Post by iTransfan on Aug 29, 2010 15:11:05 GMT
HFTD LEADER STARSCREAM
Finally! The movie Starscream we have all been waiting for and it is worth the wait. Remember back to when Revenge of The Fallen was coming out and a leader class Starscream was planned? That's the reason I did not bother with double dipping on another voyager, even if he did have some new stuff over the movie 1 model. Let us begin with the jet mode.
VEHICLE
Starscream is based off the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor fighter plane. His fuselage is covered in cybertronian tattoos and is, as expected, predominantly grey with a yellow/orange canopy for the cockpit.
In vehicle mode, his launching missiles can be attached to the wings as sidewinder missiles. Also on his vehicle is a Decepticon logo towards the front which is a button to activate lights and sound for the vehicle mode. This is a slight annoyance and might be a little less obvious with Takara's masterpiece edition since it won't be breaking the pattern of the tattoos since it won't have them.
The vehicle under carriage isn't so bad since the legs when stowed away help with the landing gear function. The gripe I have about this is the very obvious hole at the back under the engines. It is possible that this was as neatly designed as it could possibly be. Also to the underside is where Starscream's detachable arm launcher is stowed, and it is nicely hidden when sitting in vehicle mode.
[ROBOT MODE
Bear with me, I know it's mis-transformed and the shoulderes changed but I had only changed it once and was trying to return it from memory. Just while we're on transformation, this figure is a joy. I thought Optimus Prime was sometimes a chore when his arms do not sit properly, Starscream has no such issues. When you move a part to a certain place, it stays there, the process is a challenge but, all in all, it is pleasant.
Colours do change a little but it is still predominantly grey. Brown comes out on the shoulders, arms, thighs and shins. There are two browns, personally i would have preferred painted gold but it's a minor issue, would have been nice if they were uniform. The tattoos, aren't as prominant in robot mode but do show through a little on the thighs, chest, arms and on the plain view kibble at the back.
I know it's not in this photo, but the hand launcher can be stowed on his back. It's not a fussy place to put it but it is neat.
Didn't show up well here but there is some gold/light yellow paint on his face, which is a little drab but the plastic detail does help break the monotony. Maybe also suggesting for any repainters to run along some of the lines with an outline paint pen. His mouth opens when you pull down on the canopy to activate the robot lights and sound.
Joints are as follow. Head rotates but no up or down. Full 360 degree shoulder with a 90 degree perpendicular joint. It's nice and tight so it won't slip easily. There is also a full 360 degree swivel on the bicep.
Elbow has a 90 degree joint and the hand and thumbs(he has 2 on each hand) are similar. His fingers are not seperate. There is a lever on each arm to deploy weapons. The previously mentioned launcher can be placed on either hand when it has been folded.
Hips have full 360 defree movement and a 90 degree perpendicular joint, as with the shoulders.
His chicken legs have 3 joint movements, 2 90 degree joints and a 360 swivel joint on the lower joint to aid posture. His feet have a joint to spread the toes, and the heel and toes can move 90 degrees as part of transforming.
Random poses
And a final size comparison with Buster Optimus Prime (thx Jimmy Drift)
FINAL THOUGHTS
Love the vehicle mode even with the minor flaws. It's chunky and it has a very solid weight to it. It is neat with the storage of the launcher and is an overall fun mode.
Robot mode, might have issues depending on what way you look at it, mainly to do with posture. The chicken legs might be a bit of a limiting to what can be done with him and don't try standing him up straight because he is too heavy for that. Liking the wide range of his arms of which there are plenty of hidden treats in store. The detachable launcher might not have been entirely needed because of the other weapons Starscream is packing, but it a nice accessory to have. It's not as neat as the arm cannon works on HFTD Battle Blade Bumblebee but I suppose some would complain if it wasn't there. Colour scheme is reasonably faithful to his look in Revenge of The Fallen but I would have liked a clear canopy instead of a yellow/orange one.
If you have skipped the ROTF voyager release(like I did) I would suggest getting this. It cost €44.99(even though the label on mine said €74.99). If you are a big Starscream fan, I'd go as far as saying you need this figure. There is a ton of discovery to him and his vehicle is top notch. It may be sold in Japan as a masterpiece, but he is a ton easier to change than a masterpiece.
VEHICLE : 9/10
ROBOT : 9/10
OVERALL : 9/10
Finally! The movie Starscream we have all been waiting for and it is worth the wait. Remember back to when Revenge of The Fallen was coming out and a leader class Starscream was planned? That's the reason I did not bother with double dipping on another voyager, even if he did have some new stuff over the movie 1 model. Let us begin with the jet mode.
VEHICLE
Starscream is based off the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor fighter plane. His fuselage is covered in cybertronian tattoos and is, as expected, predominantly grey with a yellow/orange canopy for the cockpit.
In vehicle mode, his launching missiles can be attached to the wings as sidewinder missiles. Also on his vehicle is a Decepticon logo towards the front which is a button to activate lights and sound for the vehicle mode. This is a slight annoyance and might be a little less obvious with Takara's masterpiece edition since it won't be breaking the pattern of the tattoos since it won't have them.
The vehicle under carriage isn't so bad since the legs when stowed away help with the landing gear function. The gripe I have about this is the very obvious hole at the back under the engines. It is possible that this was as neatly designed as it could possibly be. Also to the underside is where Starscream's detachable arm launcher is stowed, and it is nicely hidden when sitting in vehicle mode.
[ROBOT MODE
Bear with me, I know it's mis-transformed and the shoulderes changed but I had only changed it once and was trying to return it from memory. Just while we're on transformation, this figure is a joy. I thought Optimus Prime was sometimes a chore when his arms do not sit properly, Starscream has no such issues. When you move a part to a certain place, it stays there, the process is a challenge but, all in all, it is pleasant.
Colours do change a little but it is still predominantly grey. Brown comes out on the shoulders, arms, thighs and shins. There are two browns, personally i would have preferred painted gold but it's a minor issue, would have been nice if they were uniform. The tattoos, aren't as prominant in robot mode but do show through a little on the thighs, chest, arms and on the plain view kibble at the back.
I know it's not in this photo, but the hand launcher can be stowed on his back. It's not a fussy place to put it but it is neat.
Didn't show up well here but there is some gold/light yellow paint on his face, which is a little drab but the plastic detail does help break the monotony. Maybe also suggesting for any repainters to run along some of the lines with an outline paint pen. His mouth opens when you pull down on the canopy to activate the robot lights and sound.
Joints are as follow. Head rotates but no up or down. Full 360 degree shoulder with a 90 degree perpendicular joint. It's nice and tight so it won't slip easily. There is also a full 360 degree swivel on the bicep.
Elbow has a 90 degree joint and the hand and thumbs(he has 2 on each hand) are similar. His fingers are not seperate. There is a lever on each arm to deploy weapons. The previously mentioned launcher can be placed on either hand when it has been folded.
Hips have full 360 defree movement and a 90 degree perpendicular joint, as with the shoulders.
His chicken legs have 3 joint movements, 2 90 degree joints and a 360 swivel joint on the lower joint to aid posture. His feet have a joint to spread the toes, and the heel and toes can move 90 degrees as part of transforming.
Random poses
And a final size comparison with Buster Optimus Prime (thx Jimmy Drift)
FINAL THOUGHTS
Love the vehicle mode even with the minor flaws. It's chunky and it has a very solid weight to it. It is neat with the storage of the launcher and is an overall fun mode.
Robot mode, might have issues depending on what way you look at it, mainly to do with posture. The chicken legs might be a bit of a limiting to what can be done with him and don't try standing him up straight because he is too heavy for that. Liking the wide range of his arms of which there are plenty of hidden treats in store. The detachable launcher might not have been entirely needed because of the other weapons Starscream is packing, but it a nice accessory to have. It's not as neat as the arm cannon works on HFTD Battle Blade Bumblebee but I suppose some would complain if it wasn't there. Colour scheme is reasonably faithful to his look in Revenge of The Fallen but I would have liked a clear canopy instead of a yellow/orange one.
If you have skipped the ROTF voyager release(like I did) I would suggest getting this. It cost €44.99(even though the label on mine said €74.99). If you are a big Starscream fan, I'd go as far as saying you need this figure. There is a ton of discovery to him and his vehicle is top notch. It may be sold in Japan as a masterpiece, but he is a ton easier to change than a masterpiece.
VEHICLE : 9/10
ROBOT : 9/10
OVERALL : 9/10