Toy Review - AIRAZOR (Rise of the Beasts Deluxe)

[GoktimusPrime]

AIRAZOR
Series - Rise of the Beasts
Size/class - Deluxe
New/remould/redeco - New
Wave - 1
Released here - April 2023
Approximate Retail Prize - $39
Approximate Size - 13cm
Allegiance - Maximal
Alt-mode - Technorganic peregrine falcon
Main Features/Gimmicks - N/A
Main Colours - fifty shades of bronze
Main accessories - x2 Hayabusa* Blades















This Airazor toy looks quite different from Studio Series Airazor; I suspect it's due to this toy being based on an earlier movie design than the Studio Series figure. But movie likeness aside...

Pros
+ Greater diversity in colour palette. The different shades of bronze work well to contrast against each other, making this toy far more visually vibrant and less dulled compared to SS Airazor. The feet are also one of the bronzes used and doesn't stick out like SS Airazor's big silver feet.
+ The face sculpt has clearer definition and the head in general looks more like BW Airazor.
+ There is a Maximal insigne on the chest/falcon head
+ Features a more unique transformation and design aesthetic, particularly with how the robot legs are partially formed from the wings, leaving a cool Mercurial looking set of ankle wings. And we haven't had an Airazor have the falcon legs become the robot arms since Transmetal Airazor; only now with the claws pointing backwards so as to make the hands look less obscured.
+ Swords can be stored on the wings or held in hand.
+ Far simpler transformation makes this toy much more child-friendly than SS Airazor. While I think SS Airazor is the better toy for adult collectors, when I was at the Taronga Zoo RotB Base Camp event, Hasbro gave every kid (and me ) a Studio Series Airazor, and all the kids there couldn't work out how to transform it (so naturally they all came to me for help).

Cons
- Less articulation; no waist swivel in robot mode, and extremely limited wing articulation in falcon mode. No bird head or beak articulation.
- Her wings be thicc.
- The parts of the wings that rest on the robot back are tiny and can't spread out to look as cool as on SS Airazor. They do try to compensate for this with feathered shoulder pads, but it just doesn't look nearly as majestic as having "angel" wings. Also hard to imagine these tiny wings providing lift for this robot.
- Overpriced, at least at Big W where it's $39 vs $29 for Studio Series Airazor. Which is a shame as it also works against the more kid-friendly design of this toy with a kid-unfriendly dearer price tag. IMO the two Airazor's prices should be switcher around; adult collectors who have disposable incomes aren't price sensitive like children are.

Overall
This is the superior toy for kids compared to Studio Series Airazor, but it's overpriced. Worth buying for kids if cheap. I would recommend Studio Series Airazor for collectors though.

*(okay, the swords don't have any official name; I just made that up. "Hayabusa" is the Japanese word for peregrine falcon)

[klystron]

Since the first pics started circulating, this is the RotB toy that I've been most looking forward to. And it has not disappointed.

Bot mode does lack some articulation (by modern standards), but what is does have is pretty good. Really only missing a waist swivel and ankle tilts. But then so do a whole heap of bots in my collection!

The legs becoming the wings is big plus for me (I love Energon Divebomb!), but does result in it having nothing like the wing articulation of Kingdom Airazor. However, it does mean the the wings kind of disappear in bot mode, leaving only the smaller ones on the back. I like this look and think it a nice point of differentiation between KD and RotB SS versions (which lets face it are the same mold).
Twin 'butterfly swords' are very cool. (Gok, I do prefer your "Hayabusa Blades" naming tho).

Bird mode is a similar story. A simpler transformation (with no wing hinges that are going to break) results in far superior beast mode. Mush more convincing than the SS version. Again, just like bot mode, superior looks with less articulation. TBH that's probably how I'd summarise this fig overall.

EDIT: Also wanted to say there's no QC issues or loose joints with mine.

Well worth $35.
HIGHLY Recommended.


Disclaimer: I could not care less which version is movie accurate.

[Tha_Phantom]

I agree with klystron above. Airazor is up there with my favourite ROTB toys so far.
I can forgive the lack of bird mode articulation as the trade off is a more unique transformation than we are used to.
The Studio Series one ticks all the traditional boxes of what we want from a toy - it is well articulated and (presumably) screen accurate.
Yet the Mainline one just ends up being the more funner of the two, at least to me anyway.

[GoktimusPrime]

I'm glad that others are enjoying this toy, but I'm just not feeling it. I will admit that visually, this toy is superior to Studio Series Airazor, but the reduced wing and waist articulation hamper the toy's playability and makes it less fun for me.

Having gotten a gooderer view of Airazor in the new trailer (big plot spoiler warning for those who haven't seen it), we can see that Studio Series Airazor is definitely more accurate to the movie model in falcon mode (still haven't seen the robot mode yet); right down to the weird silver feet on the SS toy. Mainline Airazor does have greater colour coordination, but SS is definitely more faithful to the film (which, of course, is the running theme with Studio Series ). I might have a more generous opinion of this Airazor toy if she were cheaper than Studio Series. This Airazor is absolutely better for kids though; if someone were buying a movie Airazor toy for a child, I would definitely advise them to get the mainline Deluxe, not the Studio Series.

But yeah, I'm probably gonna end up selling off my mainline Airazor for cheap soon. It's not a bad toy, but it's just not for me.
P.S.: And I was expecting to like this toy, which is why I bought it in the first place.

[Paulbot]

Really happy with her.

Pros: Love the spread of colours. Looks good in both modes, but a great robot mode full stop. Transformation has interesting steps.

Cons: The beast mode wings are very much locked in place but I don't mind it. Would have liked the feet to lock/hide away a bit more on the arms.

Overall this feels like a "Classics" Airazor - a modern take on the original character (compared to Kingdom's show-accurate mini-MP design).