Toy Review - ARCEE (Studio Series 85)

ARCEE

https://i.ibb.co/TKGkm5y/studioseries-arcee05.jpg

Series - Generations
Sub-line - Studio Series (Bumblebee)
Size/class - Deluxe
New/remould/redeco - New
Wave - 16
Released here - June 2022
Approximate Retail Price - $32
Approximate Size - 12.5cm
Allegiance - Autobot
Alt-mode - Cybertronian motorcycle
Main Features/Gimmicks - N/A
Main Colours - pink, white, greys
Main Accessories - x2 guns

https://i.ibb.co/0D8kKtV/studioseries-arcee01.jpg

The robot mode is impressively accurate to the movie model from the Bumblebee movie. My only real gripe about this mode are the "dead" looking eyes. I would have preferred either light piping or having them painted blue instead of grey. It's odd considering that Arcee does have blue eyes in the film. I like the way that the guns can attach to the back pylons, although I do wish that said pylons could clip onto the main backpack kibble.

https://i.ibb.co/hcSZgv6/studioseries-arcee02.jpg

The motorcycle mode is okay but not outstanding either. The front half looks pretty cool; reminds me of G1 Afterburner's Cybertronian cycle mode. But the rear half the cycle is pretty much just the robot chest and arms, with the hands not even being concealed. It's a similar flaw that toys like POTP Moonracer and her redecos have, only that Moonracer (et al.) also function as combining gestalt limbs. Given that Arcee here does not have this feature, I don't see why the toy couldn't have been a better looking motorcycle. Especially when designers had a lot of freedom in designing this vehicle, since the screen model doesn't have an alt mode, plus it's a fantasy mode, so it doesn't need to look realistic. I find 2007's Deluxe Arcee toy to still be my favourite Movieverse Arcee toy; same Deluxe price point and based on a movie model (albeit abandoned in favour of Jazz), as well as transforming into a 2006 Buell Firebolt XB12R motorcycle. I would expect a toy with fewer creative restrictions to do a better job.

https://i.ibb.co/ftNgNHW/studioseries-arcee03a.jpg

Overall, it's a perfectly cromulent Bumblebee moofie Arcee toy. The robot mode is pure win, but the motorcycle mode is kinda mediocre at best. A fine addition if you're looking to complete your movie cast, but otherwise there are better Deluxe Class Arcee toys out there IMHO.

https://i.ibb.co/wwhqgm2/studioseries-arcee03.jpg

This toy is awesome. It looks very, very cool in both modes. Great colour scheme and clever and fun transformation. Both modes look quite different from each other but it's not too finicky and it all clicks together well. I like how the wheels have notches in them to give them specific locations and stop them from spinning in robot mode.

It would've been better if the hands tucked away at the back of the motorbike mode, but this is covered by some gun-exhausts. So the back view could be better, but from other angles it looks great. The dual front wheels with no axel is a neat and different design.

My one gripe was that it was difficult to balance as a robot. Then I realised that the calf muscle joint is there specifically for robot mode, not vehicle mode. Mine came in robot mode and clicked in position. Once you disconnect that joint it becomes very stable.

Highly recommend this figure.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Butcher31

This toy is awesome. It looks very, very cool in both modes. Great colour scheme and clever and fun transformation. Both modes look quite different from each other but it's not too finicky and it all clicks together well. I like how the wheels have notches in them to give them specific locations and stop them from spinning in robot mode.

It would've been better if the hands tucked away at the back of the motorbike mode, but this is covered by some gun-exhausts. So the back view could be better, but from other angles it looks great. The dual front wheels with no axel is a neat and different design.

My one gripe was that it was difficult to balance as a robot. Then I realised that the calf muscle joint is there specifically for robot mode, not vehicle mode. Mine came in robot mode and clicked in position. Once you disconnect that joint it becomes very stable.

Highly recommend this figure.

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^110% agree with this - and yes, the way she was packaged, the calf was clicked in - but clicking it out makes her super posable.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by GoktimusPrime

Overall, it's a perfectly cromulent Bumblebee moofie Arcee toy. The robot mode is pure win, but the motorcycle mode is kinda mediocre at best. A fine addition if you're looking to complete your movie cast, but otherwise there are better Deluxe Class Arcee toys out there IMHO.

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So you would say she doesn't really embiggen your collection then? ;)

Great review as always and some really nice pictures.

I feel the same way as Gok but perhaps with more fondness for the overall package.

Motorcycle mode is kind of eh. Looks great from the front and the front quarters, sort of falls apart at the back.

Robot mode is great.

I was pretty frustrated that the feet don't slide all the way in for robot mode and seem to bump up against the rest of the leg and leave a gap. Then, after weeks of having the figure, I just now realised I'm the idiot and the weird little slots in the wheels are meant to provide clearance to tab everything in properly.

Really love this figure. Could have been better in alt mode (let the chest hinge open to cover the hands, for example) but overall the design is great for both modes. Also nice to have a modern Arcee that isn't 50% backpack.

Picked this up during Christmas madness. I admit I wasn't terribly interested in this figure as the stock photos made it look like crap. However in hand she's really impressive. The sculpting is really really nice, the transformation is decent (I'm a sucker for cycleformers) and her light weight and balance lets her pull of some super cool poses.

Aesthetically the sculpt, poseability and twin pistols give me serious gunslinger vibes. The chiseled face is very Eastwood.

Only downside to Arcee is that it doesn't feel like you got a lot for your money. She weighs less than a mobile phone and is quite a way smaller in bulk than your standard deluxe.

PROS

• Awesome sculpting. Decent Transformation
• Excellent poseability and balance
• Much swagger

CONS

• Kinda tiny