This figure was kindly sent over to us to review courtesy of Hasbro UK
Joining the Hasbro Transformers Studio Series in early 2022 is Wheeljack, as seen in Transformers: Bumblebee. He is number 81 in the line and is the smaller Deluxe class retailing around the £22 mark. Like all Studio Series releases he comes in the black box with red trim and Transformers logo, and sky blue contrast colour identifying it as a Studio Series release and as also used on the numbering for the set.
The rear of the box shows the two modes for Wheeljack and confirms 31 steps to convert him from Robot to Car mode. Within the box are two cardboard inserts. The first, containing the figure sees Wheeljack in Robot mode tied into the backing card with elasticated clear ties - this removes the need for any plastic insert. To the bottom of this section is his weapon. A second cardboard 'stage' is then wrapped around the insert - using the same backdrop but now without any punched holes. To either side is a red border and a red stage piece with the Bumblebee logo is utilised for display purposes.
Wheeljack arrives in Robot mode, standing at around 4.5 inches in height. He is cast in hard plastic with the base colour of the plastic set depending on its role - with a white used on chest, shoulders and lower legs - and gunmetal used on the head, upper legs, and arms.
The applied decor is limited, but there are green trimmed sections and an Autobot logo front and centre on the chest applied as a decal. The head also includes a touch of additional colour with blue used on the eyes and the panels on either side of the head.
Wheeljack is armed with a blaster that sits in a socket on either hand, or it can be rear-mounted by way of a further circular socket on the back of the figure. The gun itself is cast in the same gunmetal plastic as parts of Wheeljack himself, and it has no added paint apps.
The figure articulation is partially linked to the Transforming engineering and you will find a full range of motion in the arms, a rotating head, and a fairly decent set of leg joints both at the hips and knees with the feet jointed sufficiently to plant flat on a surface and hold Wheeljack in a set pose.
Like a lot of the modern Transformers, and in particular the Studio Series, the joints are looser than you would expect on a standard figure - mainly to facilitate the Transforming movement - and this does lead to some level of instability in the hips which can slide apart and int he arms which don't always hold there own weight upright.
Wheeljack Transforms into car mode in 37 steps, all detailed (sort of) in the included step-by-step instruction book. Despite having Transformers as a kid and memorising the process on many of the 80's sets - I do find the new Studio Series Transformers hard to work with and the instructions quite hard to follow - especially when the diagrams are not coloured but in a red or grey tone. Thankfully there are plenty of sites and YouTube videos to help.
It took me a few minutes and the usual odd swear word, but I Transformed Wheeljack into car mode as you can see below.
The car mode itself is the futuristic design we see on Cybertron in the Bumblebee movie with a squat rounded front look, smaller wheels and a socket on the top section into which the same blaster as held by Robot-mode fits as a cannon. As you'd expect, the car mode is limited in articulation and the only movement is in the wheels and the rotation of the cannon.
I found the reverse Transformation from car to robot much easier, and I do still marvel at how much design and innovation goes into these Transformers - particularly the Studio Series that has to satisfy both a Transformation process and two distinct looks that remain faithful to what is on screen.
The final element of the pack to consider is the stage which is big enough to support both the Robot and Car modes. These, I would imagine, make a pretty striking display when lined up although they do require a lot of shelf real-estate.
For Transformers movie fans, the Studio Series has gone deep over the years and is now exploring avenues such as the Cybertron scenes in Bumblebee as well as the 1986 Transformers movie. While the releases are not as regular as they were when the line launched, Hasbro are continuing to put out quality product like this that transitions the line well between looks and display and the Transforming function that the line is all about.
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About Me : As a child of the 70's and 80's I grew up in a golden age for action figures and in my youth bought and sold myself through collections of Star Wars, G.I. Joe (Action Force) and M.A.S.K. while also dabbling in He-Man, Transformers and Ghostbusters. Roll forward and I am now reliving that Youth with the action figures of today and am a collector and fan of the larger 6-8 inch figures from my favourite movie and TV licences - including the ones mentioned above, but also the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Doctor Who and the Aliens. I launched The Mephitsu Archives in 2015 with a view of creating a UK focused site or these figures where fans can pick up the latest action figure news, read reviews and get information on where to buy their figures and what is currently on store shelves. I hope I am delivering that to you guys...