Rating:  -
My son went nuts when I gave it to him, you do need larger hands to transform it, my son is 5 so I have to do it for him but thats just fine by me. I am suprised this thing was only about $100 some of the features like the speed senitive engine sounds (when it is in camero mode) are worth more than what you will pay.
Rating:  -
Im a childhood fan of transformers. I also happen to be a harcore F-Body fan and am so excited about the new camaro coming out in 09. Naturally this is the ultimate for me. Wife got it for my b-day and totally surprised me. I was kinda iffy when i 1st saw it that she blew all that cash on a toy but I gotta tell ya....seeing that thing in robot form on top of my A/V rack is the coolest thing ever! I cant stop staring at it cause it looks just like the movie version. I feel like such a dork but dont care. For any fan of both transformers AND camaros, this is a must!
Rating:  -
It's sad, but I'm afraid it's true. People who pay over $100 - or even the retail asking price of $80 - are getting ripped off. As a toy that lights up, makes entertaining sounds, and moves his body in interesting ways, Ultimate Bumblebee has the potential to be a great investment. However, he is not without flaws. Anatomically, his body proportions are incorrect compared to the 2007 film design. He is also much heavier than he should be, making it awkward to interact with him or even transform him between car and robot mode. Thankfully, his shade of yellow is correct, as is his design in car mode - in fact, the only thing keeping me from wanting to throw him out the window is his impressive and accurate car design and entertaining car mode features (sounds, movements, etc). For some reason, the designers of the toy decided to use the G1 Bumblebee actor's voice for all of his "talking" bits. This is disappointing, since in the movie Bumblebee only has two lines, and hearing the G1 actor's voice really throws off the experience. He does, however, play clips of various songs (like "Whip It") and makes noises as you "drive him" around in car mode. His initial installation is tedious and unnecessarily long, no matter how savvy a toy collector you are. Transforming him between car and robot mode should be much simpler and "high-tech" considering the price and expected product quality. Overall, he is a fun toy for those who can get him for less than $80, but please don't spend more than that or break any bones trying to get ahold of one of these toys. You will most likely be disappointed.
Rating: -
Ultimate Bumblebee is currently available for pre-order, and will be released in September. I decided to preorder my copy a few days ago.
I had a chance to experiment with Bumblebee for a bit, at a toy Fair so I'll review based on my experience. I should note from the beginning, that the picture of Bumblebee on Amazon has been mistransfromed. The chest section separates into three pieces, creating a more streamlined figure. Ultimate Bumblebee stands tall, at 14 inches in height. That's about 2 inches taller than Leader Optimus Prime!
In car mode, the toy accurately represents the Camero. The front doors can open, but unfortunately, there is no interior design. Opening the front doors (with a lot of force) will just lead you to a huge block of plastic, instead of seats, and a steering wheel, which makes the effort quite useless.
In addition to having Transforming capabilities, the toy also has some electronic features. By a push of a button on Bumblebee's chest, the toy can say certain cath phrases, and even play some songs (most noticeably, "Whip it" by Devo). The right arm canon can automatically raise and fire a plastic missile, the head automatically rotates, while the back wings flap by themselves. Bumblebee also reacts to certain environmental noises, such as hand clapping. Yeap, this is a fully automated toy.
As a person who has been collecting Transformers for years, I can honestly say that I'm not sure how to categorize toy. It seems more of an electronic toy than a Transformer.
But, while I'm not a big fan for electronics, I would say that in addition to Bumblebee's car mode, his robot mode is extremely well done (minus the face plate, and lack of a hand on the gun arm). In fact, I believe that the robot mode in Ultimate Bumblebee is more accurate and detailed than the deluxe action figures. That said, if you can afford this version of Bumblebee, definitely make sure to get it.
The toy stands great as a collector's item. Here is the breakthrough of my review:
Design: 4.5/5
EXTREMELY well detailed car and robot mode. The best that I've seen in the current Transformer line. But, having a face plate, and hand on the gun arm, would have made this toy almost perfect.
Possibility: 4/5
Arms can move somewhat, but the electronic mechanism in the shoulder joints, hinders much of the rotation about the ball-sockets.
Electronics: 4.5/5
Cool, yet somewhat annoying after a while. I might take the batteries out after getting this toy.
Overall Score (not an average): 4.5/5
If you don't like electronics - get past that. This is a pretty sweet transformer. Highly detailed. Collectors and fans of the movie will appreciate this toy.
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