REVIEW: Hasbro Transformers -- Masterpiece STARSCREAM

Wal-Mart exclusive one amazing figure...

Wal-Mart and Hasbro have teamed up to deliver fans that can't afford the imports, domestic Transformers Masterpiece action figures. Last year it was Optimus Prime, this time it’s a cartoon colored Starscream that is, to put it simply, so much more than meets the eye!

Now, picking Starscream off the shelf, or actually, from the overstocked shelves where they had this guy hidden, I was amazed at how very crisp and colorful the box art was. The top of the box is one large, plastic bubble with a color insert behind the figure itself. The color insert shows on its two sides both Starscream in robot mode and in jet mode. The back of the insert gives you his stats, a picture of him in both robot mode and jet mode, and a little back story on this thorn in Megatron’s side. The bottom of the packaging is squared off so the figure will sit properly on a shelf. There isn’t much to look at below, just the logo and some robot designs in Starscream’s colors.

The figure can be seen in all its glory through the bubble, and this is what caught my eye as I was walking down the toy aisle. The detail on this guy IN the box is astounding. I couldn’t wait to get him home and pop him out. The top of the bubble has a very cool Decepticon logo etched into the top, along with the words "MASTERPIECE STARSCREAM". The only other items of interest on the box are two stickers, one with his name and the other declaring this item a Wal-Mart Exclusive.

Getting home, I yanked him out of the box and was very happy to find an amazing figure. Now, before I even started to play around with him, I ran upstairs and grabbed my Masterpiece Prime and proceeded to take a picture for scale reference between the two. Now, Starscream is only half as tall as Optimus, which to me was kind of strange. I figured the scale between the two would be about the same, but this is a small gripe.

Taking a closer look at the figure before me, I was amazed at how much detail was in the figure. The lines on his body and the shading throughout are flawless. However, there are parts that are simply molded color, with no touch up. For example, the interior of the two pieces on either side of his head. The detail in here is simply molded plastic. Again, a small complaint.

The articulation on Starscream may actually be far superior to Primes. I actually wasn’t afraid to move him around and have something pop off or break. His head has a nice range of movement, as do his arms and legs. His fingers are what I like the most, as they are somewhat articulated. The first finger is poseable by itself, and the other three fingers are attached, but still moveable. His thumb is on a ball joint that allows it to move around, but not nearly as much as the fingers can as they are jointed at both the hand and the knuckle.

The figure has some nice hidden surprises in robot mode; first, you can lift up the two panels on his chest to reveal hidden rocket launchers. Plus, he has an interchangeable face. One stars a serious expression while the other has a smirk. To do this, simply tilt his whole head up and pull down on the cylinder that has the two faces on it. With a simple twist, you have a new face. Very easy stuff.

He can also hold the Megatron gun that came with Optimus, which is a nice feature. And although he doesn’t hold it as well as the Optimus figure can, at least he can still hold the thing!

Transforming this figure is very simple, and at times he transforms just like his old school version, especially when you get to the point where you have to do the cockpit. I won’t go into detail about the transformation, just that it’s not as difficult as Optimus was the first time out.

Once in jet mode, he has some really nice features. The wing flaps can be moved up or down and his thrusters have a nice range of movement. His nosecone can be pulled out and to the side to reveal a satellite tracker. The missiles on his wings can be interchanged with one another easily and he features working landing gear. In addition, he also comes with a small pilot figure that fits in the opening canopy. The best thing about this feature is he was designed to stay IN the cockpit when in robot mode, so there is no fear of losing this tiny little guy during transformation! There is also a little nod to fans, as Starscream has a logo right under the canopy and near the intake exhaust of the Decepticon Crown that Starscream donned and then was destroyed wearing in the Transformers Movie by Galvatron. (That’s the 1986 version, not the 2007 version.)

The other cool thing about Starscream’s jet mode is that the figure comes with a tiny clip that attaches to the underside of the nose. You can use this to attach the Megatron gun from the Masterpiece Optimus to give him some extra fire power!

This Masterpiece edition also comes with a very nice looking display base. The base is very mechanical looking, with a nice, colorful Decepticon logo on the front, along with Starscream’s name in large silver letters. The base has a stand that can be attached in two separate ways. One so the figure can stand on it and appear to be flying and another so it can be positioned so the jet mode appears to be flying. The base also has storage for the clip (underneath) and for the missiles. The figure can also stand on the base, both in jet and robot mode, without the attached stand piece.

This is probably one of the coolest Transformers I have bought in a long time. I am glad I waited to get this figure because I was never happy with the Japanese Masterpiece color scheme. I am thrilled to have a cartoon-accurate figure of Starscream, he's so eye-catching and fun to play with. I can’t recommend this one enough to you gang. Go find it and add one of the best loved villains of all time to your collection! He can be had at most Wal-mart locations for $45.

Review and Photos by Jason Devall

Masterpiece Starscream Photo Gallery