Thursday 11 May 2023

Toybox REVIEW: Transformers Studio Series 86 Dinobot Sludge

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Release Date: July 2022
RRP: $54.99/£55.99

So far the Transformers Studio Series 86 line has delivered hit after hit, but undoubtedly one of the most exciting aspects of it has been the opportunity to get a full set of official Dinobots that match up to their size and stature on the cartoon itself. Since Hasbro only release so many leader class figures a year it's a bit of a slow process, but at least fans were able to round off 2022 with the original trio of these fan favourite Autobots. Studio Series 86 Dinobot Sludge is the fourth leader class figure from the Transformers: The Movie 35th anniversary range, following on from Grimlock, Slug (Slag) and Coronation Starscream.

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"DINOBOT SLUDGE breaks down the courtroom door and crashes the QUINTESSON trial." 

Studio Series 86 Dinobot Sludge is the first of the Dinobots to come in windowless packaging, with the look at the figure itself replaced with some gorgeous artwork of Sludge taking out a swarm of Sharkticons with a fiery laser blast from his mouth. The figure is numbered 15 in the Studio Series 86 collection, with that numbering printed alongside segments of the main artwork on the sides of the box. On the back you'll find images of the figure in both modes, as well as a small character bio explaining what is perhaps Sludge's crowning moment in Transformers: The Movie. As Transformers (like most other Hasbro lines) packaging has now gone paperless the figure is tied down to a cardboard tray, with the accessories taped in a paper bag behind it.

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The whole idea of the Studio Series figures coming with background display trays was pretty exciting at first, but honestly it's become stale with the Studio Series 86 figures pretty quickly – especially when it comes to the Dinobots. Once again we get the same Quintesson Pit of Judgement background that was previously released in leader class size with Grimlock and Slag, and then in smaller deluxe size with Gnaw. Though it's definitely not a priority place any of the budget on these figures should be going, it's a real shame that all these figures are getting the same generic backdrop when there's so much great background art in Transformers: The Movie that Hasbro could be choosing from. Even if it were just slightly different scenes or angles from the Pit of Judgement it would be better than just exactly the same thing over and over again. Odds are I'll be making this same complaint when Snarl and Swoop are released too, although if the rumours are true at least Swoop's will be in voyager class size as opposed to another Leader.

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Sludge is another behemoth leader class figure, immediately sizing perfectly with the rest of the (currently available) Dinobots. The overall deco of the toy is a great match to Sludge's appearance in the cartoon, which to be honest wasn't actually all that different to the toy compared to some of the other deco differences between them. Admittedly the back is a little bit of a mess with his giant dinosaur torso wings and the Brontosaurus head just kind of hanging there, but then again it's accurate to the original design so hard to find any real fault there - especially since neither aspect affects posing or balancing the figure. What really stands out on this figure is the head sculpt, which isn't just really nicely moulded with prominent features but has a wonderfully fitting vacant facial expression. There's a lot of love about this figure, but really it's just the sheer size of it that sells it most. 

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Articulation is pretty much the same as it is on the other Dinobots, which seems fair to say is pretty damn great for such a chunky figure. Altogether Sludge features;
- Ball jointed head
- Ratchet joint shoulders and hips with forward and sideward motion
- Waist, bicep, thigh and wrist swivels
- Hinged elbows, knees and ankles
I've seen some talk online about how many copies of the figure have suffered from poor QC resulting in really loose knees, but that doesn't seem to be present on my copy so I can't really comment on it. What I can comment on though is just how well this figure poses otherwise - the ball jointed head's ability to look up and down as well as to the side is so good for making action poses look that little bit more natural. While again he is a very chunky boy those big feet are perfect for keeping balance in check when posing, particularly with those wonderful ankle tilts.

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Sludge's sole accessory is his blaster rifle, which is nicely moulded with plenty of detail across the body as well as a gold painted scope and barrel - a near perfect replica of how it looks in the cartoon. While again it's a shame that the Studio Series 86 Dinobots are all coming with guns rather than their (perhaps more fitting) melee weapons, given that they don't use any weapons at all in the movie they could have just as easily come with nothing at all. Effect parts would have definitely been a great addition to these releases, not only because the fire breath is something we actually see in the movie but also because Sludge's own box art even shows him using it. But I guess that's what third party upgrade sets are there for, so if you find Sludge a bit lacking in the accessories department there are options out there. Since mine is going to spend most of its time in dinosaur mode anyway just the gun suits me fine even if I am acknowledging the missed potential.

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Sludge features a 31-step transformation that feels a bit more intricate than Grimlock or Slag, possibly because there wasn't a mini-figure included with this release so a little more of the budget could do into the size and engineering. That said the transformation isn't any more complicated than the other Dinobots, with the aforementioned intricacies coming off more as impressive than difficult. At the end of the transformation you're greeted with a hefty Brontosaurus alt mode heavily inspired by his G1 cartoon self. I say inspired as opposed to 100% accurate because again Sludge has that additional tech moulding across his body. It turns the toy into more of a hybrid look between his cartoon and toy selves, and also fits in a little better with the whole War for Cybertron trilogy aesthetic. There is a large cavity in the underbelly which can be used to store the blaster, and though it doesn't fill it entirely it fills enough that it can't really be seen when the toy is standing upright. It's another gorgeous sculpt from the Transformers team, capturing the ferocious yet dim-witted temperament of the Dinobots. The dinosaur head sculpt is particularly good, with those same bright blue painted eyes that stand out so much and inject so much personality into the toy.

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In dinosaur mode Sludge has similar articulation to his Dinobot brethren. All four legs can fully rotate, with the front pair sporting hinged feet and the back pair hinged knees. Both the base of the neck and the head can lower/rise freely of one another, while the gold section of the neck can also rotate as well. Note that this was quite stiff on my copy at first, so much so that I didn't even realise the articulation was even there. Topping things off is a hinged jaw, exposing all of Sludge's teeth (no missing front row like on Grimlock) as well as a small cannon hidden inside of the mouth. The inclusion of the cannon makes it an even bigger shame that some sort of fire breath effect wasn't included with the figure. Overall it's a relatively basic array of articulation (however fans have found a method to provide an additional 180-degree waist swivel, which is undocumented in the instructions) it's still pretty standard for what you'd expect from an beast Transformer and gets the job done nicely. The mobility of the neck and head alone is enough to give Sludge plenty of personality.

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Hasbro are now three for three on these leader class Dinobots, as Studio Series 86 Dinobot Sludge proves to be yet another winner. Omitting the dead weight of a forgettable mini-figure, Sludge focuses 100% on what every Transformers fan wants from these releases – a chunky toy that sells the size of the Dinobots in both modes along with G1 accuracy and a fun transformation. This is another great toy that just shows when it comes to the Dinobots, you either go big or go home. Bring on Snarl, and hopefully Swoop won't be too far behind to finally complete the full set.

2 comments:

John Hood said...

Sludge has sentimental value for me! My late mum surprised me with the fan-favourite Dinobot whilst I was off school ill.

Iodaspark said...

Stellar review of a stomping character!