While I am not the biggest fan of the live-action Transformers movies, I do appreciate the “realistic” robot and vehicle designs the series has spawned. Revealed today at Toy Fair 2018, the Studio Series celebrates those designs with intricate figures packaged with movie backdrops. I might need them. Update: And they’re on sale now, apparently.
If I am being completely honest, I only immediately recognized two of the four figures in the line. One of them is Bumblebee, decked out in his first movie Camaro mode. He’s Studio Series 01, because he is the best. Remember how they gave him a voice at the end of the first movie and then forgot that ever happened? Now we can relive that moment.
Bumblebee transforms from robot to car and back again in 22 steps, which is a good number of steps for a figure aimed at collectors. He comes with a police chase backdrop, so you can relive the time he and Barricade went wheel-to-wheel.
Next up we have lime green Ratchet. He’s Studio Series 04, but he’ll always be number 02 in my book.
Ratchet only has 18 steps to his transformation, but he makes up for it with heart. Not a human heart. Or maybe yes. He is an emergency response vehicle, maybe he’s got a cooler in the back, just in case Sam Witwicky needs a transplant against the backdrop of the Mission City Battle scene.
Things get a little fuzzy for me around Crowbar, the Decepticon police SUV from Transformers: Dark of the Moon, AKA Studio Series 03. There was just so much going on in that movie I couldn’t keep track of who was who. I don’t remember him, but I love his look.
So I don’t recall his story, if he had one. I can make my own story with the High Speed Chase scene backdrop that comes in his package. I’m eager to find out how he goes from SUV to Predator robot in only 20 steps.
By the time Age of Extinction rolled around I’d stopped watching the movies and just caught up with the plots via Cinemasins. I have no Cybertronian clue who Studio Series 02 Stinger is, but his car mode is the bomb.
The official description calls Stinger a KSI warrior, which I am sure someone in the comments section will explain to me. He transforms in 21 steps, comes with four weapon accessories and his backdrop is a Hong Kong Pursuit scene, which sounds colorful.
All four Studio Series figures will be available this spring for $19.99 from Hasbro, the toy company that is never without a bro. Here’s hoping the line continues into 2019, so we get some sweet ‘80s era figures out of the solo Bumblebee movie.
Update 2/17 5 PM: Looks like the series is part of a special Toy Fair promotion where they are introduced and then go on sale immediately after. You can get them here.