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Toy Line:Transformers Classics
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Meat and Potatoes; 5.0
Perks;5.0
Homer Factor; 5.0
The basic robot form is about 8" tall and is all white with red hi-lights, like his G1 forefather. The fighter form is reminiscent of the classic VF-1 veritech used in the G1 version, which looks a lot like the F-14 Tomcat Naval fighter, even with the swing-wings! In 'bot form the engines become the legs, while the main fuselage becomes the torso and arms.
And added plus, besides the transformation, is the figure comes with removable booster engines on the back and missile launchers on the forearms as well as a hand-held rifle.
Seems easy, doesn't it? Ask Hasbro about 'GI Joe Extreme' and after they get over their initial fits they'll tell you it ISN'T easy. Some lines have smoother sailing then others. The 'Transformers' line for instance went through a ton o' different incarnations from cars to animals back to cars. Although the level of success has gone from waaaaaaaay good ('Cybertron' kicks butt!) to horrible (Wow, 'Armada' sucks... among other more colorful words.) the line keeps going on like the Energizer Bunny, but much less annoying.
When word came out of a 'Classic' line... I thought Hasbro jumped the shark. 'Re-imagining' the classic characters? What the heck does that mean? Taking the old molds, do repaints, and sell them for $40 a piece as 'exclusives'? Fortunately the lines initial offerings looked pretty decent. Yeah, that's Prime as a truck and Megatron as a gun, but it's NOT the same gun and truck. Both have a snazzier look, MUCH better articulation... ya know, this was a good re-imagining!
And then there was the announcement a lot of us waited for; Jetfire! Sure, there have been a lot of pieces named Jetfire over the recent lines but the one we all remember fondly is the G1 version, based on the old Macross VF-1 veritech fighter. So what does Hasbro do? They re-invent the wheel and create a kick-ass version of Jetfire!
Hasbro doesn't disappoint with the meat and potatoes on this baby. Like everything since 'Beast Wars' Hasbro has pumped up the articulation and sculpting on this piece. As usual it's NOT Marvel Legends level articulation but you will get a LOT of posing options with the knees, elbows, et al. The sculpting is outstanding. Panel lines and vents are everywhere giving the figure a nice 'realistic' feel to it.
The one TINY gripe... well, if you're old school you remember how biiiiiig Jetfire was, like 11" tall, a full 'head' taller this version. Is that a big deal, no pun intended? Not really, but I hoped this Jetfire would be about the same size... then again, considering retail for this little guy is $20 and over, I don't want to know what the bigger one would cost. Sigh.
The fun in a Transformer, especially Jetfire, is also in the perks. This one doesn't disappoint. The transformation from fighter to 'bot mode is pretty simple but looks very, very cool. Like the G1 version this piece also comes with battle-armor! Woohoo! A pair of booster engines can be attacked to the 'bots back and also attach to the 'top' of the fighter mode while two missile launchers attach to the arms. Ah, but the fun continues! The boosters have a pair of retractable cannons which fire in both fighter and 'bot mode and the missile launchers fire real missiles! Sweeeeeeeeeeet!
Homer factor? Oh come on! Waaaaaaaaaaaaay high here.
In the end this is a great piece to own. Rather then simply re-hashing the G1 version Hasbro took the familiar and redesigned everything while also adding a few extras. Could this piece be bigger! Of course, but keeping the price point to something sane makes more sense. Now you gotta wonder what Hasbro has in mind for Omega Supreme... hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...