TRANSFORMERS TOYS AND MERCHANDISE SECTION

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

ganon578's Review: Sonar

Name: Sonar
Function: Naval Warrior, Autobot Annoyance
Subgroup: Revenge of the Fallen
Size Class: Scout Class

If there's one thing Sonar loves, it's leaving the Autobots all wet. There are so few of them able to pursue him into the deep ocean that he spends his time taunting them from just off shore. He can't help but laugh at the latest victim Wideload, who idles, frustrated and dripping wet, just out of cannon range.

There’s nothing much to say about Sonar the character that his bio doesn’t cover. He doesn’t do anything special and hasn’t ever been a big time character in Transformer fiction, though the name has made a few appearances over different lines. I acquired him as a graduation present from my wife, so he holds a small place in my heart, and he’s a decently fun scout to boot.

Alternate Mode:

Sonar’s alternate mode is a stealth warship with the main colors of black and charcoal gray. The color scheme is done in a camouflage pattern across the entirety of the ship, with just a touch of red on the windows. The color scheme works well for a ‘stealth warship’ and is done entirely out of glossy paint and matte paint, giving the paint apps some depth. Molded detail is everywhere, and it is all that you would expect on a naval ship. Little details like a molded anchor and small panels everywhere make the alternate mode a little more exciting than your normal bland, flat siding. For weaponry, Sonar has two missile turrets (which also contain a large spoiler each) on the back of the ship which can be moved around in various positions. This is a nice touch to what could have been a rather boring alternate mode. Ships or boats in Transformers are rather rare, and this one is done very well, especially for a scout class toy.

Robot Mode:

After a simple but fun transformation, Sonar is in robot mode. Changing to the robot mode also brings the addition of blue on the arms and legs. The main color scheme of black/charcoal gray remains, and there are some added silver paint apps on the head and torso. A silver Decepticon symbol has been added to the torso as well. Molded detail is great in this mode, with various robotic parts molded into the torso, arms, and legs. The detail in this small of a figure is astounding.

Sonar has ball joints on the shoulders, hips, and head. Simple pivot joints are on the ‘ankles’, elbows, and waist. This little guy even has moveable thumbs! The shoulders are complete with ‘shoulder pads’ giving Sonar a bulkier look and the missile turrets from the warship mode are on top on ball joints, allowing for positioning in multiple directions. My one sticking point for this figure would have to be the feet and legs. They are very awkward looking, and can lead to some positioning issues when in robot mode. Apparently you can position the feet and legs in various ways to get different looks out of Sonar, but they’re better left to the simple straight position. Overall the robot mode is quite nice and is surprisingly well done for such a small figure.

Marks out of ten for the following:

Transformation Design: 5. Simple, but nothing is truly compelling here.
Durability: 9. Solid. Sonar is a good quality figure.
Fun: 6. Awkward legs make positioning into cool poses a chore. He looks great though, and has a ton of molded detail and a great color scheme.
Aesthetics: 7. The color scheme is great in my opinion, but black on grey isn't too eye catching. The blue in robot mode spices it up a bit. The legs look goofy in robot mode too.
Articulation: 6. Sonar doesn't have too many joints, but he's decently poseable if you can get around the weird legs. The arms can go in various directions though, which is nice.
Value/Price: 9. Inexpensive at retail, and should be cheap on auction sites today as well.
Overall: 7. He’s a neat toy and I enjoy him, but you don’t need to hunt him down. He’s better than your run-of-the-mill scout class Transformer, and would add a ship to your TF collection of wheeled vehicles and aircraft.