General Information:
Release Date: March 2022
Price Point: $21.99 (Depending on Retailer)
Retailer: Limited Markets Multi-Pack (Amazon, Online retailers etc.)
Accessories: Display Stands x 2, Decoder
Official Information (from Amazon):
- Crash Landing: The Transformers Collide And Combine With The World Of Micro Machines!
- Judgement Day: Join Optimus Prime And The Autobots Or Bow Down To Megatron And His Decepticons!
- Cinematic Magic: Each Bot Accelerates Through Movie Screens And Into Your World!
- Robot Revelation: Deploy A Special Decoder To Discover Each Bot’S Hidden Alliance!
The Transformers collide and combine with the world of Micro Machines! Join Optimus Prime and the heroic Autobots or bow down to Megatron and his evil Decepticons. Accelerating through movie screens and racing into your world, these resourceful robots-in-disguise can collect allies and energon in all your Micro Machines playsets. Featuring four bots from each faction, and a hidden alliance decoder, this eight-car set stores more than meets the eye. It’s time to decide the ultimate fate of Cybertron so pick a side, rev up and roll out!
Background
Introduced in the mid-80's, Micro Machines were a series of micro sized vehicles ranging from sports cars to boats to aircraft created by toy company, Galoob. For a brief time outsold brands like Hot Wheels and Matchbox. Many fans may recall John Moschitta Jr. (aka the voice of G1 Blurr) was the spokesperson for the line filming many memorable commercials.
Eventually the line would fade away, but in 2020 it would return as a line designed and manufactured by Jazwares under license from Hasbro (who now owns Galoob). At first, the line focused on real life vehicles. However, in 2022 they began to release a line based on Transformers characters.
One of the first releases in the line were two 8-Packs sold via Amazon. Each pack focused on one movie. This set focused on the 2007 live action film, featuring eight characters, two display backgrounds and a "decoder". These vehicles were also available separately in four packs that were carded and sold at stores like Target. This pack includes: Blackout, Brawl, Bumblebee, Jazz, Megatron, Optimus Prime, Ratchet and Starscream.
Display Stands
This boxed set includes two stands with background scenes to display the vehicles. Each of the stands is a part of a road complete with lane markers sculpted into them and a frame in the background with a scene in it. Each of the stands can connect to another so you could, in theory, form a long chain of backgrounds displaying all your Transformers Micro Machines. This piece is grey plastic with no paint applications and can easily fit four vehicles on it.
This set is meant to focus on the 2007 film, so both of the scenes on the display stands are inspired by events in that film. One background shows a battle damaged scene in part of a city scene (presumably Chicago) featuring vehicles scattered around, smoke and some industrial looking buildings. The other stand features the SOCCENT military base in Qatar, where the Decepticon Blackout fought the military in one of the first action scenes of the film on Earth. There are helicopters in the air and on the ground with explosions happening in the background. I really like these backgrounds. The art is beautiful and they tie nicely into the movie.
For those curious, these display stands (officially called the "Movie Scene Displays" are the same ones included with the carded four packs #1 and #2.
Blackout
Blackout is an interesting vehicle in this set. At first I would have sworn he was a licensed MH-53 Pave Low helicopter but the packaging does not feature the Sikorsky Aircraft logo so I guess Jazwares changed the vehicle just enough so that it avoided a licensing fee. If true, I give them high marks because they did a great job. Blackout's sculpt has a rather bulky appearance with arounded front end that has a dome on the left side and refueling rod on the right. The blades on top can be positioned in an "X" pattern and there are sections sticking out the sides featuring tube shaped pieces. The tail section features a smaller rotor on the left side and a horizontal stabilizer fin on the right. Some of the features are shrunken down out of necesity given how tiny this vehicle is, but in the context of the Transformers brand you can absolutely tell who this is meant to be. For those curious, the vehicle measures about two inches (about 5.08 cm) long and one inch (about 2.54 cm) wide.
Blackout is made up of metallic blue and black plastic. Paint details include black, purple and silver. The black makes up the windows. Silver is used in the front and purple is used for a tiny Decepticon symbol in the front and Air Force inspired symbols on the sides.
The rotors all spin and the vehicle has wheels on the bottom if you want to roll it around. It also features a fun G1 inspired callback: a symbol sticker on the bottom! The sticker is square shaped and while it is pretty obvious what faction symbol is on the sticker, there are red patterns on top of it. To "decode" it you use the Decoder included with the set to see the Decepticon symbol clearly. Neat!
Brawl
In the movie, Brawl's vehicle mode was an M1 Abrams Tank. Likely to avoid licensing and squish the vehicle into the packaging, this vehicle is a reinterpretation of the Brawl design. He's still a tank, but the proportions are all different. He's not quite as wide and chunky looking as he was in the film. That said, a lot of Brawl's movie details are still found on this figure including a large central cannon with an additional artillery section mounted on top. That has two blasters and two rocket launcher pods. The front also has mine clearing blades on either side. It is a cute version of Brawl even if not totally movie accurate.
This vehicle is mostly green plastic with black on the bottom. A purple Decepticon symbol is found on the left side. The bottom has the Decepticon "decoder sticker" on it along with other information including his designation as "TF#0005".
While the treads are just sculpted details, he actually rolls on wheels on the bottom. The main turret can turn, then the smaller one can turn independently.
Bumblebee
In the first Transformers film, Bumblebee spends most of the film as a beat up 1976 Chevrolet Camaro. Eventually he upgrades his alt-form to a 2009 Concept Camaro. That is the vehicle this Micro Machine represents. Over a decade later, this vehicle and its descendents are fairly common on the streets so its sleek lines and curved edges will be familiar to those who drive. This is a licensed toy (the GM logo appears on the box), so you'll find a lot of the key details from the real life car including the Chevrolet logo on the front and back along with the vehicle's signature rectangular rear lights.
Bumblebee is mostly made up of a metallic yellow plastic. The rest is in black (including the wheels). The yellow is beautiful (though I recall the real life car having a slightly deeper yellow color). There's a good amount of black paint on this figure. It's used for the windows, the front, back and Bumblebee's signature racing stripes going from the front of the vehicle, skipping the middle and then continuing in the back. Silver paint is used in the front for the headlights. Red paint is used for the rear lights and Autobot symbols on either side of the car. The deco is really beautiful and extensive for such a tiny car. The bottom of the vehicle features an Autobot symbol "decoder" sticker. Among the information stamped onto the vehicle is its designation as "TF#0002".
Bumblebee rolls on four solid wheels, giving him a nice smooth movement over flat surfaces.
Jazz
In the first Transformers love action film, Jazz took on the vehicle form of a Pontiac Solstice. This distinct vehicle ceased production over a decade ago, but there is not quite another car like it on the market right now. This is a licensed GM vehicle so it has many of the key features of the vehicle from the film. This includes its long front end relative to the shorter back end. The headlights have a distinct teardrop shape and the back has a curved spoiler. The front grille is relatively high compared to the rest of the vehicle and features a distinct criss crossing grille pattern. It's a beautiful sculpt.
This vehicle is mostly silver plastic with black on the wheels and bottom. A different shade of silver is used to paint the windows and headlights. Red is used to paint the rear lights and Autobot symbols. The front features black paint on the grille. This may not sound like the most exciting deco ever, but it really looks great. As with the other vehicles in the set, Jazz features a "decoder" Autobot symbol and he is designated as "TF#0001".
Jazz rolls on four wheels and moves really nicely over smooth surfaces.
Megatron
Megatron is pretty different than the other vehicles in the set as he is the only one that transforms into an alien vehicle: specifically a spaceship. This sculpt has most of the major details from that deign including his bat-like wings with extensions at the ends, a raised, bulky section in the back and three parts that stick out in the front. The parts in the front are supposed to be a main "neck" with his arms flanking them. However, this sculpt has these three parts all sculpted as one piece with a thin layer of plastic between them. Given the size of this vehicle, I could see how making them separate would have made them prone to breaking off.
This vehicle is made up of silver plastic with a purple Decepticon symbol painted on the middle "neck" section. On the bottom he has a Decepticon "decoder" sticker and he is designated as "TF#0004".
Unlike the other vehicles in this set Megatron has no wheels. His wings do swing back for...some unknown reason (he sits in package with them extended). Go figure.
Optimus Prime
Optimus Prime transformed into a Peterbilt 379 truck cab. This sculpt does a great job of replicating the look of that vehicle. This includes the long nose in front with an Autobot symbol sticking up on top of the grille. The sides have vertical cylinders mounted on them and the sides have steps to get into the cabin. The smokestacks are shortened most likely due to concerns about breakage. I totally get this but unfortunately they wind up looking stumpy. The odd part about this vehicle is that it looks to me like it could be a licensed vehicle, but nowhere on the box is the Peterbilt logo. Sure this vehicle is no longer manufactured, but it does still belong to the company. Odd.
Color-wise, Optimus Prime has the iconic red, blue and silver colors you'd expect. He also has the beautiful orange to red fade on the nose section and the "flame" patterns seen in the film. Silver is used on several parts including the front of the vehicle and the ear lights. The bottom features an Autobot "decoder" sticker and his designation is "TF#0006".
Optimus rolls on six wheels. I was happy to see six actual wheels instead of four "real" wheels and two "fake" ones as toys of trucks sometimes have.
Ratchet
Autobot Ratchet was not a boxy ambulance in the film but instead transformed into a H2 Hummer emergency vehicle. This vehicle has the boxy shapes of the basic Hummer vehicle, but it also has a lot of the additions seen on the vehicle in the film. This includes a cage over the front part of the vehicle, a lightbar on top of the cabin section and a rack on the top of the vehicle with a row of lights in front. Even the rear lights have small cages over them. This is definitely a vehicle build to take some damage! Given that this is a licensed GM vehicle, it is no surprise the sculpt matches the on-screen vehicle so well.
This vehicle is a combination of neon green and black plastic. The green is a bit lighter than the actual green used in the film, but it gets the spirit of the vehicle. Red paint is used for the light bar and the line details on the sides. Silver is used for the lights in front and on top of the vehicle. The bottom has an Autobot symbol "decoder" sticker and the designation "TF#010". Overall the deco looks great.
Ratchet can roll on his four wheels nice and smooth just like the other cars in this set.
Starscream
In the live action Transformers movies (minus the Bumblebee movie) Starscream transformed into a F-22 Raptor. This jet has many distinct features including its distinct silhouette with angles on the horizontal stabilizer fins and "zig zag" patterns on the nosecone and main body of the jet. The sculpt also has line details indicating where different panels on the jet meet. It's a really nice sculpt.
Starscream is mostly grey plastic with silver deco on it. The silver is used in an unusual way, forming a camo style pattern. The cockpit is painted orange and the wings have purple details on them. The left wing has a Decepticon symbol while the right has an Air Force inspired logo. The bottom features a Decepticon "decoder" symbol and his designation is "TF#0008".
Unlike Megatron, Starscream does feature wheels despite being a jet fighter. These are pretty tiny wheels so I would advise against rolling this jet on any rough surfaces.
Final Thoughts:
This set is definitely not for all Transformers fans. It really is meant for a niche within a niche of fans. First you have to be a fan of the live action movie franchises (which not everyone is). Then you have to be into non-transforming vehicles based on Transformers that do not transform. If you fit into those two categories then this set is for you! It is also neat getting eight vehicles in one set so you don't have to hunt them down in individual four-packs. Recommended!
Pros:
- Most of the vehicles feature really nice, licensed designs.
- Nice deco on most of the vehicles.
- The cars roll really nicely, making for fun play with ramps and playsets.
Cons:
- Some fans will be disappointed these vehicles do not transform (but that's not the point of the Micro Machines line so that's unrealistic to begin with).
- A couple of the vehicles are not licensed, so creative liberties were taken. Brawl is perhaps the biggest example of this.
