Starscream Bust Review Capsule

One of many TransFormers collectible busts from Hard Hero, and and easily one of the best. Limited to 5,000 pieces, it does nothing but sit on your shelf and collect dust-- but it does look cool, no? Snag it if you can get one cheap.

Introduction

TransFormersk was a big part of many childhoods and continues to be to this day, mostly due to highly memorable characters. Sure, some of them were goofy, but how could you not like a big red truck that talked like John Wayne, or a giant robotic dinosaur? There was a lot of personality to like too, and Starscream was one of the most memorable villains. Always conspiring and never exactly quiet about it, he always wanted to usurp Megatron's position of leader... and never really quite made it. This bust is modeled largely after his appearances is the animated cartoons from Sunbow (now on Rhino DVD) and not the toys or comics.

Starscream has no accessories and no points of articulation. He is, after all, a bust.

Sculpt

Can you turn a 2D robot from what is considered one of the worst ages in children's television into a good 3D sculpture? Yes.

While it might seem hard to give personality to a giant plastic electronic villain, it seems Hard Hero really got a handle on the character and what makes him tick. His pose makes him look villainous, and his face proves he's obviously up to something. Just look at that smirk. Evil.

It's a fairly large and hefty bust, but it still doesn't seem incredibly detailed. Much like the animation models from which it was derived, this bust is a clean specimen with no battle damage and very few superfluous details. It's meant to look cartoony, and it does-- quite well, actually. As such some fans may not see why it cost so much at first, and to be honest, who can blame them?

Packaging

This item comes in a big box, but doesn't have a standard design-- each Hard Hero bust has unique fonts and layouts, making all of these look different. As such, displaying a series of packages side by side doesn't look especially great.

There's a foam insert with a Decepticon logo stamped on it, which we must say is quite cool-- it's nice to see a little detail like that tossed in, even though it isn't at all necessary. It's not often that a company creates packaging that makes you feel good about your purchase after the fact, but Hard Hero pulled it off and should be commended.

Availability

This item is available in fine comic and collectible stores everywhere, and can be easily had online (as of this review) via eBay for less than $25. Our sample was $16 and shipping.

Fin

While busts are a weird proposition in and of themselves, it's even weirder when you take a step back and realize this is a $50 statue of a $10 children's toy. It turned out well, but would you want to shell out some serious cash for this? Maybe. Starscream is a hugely popular character from TransFormers and as such, it's cool to have a really big nice representation of him for your desk or perhaps piano. If you like the character and can get this cheap (total cost under $30) it's easy to recommend for purchase, or for a gift. Otherwise, let it collect dust-- that's probably what it will do if you buy it anyway.

Reviewed and photographed by Adam Pawlus
Sample received in Summer, 2004
Reviewed on February 18, 2005.