Toy Review - MP11 Starscream

[griffin]

(Please post photos, comments or even a fully comprehensive review - these are just brief details to start you off)

Series - Masterpiece
Sub-line - N/A
Size/class - N/A
New/remould/redeco - New? (heavily redone MP3?)
Wave - N/A
Released here - Not here (released in Japan & HK March 2012)
Approximate Retail Price - US$160
Approximate Size - 23cm
Allegiance - Decepticon
Alt-mode - F-15 fighter jet
Main Features/Gimmicks - 'Masterpiece figure'
Main Colours - Light grey, red, blue.
Main Accessories - Cape, crown, 2x shoulder-pads.

[SharkyMcShark]

I've not been impressed massively with what I've seen of this (I think MP3 looks far better in both modes) (although I am willing to concede that this might be closer to the G1 look) I may import this at some point, seeing as I'm finished with the Prime line.

After one figure.

[Trent]

Not owning either figure and having recently decided to acquire a MP Screamer, IMO, from what I have seen 11 is a much better all round figure than 3. MP3's alt mode looks better but the mp11 bot mode looks HEAPS better. I like the more G1 accurate look.

[Deonasis]

I own the old MP-3 mould in Ghostscream I was pretty happy with it as a display piece, you know the too fiddley and too brittle type of toy that we accept just has to remain attached to it's display base in either mode. Dispite being 90% the same figure MP-11 manages to be something very different..

The face, photos don't do it justice. Photos usually make it look either very dark or silver but look at a still from the G1 cartoon and that is just how this face looks like in person. The head/helmet is bigger now and the new single facial expression is great, it looks like it is "changing" or "alive" honestly like the Mona Lisa does. It is far superior to both of the previous 2 faces/MP-3 face swapping gimmick.

The cape is excellent and is actually far more versatile than any cloth cape could be. It opens wider, swings left, right, forward, back and never interferes with Starscream. The moulding is perfect. The crown and shoulder pads are also really good and complete the coronation picture but this cape is one of the big standouts of the entire box.

The feet don't look like blue painted fingernails anymore! ..And they are useful! Yes, this Starscream stands very well! The lower legs are bulkier, look nicer and are the new home to the old hip kibble.

With the paint, pictures on the internet are mostly colour correct but I will mention the grey plastic is not the feared Hasbro grey, it is darker. The placement of the blue, red and white is great. I especially love the dark grey boxes where the wings connect to the fuselage in jet mode - very reminesent of the G1 wing joints. The only lazy part is the chest missiles which are plainly painted white (I look at them once). And I just noticed he has a dash of green paint also.

The face, the cape, the feet, the paint.. nothing is a step backwards. The notoriously snappy tiny wing joint has been modified into a clip* and are finally moulded in grey plastic, no more little black squares across your jets wings! And despite mentioning it above and it being the most obvious change, I should say ZERO HIP KIBBLE again.

I really think.. I like MP-11 more than MP-10.

And despite just buying 2 MP-09 moulds, if.. in 4 years time they re-release MP-09 with improvements to the magnitude of MP-11, I know I will be happy to put down fresh money because this version doesn't feel like the money grab some MP's are.

EDIT: MP-11 does not come with the display stand or stinger missile racks. Both omissions do not really bother me because I never had a G1 Starscream on a stand or with extra realistic missiles and G1 is clearly what MP-11 is all about. Plus, I would take the cape and clever re-mouldings any day over a stand/missile inclusion.


*honestly, only time will tell if this is the solution to that crack-prone joint but they addressed the problem and so far it works well.

[yoshi594]

The remould is awesome! Much much more playable n poseable now. I like how they tucked away the back feet. The grey reminds me of g1 screamer. Only gripe is that the masterpiece toys seem to b omitting sticker applications n the stands (i dont even apply stickers anyway!).

[Ultra Mackness]

Awww man! I've only just decided that I can't justify buying one of these and now you're making me rethink!! Can I ask, how well does the bracket that keeps his weapons permanently attached work? It looks like it has ball joints in photos, are the weapons able to be removed? And is it an improvement?