(NOTE: Because this is a repaint, this is not a full-blown review. This mainly covers any changes made to the mold and the color scheme, and merely compares it to the original DotM Activator Bumblebee toy. For a review on the mold itself, read the review of the original DotM Activator Bumblebee toy here.)

    "Recon" Bumblebee is the only Activator repaint for this small DotM subline, and like most movie Bumblebee redecos, the main colors are inverted-- that is, black is the main color, with an orangish-yellow serving as a secondary color. Paint-app wise, however, it's not simply a color switch-- he's got different paint apps too, particularly in vehicle mode. He's got one sole wide yellow stripe down the top of his vehicle mode compared to the "conventional" two, and diagonal yellow paint apps near his rear vehicle bumper. The orangish-yellow paint used is a bit TOO same-ish compared to most other Movie Bumblebee toys, however, and although certainly not bad, a brighter yellow would've worked better as a main contrast color, methinks. The black itself is a rather "impure" charcoal black that often has a weird tinge of green to it. Again, a more "straight" black would've worked better, but it still looks pretty nice. Although I love the half black/half yellow Autobot symbol paint app along one of his stripes in vehicle mode, he's missing some paint apps that I consider essential, like headlight and taillight paint. (His windows get a pass since they can believably be black on a black car.) In robot mode, he gets a few more colors, with some nice silver accents along his legs and waist. His electric blue eyes and "transformation activation trigger" look very good against the black, too-- at least when it comes to paint, I don't have any complaints about how his robot mode deco is laid out, it looks fairly eye-catching.
    No mold changes have been made to Recon Bumblebee.
    The Activator "Recon" Bumblebee toy is your typical "color inversion" Bumblebee redeco, but it's a nifty-- if unoriginal-- paint scheme, with a few nice little differences with this version such as the half-yellow/half-black Autobot symbol on his front hood. I do wish his yellow and black paint/plastic was a bit more "pure" though, for a cleaner look. Since this is an Activator, the audience for this toy is definitely limited, but I think LOOKS-wise, this is the best toy in the subline. If you've got a young 'un who wants a Bumblebee toy but not in the "same old yellow", this is something to consider; otherwise, pass unless you're a completist.

Review by Beastbot

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