General Information:
Release Date: June 2008
Price Point: $4.99 (varies depending on retailer)
Retailer: General (Toys R Us, Target, Wal-Mart etc.)
Accessories: None
Text from Hasbrotoyshop.com:
Get ready to roll out with this mighty AUTOBOT figure! Convert the detailed AUTOBOT JAZZ figure from raging robot to reveal a sleek sports car in vehicle mode!
Jazz has been a staple character for the Transformers line since the original run in 1984. He always struck me as a cool toy not just because of his personality on the animated program, but also the fact that he was one of the Autobot figures who was not given a redeco and turned into another character in the initial run of 1984-85 Autobot cars. It made him more special somehow. Years later he would be one of the feature characters in the 2007 live action film and now the character has been reinterpreted again in the Legends class "Classics" sub-line.
Vehicle Mode:
To say Jazz's vehicle mode surprised me would be an understatement. Early pictures had shown he transformed into a Porche 935 Turbo, but I was convinced the final product would make some major alterations to avoid any licensing issues, but lo and behold, Legends Jazz transforms into a vehicle that is almost a replica of his G1 vehicle form. The basic shape of the car matches the Porche from its long, rounded front to the curved sections over the rear wheels and even the smaller windows behind the side windows. He even has the high rear spoiler with horizontal lines inside.
Apart from its overall shape, smaller details match those of the Porche as well. There are two circles and distinct lines on the hood. The headlights are circles mounted on either side of two vertical rectangles and one horizontal rectangle in the center complete with horizontal line details inside of it. The sideview mirrors are curved, almost oval in shape.
The deco on Jazz is a simplified version of the G1 deco. He uses two plastic colors, black and white. Two bold, dark blue stripes run down the center of the vehicle with a red stripe in the middle. A red and white Autobot symbol is tampographed onto the hood. His rear window is painted metallic light blue, which looks really nice. His headlights are painted light blue. All these details are similar to ones on the G1 Jazz figure and they look great!
Transformation to Robot Mode:
- Swing the sides of the vehicle out.
- Swing the rear section back and flip the robot feet up.
- Swing the front of the car down to form the robot chest.
Robot Mode:
I have to say that considering how simple his transformation is, it's fantastic how close this version of Jazz resembles his G1 animation model and figure. The head sculpt is very much the classic Jazz head with a crest in the center, two "horns" on the sides of his head, visor eyes and a nose and mouth. The arms are a bit big and bulky, but their blockish appearance matches the G1 animation model. On the abdominal area you'll find a series of circle and square-like details. These correspond to details on the G1 Jazz figure. His waist section also carries over a G1 detail in the form of horizontal lines inside a square in the center. I am slightly surprised how many G1 details were sculpted into the figure, and how well it was done. Very nice.
In this form, Jazz reveals several black parts including the head, abdominal area, waist, thighs and feet. His eyes are painted light blue and his face is painted silver. Though simple, this color scheme does match his G1 appearance very well.
Jazz has six points of articulation in this form, four of which are on ball joints, allowing for a good range of motion.
Final Thoughts:
Legends Jazz is a fantastic example of how to simplify a character from a larger form while staying true to the character's previous appearance. The use of the Porche vehicle mode is also a nice surprise. Highly recommended.
