Toy Review - BONECRUSHER (Studio Series '86)

Constructicon BONECRUSHER
Series - Generations
Sub-line - Studio Series
Hypo-line - The Transformers The Movie
Size/class - Deluxe
New/remould/redeco - New
Wave - 28
Released here - 8/3/2025
Approximate Retail Prize - $39.95
Approximate Size - 12.5cm
Allegiance - Decepticon
Sub-Group - Constructicon
Alt-mode - Caterpillar D9G Pusher (approx'd) bulldozer
Main Features/Gimmicks - Combines with fellow Constructicons to form Devastator
Main Colours - green
Main Accessories - x1 laser pistol

IN BOX
https://i.ibb.co/DP7Qxr2Q/86studiose...ecrusher01.jpg
Plastic windows are back, baby! The forwards facing canopy looks weird... this isn't the prettiest toy to be displaying MISB. :p

VEHICLE MODE
https://i.ibb.co/s9RQ6DMK/86studiose...ecrusher09.jpg
The Sunbow animation model for Bonecrusher's bulldozer mode is fairly accurate to the G1 toy, and this design takes a few creative liberties to make Bonecrusher look less like a toy and more like an actual bulldozer, which I think is a good thing. The front of the bonnet actually looks like a bonnet front with a purple grill instead of just the robot fists. The cartoon model makes the fists look like a grill, but I think that this is an improvement. There are also exposed engine parts sculpted on either side of the chassis, as well as some detailing on the sides of the treads. The toy G1-accurately has no driver's compartment/seat space.

VEHICLE MODE (gun attached)
https://i.ibb.co/xx3HBX2/86studioser...ecrusher08.jpg
There are two 5mm holes on the top for weapons. Two nitpicky drawbacks to the vehicle mode are:
* Blade is quite small. But this is due to having a more cartoon-like robot chest. A wider blade would be more G1-accurate in vehicle mode, but make the chest too big compared to the cartoon model. Real-life bulldozers can have different sized blades, so it's not unrealistic to see a bulldozer with a smaller blade, but it is technically less G1-accurate for the vehicle. Still, this is just a mainstream Deluxe Class toy, not an MP.
* The sides of the rear is wide; the result of the shoulder hinges. Again, I have seen images of bulldozers with a broader rear chassis, so also not unrealistic. But the G1 toy and Sunbow animation model show Bonecrusher with a uniform chassis width.
But these are nitpicks. Both of these "flaws" exist due to necessity of design and working within the confines of a Deluxe Class figure, so I'm fine with them.

VEHICLE MODE (rear)
https://i.ibb.co/YBwGF4vJ/86studiose...ecrusher10.jpg
The robot heel spurs protrude from the back of the treads. For me, this passes the Squint Test where I can imagine that they're rear-mounted rippers. Again, these serve a functional purpose for the robot mode, so I'm fine with these.

VEHICLE MODE (comparison with G1 and Combiner Wars)
https://i.ibb.co/4ZDxbZr9/86studiose...ecrusher11.jpg
SS86 has a paler more cartoony shade of green. The smooth blade and open canopy are more G1-accurate/cartoonlike. Both CW and SS86 Bonecrusher have gaps on top; CW Bonecrusher's gap is towards the front whereas SS86's gap is towards the back (just in front of the head). So in that regard, neither toy is better/worse than the other. Overall I do prefer the look of Combiner Wars Bonecrusher's vehicle mode as it just has a more detailed sculpt, including hydraulics, air intake, ladders, side grills, painted headlights, rooflights, and more detailed treads. I also do like how CW has teeth on the blades, but the Sunbow cartoon model has a smooth blade, so I'm not at all criticising the SS86 toy for lacking blade teeth. Bulldozers do come with toothed and toothless blades in real life. I am also cognisant of the fact that CW Bonecrusher is a Voyager Class toy, whereas SS86 is a Deluxe.

Just being silly here. :p
https://i.ibb.co/BVvdRdZ9/86studiose...ecrusher12.jpg

ROBOT MODE
https://i.ibb.co/dsPQCs4k/86studiose...ecrusher02.jpg
One neat thing that you can't see here is that there's a tab that pegs the chest hinge onto the torso's mid-section. This prevents SS86 Bonecrusher from suffering from "chest collapse" like my childhood Bonecrusher has. :D G1 and even CW Bonecrusher's chests solely rely on friction to stay in place, whereas SS86's chest pegs in. Nice!

ROBOT MODE (emulating card art)
https://i.ibb.co/tMHd0rFs/86studiose...ecrusher03.jpg

ROBOT MODE (holding a kick)
https://i.ibb.co/wZBnN4r0/86studiose...ecrusher04.jpg
And this is why I can easily forgive the protruding heel spurs from the back of the bulldozer treads. :) This toy does have waist articulation, but turning the waist will unpeg the chest component. But hey, it's a thing you can do if you want to do it.

ROBOT MODE (comparison, front)
https://i.ibb.co/8g5zrVD7/86studiose...ecrusher05.jpg
Just like the cartoon mode, SS86 Bonecrusher is almost entirely green, with the only deviations between the purple fists, accents on the chest and a black head with silver face and red eyes. The canopy sitting back like an upturned collar is also like the cartoon model, as is the black pistol.
Bonecrusher's body is much stockier than his cartoon model, which has a thinner and more athletic looking frame. But given that Bonecrusher also must transform into a bulldozer and left arm of Devastator at a Deluxe Class scale, I'm fine with this. Combiner Wars Bonecrusher has more G1-accurate body proportions (although his large chest is less cartoonlike), but again, he's a bigger/dearer Voyager. I do prefer the addition of silvers and black on CW, but it's also less cartoonlike, which is what SS86 is aiming for. SS86 has cartoon-'accurately' bland.

ROBOT MODE (comparison, holding up guns)
https://i.ibb.co/vtGgZq5/86studioser...ecrusher06.jpg
I much prefer SS86's G1-accurate pistol. Of course, CW Bonecrusher's missile pod is actually Devastator's left fist, but it looks daft as a single hand-held weapon.

ROBOT MODE (rear comparison)
https://i.ibb.co/M537nLQS/86studiose...ecrusher07.jpg
Now here is something that SS86 improves on over CW; a smaller black connector that doesn't hang over Bonecrusher's buttocks. CW Bonecrusher's connector is long because it's really the core of Devastator's forearm. Once you flip out CW Devastator's left fist, the rest of the accessory is hollow, so Bonecrusher needs to fill it up. I suspect that SS86 Devastator's left forearm, not transforming into a weapon, may be less hollow, thus not necessitating an oversized connector. SS86 Bonecrusher doesn't come with Devastator's left forearm/hand, so I won't know for sure until I have it.

OVERALL
Much like with most CHUG toys these days, SS86 Bonecrusher is a "Poor Man's Masterpiece," which I always mean as a compliment to the toy. For a Deluxe Class mainline toy, I think they've done a pretty good job in balancing cartoon likeness with playability and functionality as an action figure (and a combining one at that). Is it worth buying? Honestly... if you already have Combiner Wars Devastator/Unite Warriors Devastar and you don't really care about having a slavishly cartoon-like set of G1 Constructicons, stick with CW/UW. Comparing SS86 with CW today has given me newfound appreciation for Combiner Wars Bonecrusher, which I regard as a better toy overall. But SS86 is stll a perfectly cromulent toy at the cheaper Deluxe Class price point.

P.S.: These photos were taken at the food court of Roselands Shopping Centre, which is also where I purchased all of my G1 Constructicons back in 1985! :)