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General Information:
Release Date: February 2023
Price Point: $34.99 (depending on retailer)
Retailer: General Release (Amazon, BigBadToyStore, Entertainment Earth, Target, Walmart etc.)
Accessories: Spear Halves x 2
Official images and product description in italics below are from Amazon:
- TRANSFORMERS STUDIO SERIES VOYAGER CLASS: These 6.5-inch collectible action figures inspired by iconic movie scenes and designed with specs and details to reflect the Transformers movie universe
- 6.5-INCH SCALE CHEETOR: Transformers Studio Series 98 Cheetor action figure for boys and girls is highly articulated for posability and features movie-inspired deco and details
- 2 ICONIC MODES: This Transformers toy for 8 year old boys and girls features classic conversion between robot and cheetah modes in 24 steps
- AWESOME ACCESSORIES: Transformers figure comes with 2 combinable spear accessories that attach to the Cheetor figure in both modes
- REMOVABLE BACKDROP: Removable backdrop displays Cheetor figure in the Peruvian Jungle Discovery scene. Fans can use the backdrop and pose their figures in the scene with their own style
Bring the epic action of the Transformers movies from the big screen into your collection with the Transformers Studio Series Voyager Class Cheetor action figure! Cheetor and the Maximals team up with the Autobots to protect the Transwarp Key. Transformers Studio Series toys are collectible action figures for 8 year old boys and girls that feature movie-inspired details and accessories. Convert the action figure from robot to cheetah mode in 24 steps and pose the Cheetor toy in the included Peruvian Jungle Discovery removable backdrop scene. Transformers action figures for boys and girls make great gifts! Transformers and all related characters are trademarks of Hasbro. Hasbro and all related terms are trademarks of Hasbro.
Background:
When Beast Wars Transformers debuted in 1996, one of the first Maximals we met was the rookie of the team, Cheetor. As you'd guess from his name, this Maximal transformed into a cheetah and featured heavily in the show for years to come. Rise of the Beasts is intended to bring together the Autobots and Maximals, so including Cheetor was a natural choice. This version of the character is a bit more fierce looking than his animated counterpart and featured in a couple cool scenes in the trailer below. We do not yet have any clear shots of his robot mode yet so this review will use the trailer for reference but I may not be able to fully comment on "screen accuracy".
Packaging:
Cheetor's box is a standard, rectangular Studio Series box. Unlike boxes from past years there is no large opening with a plastic window. Instead, the window has been shrunken significantly so you basically see the robot from the chest up and that's it. There is no plastic window since Hasbro is trying to eliminate all plastic from its packaging. Like previous Studio Series boxes this one has a black background with the Studio Series logo along the bottom outlined by blue with the number "98". Under that is the Maximal symbol with his name next to it. Above all that is an image of Cheetor in beast mode. The left side of the box (if you are facing it) features different artwork of Cheetor roaring. The right side of the box features Cheetor in robot mode.
The back of the box features the figure in both modes, calling out a 24 step transformation along with the tag line "Peruvian Jungle Discovery", hinting at where the Autobots and Maximals will meet in the film. Towards the bottom is an image featuring the backdrop included with the figure showing off a jungle setting similar to what has been seen in the trailer.
Accessories:
Cheetor includes two blade weapons that can combine to form a spear weapon. The two are not identical. One features a larger blade end with three smaller blades under it on each side. This has a tab on one side to attach to Cheetor and a 5mm handle at the bottom. The other weapon is similar in design but features a smaller blade with only two blades on each side underneath. It also features a 5mm handle and a tab to attach to Cheetor but this one has an extra bit at the end to attach to the other weapon. Both of these weapons are copper colored with silver paint on the ends.
Both weapons connect in the middle to form a staff weapon. The main point Cheetor can hold the spear is the center. I find it works best to insert one weapon half in his fist first, then slide the other one into his fist and connect the weapons that way.
The Beast Wars line always had melee weapons running throughout the line, and giving Cheetor these weapons is a nice callback to that element of the line.
Robot Mode:
As of February 2023 there has not yet been any trailer or movie footage showing off Cheetor fully in robot mode. The trailer above only shows him briefly in robot mode from the back and (I think) in another shot off in the distance. That's not a lot to go on when trying to judge screen accuracy. What I can say is that Paramount generally provides Hasbro with early (but not final) CG models to work off of with movie figures so even if this figure is not fully accurate to what appears on screen this summer it is at least partially accurate.
In terms of his robot mode design, Cheetor does call back to one of the Mainframe Entertainment designs for the character, but not the Beast Wars version. Instead, this design reminds me a lot more of Cheetor's Beast Machines design. Instead of having a cheetah head on his chest and legs on his back, this design looks very humanoid, complete with panels on the chest that look like pectoral muscles and lines on the mid-body that look like abdominal muscles. His shoulders have large shoulder armor pieces on them leading to sleek looking forearms. His legs are curved and sleek, looking very human (though his feet have two points on them that look like claws). All that said, the head sculpt is clearly an evolution of the one used on the Beast Wars cartoon. It features a large central crest, two sections that come up to a point on the sides and he even has pointed feline-like teeth on his mouth.
A concept carried over from the "beast" era is the combination of organic and mechanical looking parts. For instance, his forearms have pistons in the middle, but to the side are panels with fur sculpted onto them. Even mechanical details seem to take inspiration from organic sources. The best example of this is the tail, which tucks against the back in this mode. The way it is segmented, it winds up looking like a spinal column in this mode which is a neat bit of detailing. Other details are purely mechanical such as some machinery on his shoulders and neck area. Overall I really like this sculpt a lot.
Cheetor is made up mostly of a copper colored plastic with some dark metallic grey plastic on smaller parts. Paint colors include gunmetal grey and silver which are mostly used to paint the mechanical parts such as his shoulders and forearms. The gunmetal grey also appears as spots on his chest, arms and legs, indicating carry over parts from the beast mode.
There are twenty six points of articulation on this figure. That includes six on each arm and leg and even includes waist articulation. Each fist has a 5mm port, allowing him to hold his spear weapons. There are also two slots on the back which allow you to attach his weapons for storage.
Transformation to Beast Mode:
- Detach the accessories and set it aside for now.
- Straighten out the arms and legs.
- Swing the tail down, then lift the panel it is connected to up.
- Swing the back panel out.
- Swing the beast mode head out.
- Swing the chest panel forward, then swing the robot head back then swing the panel back into place.
- Under the beast mode head there is a triangular panel covering the neck. Lift that panel up.
- Swing the back panel back in place.
- Raise each robot arm forward.
- On either side of the beast mode neck there are large tabs. These patch up to slots on the shoulders. Swing the robot arms in, connecting the tabs and the slots.
- Swing the neck panel back.
- On each forearm, swing the "fur" panel outward.
- Swing the front claws up.
- Rotate the forearms so they can bend at the elbows and rotate the fists around accordingly so the claws point forward.
- Rotate the lower legs around at the knees.
- Swing the front panel on the lower legs up over the thighs.
- Swing the robot legs forward at the hip joints.
- Swing the tail panel down.
- Swing the robot feet up.
- Angle the lower legs back, then swing the beast mode feet forward at the joints right above the ankles.
Beast Mode:
Unlike the robot mode, Cheetor's beast mode does feature prominently in the movie trailer. Instead of looking just like an organic cheetah in beast mode, Cheetor looks like a techno-organic creature in this form. His shape and curves are very much like a real life cheetah, but the panels on his body look like metal armor. You can also see a lot of mechanical details peeking through on parts like his shoulders and legs. The head sculpt looks very much like a real cheetah complete with rounded ears and a thick snout. It's a cool looking sculpt with lots of cool details.
This mode uses the same colors as the robot mode, but in this form we get to see more parts with "cheetah spots" on them. This includes plenty of spots on the back and the head. The darker grey and gunmetal colors under the copper panels really offer a nice contrast and help accentuate Cheetor's mechanical nature. The colors are not particularly bright or eye catching, but the contrast works and I think it reflects the appearance of the beast mode shown in the trailer well.
There are seventeen points of articulation in this mode. Most of these are of course focused on the legs, but he can also open and close his mouth. Unfortunately the legs cannot really move outward so your poses are fairly limited but you can achieve a running pose at least.
Final Thoughts:
"Rise of the Beasts" Studio Series Cheetor is a cool figure that tips its hat to the past nicely. That said, with an average retail price of $35 USD I have to say the price is pretty high given the size and complexity of the figure. At 6.5 inches (about 16.51 centimeters) the figure is not quite as large as past Voyagers (which averaged 7 inches tall). The transformation complexity is right around that of Beast Machines Deluxe Class Cheetor (partly an artifact of the character's CG model design). I like this toy a lot, but at the same time I really recommend fans wait for some type of sale to get it for a few dollars off if possible.
Pros:
- Cool sculpt that calls back to the Beast Machines "techno-organic" era of design.
- Nice deco (though it does lean towards darker tones).
- Good articulation.
- Cool weapons.
Cons:
- I would have liked some additional articulation for the beast mode.
- The price is a tad high for what you get. Definitely look for a sale if you can.
