TRANSFORMERS TOYS AND MERCHANDISE SECTION

Robot Mode:

Alternate Mode:

Additional Image:

Box Art:

ganon578's Review: Jazz

Name: Special Ops Jazz
Allegiance: Autobot
Function: Special Operations Agent
Subgroup: Reveal The Shield (Deluxe)

Autobot Jazz falls in love with every world he visits. The tiniest hint of alien culture is enough to fascinate him for hours. His ability to immerse himself in a new civilization makes him an ideal undercover agent - he blends in with the environment, absorbing every bit of data he can, and looks for the anomaly that tells him Decepticons are present.

I’ve been surprised how long it has taken for Jazz to make an appearance as a Classics-type Transformer. When the Classics line began in 2006, it would have made sense to put Jazz out there, especially with the 2007 movie coming as well as Jazz being a mainstay character in the G1 cartoon. Then Universe came along, and only a Legends class Jazz came with it. Generations began, and Jazz wasn’t slated for that either. Turn to 2010/2011, and we finally get Jazz in the Reveal the Shield line. It’s been worth the wait…

Alternate Mode:

Jazz’s alternate mode is a Martini Porsche-esque Pontiac Solstice; the alt mode sticks close to the design of the Solstice, but slight adjustments have been made to also resemble a Martini Porsche, right down to the racing stripes. This mode is also faithful to the G1 toy, giving full nostalgia with new toy updates. The body of the car is done in white plastic, and the paint applications on the racing stripes are well done. The wheels are flat black with no paint apps on the rims, but they roll well across any surface. The car seems very durable in this mode, and I don’t think anything will break off easily, not even the spoiler. Jazz’s gun is tucked well underneath the hood of the car giving a great storage option, and seems to stay there quite well (at least mine does). This is a welcome change from the loose fitting guns of Universe Prowl/Silverstreak/Smokescreen. This time around I don’t feel like the damn thing will pop out at any moment. There isn’t much more to say for the aesthetics of the alternate mode; it’s definitely a Pontiac Solstice/Martini Porsche, it’s durable, and the paint apps are well done. The truly interesting part of this mode is the flip-out speakers. Just pull out the doors, flip the speakers around, and you’ll have Jazz jammin’ out in no time. This feature is a fun addition to an otherwise normal Autobot car, and really nods back to the G1 cartoon, especially in episodes like ‘Attack of the Autobots’ from season 2. As for the ‘gimmick’ of this line, Jazz has a rub-sign on the top of the car. That is all. A rub-sign. It doesn’t really matter though, since Jazz is a great toy with or without a rub-sign…

Robot Mode:

The transformation from car to robot mode is not too tricky, and there aren’t any hair-pulling aspects going back and forth. The only sticking point would be getting the hood/shoulders properly aligned going back into car mode. Overall the transformation is simple and well done. In robot mode, Jazz is just perfection. If I had one bad thing to say, it would be about the hood/chest. It doesn’t truly lock in place; more or less the top of the car (on Jazz’s back) keeps it pinned down. This minor gripe is not enough to sway my overall great rating for Jazz. Now, on to the phenomenally great things Jazz has to offer! Aesthetically, Jazz is spot on. He’s a fantastic update to his G1 toy with updated toy mechanics and some design draws from his IDW comic appearances. There’s a great level of detail in the molded plastic in his torso, arms and legs. Nothing feels flat or boring on this guy. The head mold is well done and rests on a ball joint with a good amount of moving space. I do wish that the light piping for his visor wasn’t so dark since practically no light gets through that thing. His arms are wonderfully articulated; shoulders on ball joints, bicep swivel joints, double jointed elbows, and hands on ball joints. It’s amazing the types of things you can do with his arms with little to no motion hindered. Going down, there is a nice swivel joint on Jazz’s waist, the hips swivel in two directions (getting away from a ball joint here is nice, and the swivel joints seem nicely tight). He also sports mid-thigh swivel joints and double jointed knees. There aren’t any ankle joints to speak of, but the large size of Jazz’s feet make an ankle joint a moot point; there really isn’t any need for it. Overall his articulation range has astounded me; he has full motion everywhere and the toy is well balanced. Great poses can be easily pulled off. The flip-out speakers can be utilized in robot mode too, and it adds a bit of fun that you don’t get with every figure. I can’t recommend Jazz enough, if only for this mode. The alternate mode seems like just an added bonus to this excellent figure.


Marks out of ten for the following:

Transformation Design: 8/10. A fun transformation, but some parts are a little quirky, like the hood.
Durability: 8/10. The doors and joints could be a problem over time, but everything seems sturdy.
Fun: 9/10. Flip out speakers in both modes, collapsible gun, multiple joints. Awesome.
Aesthetics: 10/10. Great display piece. This is one good lookin’ Jazz.
Articulation: 10/10. I haven’t seen this many joints on a Deluxe class figure. There are spots everywhere to play with, and nothing is hindered.
Value/Price: 9/10. For $10-15 US, this is one absolutely great figure.
Overall: 10/10. There is just too much to love about this figure. I’m not sure how to make it better especially at this price point.