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General Information:
Release Date: October 2024
Price Point: $24.99 (depending on retailer)
Retailer: General Release (Amazon, BigBadToyStore, Entertainment Earth, Target, Walmart etc.)
Accessories: Fusion Cannon, Backpack/Turret Base, Blasters x 2, Small Blaster
Disclosure: This action figure was provided at no cost to Ben's World of Transformers as part of a Transformers One promotional mailer. Ben's World of Transformers thanks Hasbro for providing this figure for this review.
Spoiler Warning: This review discusses a plot point in the Transformers One film. These story points are revealed in the various trailers for the film (including the one embedded below). If you are okay with that, read on. If not, go out and see Transformers One then come back to this review.
Official images and product description in italics below are from Amazon:
- TRANSFORMERS ONE MEGATRON: This Transformers Studio Series 114 Megatron action figure is highly articulated for posability and features movie-inspired deco and details
- TRANSFORMERS TOYS STUDIO SERIES DELUXE CLASS: This 4.5-inch (11.5 cm) collectible action figure is inspired by iconic movie scenes and designed with specs and details to reflect the Transformers movie universe
- TRANSFORMERS TOYS STUDIO SERIES DELUXE CLASS: This 4.5-inch (11.5 cm) collectible action figure is inspired by iconic movie scenes and designed with specs and details to reflect the Transformers movie universe
- 2 ICONIC MODES: This Studio Series Transformers toy features classic conversion between robot and Cybertronian tank modes in 24 steps
- AWESOME ACCESSORIES: Transformers figure comes with a blaster accessory that attaches in both modes
- ARTICULATED FOR PLAY AND DISPLAY: Transformers figures feature articulated heads, arms, and legs for action poses
- REMOVABLE BACKDROP: Removable backdrop displays the Transformers Studio Series Megatron figure in the Metropolis of Iacon scene
- COLLECT STUDIO SERIES MOVIE FIGURES: This action figure toy makes a great collectible figure gift for any Transformers fan. Look for more Transformers Studio Series toys to build a collection (each sold separately, subject to availability)
Bring the epic action of the Transformers movies from the big screen into your collection with the Transformers Studio Series Deluxe Class Megatron action figure, inspired by Transformers One! Transformers Studio Series toys are collectible action figures that feature movie-inspired details and accessories. Convert the Studio Series Transformers action figure from robot to Cybertronian tank mode in 24 steps and pose the Megatron toy in the included Metropolis of Iacon removable backdrop scene. Look for more Transformers Studio Series collectible figures to build a movie-inspired collection (each sold separately, subject to availability)! TRANSFORMERS and HASBRO and all related trademarks and logos are trademarks of Hasbro, Inc.
Background:
Transformers One tells the tale of the friendship between D-16 and Orion Pax and how events eventually lead to them becoming bitter enemies. Over the course of the film D-16 changes his form until the final act of the film where he fully takes on his "Megatron" form. This is seen in the trailer below:
This figure represents Megatron's "final" form in the film (albeit with the Fusion Cannon from his second form).
Packaging:
Megatron comes in standard Studio Series packaging. The box is rectangular with a black background and blue borders and lettering. The Generations and Transformers logos are found on the front set vertically on the right side. The Transformers One logo is on the upper left hand corner and a render of Megatron from the film is towards the bottom. There is an open window (with no plastic) showing off the figure in robot mode. The same render of Megatron is used on the sides of the box zoomed in to focus on his head. Megatron is labeled as Studio Series figure 114. The name "Megatron" is used without mention of "D-16".
The back of the box shows Megatron in both modes calling out a 24 step transformation. It also shows him pointing his Fusion Cannon and standing in front of his backdrop included in the box. The backdrop shows a Cybertronian Cityscape painted in shades of gold, referencing Cybertron's pre-war state in the film.
Accessories:
Megatron includes several accessories:
- Fusion Cannon: Megatron's primary weapon is his Fusion Cannon. This weapon calls all the way back to G1 Megatron who had a Fusion Cannon mounted on his right arm. This Fusion Cannon is seen in the film, but it is not the final weapon Megatron wields in the film. Like that cannon, this one features a wide, round section in the back that looks almost like a jet thruster. Then it leads to a section that narrows in the middle before widening out again towards the end. The front section of the barrel has a raised notch on top just like the film. The details and shape of this cannon match the one seen in the film, but the size is a bit off. In the film his cannon is much larger in proportion to the arm and a bit longer. The end of the cannon has a port allowing you to attach Blast Effects. The cannon is made of gunmetal grey plastic with no paint applications.
- Backpack/Turret Base: The base of the vehicle mode's turret also forms Megatron's back pack. Like the back pack seen in the film the top is cuved with circles on the sides and a rectangular section in the middle. The back pack also has a thin slot that allows you to attach the small blaster. This attaches to the back via a 5mm peg and it has a 5mm port on either side for weapon storage. This pieces is a beautiful metallic silver plastic.
- Small Blaster: While Megatron's right arm is where you attach his Fusion Cannon, he has a smaller blaster that attaches to his left arm. In the film, he does have a smaller blaster that attaches to his left forearm but it is not this design. This blaster has a thick, rectangular base with a short barrel sticking out of it. As far as I can tell (from both memory and the trailers) this weapon does not appear in the film but it does form the front of the cannon barrel in vehicle mode. My guess is this was a way to make the vehicle mode's weapon screen accurate while giving us an additional accessory. This weapon has a tab on the bottom that attaches to a slot on the left forearm (or on his back pack for storage). This piece is gunmetal grey plastic with silver on the rectangular section.
- Blasters: I mentioned above that the "Small Blaster" was not the one used in the film, but have no fear. The one seen in the film is included with this figure. The best part is there are two of them included! This is a pretty thin weapon, looking almost more like an antenna of some sort. These weapons have 5mm ports to attach to the figure and a peg at the end to fit Blast Effects. These weapons are gunmetal grey with no paint applications.
Robot Mode:
By the time Megatron has taken on his third (and "final") form in the film, he greatly resembles the Megatron we are all used to seeing. Here are some of the key design elements that call back to G1 Megatron:
- The head design features Megatron's traditional "bucket head" helmet and a face with sharply designed facial features.
- The shoulders each have small raised triangular bits on them. These are direct callbacks to the halves of the hammer from G1 Megatron's gun mode!
- The chest has a roughly rectangular shape (but with more angles, lines and panels) while his mid-body has what looks like a control console of some kind flanked by angled sections with a series of horizontal lines on them.
- The lower legs have distinct knee armor that comes up at a bit of an angle. This is a direct reference to the shape of G1 Megatron's legs which were formed from the handle of his weapon mode.
- The feet have an angled section in top leading to a flatter "toe" section. This is based on the shape of G1 Megatron's feet.
I love all these G1 nods, but this figure represents the new version of the character so how does it do in that sense? Well, that's a weird question to answer. In the sense that this figure's sculpt has a lot of the details from the CG model, this figure succeeds. This includes the design of the various armor panels that cover his body. He really looks like he has armor panels layered over machinery underneath. This is perhaps most evident on the arms. Being a Deluxe Class, there are some sacrifices made in the design. The Fusion Cannon is smaller than it should be if you compare how it covers his arm on the toy versus the big screen. His fists are partly made from the treads so the sides of his hands are...well...treads (which looks a bit odd).
Finally, I think the size of this figure works against it in a very significant way: in the film Megatron looks very bulky. As he "evolves" in the film his armor gets thicker and wider, representing his growing power. His shoulder armor in particular looms pretty large on screen in close ups, along with the helmet around his head. On this figure however all these sections are very streamlined. The details are right, but the proportions are all off. This does not make this a bad figure by any means, but it does detract a bit from the "movie accuracy" of the figure.
Megatron is made up of grey and metallic grey (which looks almost gunmetal to me but not quite) plastic. These are "classic" Megatron colors so I understand the choice, but I really wish the grey parts were a more metallic silver to reflect the character's appearance in the film. Paint colors on the figure include silver, orange, red, black and yellow. These colors look great on the figure but they're also cool because they're mostly traditional Megatron colors. I do find it interesting that the designers went with orange for the eyes, seemingly indicating this represents Megatron before his full turn into villainy when his eyes turn red.
There are twenty two points of articulation on this figure. This includes five in each arm and leg. He also has waist articulation. There are six 5mm ports in this form, four on the actual figure itself (the forearms and fists) and two on his "back pack". As mentioned above, his smaller blaster can attach to his left forearm or back pack.
Transformation to Vehicle Mode:
- Detach the accessories.
- Attach the smaller blaster to the front end of the Fusion Cannon.
- Attach the back of the Fusion Cannon to the back pack. This forms the tank turret. Set this aside for now.
- Straighten out the arms and legs.
- Raise the arms out to the sides.
- Raise each leg up to the sides.
- Each thigh has a hinge towards the middle. Swing each leg down at this hinge.
- Rotate the lower legs around.
- Swing up the armor on the back of the lower legs.
- Point each foot "down" (or up depending on how you look at it).
- On each lower leg, towards the top there is a tread piece. Lift it, then rotate the entire section with the tread piece and foot around then push it into place.
- Swing the chest panel open and pull the panel down.
- Rotate the head around, then swing it down into the chest compartment.
- On each arm rotate the elbow/forearm sections so the fist holes point back.
- Rotate each fist so the parts of the treads align.
- Swing each forearm up against the upper arms. There is a tab and slot that connect together.
- The arms are connected to a hinted piece that forms the top part of the robot torso. Swing that up.
- Swing the arms in and rotate them so they align with the tread sections formed by the legs.
- Swing the leg armor pieces from Step 9 back, then push them down into place. They should connect with both the arms and the foot pieces. Be sure he foot pieces are slightly raised at an angle.
- The grey leg armor pieces from the last step have small tabs on them. These connect to slots on either side of the chest armor.
- Attach the turret to the raised port in the back.
- The smaller blasters can attach to the 5mm ports on the sides of the tank.
Vehicle Mode:
Let's be real folks, at this point in the Transformers brand history we have seen Megatron's alt-mode as a tank, many, many (many) times so this alt-mode is not surprising. However, unlike some of the tank modes used for other Megatron figures, this one is more alien and "scifi" in design. Like the on-screen model this tank has angled treads in front that raise up towards the middle before angling downward and leveling out at the back. He has a turret featuring a cannon with a trapezoid shaped barrel opening at the end. There is not much in the middle "filling out" the tank but that is the way he looked on screen so it works. Overall this mode does a good job of representing the on-screen tank seen in the film.
This mode shows off the same colors as the robot mode but focuses a bit more on the metallic grey color, especially on the front half of the treads. A bit of red comes through from the torso panel in the middle, a detail shared with the animation model.
The turret on this tank not only can spin in a full circle but it can also be moved up and down. The 5mm ports on the sides allow you to attach his blaster weapons. Sure they were not on the CG model in the film, but they look like they belong there. Be warned, there are no wheels on the bottom of this figure so don't drag him on the ground or you'll scrape the figure up.
Final Thoughts:
For a Deluxe Class figure, Studio Series Transformers One Megatron is cool. However, I cannot help but imagine how much more awesome the figure would be if it had been a Voyager Class. I seriously hope we get one in the figure in a bigger size, but for now this is a cool figure to add to your collection. Recommended!
Pros:
- Good sculpt that has many of the details right from the film's animation model.
- Good articulation.
- Accessories offer some fun play value.
- Unique and fun transformation.
Cons:
- The figure's size class reduces its bulk somewhat, detracting from the figure's aesthetic appeal.
- The Fusion Cannon should be larger (but to be fair, that would probably mess with its ability to be used as the cannon in vehicle mode).
- The grey plastic should really have been more of a metallic grey/silver color.
