Toybox REVIEW: Transformers Studio Series 86 Dinobot Swoop

Release Date: July 2024

RRP: £54.99/£55.99

When the Transformers Studio Series 86 line began back in 2021 one of the first things it promised fans was new renditions of the Dinobots at Leader class scale – kicking things off with Grimlock as one of the very first figures in the range. Now three years and four fantastic Dinobots later, Hasbro are finally completing the team with the release of Studio Series 86 Dinobot Swoop. Though far more prominent in Transformers: The Movie than poor old Snarl, Swoop is a rather fitting choice for the final one to come to the line – with both he and Snarl being the second wave of Dinobots to be created in the series.

Just when fans had accepted the packaging change between Grimlock/Slag and Sludge/Snarl, Hasbro have only gone and thrown a curveball with another change for Leader class figures. Rather than a plastic window or completely covered box, Studio Series 86 Dinobot Swoop instead comes in a box with a completely open window akin to the "environmentally friendly" Core, Deluxe and Voyager class boxes. The layout itself remains effectively the same, with some gorgeous new artwork of Swoop in dino mode at the bottom of the box and the Transformers logo running across the side. This artwork is repeated on one side of the box, while the other features different headshot artwork along with the figure's designated line number (26). The back features images of Swoop in both modes along with the one-sentence character bio, and then inside Swoop is tied down on a "Battle on Autobot City" backing card. Behind that is also a clean version of the backdrop that can be used for display – the backdrop has been included with several figures, but the Leader-sized one in particularly with Snarl.

Prior to the toy's reveal some fans assumed that Swoop would actually be a Voyager class figure as opposed to a Leader, and when you look at him it isn't hard to see why. In both robot and alt modes Swoop is a far more simplistic design compared to the other Dinobots – a pretty straightforward cuboid body that only really has the wings and Pteranodon-head chest as design flourishes. That said, size was a big selling factor with these figures as well and for Swoop to properly scale alongside his teammates another Leader figure was the right call. But the simple design means there isn't a whole lot to say about Swoop in terms of looks, other that it's another great likeness to Swoop's G1 cartoon model. Like the other Dinobots he's been given some added moulded detailing to make him a little more technical than the cartoon's smooth animation model, but it's unmistakably G1 Swoop (in correct colours!). The head sculpt is very well defined, giving Swoop a suitably dour expression which works for back in season two when the Dinobots were still tough guys but perhaps not so much the comic relief they were in the movie and season three.

Updated articulation is the other big reason fans flock to the Studio Series 86 line though, and much like the other Dinobots Swoop makes good use of what Transformers currently have to offer. Altogether he features; 

- Ball jointed head 

- Swivel hinge shoulders and hips 

- Hinged elbows, knees, ankles and feet 

- Bicep, wrist, waist and thigh swivels 

Swoop's relatively straightforward design definitely works to his advantage here, as there's little to get in the way of any of the joint movement. The only really notable case is the waist joint, which only has slight sideways movement due to the way the Pteranodon head is clipped into the centre. A shame because waist joints are some of the most important for dynamic posing, but there is still enough there to get some expression out of the figure. Another gripe is that some of the joint tolerances aren't the best (although admittedly this could vary figure to figure), however as Swoop is fairly lightweight for a Leader class figure he doesn't struggle to hold poses too much. Overall another solid effort from Hasbro.

Swoop comes with some interesting accessories, particularly as it's also Hasbro trying to right a wrong they made with the previous Studio Series 86 Dinobot releases. In addition to Swoop's own Thermal Sword, the release also comes with Grimlock's Energo-Sword which was previously omitted in favour of his double-barrelled rocket launcher. A very nice gesture on Hasbro's part, but it still leaves poor Slag and Sludge without their swords unless you fork out the Generations Comic Edition repaint of Grimlock as well. Both swords are moulded in red plastic without any additional paint apps, with a very good likeness to those from the original G1 toys. While Swoop can hold both swords quite comfortably, Grimlock's dinosaur mode claws do get in the way a bit of pushing the hilt right down into the fist. Nevertheless, swords are definitely a better look for the Dinobots than swords. The rocket launchers on his back feature removeable missile tips which aren't spring-loaded, but can be combined with Hasbro's blast parts to create a launching effect.

At just 20 steps Swoop's transformation is considerably less involved than the rest of the Dinobots, and for the most part easily to figure out without the aid of the instructions. There some fun steps to it however, particularly the way the chest collapses once the Pteranodon head has removed or the extensions to the wingtips. There isn't anything particularly QC-wise to look out for when transforming from robot to alt mode but definitely take care changing back to robot mode, as the tabs that hold the chest together are surprisingly strong (and make a horrible snapping noise when uncoupling). But once all those steps have been completed you'll be left with a pretty boxy-looking robot Pteranodon, but one that definitely oozes all that updated G1 goodness fans have come to expect from the line. The combination of grey, gold and blue looks especially good in this mode, with that splash of Autobot symbol red on the head crest a nice touch to top it all off.

With the number of ports on the figure Swoop has a few options for weapons storage if you like to keep everything together. The instructions specify that the two swords be clipped onto Swoop's back (the "thruster" parts which would have been the legs in robot mode), but an alternative is to clip them to the underside of the wings alongside the rocket launchers – giving Swoop some additional armament in dinosaur mode. Because nothing says dangerous like a Pteranodon with two giant blades strapped to its wings.

Despite the boxy torso in alt mode still displays a nice little array of articulation elsewhere, particularly in those triple-jointed wings which allow for more realistic poses. The neck and head are both articulated too, so can be moved upright so that Swoop can be posed standing up on his tiny little (hinged) feet as well as mid-flight. As with all the Dinobots the mouth can open, revealing a peg inside compatible with blast effects. Most importantly of all though there is indeed a socket on Swoop's underside compatible with most flight stands, allowing Swoop to be properly posed in-flight alongside the other Dinobots.

Leader class size Dinbots have been one of the crowning achievements of this range, and Studio Series 86 Dinobot Swoop proves to be a rather satisfying finale to the team. While a lot simpler than his fellow Dinobots, Swoop displays the same level of G1 accuracy (with some additional detailing thrown in for good measure) and overall fun factor. It's not quite the same wow factor that the others had, but one that still feels in-keeping with the high bar the Studio Series 86 line has set. With the Dinobots now out of the way that's a huge chunk of the movie cast accounted for, and with the promise of Devastator coming it's now the Constructicons turn to receive the same level of love.