Transformers Authentics Bravo
Item No.: Asst. F8581 No. F8588 Manufacturer:Hasbro Includes:Cannons Action Feature:Transforms from Tank to Robot Retail:$3.99-$6.75 Availability: August 2024 Other: Shipped with new Optimus, Grimlock, Bumblebee
I generally can't say no to new Transformers Authentics because for about five bucks, they're interesting. They're not amazing - better toys exist - but these are arguably Hasbro's flagship product for a Five Below price point. Megatron is the second take in the line, with the previous one (which I still need to post the review) turning out incredibly well. These toys can't do everything, but they have a decent bare minimum amount of paint and, as they're proving, a decent sculpt doesn't have to cost a ton of money. Some of these had odd joint choices, this toy seems to have a perfectly nice tank mode and a perfectly decent robot mode with some clever elements giving you what may well be the first-ever ball jointed wrists on a $5 toy of this size.
He stands a hair over 4-inches tall, with a silver painted face with red eyes. Most elements of the toy are molded in color, but his crotch, chest, and the red launchers on his shins are highlighted in red. The varying black and gray plastic colors look good - it makes the previous Megatron look pale by comparison.
It's an acceptable - but not amazing - toy figure. The arms can swing forward, the wrists are ball-jointed, the hips can kind of swing out a bit, and the knees bend inward for the purposes of converting the toy. The toy was designed to block the legs from swinging forward, and the neck can't turn. That's not too far off from what $5 got you in 1984. It's better than a happy meal toy and is arguably better than many similarly sized G1 toys, but he may topple over because the legs have such a limited range of mobility that balancing him can be tough.
The sculpting itself leans into the format's strentghs, with a few sculpted bits of panels and mechanical elements that all look pretty decent. They're not trying anything too fancy here, it's mostly hollow, and it somehow does a good job of reminding the older customer of the original pistol mode from the 1984 toy. There's a fair amount of detail in the M&Ms-sized head, with the ridges above his eyes and a stern expression guaranteeing that this isn't the Autobot Megatron we've seen more in recent years. The earlier version looks good as his own bot, but this may look more like a better, general, idealized take on the Decepticon leader.
He turns into a sci-fi h-tank this time, and he just sort of wads up nicely.
The tank has no wheels, but sports some unpainted sculpted treads and generally looks like the sort of thing that you might see on Cybertron. There amount of deco is minimal - a Decepticon logo and a couple of red splotches - so you'll be happy the fusion cannon is black just because it adds some visual flair to an otherwise vary gray toy. It doesn't do much, but it looks neat. Most vehicles aren't exactly packed with action, so it's arguably no better or no worse than similar items at other price points.
No collector is going to see this and flip their lids, but kids or fans with Mr. Lincoln in their pocket may find this to be a fun purchase. It's Megatron! Is he amazing? No. But there aren't any G1 Megatron toys in the collector line in 2024, although some older toys are brought back for Transformers One this year. As such, with no equivalent in the Legacy Core-class assortment, this stands out as a pretty good (and bigger) toy for half the price. You will not be amazed, but as nothing snaps off easily you won't be disappointed either. If your kid wants one, or some guy at work just wants a Megatron, this is a pretty great starter toy.
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