Toybox REVIEW: Trasformers Studio Series Hook & Long Haul

Release Date: June 2025

RRP: $89.99/£91.99

Even though Hasbro are slowly running out of key Transformers: The Movie characters to bring to the Studio Series line, leaving the Constructicons towards the end was a very good way of keeping fans interested. Particularly when they're not wasting any time in getting the whole team out, which means collectors won't have to wait long to form Devastator on their shelves. While most of the Constructicons are getting standard single releases, the Studio Series Hook & Long Haul set mixes things up a bit - featuring two members of the team in a single Commander Class set alongside some of the extra parts needed to make up the original Decepticon combiner.

As previously mentioned in my Scrapper and Bonecrusher reviews, Transformers packaging went through bit of an overhaul in 2025 so that both collectors' lines were a bit more uniform. One thing I didn't mention however (and honestly didn't even notice until it was pointed out to me) is that the "Studio Series 86" label is no more, and that any Transformers: The Movie figures have been absorbed into the wider Studio Series banner. It might get confusing when there are multiple characters of the same name appearing in the line at the same time (which seems unlikely anyway), but generally it isn't hard to tell the G1 and live-action movies apart so it doesn't really make much difference. Hook and Long Haul come in a large windowless box which shows off their Commander Class price point, the front featuring some great artwork of them taking part in the battle of Autobot City. One side of the box features artwork of the pair in vehicle mode, whilst the other has the same Devastator artwork that appears on the other Constructicons' packaging as well. On the back you'll find images of the figures (in both modes) alongside a shot of Devastator lifted from the movie (which again appears on all their boxes) as well as a short character bio. Inside, the figures are packaged in vehicle mode and strapped down to a plain cardboard tray.

Starting at the beginning with the first named character in the two-pack, Hook comes packaged in his crane vehicle mode. Right off the bat you've got that iconic Constructicon colour scheme fully in play, with his highlighter green chassis punctuated by the purple windscreen and hook section. While the previous Constructicons did a good job of hiding any individual robot or combiner parts in vehicle mode, Hook sadly isn't so lucky - there's a big purple block sticking out in the middle which is very obviously a flip out panel for the combined mode head. It doesn't look awful, but is just a bit more obvious than you'd perhaps expect it to be. What does look pretty awful is the way the robot mode weapon tabs onto the side of the crane arm for weapon storage, which definitely feels like an afterthought. I'm all for alt modes having weapon storage to avoid too many loose parts, but sometimes just tabbing it underneath out of plan sight does the job fine. Luckily there's plenty else going on with the alt mode to distract you from these two minor gripes (one of which you can just outright avoid), because as far as construction vehicles go a crane is a pretty sweet choice of disguise.

While admittedly most Transformers toys don't have a whole load of gimmicks in vehicle mode, the Constructions have each come with various moving parts suited to their alt modes and Hook is no exception. The crane arm can rotate a full 360 degrees at its base as well as raise and lower. The arm can also extend slightly at its tip, with the hook also jointed to that it can be positioned back and forth. Just about what you'd expect from a proper toy crane really, and even though it's probably the mode collectors are least likely to display Hook in these features still add to the overall play value of the figure. Particularly when you can display all the Constructicons shunting rocks around or constructing whatever Megatron's latest scheme is.

The previously released Constructicons had relatively simple transformations and Hook is no exception, with only 17 steps required to take him from crane to robot mode. The transformation brings a lot more colour to Hook’s robot form – not only in the case of that solid purple torso but also those grey upper legs and silver shins. It’s a fairly good compromise between toy and cartoon accuracy, as if you take a look at images of Hook’s cartoon model his legs are a bit of a mess. The Studio Series looks far better, adding both bulk and balance to lower legs especially. However the trade off for improved combined mode stability is that the chest takes a bit of a blow – his Decepticon insignia chest piece replaced with a flip out peg. But while there are some slightly inaccuracies here and there, it’s still not enough to mistake him as anyone other than Hook.

Hook's articulation is fairly similar to that of the previously released Constructicons, with any major differences coming from the different ways they need to transform into both their vehicle and combined modes. Altogether he features;

- Ball jointed head

- Swivel hinge shoulders, hips and feet

- Double hinge elbows

- Single hinge knees

- Bicep and thigh swivels

The hands are also hinged, albeit more so they can tuck into the wrists when transforming rather than for actually being for movement. Hook is yet another Constructicon that's unfortunately been denied a waist swivel as well, so it looks to be something that just isn't on the cards for this combiner team in order for them to be stable when combined as Devastator. Otherwise there isn't a whole lot to complain about here with Hook - naturally those flaps above his shoulders do get in the way of arm articulation, but they are hinged so can be flipped further upwards if you do need that extra arm movement. The double-hinged elbows are a very nice addition, and together with the shoulder and bicep movement give the arms quite a bit of movement. Lower body articulation is only slightly less due to the single hinge knees, but Hook has nice big feet to ensure balancing the figure is never an issue.

While Hook may have quite a lot on offer in terms of vehicle mode gimmicks, he's a lot more bare bones when it comes to accessories - his blaster being his only designated piece. As has been the case with most G1 characters released across the Generations and Studio Series lines, the gun is directly based on that of the original toy. It is moulded in black plastic with no additional paint apps, and can be held in either of the figure's hands via the 5mm peg system. It isn't much, but it's enough.

The second part of the set is Long Haul, who has a history of being slightly chunkier (in toy form) than his fellow Constructicons because of the area of Devastator he forms. That tradition continues on into the Studio Series, although now that he isn't forming quite as much of the body he's a bit more in proportion with the rest of the team. Long Haul comes packaged in his traditional dump truck mode, which looks just like it did in the G1 cartoon but with a bit of extra moulded detail here and there. As these Constructicons are based on how they appeared in the cartoon rather than the original toys they're a little plainer than previous efforts, but Long Haul has some nice bits of red on his truck bed as well as the standard green and purple. Long Haul also has weapon storage which is marginally better than Hook's - his gun pegging on to either side of the truck bed. It isn't great, but it does a least look more like a missile launcher and not just a random gun strapped to the side of a crane.

Long Haul also has a bonus section of sorts to his vehicle mode - a "trailer" made up of all the Devastator parts which aren't built into the individual Constructicons. This is largely comprised of the gestalt's thighs, but also includes his forearms/fists and chest piece. There's been a lot of debate within the Transformers since these figures' announcement as whether a combiner having so many loose parts is a good design in 2025, and there are fair arguments on both sides of the fence. It is a bit disappointing to see such a huge section completely left out of the individual robots (so much so that it almost feels like an extra vehicle in itself), but if the aim was for everything to look as show-accurate as possible than these are the sacrifices that have to be made. The trailer itself honestly doesn't look too bad - despite being made up of spare parts it has a good shape to it and fits Long Haul's truck mode well. The forearms on the very back looking a bit like missile launchers is a very nice touch of design. The trailer clips into the back of Long Haul, with the coupling itself jointed so that it can swing independently of the vehicle. While it's probably not something many people are going to display with their individual Constructicons if they aren't displaying them as Devastator, I'd rather a little thought go into the parts like this than them just staying in the box until needed.

Perhaps Hasbro were hoping that getting a big bonus trailer would please fans as far as additional gimmicks for Long Haul's vehicle mode goes, because the individual vehicle doesn't have a great deal to offer outside of the standard free rolling wheels. The bed of the truck can technically raise as that's how the legs fold out in the transformation to robot mode, but the fact the bed is so shallow does kind of ruin the effect. It's an issue no Long Haul toy has really got around though, since that leg mass does have to go somewhere. Ultimately though, Long Haul is a nice beefy dump truck and maybe that's all he needs to be. If the other Constructicons didn't have so many moving parts themselves, then he'd be nothing out of the ordinary.

19 similarly straightforward steps later and Long Haul has transformed from truck to robot mode, which like his vehicle mode comes out looking a little bulkier than the rest of the Constructicons. While not cartoon accurate per se, the idea of the dump truck Constructicon being the beefy one on the team does have a nice bit of visual flair to it. But with a lot of that bulk coming from the shoulder placement, there is a way to give Long Haul a slightly more cartoon-accurate silhouette should you prefer. Simply swing the shoulders down to the side of the torso rather than having them sit alongside the top. As with the other Constructicons the cartoon accurate colouring does make him seem a little plain, but nevertheless Long Haul is great update of his G1 self. I particularly like how the head is still designed like a flip-up panel as per the original design, but is a fully functional ball jointed head. The face sculpt itself is great too, with Long Haul’s expressionless silver face with big red visor standing out against the other Constructicons’ more expressive faces.

Long Haul's chunkier design results in a slight variation on the articulation seen in the other Constructicons. While the overall level of movement is roughly the same, the way it's handled is a bit different. Altogether he features;

- Ball jointed head and elbows

- Swivel hinge shoulders and hips

- Double hinge knees

- Single hinge feet and ankles

- Thigh swivels

As with Hook, the hands are also hinged but it's for the transformation rather than articulation. No waist articulation here either, but that shouldn't be a surprise by now. What is a surprise however are those double jointed knees, so much so that it's easy to miss the lower joint located underneath those red squares. While the top part (which sits behind the entire truck bed leg section) is a standard hinge, the lower half requires literally snapping the two sections apart as they're tabbed together. Success is marked by a rather audible snapping sound, but rest assured it isn't breaking the figure. The bend offered by the lower half of the knee is surprisingly good - nearly a full 90 degrees if not for the wheels on the backs of the legs getting in the way. Meanwhile the arm articulation is decent, but the exposed elbow ball joints do give them a slightly more budget feel that doesn't really befit a Studio Series release.

Like Hook, Long Haul's only accessory is his blaster - however this time it's slightly more elaborate. While still based on the weapon that came with the original G1 toy, here it's been realised as a two-piece blaster - the body of the gun moulded in green plastic whilst the missile is black. As such it immediately stands out from the other Constructicons' more generic-looking weapons, but the variation is definitely appreciated. The missile plugs directly into the gun without any issue (and the gun itself could be displayed without it for a "firing" effect if you prefer), and the gun in turn fits in either of Long Haul's hands via a 5mm peg.

Transformers Studio Series Hook & Long Haul is another solid set of Constructicons, however once again it's a question of whether the pair are that good enough to justify their price tag. However unlike Scrapper who was a more straightforward case of a Deluxe figure at Voyager price point, this set is essentially two relatively basic Voyager figures at Commander class pricing. A huge piece of that price also comes all those additional Devastator parts, which while necessary to the combined form don't have much to offer these two individual figures. Hook and Long Haul are great figures, but even combined they don't come anywhere near to the quality or engineering of something like Studio Series 86 Ultra Magnus. That alone stops them from being the perfect release, even with the enjoyment both figures bring. There's a lot of fun to be had here, but it seems the Constructicons' true value won't be clear until all six are in hand.