Toy review - Studio Series 92 Crosshairs

[Magnus]

Series - Generations
Sub-line - Studio Series
Size/class - Deluxe
New/remould/redeco -New
Wave - 18
Released here - November 2022
Approximate Retail Price - $45
Approximate Size - 12.5cm
Allegiance - Autobot
Alt-mode - Chevrolet Corvette C7 Stingray
Main Features/Gimmicks - Screen-accuracy, licensed vehicle mode
Main Colours - Green, black
Main Accessories - x2 guns

Vehicle mode







A green Chevrolet Corvette C7. The screen car's two-tone paint scheme is reproduced here.

Even when transformed correctly, there is a hairsbreadth of ground clearance, so the wheels may have difficulty 'catching' the surface of whatever you're rolling the figure on.

Transformation

Fairly straightforward. Sure, Crosshairs is fundamentally a 'shellformer,' but his transformation nonetheless has more going on than previous versions of Crosshairs.

The rear spoiler is a separate piece that attaches via two tabs, and while transforming it's prone to popping off. Given that the roof of the car can itself potentially pop off during transformation, I suspect that the detachable spoiler was a deliberate design choice to help facilitate reattachment of the roof as opposed to screwing the spoiler in place. That said, it is tempting to glue the spoiler in place.

When transforming to vehicle mode for the first time, I found that all four wheels may not necessarily contact the ground, so I 'flexed' the car slightly to 'bend' all four wheels down.

Robot mode



Crosshairs stands at a little over 12.5cm tall in robot mode.



The back of his head is made of translucent plastic, but the light piping effect on his eyes is weak, and only really shows up if you shine a light directly on the back of his head.

Unlike the previous versions of the character, his signature trenchcoat isn't formed by pieces of the car that hang down from the sides and come under his arms. This time, there are two flaps at the front of the torso, and the sides of the car hang down from behind. The design ends up being somewhat back-heavy, so Crosshairs was given large heels to compensate. You could potentially use the tails of the trenchcoat to prop Crosshairs up and pass this off as the coattails trailing on the ground, but this can look odd depending on the pose.



Crosshairs includes two submachine guns, which clip onto the inner surface of the sides of the car in vehicle mode.



With Studio Series Hot Rod and The Last Knight Hound and Cogman.





The included backdrop is outside the abandoned bowling alley where Crosshairs meets Cogman.

Verdict



I never did get around to buying Crosshairs from The Last Knight, and despite the less accurate trenchcoat and more prominent folded car on the Studio Series figure's back I don't feel like I missed out or got an inferior figure.

An interesting figure, and it certainly looks good in both modes. Transformation isn't complex, but it can be just a little bit fiddly due to the aforementioned parts popping off. If you don't already have a Crosshairs or you like the character, go for it. If you already own TLK Crosshairs, the more screen-accurate sculpting and improved paint job makes him worth a look, even if TLK Crosshairs did the trenchcoat better.

[Thurmus]

That Crosshairs looks terrible in robot mode. The first movie version is probably my favourite of the other two. It needs the coat and the folded down thigh panels make it look like a one step changer.

[Dimi194]

I have the AOE, TLK and SS Crosshairs, and despite some weirdness with the limbs and the kibble, this one is by far the best - if not just because the body shape and head are actually accurate (Crosshairs is tall and narrow, and the previous 2 toys were just so wide!)

Haven't even transformed him yet, but I am really enjoying the way they did the coat (and the front bits are nice, and easily fold out to the side when bringing the thighs up).

[GoktimusPrime]

I have the AOE, TLK and SS Crosshairs, and despite some weirdness with the limbs and the kibble, this one is by far the best - if not just because the body shape and head are actually accurate (Crosshairs is tall and narrow, and the previous 2 toys were just so wide!)

Could you pretty please post side by side comparison pics of AOE/TLK Deluxe Crosshairs (any version; they're all the same mould) and Studio Series Crosshairs please? Thanking you in advance.

[GoktimusPrime]

I guess if you want something done, you've gotta do it yourself...

Close up of face


Robot mode


Comparison with Generations (Movie Advanced) Crosshairs; front view


Side view


Back view; the original Crosshair's back kibble doesn't protrude as far, but it's also pretty much the entire vehicle chassis sitting on his back. While SS Crosshairs does have more protruding back kibble, I do like how they've done more to break it up. This has an advantage of making the toy less back heavy and hunchbacked compared to the original, as well as reducing a lot of the robot bulk (by shifting it to the back). It makes Crosshairs less of a walking Pretender Vehicle like the original.


Comparing Crosshairs' body; under the "cloak." The original does have a more solid body, whereas SS doesn't have much of a body. It's just the front facade with the rest of the mass being in the backpack.


SS Crosshairs could do with a bit more paint decos, particularly on the chest, shoulders and toes, but on the whole this toy is pretty screen-accurate.


It reminds me of how superhero costumes have recently shifted away from practical costumes to CG ones placed atop mocap suits. It creates a tighter and cleaner look, but it would also be impossible for an actual human to wear the suit without being super skinny. SS Crosshairs has a lot of his robot mode removed to avoid making the overall "cloaked" robot mode not look bulky.


Unfortunately SS Crosshairs comes with fewer guns and no storage points for those weapons.


Car mode






SS Crosshairs accurately shows the black striping on both sides of the car, not just the left.






This is a surprisingly neat toy based on an inherently flawed screen model. The transformation is infinitely less frustrating and more intuitive than the original. The way that they've made the vehicle kibble transform into Crosshair's cloak parts instead of just sitting as Pretender shell-kibble. As Magnus already pointed, the spoiler is super prone to coming off, which is really annoying.

I gotta be honest, I was skeptical and expecting myself to dislike this toy, but it's actually quite impressed me. The loose fitting spoiler is the only real unforgivable flaw on this toy. Recommended.