Bumblebee's upgraded form in the movie-- of a Concept Camaro as opposed to a '70s Camaro-- has been made into a deluxe-sized mainline toy, too. In vehicle mode, Bumblebee is pretty much spot-on accurate when compared to how he looks in the movie. The proportions are fantastic, and all of the necessary detailing is there-- he's even got the tiny "Camaro" logo inscribed and painted on the sides of this mode. (Some people have complained about the black paint used for his stripes coming off too easily, though, so be careful about that.) The transparent windows are nice and help the car look more realistic, though unfortunately it means you can see Bumblebee's robot parts pretty easily through them, though that isn't a huge deal since the transparent plastic is so dark. THe only other robot parts that are visible in this mode are the tips of Bumblebee's toes, which stick out a little form the underside of the car if you look at it from a side view. That's a VERY minor complaint, though. Bumblebee's colors are pretty good, with black, yellow, and blue going together very well, though I wish Bumblebee's yellow had a bit of a metallic sheen to make the car mode look even more realistic-- it's just a plain plastic-y yellow here, which doesn't look as good.
    Bumblebee's robot mode is, to put it simply, amazing, especially considering what the designers had to work with. It's really surprising they managed to get so much complexity into a $10 toy and make him look so movie-accurate in both modes. Because of his complexity, though, I do worry about a few parts snapping, like the window pieces on his upper and lower back. The aforementioned windows behind his upper back also do stick out a bit too much where I especially worry about this snapping. I do love how all his other car pieces manage to either complement the look of the mode or cling very closely to his appendages so that they don't restrict movement. Although his arms are a bit skinny, otherwise Bumblebee's proportions are perfect in this mode, and he's got a TON of articulation-- he can move at the head, shoulders (at three points), elbows (at two points), wrists, hips, knees, ankles, and even a joint in the middle of his chest so he can lean to look downwards or upwards! The mold detailing is incredible on his parts, with miniature pistons and hinges apparent everywhere-- his face is especially done nicely, though a few more paint apps on his legs couldn't have hurt. I also like the little touches the toy has, like the fact that Bumblebee's chest splits into three-- something totally unnecessary, but appreciated since it makes him that much more movie-accurate. His automorph feature involving the legs is pretty cool, too-- pull his feet down and the rest of his legs transform by themselves! Bumblebee's weapon is pretty neat, as well-- it starts off as a hand-held cannon to simulate his "cannon-arm" in the movie, though you can fold the cannon apart to reveal a transparent energy dagger, which is certainly cool and unexpected.
    '08 Deluxe Bumblebee is not just the best version of Movie Bumblebee, but one of the best, most well-designed movie toys period, and that's saying quite a bit given the quality of the main movie line. A HIGHLY recommended purchase-- simply superior over '70s Bumblebee in every way.

Bumblebee (Battle Damaged, "Evolutions of a Hero") Bio:
First on Earth, Bumblebee was given the task of locating and protecting Sam until the other Autobots could arrive. He found more than a mission to complete. He found friendship among the humans that he would risk his life to defend. More than that, he found a place that felt like home for the first time since Cybertron. When he arrived, he scanned the first vehicle he saw, but once he decided to stay on Earth, he thought something a little more up to date would help him feel right at home.

Bumblebee (Allspark Power) Bio:
The AllSpark empowered Autobot hero is ready to adventure across the galaxy, fighting Decepticons wherever they’re found.

Strength: 6.0
Intelligence: 8.0
Speed: 6.0
Endurance: 5.0
Rank: 5.0
Courage: 10.0
Fireblast: 3.0
Skill: 9.0

Review by Beastbot

* A "battle damaged" version of this mold was released as a Target Exclusive in a 2-pack with the '70s deluxe Bumblebee toy, with the same "burnt marks" as '70s Bumblebee. Otherwise his color scheme is unchanged, though, and I don't feel that the couple of burn marks significantly add or subtract from the toy to give a different rating to that variant. Also, Bumblebee was released with some "Allspark Power" blue in different packaging as a Target Exclusive in the Spring of '08. (Other than the blue, it was unchanged.) The blue clashes horribly with the yellow, though, I don't recommend it.

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