Monday 17 May 2021

Toybox REVIEW: Transformers Studio Series 86 Hot Rod

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Release Date: December 2020
RRP: $29.99/£29.99

The price of Transformers toys have been going up steadily for years now, but another tactic Hasbro have recently started to introduce is releasing smaller figures at higher price points and then making up for it with better engineering and/or accessories. Take War for Cybertron: Siege Shockwave for example - a voyager class-sized figure at best, but comes with armoured parts to justify a leader class price point. On the one hand it does unfortunately make some figures more expensive than they perhaps should be, but on the other it can lead to some pretty interesting releases and help maintain proper scale between figures. An excellent example of this release method is Studio Series 86 Hot Rod, a deluxe class figure that's been released at the voyager class price point. Arguably he's the perfect character to get this sort of treatment in a Transformers: The Movie-centric line - he's the star of the movie and if any Autobot deserves to get the perfect toy in a line celebrating it's 35th anniversary, it's him.

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Studio Series 86 Hot Rod's packaging gives you a good sense of how this figure is technically a deluxe sized Transformer rather than a true voyager class figure, since he's looking awfully small in that enlarged box. You can however see all those wonderful accessories he's packaged with, so even before you begin to mess around with the engineering on this figure you know that you're getting more bang for your buck. The fourth numbered figure in the Studio Series 86 range, the box gives you some fantastic artwork of Hot Rod open the Matrix, along with all the usual Hasbro, TakaraTomy and Transformers brand logos. On the back you’ll find the usual Hasbro renders of the figure in both modes, as well as some text referring to the "depths of Unicron". It's here that Hot Rod lights the Autobots darkest hour, as succinctly put by the one sentence bio. Inside the box you’ll find Hot Rod and accessories neatly stored on a plastic tray, held in place with multiple elastic ties. Just behind the inner tray you’ll also find the instruction leaflet, which documents both the transformation and various other features the figure has.

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Each Studio Series figure comes with an inner tray diorama depicting a key moment from the figure's respective film, and really this was the only obvious choice for Hot Rod. Deep within the innards of Unicron, Hot Rod wrestles the Matrix free from Galvatron's clutches and uses it to become Rodimus Prime and defeat the Chaos Bringer. It's a very simple backdrop of dimly-lit metal structures, but it's absolutely perfect. Spot on to how it looks in the film and undoubtedly the most iconic Hot Rod moment. 

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There's no denying that there have been some great Hot Rod toys in the last 15 years or so. The classic/Henkei offering was nice, but lacked that youthful exuberance Hot Rod (as opposed to Rodimus) should have. The Titans Return/Legends version was another great toy, but suffered from being a weird cross between the G1 and IDW versions rather than just one or the other. Finally there was the Power of the Primes figure - a very cool release that combined both Hot Rod and Rodimus Prime into one figure. In amongst all that was the Masterpiece figure, but given some of the QC issues that has maybe that's best left forgotten. That brings us to the Studio Series 86 release, which is just a no-nonsense of G1 Hot Rod as he appears in Transformers: The Movie. No forced gimmicks, no design deviations based on other versions, just a solid G1-inspired figure that could even rival the Masterpiece when it comes to accuracy. Given the size difference between the two, just how Hasbro managed to pull off such a clean looking robot mode at such a small size is incredible. It really does feel like this Hot Rod just leapt off the screen and into your hands. While there are still plenty of paint apps on the figure for the additional detailing, the majority of the body's colour comes from the plastic itself which gives Hot Rod a really clean look and finish. While this might be a voyager class figure in the traditional sense, you can definitely see where that extra budget went. 

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And said budget definitely didn't just go to the sculpt either! On top of being a gorgeous looking toy, this Hot Rod is packaged to the brim with articulation as well. Altogether he features;
- Ball jointed head
- Swivel hinge shoulders, elbows and knees
- Butterfly joint shoulders
- Waist, wrist and thigh swivels
- Double hinge knees and ankles (forward/backward and side rocker)
- Hinged finger sections
A lot of this doesn't sound all that's different to what's usually on a deluxe Transformers figure, but it really is the little things that make all of the difference. It's not very often you see butterfly shoulders or movable figures on Transformers this size! All of these joints have been flawlessly incorporated into the design as well, like the way Hot Rod's crotch section has been built into the tops of the legs themselves. He's an absolute joy to pose, and the great ankle tilts they've been putting on these figures ensure that he can hold most poses you throw at him.

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The really cool thing about this figure though are all the other surprise features Hasbro have packed into the body. Lift up the top of Hot Rod's head and you'll find a flip down visor based on the one he uses to spot the Decepticons aboard the Autobot shuttle when on Lookout Mountain. On top of that, flipping around the right hand reveals the welding torch he used to repair Kup following their crash landing on Quintessa. To see these things included as separate accessories would be one thing, but to have them built into the figure itself is exceptionally cool. It's the little things like this that really help justify a deluxe class figure being given a voyager class price tag, even with all the separate accessories included in the overall package. 

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And the subject of accessories, Hasbro have really gone all out to make this figure worth the price tag. Altogether Hot Rod comes with his two Photon Laser guns, two translucent blue fire blast effect parts, a buzzsaw attachment for his right hand, the Autobot Matrix of Leadership and finally a blue energy effect part for the Matrix. Getting the Matrix of Leadership with Hot Rod seemed like a given and although there's no "official" way to store it in his chest (it can however technically be nestled within those chest folds), but between the overall detail on the piece and the energy effect that can clip over the top to recreate the iconic "Arise Rodimus Prime" moment Hasbro have definitely made up for it. Interestingly the guns aren't actually identical, but both are nicely moulded and fit into the hands perfectly. The fire blast effects can be attached to either the guns themselves or the pipes on his forearms. Finally there's the buzzsaw, which attaches to a plug on the left hand - simply open the arm and turn the hand the same way you do on the left for the welding tool. Previous Hot Rod figures may have come with the saw, but few have ever made it this look good (the saw can even spin!). That's an incredible amount of accessories for a Transformers toy and together with what's built into the figure itself covers practically every key Hot Rod moment in the movie - the only thing that's really missing is his fishing rod. It might have been nice to get that too, but if something needed to be thrown out that was definitely the right call. 

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With so many accessories it's impossible to have Hot Rod holding them all at once, but thankfully there is some sort of storage for them in robot mode. The twin guns are able to clip onto the two ports on Hot Rod's back, with the circular saw then clipping on top of them. A word of caution though, since the guns are painted silver you do run the risk of chipping the paint doing this (the same goes for the weapon storage in vehicle mode discussed further down). It isn't particularly appealing visually, but if you're looking at the figure from the front then the accessories are perfectly hidden.

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As fans of the movie will know, Hot Rod transforms multiple times over its duration and it never looks the same twice. But while the toy itself may have a general scheme that needs to be followed, it's still a pretty interesting one. Hot Rod's transformation to vehicle mode takes place over a whopping 29 steps, which just goes to show much engineering Hasbro can pack into smaller figures when the budget's been upped a bit. There's lots of cool little steps to the process, especially the way the legs collapse to form the back of the car. Raising up the bonnet at the end of the process also reveals a pair of flip out headlights to give the front the correct shape. It's a little fiddly in places and maybe not the kind of transformation you'll instantly memorise, but it's easy enough to follow and most importantly it doesn't feel like anything is going to break even in the fiddliest moments. Hot Rod transforms into a futuristic sports car, or a "Hot Rod" if you will. While it follows the same futuristic vehicle pattern as the other 86 Autobot this one has definitely got a more Earthly vibe to it, even with the giant canopy and exaggerated spoiler on the back. It's a great look, so there's no surprise that this was the toy Hasbro chose to become Optimus Prime's replacement.

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In vehicle mode there are also two options for attaching the accessories. The weapons (along with saw) can either clip onto the roof of the car or they can attach to the engine block for a more classic Targetmaster style look. With the saw slapped on top it looks ridiculous, but the guns themselves look surprisingly good in both places. The effect parts can be attached to the weapons for a cool mid-drive shooting looking, but the best/real place for them in this mode is on the exhaust pipes. With those cool blue flames attached, Hot Rod really looks like he's about to burn rubber.

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In vehicle mode the figure is again an amazing representation of Hot Rod's animation - not 100% perfect but given the size and price point of this thing it's pretty incredible how close it is. Other than the exposed knees at the back, the only real difference that's honestly worth mentioning is how the spoiler is entirely done in yellow plastic rather than the centre fin being orange. Again there are surely plenty of people out there who'd rather a magenta Hot Rod, but that's a whole different argument to be taken up with Hasbro. Hasbro have even kept the vehicle body smooth to keep it extra clean, as opposed to bits of moulded detail as they have with so many other figures in the Studio Series 86 and War For Cybertron lines. As far as features go there's much here to talk about like there was with robot mode, but he does at the very least have free-rolling wheels to effortlessly glide across surfaces.

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To put it as bluntly as possible, Studio Series 86 Hot Rod might just be one of the best mainline Transformers figures ever released. Between the quality and screen accuracy of the sculpt, the hidden features he has and all the accessories he has this is a release that completely justifies selling a deluxe class figure at a voyager class price point. There have been some stellar releases in the Studio Series 86 line so far, but this one is not just far and away the best one - it's hard to picture any future ones topping it either. This truly is a Masterpiece quality figure at a fraction of the size and fraction of the price. Actually it's even better since it won't just break on your like Masterpiece Hot Rod will. Even the most casual Transformers fan needs this one in their collection - it rarely gets better than this.

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