Ratchet's H2 Hummer ambulance mode looks very nice and authentic, especially for a $20 toy. The proportions are spot-on accurate when compared to the real thing, and all of the major details are there, such as the "heartbeat surge" symbol along the side of the ambulance to the small "SEARCH & RESCUE-- FIRE DEPT" emblem on the side of his doors. With the exception of part of the robot arms peaking out ever-so-slightly from the underside of this mode if you look at it from a side view, there's no robot extras whatsoever, not even any extras visible through the transparent windows (though there isn't an actual drivers' seat or anything molded inside, either). The mold detailing is also fairly good. There's only one real beef I have with this mode, and that's the color scheme. I realize that some real ambulances really are mostly black and yellowish pea-green in color, but it just is not a good main color for a Transformer, especially since besides the standard color of black there's no other major colors on Ratchet. Also, the painted doors definitely look "off" and more yellowish when compared to the dull pea green plastic used for the rest of the vehicle mode.
    Like the mainline version of Jazz, Ratchet's robot mode is slightly misproportioned to the extent that his legs seem a bit too big compared to the rest of his body. Otherwise, though, his proportions in this mode are pretty good, and the vehicle kibble is taken care of very well-- the doors fold up behind his shoulders very well to the point where they don't get in the way of movement at all. However, though they fold behind the lower back and out of the way pretty well, I do worry about the transparent window halves snapping because they're so skinny and flat and sticking out of said lower back a bit-- both that and another piece on Ratchet's upper back don't really peg into anything either, which makes that portion of the figure feel a bit "unfinished".  The rear bumper parts on the back of his upper legs can also snap off a bit too easily, though they can be pegged back on the figure easily enough. Ratchet's articulation is pretty good-- he can move at the head,k shoulders (at two places) elbows (at two places), hips, knees (at three places), and a little bit of ankle movement as well. The mold detailing on the robot parts is exceptional, especially on the head and the sides of the legs-- however, Ratchet's head design is one of the (very) few movie head designs I'm not fond of, as I think it looks rather ugly, so even though it's detailed well both when it comes to the mold and the paint, I don't consider that much of a plus. As for Ratchet's gimmicks, his right hand can flip around to become a miniature axe, though the fact that only one side of the axe is painted makes it look rather cheap, in my opinion. His other arm can hold the vehicle's rear rack, which doubles as a capture claw weapon, though the claw feels a bit loose in that it can open and close rather easily. Ratchet also has an "automorph" feature as you transform him, though it's pretty subtle and kind of pointless-- as you fold out his feet, his knees and the insides of his lower legs fold out just a little, and that's it-- honestly, they really don't add much to the figure at all, and the money spend on those parts would have been better spent elsewhere on the figure.
    Autobot Ratchet is a fine addition to the movie line-- he's not an AMAZING figure, mainly due to his rather ugly color scheme, a few minor kibble problems in robot mode, and some lame action features-- but he's still a cool toy nonetheless. Recommended.

Review by Beastbot

*NOTE: In addition to the normal mainline release, pictured above, a version of this mold was released with all-metallic paint-- but with the same colors-- as a Best Buy exclusive. With the exception of it being more shiny, however, that version is for all intents and purposes the same as this version.

Back to Transformers Movie Toys Index