TRANSFORMERS TOYS AND MERCHANDISE SECTION

Robot Mode:
Alternate Mode:
Box Art:
Technical Specifications:
STR
INT
SPD
END
RNK
CRG
FPR
SKL

Clay's review: Clear Skies Team

Name: Clear Skies Team
Function: making skies clear

Right, I have no idea what each figure is actually called, so I'll just refer to them as Blue Plane, Gray Plane, and Mushu.

Alternate mode:

This Minicon set has two-thirds of a theme: planes. I'm not sure why the dragon was included other than that it, too, has wings. The planes are fairly respectable: the F14 Tomcat has wings that can move back and forth, and the A10 has many, many weapons. The dragon is nifty as well: the mouth is articulated so that it may open and close as it wanders about the skies nipping at planes. The alternate modes for all three are quite well done for such a small scale.

Robot mode:

Blue Plane and Gray Plane are decent in robot mode. Each benefits greatly from being symmetrical: the transformations are intuitive (what happens on one side happens on the other), and the robots come out looking balanced. Gray Plane has great big feet, but maintains a certain charm. Blue Plane is a bit less flexible as he can only move at the arms, but he stands without falling down and has good proportions. I'm also strangely drawn to the unusual combination of blue and yellow: on a larger figure, it would be hideous, but Blue Plane's size makes the scheme look cute.

Mushu, unfortunately, is rather terrible as a robot. As a result of being asymmetrical, he ends up having a dragon head and a tail in the stead of hands. While his much larger cousin can get away with it by having greater articulation and detail (as well as an associated character), Mushu just can't pull off the look at his size.

Transformation: 4. None too complicated.
Durability: 6. Mushu has a habit of separating while being transformed. Also, his wings, being concave, could easily be broken if something falls on them.
Fun: 7. The alternate modes are well suited for mock air battles around the desk.
Price: 6. The original retail price of $7 seems like $1 too much. I don't see the extra thirty-three cents in each figure, honestly.
Overall: 5. The Clear Skies Team is a decent Minicon set. They're better in their alternate modes than their robot forms, but Blue Plane and Gray Plane are average robots. Mushu is a fine dragon but a lousy robot, which is odd since the dragon is probably the draw of the set; the two rather plain planes are its saving grace.