Monday 22 August 2022

Toybox REVIEW: Transformers Studio Series 86 Perceptor

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Release Date: January 2022
RRP: $22.99/£22.99

While the majority of the principal cast of Transformers: The Movie were brand new characters, there were some previously established Autobots that were able to receive a significant role without dying in the process. The most obvious of these is of course the Dinobots, but in addition to them there was also Perceptor – who tended to Optimus Prime in his final moments before evacuating Autobot City alongside Ultra Magnus' team. Which is exactly why Studio Series 86 Perceptor is the perfect addition as the line (in tandem with releases from the War For Cybertron trilogy and Legacy ranges) draws ever closer to completing that principal cast.

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"After observing a fleet of incoming enemies, PERCEPTOR reports that a cursory evaluation of DECEPTICON capability indicates a distinct tactical deficiency - or in other words; they're unnumbered."

Perceptor comes in standard Studio Series 86 deluxe class packaging, although one little minor alteration has been made since the line first began. Rather than the figures being stored in moulded plastic trays, they are now tied to cardboard inserts much like the Kingdom and Legacy figures. This is all in the name of Hasbro trying to use less plastic in their packaging, although they're only half way there with Perceptor as the front of the box still sports a plastic window. The box itself remains much the same though, with some fantastic artwork adorning each side of the packaging while the back features images of the figure as well as a short bio based around a Perceptor-specific scene in Transformers: The Movie.

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Like all the Studio Series figures Perceptor also comes with a diorama backdrop card, which is separate from the cardboard tray that the figure was tied down to. The graphic is a repeat of the "Attack on Autobot City" one previously released with Blurr, which isn't all that surprising. With so many characters being replaced in Transformers: The Movie it's amazing Perceptor had as big a role as he did (though granted with Ratchet dead, the Autobots were down a medic). That said, he did have some key scenes - getting Blaster to contact Optimus or announcing Optimus' wounds were fatal for example, but they were shared with other characters. Given that the line had already established it would be using repeated backdrops, it was inevitable Perceptor was going to have one.

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The first thing immediately noticeable about Perceptor is just how much chunkier he feels than all of the other Studio Series 86 deluxes. While he's not so much bigger than the rest that he feels like he's in the wrong size class, the blockiness of his design definitely gives him a certain heft that the more streamline 86 class lack. Nevertheless Perceptor is still an incredible looking figure, capturing the likeness of the G1 animation model almost flawlessly. Truthfully the figure is a little more unsightly from the back given the huge hole in the back and visible screws, but from the front the hollowed-out areas you tend to see on Transformers toys these days aren't too visible. The colours are also spot on to the toon model, with the figure made up of red, blue and black plastic with a number of pearlescent white paint apps across the body. The face sculpt bears a stern expression, which while somewhat generic fits Perceptor pretty well.

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Perceptor is another example of just how far Transformers have come in the last few years when it comes to articulation, with plenty to offer when it comes to poseability. The main points of articulation in robot mode are; 
- Ball jointed head and shoulders 
- Hinged elbows, knees, feet and ankles 
- Swivel hinge hips Waist, bicep and thigh swivels 
On top of all that, there are also additional joints built into the upper legs (primarily intended as part of the transformation) that give the legs additional sideward movement. The shoulder scope is hinged in two places – a ratchet hinge at the front that allows it to point downwards as well as an additional hinge on the arm it rests on which allows it to both raise up and fold down onto the back (ala G1 Megatron's barrel piece). The lack of wrist swivels is a bit of a disappointment but otherwise this is a really solid range of articulation, making Perceptor ideal for poses either as a scientist or in the heat of battle.

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Perceptor's sole accessory is his blaster, moulded in red plastic without any additional paint detailing. With its moulded detailing the blaster bears a good likeness to one he wields in the cartoon (and in turn the original G1 toy), and can comfortably fit into either of the figure's fists. As far as Transformers weapons go it's about as basic as it gets, but with so much going on with the figure itself you wouldn't expect Perceptor to have much going on when it comes to accessories - especially because he doesn't really have any notable pieces in the movie itself either.

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Perceptor's primary alt mode is his microscope form, the transformation into which is extremely straightforward. The instructions are very clear on each step, and it’s the kind of "move this piece here, lift up arms and clip into place" process that's easily memorable even if you're the kind of person that struggles to remember transformations. Though blocky and colourful, the microscope mode is the perfect rendition of how it looked on the cartoon. The final step of the transparent chest plate swinging downward to become the specimen plate is an especially nice way to cap off the transformation. While in this mode Perceptor has some very basic weapon storage, with the blaster being able to clip on to either of the arms. If it wasn't silly enough that a microscope has a very obvious gun attached to it, the blaster also only really attaches on an angle – making it all the more obvious (and egregious).

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But that's not all! Despite not being labelled as a triple-changer as such, Perceptor can also transform into a mobile tank mode. Once again the transformation from one mode to the other is really easy, and simply requires flipping the legs and microscope piece around a bit. Given how the mode feels like a bit of an afterthought it actually looks surprisingly good, with the scope piece doubling as a cannon really well. The weapon storage in this mode is much better too, with the blaster clipping on to the scope instead to give the tank a little bit of extra firepower.

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As great as both alt modes go though, neither have much in the way of additional features. Naturally the scope piece can be moved around in either mode, but it is a little surprising that no free-rolling wheels were built into the figure despite the presence of moulded tank treads. Granted it wouldn't have added much to the figure, but it's always nice when Transformers have little toyetic features like that on top of screen-accurate sculpting.

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Studio Series 86 Perceptor is another fantastic addition to this Transformers: The Movie anniversary line, improving upon previous efforts to provide collectors with a version that's as close as you can possibly get to the cartoon at this scale and price point. A nicely sized and wonderfully blocky robot modes give way to two relatively simple but nevertheless satisfying alt modes, making Perceptor the perfect compliment to the rest of the line. It'll be interesting to see what direction Studio Series 86 goes as it begins to run out of core Transformers: The Movie characters, but at least it's done a great job in nailing all of those.

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