Seems to be forever since Threezero released the DLX Soundwave and Ravage from the Bumblebee movie. I think the first early batch came out around September 2020, and similar to their previous Optimus and Bumblebee figures, they released them in stages. BBTS finally got their batch and it's definitely worth the wait!
Click the link below to watch my full video review over on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel.
Packaging and contents are pretty much on par with their previous DLX releases. The stand is pretty useless, but I guess a decent option if you really want the figure in some sort of jumping pose. In any other pose, the figure's articulation and strong joints allows it to stand on its own very well.
The hands are well sculpted and painted, but I noticed that they are the exact same sculpt as for the Optimus figure. I think this is contributing to it looking like it has really small hands, particularly with the fists. It's not so obvious with the action hands, but still a bit of a disappointing shortcut taken by Threezero on this aspect.
I read that the underlying body structure also reuses that from Optimus, but I would never have known without reading that. If true, I think the only issue is that it makes the figure seem almost too big in comparison, like it's slightly overscaled compared to Optimus. As a stand alone figure, it looks amazing, but side by side with Optimus it feels strange for Soundwave to look so much more like a beast than Optimus.
Thankfully everything else about the figure is pretty damn awesome. The highlights for me, like with the other DLX figures, is the incredible attention to detail in the sculpting and paint application. I can't think of any other toy manufacturer that does metal weathering as beautifully realistic and detailed like Threezero.
Most panels are plastic, but you'd never know with everything looking like it's worn and battle damaged metal. Even the rubber panels along the sides of the torso look seamless with the metallic look with the surrounding plastic.
The use of diecast is strategic for strength, such as the shoulder cannon joint, and areas of the hips, knees, and ankle. It all makes for a perfectly balanced figure that has the style and weight expected for a figure in this scale and price point.
I haven't compared the figure in detail with movie screenshots to see how accurate it is, but I doubt many will find too many faults. No matter which direction you look a the figure, there's just so much detail to take in. I love how they've maintained the design where using the articulation reveals more detail, such as in the torso ab-crunch revealing spine detail, the shoulder butterfly revealing more upper back detail, and the knees having that silky smooth integrated movement with the thigh panels.
I would still love more ankle tilt and rocking motion, but there's enough there to allow flat footed poses in wider action stances. The way the panels can be moved out of the way to give more range of motion in the shoulders and hips is great too, allowing some very nice crouching poses with Ravage.
Ravage comes out of the box all folded up ready to be placed into Soundwave's chest. It's a nice enough option, but I think most collectors will have Ravage displayed ready to pounce in front of Soundwave. The transformation is fairly straightforward, but I definitely recommend following the instructions or detailed YouTube videos.
There are aspects of the rear hip joints that need some careful attention to rotate the joint correctly. Also The extension of the leg panels can be tight on first attempt, but go easy and you should not have any issues with breakages.
Once transformed into the animal (looks more wolf than jaguar!) mode, the articulation in the legs is just enough to get it into some decent stalking poses. I wish there was more lateral movement in the neck area to get it looking slightly sideways, but overall it looks pretty nice. Again, the amazing weathered paint application takes the sculpt to the next level.
I think the designs of these characters from the Bumblebee movie really were the representations that G1 fans have always wanted. They have the new modern detailed aesthetic, but have enough homages to the original G1 cartoon versions for fans to have that immediate connection. Soundwave's design is a little stranger, with some wide hips that are a little awkward. But side by side with the MP figure, I just love how both remind me of my childhood, but make me excited about what could happen in the future.
It's a real shame for me that Threezero seem to have moved on from the Bumblebee movie in this DLX series. Their focus now seems to be other source material, such as the IDW comics. I was really hoping that they would at least make three or four more characters from the opening scene, such as Brawn, Wheeljack, Shockwave, and Starscream. That would've been perfect, whereas now the three that I have seem a little incomplete.
Either way, these are fantastic figures in and of themselves, and display beautifully in the collection. I'm sure new and old fans will love these figures when added to the collection.
I was pretty impressed with the ThreeZero DLX Bumblebee figure, so was definitely looking forward to their release of Optimus Prime. And they certainly didn't disappoint. The build quality, attention to detail, paint application, and articulation on this figure is outstanding!
Click through below to check out my full video review over on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel! Make sure to click that like button and subscribe to the channel 😀
The set doesn't really come with too many accessories, and I guess that's a reflection of what the character was seen with in the movie. Luckily what is provided is of high quality, with a great looking rifle and enough hands to cover most action poses. The main focus of course is on the figure itself, and it's most impressive!
If you're not thinking "Wow!" when you unbox this thing, then you mustn't be human! The sheer detail in this thing will have you pouring over all its features and being amazed at how they've assembled everything.
I've been told now that the style of the shoulders and forearms are to match the earthbound look that Optimus had in later scenes of the movie. In my review I thought they had made some error since it differed from the way he looked in the opening scene, but that was his Cybertron look. So ThreeZero have actually made it very accurate; unfortunately the DLX doesn't have swap out pieces like the larger Premium scale figure that will have swap out features for each mode.
Regardless, the way this figure moves is one of its most impressive aspects. The joints and various points of articulation all move so seamlessly, that seem completely organic and natural in a way that you'd imagine a real robot to move.
Each move reveals or hides some detail as appropriate, especially around the shoulders, elbows, and knees. It's amazing how small panels will adjust or move out of the way as you rotate or bend joints. Nothing seems too delicate or easy to break, although the instructions do give you some warning as to areas where you need to be more careful so as not to chip any paint if parts collide or scrape against each other.
The fanciest joint for me would have to be the ab crunch that reveals so much more detail in the rear spine. It's amazing how they were able to hide so much detail in the rear and have it appear effortlessly as you bend the figure forward. There's very little risk in paint damage, and it all feels silky smooth in its movement. It's a beautifully designed feature.
The legs, both front and back, have plenty of detail too. I'm not sure if the wheels are actually rubber, but they do feel like a slightly different material to the other surrounding plastic parts. On the point of plastic, the figure feels pretty heavy and there are definitely diecast parts on the internal components of the figure. But most of the external parts are plastic, but the paint application and weathering is so good, much of it looks like metal anyway.
The ankle articulation is probably the only part of the figure that I wish was improved. The tilt upwards to sufficient, but there is not a lot of movement downwards. This mean jumping poses (like that iconic scene from the 1986 movie) don't look as natural because you can't point his feet down like they would be if he was in the air. But in the scheme of things, it's a minor nitpick amongst all the other great aspects of the figure.
There's plent of articulation points to get him into many of the iconic poses. I love the way in which the hips panels all move out of the way on their own balljoints to give plenty of freedom in movement. They way the shoulder joint moves out to reveal the larger butterfly mechnism, coupled with a nice tilting motion in the torso, really make for natural action poses.
This Optimus figure perfectly complements the previous Bumblebee figure. ThreeZero certainly don't look to have lost any of the build quality set by that first figure. I passed on the Blitzwing figure because I didn't really like that character, but I can't wait to get the upcoming Soundwave!
Some collectors have claimed that the figure is not a true Transformers figure because it cannot transform. For me, the amazing level of detail and articulation in the figure more than makes up for the its lack of transformation. ThreeZero has made it clear this series is about delivering as much movie accurate details as possible in bot mode, and they've nailed that goal in incredible fashion.
For me, the TF Masterpiece series is what I go to for transforming figures, and I use that to get my G1 nostalgic fix. I'll be sticking with these ThreeZero DLX figures for all my non-cartoon representations of the characters.
The designs from the Bumblebee movie strike the perfect balance between a new, more modern style coupled with enough homages and hints to the original designs to satisfy G1 fans. I much prefer these over the far too busy and complicated designs from the Michael Bay movies.
In the end, ThreeZero have done complete justice to these new designs with a figure series that excels on all possible fronts. I just hope that after Soundwave, they continue the series and announce more of the characters that featured in the opening scene. That would truly make this a legendary series of TF figures that will be sought after pieces in Transformers collections for many years to come!
I realised that the last time I had done a Transformers Masterpiece Moments video was almost 4 years ago! So I figured it was about time for another one to go through my favourite aspects of the Takara Transformers Masterpiece releases that I've collected over the past few years.
Hope you can click through below and check out the full video over on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel! Let me know in the comments what your favourite TF moments are too!
The original release of G1 Bumblebee in the TF Masterpiece series was met with mostly positive reactions from collectors. Even today many collectors love the design, although I think it's looked quite dated against the MP figures over the past 2-3 years.
After MP-44 Optimus was announced, it wasn't too much of a surprise that Takara also announced a new mold for Bumblebee. Now that it's released, I think overall the new figure is a definite improvement over the original release.
Click through below for my video review on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel!
I also did a subsequent video comparing the new mold to a number of other MP figures in the series. I think the design is pretty innovative to give it all the articulation and G1 cartoon aesthetics that it has, and really makes it fit in beautifully with the more recent figures. Check it out below!
Packaging is the usual MP stylr we know and love. It doesn't come with too many accessories this time. The stickers are pretty useless overall (I can't even remember what episode they were from). If anything, most collectors would use the heart symbol to go with the I heart New York number plate.
The Spike figure is the same ridiculously stupid figure from MP-44 I think. I didn't even bother trying to get it fitting into the VW car mode. It is just a crap little figure that is not worth the effort for me! The set also includes the swap out face sculpts and blaster effects that are common in the more recent releases. The bio card has some decent artwork, but I still prefer the older classic styled cards.
The alt mode is a perfect rendition of the super-deformed style of the G1 cartoon. Definitely not the realistic style of the original MP-21, but that's OK by me. The original will join the other original cars that I changed to their car modes once I got the corresponding "+" versions. This new MP-45 will be with my core G1 figures in the display in bot mode.
And what an awesome bot mode it is! Lots of collectors have complained about the backpack, the sides, and all the visible panels/parts due to the transformation. For me, none of that bothers me at all. I actually think it's pretty amazing that they engineered a transformation that went from a much smaller car to a taller, thinner, and much more cartoon accurate robot than MP-21! The only part that is a disappointment is the back of the feet, but more on that later.
The new head sculpt is a perfect rendition of the G1 cartoon character. The MP-21 sculpt was always off, and this new one recitifies it nicely. The swap out wider smiling face is pretty good, but I was happy to stick with the slightly smiling sculpt.
The chest in bot mode is a great "cheat" in the design to replicate the cheat from the cartoon where the roof of the car becomes much slimer and thinner. Much of the chest comes from the rear of the car mode, and the roof od the car folds away into the backpack. I think it's a great design and makes for much more natural body proportions, just like they did with MP-44 Optimus.
The waist and legs are also a big improvement. The crotch piece has a similar design to MP-44 Optimus where the panels fold away when you raise the leg. Some people have complained about loose leg/hip joints. I thought the same on mine, but then realised that the side skirts on the waist can be brought forward to lock the legs into place so that they don't wobble around.
The way the thighs and lower legs flare out to the feet replicates the cartoon nicely. So the combination of face, chest, waist, and legs are a big improvement over the MP-21 figure. In comparison, the older figure now looks far too barrel-chested, with a turtle shell for a backpack, thin chicken legs, and massive clown feet (see comparison pic further below!).
As I mentioned, the one downside for me is the feet. The designers didn't manage to work out a way to fold away the door and window better, and so the window shows very clearly on the back of the feet. Some poses can hide it fairly well, but for the most part it is pretty insightly.
Interestingly, the feet are only a tiny bit larger than the feet of MP-21! The reason why they look so different is that MP-21 has most of the feet at the front, whereas MP-45 has the feet equally at the front and rear. It makes the feet look pretty nice from the front, but pretty terrible from the back.
But as you can see below, MP-21 really does have massive clown fee. Collectors who say the chest and back is much cleaner are forgetting that they are just massive pieces that do not change at all during the transformation. It constrains how the figure can look due to the car dimensions. I think MP-21 suits G1 toy fans far more than it suits cartoon fans. For G1 fans of the cartoon, I think MP-45 is a much better fit.
Add to that the far better articulation of MP-45, and I think the new mold is a big improvement over the original. I don't buy the argument from some collectors that Takara was lazy with MP-45. They actually showed some engineering innovation, and for the first time gave a cartoon accurate car mode with a cartoon accurate bot mode too! All the folding in the backpack works well and pegs in well for me, so I dont have any complaints about the backpack or sides at all.
It's great that the original still looks nice in its more realistic VW Beetle car mode. It will display nicely with the other original cars such as Sideswipe, Prowl, and Wheeljack in their car modes. The new MP-45 Bumblebee fits in beautifully with the other figures in my collection in bot mode. Some collectors have complained that it is too tall, but it seems to be almost spot on to the official Takara G1 character scale chart!
So for me, MP-45 is another nice addition to the series. I love the G1 aesthetics, and it really does add to the shelf of figures looking like it jumped straight out of the cartoon. I cannot wait to get Hound by the end of the year and see how that turns out!
Here are some of my other G1 figures eagerly waiting for Hound to join them 😃
I wasn't a huge fan of the recent Bumblebee movie, so steered away from getting figures from the movie. However, quite a few collector friends contacted me about this ThreeA DLX scale Bumblebee figure, which they said was a fantastic figure.
After seeing some pose photos and more messages from friends, I decided to take the plunge and check out what all the fuss was about. And I am so glad that I did! This is my first ThreeA figure, and it definitely won't be my last! It truly is an incredible figure!
Click through below to check out my video review over on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel. Hope you can give the video a thumbsup and subscribe too! Read on below for more of my thoughts.
The set doesn't come with a huge amount of accessories, and more swap out weapons like his sword type hand would've been nice. But what you do get is of high quality. The swap out forearm with his arm cannon is very nicely detailed. I love how you can see the fingers in their transformed position along the front barrel.
The paint app and sculpting detail on the hands are superb. I just wish they gave a few more expressive hands, or even made the fingers movable! The swap out head sculpt is also good, with the battle mask a nice alternative. One thing I did notice was that the Autobot insignia on both head sculpts was very clean, unlike the dirty wash that was on early photos. It would seem like the early batch of figures had a much dirtier wash on them, whereas more recent batches like mine are much cleaner.
Either way, the paint app on this figure is amazing! The dirt wash is realistically applied, and I would've preferred it even more dirty. I ended up using my kids' black art pencil to draw and smear on some additional weathering. It gives the figure such a realistic worn style. The yellow is a nice hue in hand, and the silver and grey areas have a nice rusted appearance too.
I went with the smaller doors on his back, which I think is more accurate to the movie. The larger doors can be used to give him more of a Bayformers look I believe. I love that the overall design of this Bumblebee is much more akin to the G1 character, rather than the overly busy design of the Bayformers version.
Where this figure really shines is the articulation and build quality. The heft on this thing is significant, and you feel it as soon as you lift it out of the box. They have used diecast in all the right places, designing it for stability in almost any pose.
The joints, while quite tight the first time you move them, never feel like they're going to break. The articulation is incredible, with subtle movement in places you only expect from larger or more expensive figures. The knees in particular are a joy to move, with pistons that move seamlessly with the rest of the leg to give incredible motion in the knee.
You do need to be careful adusting the position of certain plates and panels as they move, but it's all quite intuitive and never too delicate that you're afraid to move it.
Since it's a non-transforming figure, they're able to include all the details that you see in the movie representation. No compromises need to be made to allow the transformation, and in this figure I am glad they went with that approach.
There's just so much detail to take in on the figure. Minute details in the sculpt and paint app are apparently on the front as well as the rear. This figure looks senstational from every angle, unlike transforming figures that almost always only look good from certain angles.
I wasn't a huge fan of this recent Bumblebee movie. I loved the character designs and the throwbacks to the 80s, but the overall story was a little too cheesy for me. I wasn't even planning on getting this figure, but am I so glad I did! It's right up there with some of the best Transformers figures I have in the collection. I am definitely looking forward to getting the upcoming Optimus Prime. If they decide to make the Soundwave, Shockwave, and Seekers, I would definitely get them too! Highly recommended!
Here's the figure alongside my other TF Masterpiece Bumblebee figures. A great addition to any Transformers collection!
Another amazing repaint by Takara on the new Transformers Masterpiece MP-21G G2 Bumblebee. The deep reflective gold paint on this little guy is amazing!!
Packaging and accessories are the usual awesomeness from Takara.
Here it is straight out of the box. Beautiful paint app. But since they've announced MP-21R Red Bumblebee, I think I might display him in bot mode with the battle mask along with G2 Sideswipe.
For my full video review, click through on the link below and check it out :)
I get all my Transformers figures from Robotkingdom. Click the link below to head on over to the order details for MP-21G :)
It's been a while since I went through my Transformers Masterpiece collection, and Maz from the TFSource forum inspired me with his term "Masterpiece Moment" to get my collection together.
So here's my video on what my "Masterpiece Moments" are with each of the figure molds. Each one has at least one awesome feature that I love!
Hope you can check it out, subscribe, like, and comment with what your personal "Masterpiece Moments" are!
Finally got my order of MP-21 Bumblebee and MP-22 Ultra Magnus from the great folks at Robotkingdom! And both turned out to be every bit as awesome as I had hoped!
For my full video reviews of both of these figures, click the links below to check them out on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel!
MP-21 Bumblebee review:
MP-22 Ultra Magnus review:
Hope you can check out the videos above, subscribe, like, and comment with your thoughts on these two latest additions to the fantastic MP line!
Here are some unboxing pics :)
Together with the other MP Autobot vehicles, they all look simply incredible!
If you're a G1 Transformers fan, you HAVE to check out this incredible video by Takara featuring the new MP-22 Ultra Magnus figure. This is definitely my pick for VIDEO OF THE YEAR!! Amazing stuff!
I'll be getting my MP-21 Bumblebee and MP-22 Ultra Magnus next week, so stay tuned for the full video reviews and photos! :)
Wow!! Looks like in Japan they will be releasing the Transformers Masterpiece Official Guide! Not sure what the content will be though. I'd really only be interested if they included artwork or special behind the scenes look at the design process and prototype designs.
Not sure if there'll be an English version either. But still, that cover is just amazing!!! It's so awesome that by the end of 2014, we'll be able to recreate that setup in our own collections! Can't wait :)
After revealing MP-20 Wheeljack, Takara lead designer Shogo Hasui has now finally released a teaser image of MP-21 Bumblebee. And I gotta say it looks pretty damn good!
Sure the feet look a little big in the silhouette, but I was expecting that particularly if they used the official Volkswagon license! And it looks like they've nailed the head sculpt as they almost always do!!
Can't wait to see more pics over the next few weeks :)
