General Information:
Release Date: February 2022
Price Point: $9.99 (depending on retailer)
Retailer: General Release (Amazon, BigBadToyStore, Entertainment Earth, Target, Walmart etc.)
Accessories: Missle Pack, Side Cannons x 2, Missile
Official images and product description in italics below are from Amazon:
- STUDIO SERIES CORE CLASS: Core Class figures are 3.5-inch collectible action figures that allow fans to collect mini versions of iconic characters from the movie universe
- 3.5-INCH SCALE RAVAGE: Figure features vivid, movie-inspired deco, is highly articulated for posability, and comes with a missile accessory. Features attached side cannons and an articulated jaw
- BIG SCREEN INSPIRED: Figure scale reflects the character’s size in the world of Transformers: Bumblebee
- 2 ICONIC MODES: Figure features classic conversion between robot and cassette modes in 11 steps. Perfect for fans looking for a more advanced converting figure. For kids and adults ages 8 and up
- COMPATIBLE WITH SOUNDWAVE: In cassette mode, Ravage figure can fit inside Voyager Class 83 Soundwave figure’s chest (Sold separately, subject to availability)
Studio Series has always allowed fans to reach past the big screen and build the ultimate Transformers collection inspired by iconic movie scenes from the Transformers movie universe. Now, the Studio Series line is expanding to include the epic moments and characters from the classic 1986 The Transformers: The Movie, bringing fans a whole new series of screen-inspired figures to collect! (Each sold separately. Subject to availability.) This Studio Series Core Class Transformers: Bumblebee -inspired Ravage figure stands at 3.5 inches and converts from robot to cassette mode in 11 steps. Comes with a missile accessory that attaches to the figure’s chest and features attached side cannons and an articulated jaw. In cassette mode, the Ravage figure can fit inside Voyager Class 83 Soundwave figure’s chest. (Sold separately, subject to availability.) Transformers and all related characters are trademarks of Hasbro.
The opening of the Bumblebee Movie featured a fast paced battle scene on Cybertron. This scene featured the Cybertronian versions of many characters based on fan favorite G1 characters. One of these was Ravage who popped out of Soundwave's chest in a wonderful callback to Generation One. You can see a good portion of the scene in the embed below but it ends before Ravage's appearance.
Packaging:
In 2022, Hasbro began to take larger strides towards packaging that would be (mostly) recyclable. That means eliminating as much plastic as possible. One of the earliest examples of this was last year's Origin Bumblebee release. The Studio Series Core Class figures continue this design philosophy. Instead of being on a bubble card like Soundwave, this figure is inside a cardboard box with an open window showing off most of the figure. The figure is tied down inside the box and you would have to work pretty hard to tear it out of there (and the weapon is also pretty buried in there). The box itself retains a lot of the Studio Series design including the black background, the title of the movie he appeared in (in this form, at least) and the blue Studio Series logo. The box has a flap at the top with Ravage's package art and a hook to hang the box on pegs.
The back of the packaging uses the red background seen on other Studio Series figures along with the name "Ravage". The box back also calls out the 11 step transformation and features the figure in both modes. Under that is a wall of text in various languages. Overall the packaging is a good compromise between the old "bubble/card" design and something more eco-friendly.
Accessories:
Ravage himself is not quite as large as some other Core Class figures, but he comes with a bunch of accessories!
- Missile Pod: Ravage includes a missile pod (non working) that attaches to his back in beast mode. This gives him additional firepower on top of his traditional side mounted weaponry. This piece is thin and wide with a stripe running across the top. The piece is black with a metallic shine (a color shared by Ravage). Silver paint is used on the missiles and the aforementioned stripe. This piece has a small peg that can attach to the top or bottom of Ravage.
- Side Cannons: Taking a design cue from G1 Ravage, this figure includes two side cannons that look like missiles with small barrels at the end. Each cannon has a small peg that allows you to attach it to his hips or the area near his rear legs in his alt-mode. These pieces are silver with no paint applications.
- Missile: I really see this piece as a weapon barrel end, but I'll call it a missile since that is what the official description calls it. This piece is recognizable to most G1 fans as the end of one of Soundwave's cannons. This triangular piece has a 5mm peg that slots right into Studio Series Soundwave's shoulder cannon. This attaches to Ravage using a smaller peg on one side. This piece is black plastic but painted silver. I love the way this was included with the express purpose of making this figure a kind of accessory set for Soundwave.
Beast Mode:
Ravage's beast mode looks like an amped up version of his G1 counterpart. He has a mean looking face with ears that look backswept and a snout with lots of segments etched into it. His back has a series of armor panels going from the neck to the tail. The legs on the sides are shaped very similar to those of G1 Ravage's animated design. The figure is fairly accurate to the on-screen model thanks to Hasbro having access to Paramount's CG models to reference for this toy. I will say however that at this scale, the snout looks a bit "off" or thin. However, to my eye if you imagine it blown up a bit size-wise it does resemble what you see on screen in the film.
Ravage is mostly made up of silver and black plastic. Paint applications are done in white, red and yellow. I was very surprised by how many paint applications they fit onto this figure. There is red and yellow on the head, white and red on the legs and even small purple Decepticon symbols on the sides of the front legs. He really looks great!
There are fifteen points of articulation on this figure, which is pretty impressive given the size of the figure. I am also happy to see his mouth can open and close and the tail can move up and down. The side cannons attach to the rear legs, giving him a very G1 appearance. The missile pod attaches to the top. You can attach Soundwave's missile to the underside of the figure but I'll be honest, it looks really weird. I recommend just giving it to Soundwave.
Transformation to Cassette Mode:
- Detach all the accessories and set them aside for now.
- Push the head down.
- The rear legs are attached to a central hinge. Swing that section forward.
- Swing the front legs up to get them out of the way for now.
- Swing the rear legs forward and push the pegs on the legs into the ports on the sides of the central body.
- Swing the front legs down and push the front paws against the rear legs.
- Attach the missile pod to the port on the underside of Ravage's body.
- Swing the tail section down and tuck the tail over the missile pod.
- Attach the side cannons to the ports on the sides of the tail section.
- Attach the large missile to the port on the top.
Cassette Mode:
When Paramount created the battle scene on Cybertron, many of the characters who appeared were not designed with alt-modes since most characters did not transform on screen. One of the exceptions was Ravage, who is featured in a scene where he ejects from Soundwave's chest and fully transforms right on screen. That means that Ravage is one of the few CG models that had an alt-mode for Hasbro to refer to when designing this mode.
The official description calls this mode a "cassette", but I am guessing that is more of a carry over from his G1 counterpart than anything else. That said, to me I think you could see this mode as a "data cube" storage device but of course, in reality it really just looks like Ravage with his head, tail and legs all tucked into a cube shape. Of course, this mode is really just there to offer some play value to go along with Soundwave. Flip open Soundwave's chest and you can slide this piece right in. On my copy of Soundwave and Ravage I had no problems fitting them in. That said, at least one friend of mine said he had problems getting this to work so I would try this out shortly after buying Ravage in case you need to exchange it for some reason.
Final Thoughts:
Ravage is a neat little figure and I love the way it interacts with Soundwave. Adding in the missile was a great touch. Now, he does basically transform into a block so in that sense he's not the most exciting figure of all time, but I really dig him. Recommended!
Pros:
- Nice sculpt that looks like the on screen character and pays homage to the G1 character.
- A surprising number of accessories.
- Good articulation.
- Nice deco.
Cons:
- The alt mode is not the most thrilling (but I love that it works with Soundwave).
