Toy Review - TLK Voyager Megatron

[SharkyMcShark]

Voyager Megatron
Series - The Last Knight Movie
Sub-line – Premier Edition
Size/class - Voyager
New/remould/redeco – New
Wave – 2
Released here - June 2017
Approximate Retail Price - $50
Approximate Size – 18cm
Allegiance -Decepticon
Alt-mode – Cybertronian Jet Fighter
Main Features/Gimmicks – none (face mask pieces are separate from head, but do not close for armoured mode)
Main Colour – Gold, teal, grey
Main Accessories – Sword (fusion cannon permanently affixed)

Review in capsule form. Just try and stop me.

- This comes in robot mode out of the box. Everything is tight, which is a nice change from some of the wave 1 TLK figures.
- Sculpting on this figure is on point. I enjoy the assymetrical chest+soulder armour, and the head especially. The most I can fault it is that the fusion cannon feels perhaps slightly too small, but then on the other hand it is fully integrated and doesn't partsform, so I can't really complain too much.
- Articulation is all there aside from swivel wrists, a waist swivel, and foward and backward ankles. I really enjoy that the head is on a double joint, and that the ankles have an impressive side to side range (and therefore are not molded in an A stance). None of the armour gets in the way of any articulation whatosever.
- HOLLOW F***ING FOREARMS.
- Transformation is very very fun. After the AOE line, and even the DOTM line, this feels like a return to good, fun, involved transformations. I love the way that the wings wrap around the legs. I love that the torso ends up being the front of the plane and the rest of the mass moves around to form the fuselage and wings.
- They finally did it! A Cybertronian alt-mode for Megatron that doesn't feel token, or slapped together. It's more than a robot just sitting down, or with its arms out to the side! Impressive wingspan, and the underside doesn't feel too kibbly. This is probably aided by the fact that the kibble is fairly evenly spread (so you don't end up with a potbellied jet) and also the whole Cybertronian thing. It looks like a meaner, modernised version of G1 Cyclonus.
- Everything tabs and clips together perfect.
- Sculpted detail is beautiful on the jet mode too. There's slightly more gold on show here than in robot mode, which really works.

So that's it. Fun robot mode, fun transformation, good looking alt mode. A few minor flaws that I've noticed are more or less franchise wide now (hollow forearms!) but nothing to kick up a fuss about.

The Bayverse Megatron voyager class figures have generally been quite decent. I'm really very fond of the DOTM Megatron, but this blows it out of the water. If you're thinking about it, don't hesitate.

Given the sword, and similar alt-mode and transformation, I wouldn't mind seeing this re-used as a homage to Cyclonus at some point.

EDIT: There is a transformation joint about halfway down the shin, which combined with the molded armour panels in that area can be used as a limited stand in for foward/back ankle articulation.

[klystron]

This figure rocks!
Both modes look fantastic. Really loving them. Big fan of the molded detail and asymmetrical design of bot mode.
Transformation is fairly straight forward and both modes tab together nicely.
No complaints or issues with any joints on mine.
Possibly one of the best head sculpts in TF toy history.
Jet mode has a flight stand port (works perfectly with a tamashii stage act 5).
Articulation is ok. He can get some nice poses, and can reach his sword when its stowed on his back, which is kinda cool.
Only real gripes are hollow forearms, no waist and no wrist rotation. And maybe some jet mode landing gear would have nice.
As soon as pics started coming out, this was an instant buy for me, and I'm so stoked with this figure. Despite it fitting with absolutely none of the other figures in my collection!

Can't comment on screen accuracy as I haven't seen the movie yet (I know, I know...)

[GoktimusPrime]

PROS
The jet mode does well to try and reduce/conceal much of the robot bulk in jet mode.
The robot mode does well to try and absorb much of the jet parts. It isn't a backpackformer, which is really impressive considering the silly current movie designs that insist on having practically no alt mode kibble in robot mode :rolleyes:
The overall sculpting in both modes is quite nice, and I like the use of metallic plastic. The gold decos offset the gunmetal grey quite well too. There's far too much gunmetal grey IMO - the toy needs a bit more colour variety, but I understand that the movie model is also rather bland in colour so... blame the source material. :o

NEUTRAL
The overall aesthetic of the jet mode is reminiscent of the Vehicons in Beast Machines (e.g. Jetstorm). Whether this is good or bad depends entirely on your opinion of BM. :o The jet does appear to at least be more aerodynamic than Jetstorm though (cos there's no way that that toy could ever fly through atmosphere). :o But if you like a bit of "personality" to an alt mode, then I suppose this might appeal to you. "Megatron, afterburn!" :p
The hollow forearms honestly don't bother me. They don't thrill me either, but it's a lot better than just having the hands just hang out there like on Movie Starscream.

CONS
Not a fan of the alt mode. Okay, as far as fictitious alt modes on Movie Megatrons go, this is the best one. Way better than TF1 and ROTF Megatron. But I personally prefer real world alt modes, which we had with DOTM Megatron (Mack truck) and AOE Galvatron (Freightliner Argossy truck). Real life vehicles really play into the "Robots In Disguise" thing, which is super important in the story of The Last Knight (which I won't divulge for those who haven't seen the film yet). Again, it's the source material's fault,
but still... really wish it were a real-life jet fighter.
The one part that sits just behind the head in robot mode doesn't seem to lock into position.

OVERALL
Most of this toy's drawbacks are inherited from Megatron's screen design rather than being an inherent flaw of the toy. So in all it's actually quite a good toy that's worth the Voyager price point, but obviously even more worth it if you can get the store to price match Big W's sale price on TLK Voyagers. :) Recommended.

[reillyd]

I just love him, and the arm cannon is much better than photos of the Leader class. It's a fun transformation too. Only downside is that there is no battlemask

[GoktimusPrime]

Except for Bumblebee, none of the Movieformers have retractable battle masks. Wouldn't surprise me if this mould got re-released alter with a variant battle-mask head, as they do with Optimus Prime. You go milk that mould, Hasbro! :D

[Sutton]

Although the jet mode has a few necessary concessions, can't help but be impressed by how completely badass that robot mode is. One of the most intimidating transformers Hasbro has ever produced.

[FatalityPitt]

Got this guy yesterday, and had a good play around. I said to myself I wasn't going to buy any movie toys this time around, but after watching some reviews on youtube; I got curious. It's actually a really good figure. I'd even go so far to say that it's the best movie Megatron (or it's my favourite at least anyway). The alt-mode is decent, the transformation is interesting, and the robot looks like a well-proportioned humanoid.

Three things I like most about the figure:
- As mentioned above, the robot-mode is well-proportioned (it doesn't have an awkwardly skinny arm like the ROTF Megatron, or monsterous proportions like movie Starscream). In robot-mode you'd really have to look before you find evidence that it's a transforming toy, and that to me is a win.
- The toy doesn't rely on gimmicks like spring-loaded weapons, lights/sounds, etc. I'm glad they didn't try to shoe-horn any lame accessories like the mech-tech weapons from the DotM days.
- I like how the breast armour-plate plays a key role in the transformation by locking the arms/shoulder part to the rest of the torso. It's wonderful to see most of the robot parts playing a role in forming the alt-mode, and not just being for show. The only obvious kibble I can see is the jet nose cone - which you can pretend is a hood. Transformation is great.

Only inadequacies I can think of are the lack of a waist swivel, and lack of red paint on the face (in the movie he had a red facial tattoo). Also, for some odd reason, I kind of wish they didn't give him light-piping and gave him 'normal' painted eyes instead, but that's just my own preference.

I'm usually not a fan of the movie toys, but this Megatron is one of the best I've handled.

[GoktimusPrime]

IMO the best Movie Megatron toy to date would still have to be Voyager DOTM Megatron (http://www.otca.com.au/boards/showthread.php?t=10770)

[SharkyMcShark]

IMO the best Movie Megatron toy to date would still have to be Voyager DOTM Megatron (http://www.otca.com.au/boards/showthread.php?t=10770)

I think this figure comfortably beats the DOTM figure.

I have quite the soft spot for that figure and hold it in high esteem but the bot mode proportions are all out of skew. The super wide shoulders with skinny arms paired with the massive legs don't do the figure any favours in this regard.

It's not the most stable figure either, with the TLK Voyager being more poseable and rock solid in robot mode.

How they fair comparatively in alt mode depends on how much currency you place in Cybertronian alt modes. I think we can say that compared to the TF2007 and ROTF figures (being the other Cybertronian Megatrons), the TLK Voyager figure has a sleek, non-token alt mode with quite an involved transformation. The DOTM figure does have quite a good (if underpainted) alt mode, and I do adore that the trailer is articulated without partsforming.

As above, I do quite like the DOTM Voyager but I think it lacks compared to the TLK Figure, especially in robot mode. This is probably in part because the parts count was handicapped by the incredibly pointless mechtech gun/fuel tank thing.

I love the DOTM design and it is something that I hope TFDreamFactory can get right in their upcoming leader class scaled release.

[GoktimusPrime]

I think a lot of aesthetic woes with DOTM Megatron comes from what was not a very aesthetically pleasing screen model which has pretty chunky legs and spindly hands. I don't mind the skinny arms but I agree that the instability in the legs is bothersome.

[shockNwave]

Years ago when I was starting to get back into Transformers (thank you ROTF), I bought ROTF voyager Megatron (I was naïve at the time) and it hasn't aged well. After a first look at TLK voyager Megatron I thought, " They may have finally got him right." and the answer is a resounding yes. In both robot and jet modes he is truly terrifying without anything comical about him.:D

P.S. The light piping doesn't seem to work on my one is anyone else having the same problem?

[Paulbot]

The leader toy has a really impressive jet mode, like really so good, but the rest of him? Bleh

The Voyager toy has a slightly less impressive jet mode, not as large, no flames, the good old Transformer trick of hide part of the robot under the wings, but it's still a nice jet. And it's combined with a fun (not annoying) transformation and a better robot mode with a less obtrusive "fusion cannon". Overall as a package much better than the leader toy and very likely the one I will keep of the two.

[SharkyMcShark]

You can pick this figure up for a fiver at Big Ws across the nation starting this week and if you can get it for that much you should do so without hesitation or mercy.

[Sutton]

You can pick this figure up for a fiver at Big Ws across the nation starting this week and if you can get it for that much you should do so without hesitation or mercy.

I agree, this guy was worth full price, for $5 you'd be NUTS not to grab him if you see him!

[GoktimusPrime]

I agree, this guy was worth full price, for $5 you'd be NUTS not to grab him if you see him!
Heh, it's like G1 Kup all over again! :D