Movie Scouts Review: Signal Flare, Air Raid, and Clocker
I wrote a review for these guys a few days ago. Then the system error intervened and nixed all my efforts.
Anyway, the movie Scouts are all repaints of basic/scout-sized toys from the Energon and Cybertron lines.
They are all Autobots.
SIGNAL FLARE
Signal Flare was the very first Transformer (Hasbro one, anyway) I got, way back last year. He's a repaint of Energon Signal Flare. As such, he comes with energon weapons: a star, a dish, and two blade/shield halves.
ALT MODE
A half-track tank based on the MASER tanks from the Godzilla films (which makes him the Autobot counterpart to Cruellock, who unfortunately didn't get repainted for this line). It is primarily green-and-brown camo, though there is silver, brown, grey, and black as well (the grey replacing the translucent red of the original). There is an Autobot symbol in the peg which holds his energon star (due to the non-translucent qualities of the star, this is effectively nixed), and also a Sector Seven symbol on the arm which is blatantly visible, sticking out of the tank's backside. Thank Hasbro it isn't a beast mode.
This mode can roll around, and his tank turret can rotate 360 degrees, and move up and down. While it rotates, the end rotates as well, which becomes apparent when you attach the grey energon dish on to it. The two energon blade/shield halves can attach to either side of the turret.
TRANSFORMATION
The tank treads swing around and become the legs (the headlights need to be folded down first). Swing the right arm down, attach to the grey body, then push the grey body down to reveal the head. It's kind of fun.
ROBOT MODE
This mode has no colour difference from the alt mode. He does look like he could fit in the movie-verse: his face is very non-human, with a faceplate and a red visor for eyes. However, unlike the other tankformer in the movie-verse (Brawl), he only has one arm-his left arm is the tank turret.
Articulation is...alright. His knees can bend, his legs can bend at the waist, his right arm is on a ball joint and can bend at the elbow, and his tank-arm can rotate and move up and down. His head can't move, which sucks, given that other basics can do it.
In this mode, his energon dish stays where it is, while the energon shield/blade halves combine into a shield for his right arm. All these parts can combine into a buzzsaw bigger than Signal Flare himself, which I like to call the PIZZA CUTTER OF DOOM. Seriously, that's what it looks like. It's unwieldy, since he only has one arm, and is obviously for a larger toy. However, because next to none of the movie toys have peg holes for hands (save the repaints), it's pretty useless.
5/10
AIR RAID
Air Raid is a repaint of Energon Skyblast (the second such repaint in the movie line-the first being Skyblast himself). As such, he bears no resemblance to G1 Air Raid, but then again, next to no-one looks like their G1 selves, so the GEEWUNNERS have nothing to complain about here.
He comes with energon weapons: a star (which I have lost), two spear halves/rocket boosters, and a huge shaft/gun.
ALT MODE
A Cybertronian/futuristic jet fighter. It's very fat and triangular. The main colours are green, brown, and black camo (because you need camo to hide in outer space). However, rather than blotches, it's in squares, giving it an alien/robot look. Grey is also on it. This mode has two big claws on the bottom which interlock to keep the legs from popping open. You can also use them to abduct (or hold) smaller beings, such as lego men, and play out all your sick alien abduction fantasies on them.
Air Raid has an Autobot faction symbol in his energon star holding peg, which, like Signal Flare's, is nixed due to the non-translucent plastic used. He also has a Sector Seven symbol, making you wonder how he's hiding out successfully in their motor pool.
The energon weapons attach like this: the boosters on the wings, and the gun under the nose. The gun, may I mention, is absurdly large in comparison with Air Raid. It makes him look unbalanced.
TRANSFORMATION
Pull the wings out (revealing the arms), and turn them around. Detach the claws from each other. Turn the legs downwards, and flip the feet out. Fold the claws into the legs.
A really cool bit occurs next. Turn the top part of the jet (which holds the energon star) around. This causes the jet cockpit to turn around and reveal his face. Scout-level Automorphing!
Flip the jet cone behind his head and you're done.
ROBOT MODE
Air Raid's robot mode looks just cool. It just does. Don't ask me why. Same colours as the alt mode. He actually has a face, too.
In his mode, the boosters can be left on the wings, and the gun becomes a gatling gun, or a really big stick. Alternately, the boosters can clip together and on to the shaft to form a really big spear, which looks awesome.
Articulation is rather good. Legs can move, arms can move and bend at the elbows, and the head can turn if you haven't shoved his nosecone down.
8/10
CLOCKER
Clocker is a repaint of Cybertron Clocker. Naturally, he comes with a Cyber Planet Key-a black key with a Speed Planet insignia. I got him purely because I wanted to see how the gimmick worked.
ALT MODE
A futuristic race/sports car. Everything about it screams speed: the windshield, the bonnet, everything. Go Speed Racer, go!
It has two gigantic exhausts on either side. There are also molded seats, making Clocker something of a cheap Alternator.
The car is primarily blue, with silver, including the Autobot insignias on the bonnet and on what becomes the left leg of the robot. Black translucent plastic makes up the wheels and the windshield.
There's a grey engine block on the back which is the site of the Cyber Key gimmick. Inserting the key flips up the two blue sides, revealing two laser guns. These can either stick out on top or fold down on either side of the car seats.
Aside from the head on the bottom, you cannot tell that it transforms.
TRANSFORMATION
First, detach the engine block/gun.
The back of the car folds out to become the legs. The car doors and seats form the arms. Finally, the bottom of the car bonnet becomes the head, which attaches to the bottom of the car via pegs.
ROBOT MODE
Clocker's robot mode doesn't scream speed like his alt mode does. In this mode, he gets some red, in the form of his head and his chestplate. Apparently, the original had light piping, shown by the black plastic at the back of his head. The mode gives the appearance of being solid-though it's not, because the transformation means there's a space in his body. Oh well.
Articulation is awesome. Like the others, his head, legs, elbows, arms, and knees move. However, his waist also moves, unlike the others.
The engine block can become a really big gun. The exhaust pipes can be left as-is, or attached to look like Wolverine-style melee-weapons.
I really like this guy. He's probably my favourite of the Scouts I have, probably because his colours are so different to the others.
10/10
Pics!
Vehicle modes.
Robot modes.
Action time!
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Originally Posted by dirge
