General Information: Images:
Bumblebee is one of the staple characters of the Transformers line now, which thrills the nine year old in me to no end since the character was ignored for many years. If past years are any indication, we'll see tons of Bumblebee figures in the Legion Class. One of the first is the upgraded version of Bumblebee from the new film.
Robot Mode: The lower body is where Bumblebee looks more like the previous versions. This includes the circular "light" detail on his waist section in between the legs. His knee armor comes up to a point and his feet have angled sections that stick out to the sides. Smaller details include tubes and circles sculpted into the legs. Bumblebee is cast in two primary colors: metallic yellow and black. The yellow plastic really evokes the "Oooh pretty" reaction as it has some metallic flake inside of it, giving it a wonderful color. The black parts are where you'd expect them, specifically on the wheels and his highs, offering some nice contrast (and "bee" themed colors). His paint decos are done up in black, silver and blue. The black is the most used color, which you'll fond on his chest on the front and top. His face is painted silver along with an Autobot symbol on the top of his chest. The eyes are painted blue. A touch of black paint is used on his waist piece between his two legs. It's a simple, but effective color scheme that looks cool. Bumblebee has eight points of articulation. I admit to being a bit generous here. I'm counting the ability of his ankles to move but this is really a function of his transformation. Still, this allows his legs to be posed in different ways than some of the previous Bumblebee Legends Class figures. As mentioned earlier, he can hold a Commander Class figure's weapons in his left hand, adding to his play value. Transformation to Vehicle Mode:
Vehicle Mode: The only thing that is a bit weird is the gap that is formed in vehicle mode on the side doors (look at my photos to see what I'm talking about). I'm not sure if this is just my particular one or a quality assurance issue with the figure. No matter how much I fiddle with it, the gap is there and that is the main straike against this figure. Some of the little details on this figure help distinguish it from its precessors. This includes an angled spoiler in the back, a row of details underneath the grille that make him look bulkier as well as a Chevrolet logo, license plate area and exhaust pipes in the back. Very well done on that count. Bumblebee shows mostly yellow plastic in this form, with black plastic used for his wheels. The yellow plastic dominates the vehicle, just like the previous versions of the character. Black paint is now seen as two stripes running from the hood to the back of the vehicle. Black is also part of the spoiler. The windows are all painted in a metallic grey, which is a bit darker in tone than the silver paint used for the Autobot symbol.
Final Thoughts:
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As part of the "Dark of the Moon toy line release, several price points have been rearranged and renamed. One of them was the line that fans have known for years as the "Legends" class. This line of smaller sized Transformers figures spread across many segments of the Transformers over the years including the movie line, Animated and Classics. Now the class has been renamed as the "Legion" class, with Ratchet being one of the early "Dark of the Moon" releases in this line. Instead of serving as a standalone class of figures, these toys are being placed in a new context, as part of the "Cyberverse", a line of Transformers focused on creating a small world/universe of play at a lower price point than deluxe and ultra sized figures. Included in this line will be "Commander" Class figures, slightly larger figures with weapons that interact with the smaller figures as well as transformable bases, echoing the Micromaster bases from Generation One.
