General Information:
Release Year: November 2007
Retailer: General Release (Wal-Mart, Toys R Us, Target etc.)
Price: $19.99
Accessories: Missiles x 6

Images:

• In Box
• Box Back
• Vehicle Mode
• Vehicle Mode (Side)
• Vehicle Mode (Back)
• Vehicle Mode (Forward view)
• Vehicle Mode (Angle view)
• With Target Starscream (Vehicle Modes)
• Robot Mode
• Robot Mode (Side)
• Robot Mode (Back)
• Robot Mode (Close up)
• Robot Mode (Missiles in launchers)
• Robot Mode (Missiles in holders)
• With Target Starscream (Robot Modes)

Tech Specs:
THUNDERCRACKER lives on fear. Special materials in his vehicle body allow him to emit controlled sonic detonations that can be heard 200 miles away. Cruising along at Mach 6, he wants his enemies to hear him before they see him. He wants them to know he's coming, and cower in fear at their impending doom. Not as devoted to the recovery of the AllSpark as the other DECEPTICONS, he stays with MEGATRON because the evil leader allows him to indulge his chaotic tendencies.

As part of a wave of Voyager Class redecos, a couple nods to G1 were added to the Movie line. Rescue Ratchet is one of these, and another is Thundercracker. Thundercracker is a redeco of the Target exclusive G1 deco Starscream which itself is a redeco/retool of the first Movie Starscream figure. This review will focus on the changes made to that figure for this release.

Vehicle Mode:
Taking a cue from his G1 predecessor, Thundercracker is mostly cast in blue and black. The blue color is a metallic flake blue that is a bit lighter than his G1 counterpart. Black plastic replaces the blue missile launchers on Target Starscream The plastic on the cockpit is no orange instead of the more amber color used on Target Starscream. The lower section (where the robot legs tuck under the plane body) is a combination of light grey and blue plastic.

Thundercracker uses a similar paint scheme as Target Starscream, using a striped pattern towards the edges of his wings and fins to emulate the stylings of the G1 Seeker jets. Here, Thundercracker has thin red lines going from the sides of his front section to the section where the wings meet the main body. The wings themselves have thick red lines painted on top to the back with silver trim. This red is also found on his vertical and horizontal fins in the back. Unlike the designs on Target Starscream, Thundercracker's stripes on his horizontal fins are thick and set at an angle.

There are no Decepticon symbols visible in this form on his wings or nosecone etc., which goes along with the idea of having the movie characters look like they can fit into the real world in their alternate forms. One small detail that is found on Thundercracker that isn't used on Starscream is a bit of black paint on the angled, rectangular parts behind his nosecone on the top of the vehicle.

Robot Mode:
In robot form Thundercracker shows more grey plastic, in particular his upper arms and upper legs. Here you can clearly see his missiles are a slightly darker shade of grey than the one used on Target Starscream. His robot claws are the same blue that dominates the vehicle mode. His feet, shoulders and missile launchers are all cast in black.

I already did some commentary on the new head sculpt for this figure in Target Starscream's review. This figure uses the orange translucent plastic for the head with the helmet section painted black and the face painted silver. The translucent orange really does a good job of lightpiping for the eyes and mouth.

Silver paint is used on several parts to give him additional detail. The wiring and mechanical bits revealed on his torso in this form are all painted silver. The armor pieces around his knees and the front of his lower legs are also painted silver.

All of Thundercracker's joints are still tight, and his missile auto firing feature works just fine.

Final Thoughts:
Thundercracker is a very well done redeco. He is also the only mass release figure to have this modified head sculpt so far, so if you were not able to get the Target Exclusive Starscream, this is your chance to have a figure that represents a bit of G1 influence in color and sculpt combined with a movie design. Recommended to those who like redecos or G1 homages.