; includes an accessory of sorts; Bumblebee should be enjoyable for a long time, making him worth the money.
Overall Score: 78 / 100 - This is a Good Toy
Bumblebee is an enjoyable edition to a Transformers collection that doesn't already contain a similar rendition, but there's nothing new, exciting, or exceptional enough about this toy to earn your purchase otherwise.
P.S. This could be the figure I'm giving away this month, just leave a comment for a chance to win (if it's the one). Comments on this review also earn you a chance to win a toy at battlegrip.com, but need to be received by midnight on June 27th to be eligible.
-The Articulated One
_________
Looking for more Transformers? Find them right here.
