TRANSFORMERS TOYS AND MERCHANDISE SECTION

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

Zisteau's review of: Jetfire

Name: Jetfire
Allegiance: Autobot
Function: Aerial Lieutenant
Sub-Group: Earth Planet

This steadfast AUTOBOT is often annoyed by his hyperactive partner SCATTORSHOT, but he nonetheless takes his duties very seriously, and will follow through on his orders no matter what. JETFIRE has been assigned by OPTIMUS PRIME the difficult tasks of protecting Earth while keeping the AUTOBOT presence a secret and searching for the Earth Planet Key. JETFIRE would rather be fighting in the front lines alongside his leader, but his strategic genius and status as the upstanding, honorable second-in-command of the AUTOBOTS make him an invaluable asset at the AUTOBOT base.

When I first saw Jetfire sitting on that shelf in his box, I have to admit I was not a fan. I had briefly seen pics of him online, but this was the first time I had really looked him over. To me, he came off as being one of those toys that is designed and marketed to preschoolers that Armada and Energon were so notorious for. Once I got him out of the package, however, he started to win me over.

Vehicle Mode:
Although not overly realistic, the design is strongly reminiscent of a World War II era bomber, which is probably the only reason the shades of green work on this figure. The design has nice, large, sweeping lines in the wings and body, as well as a nice amount of little details that don’t conflict with those lines. Also, looked at from any angle, it is near impossible to tell it turns into a robot, which is a rare and welcome treat.

Gimmicks The launchers attach to the underside of the wings, although they don’t stay on very well. The tail of the vehicle flips up and the force key activates a sort of missile launcher that doesn’t actually shoot.

Robot Mode:
The robot mode is very well designed except for one major flaw that I’ll get to in a bit. Jetfire has nice proportions, and has a very dynamic look. The thick arms, legs, and torso complement each other nicely, as do the sweeping lines of the head and wings. The combination makes him look as solid as a linebacker and as mobile as a wide receiver. The only real problem is the giant cavity in his torso, clearly visible from the side. This had better be some hidden functionality where he combines with another figure down the line, because if it’s not, it looks really bad. I wonder, how does a robot get along with a huge gaping hole in his chest? It’s not just an aesthetic flaw either, as the latch that keeps the nose of the bomber attached to his hips is small and comes undone rather easily. Coupled with the fact that he tends to fall over backwards if the tail of the bomber isn’t all the way up, and that his wings come off rather easily, he is a very unstable toy. Once you successfully transform him and pose him, however, he looks quite impressive.

Gimmicks He can do a “looking for my contact lens” pose and the force chip exposes additional missiles in the same way as in the vehicle mode.

Transformation: 6 – Pretty simple. The legs folding into the body of the plane is a nice touch.
Durability: 6 – Wings come off rather easily, and the guns don’t like to stay attached to the wings.
Fun: 9 – A great design with a few flaws.
Price: 7 – A tad overpriced for what you get, in my opinion.
Summary: 8 – Quite a nice figure for display. For playing with, not so much.