Wheeljack
(Hyperspeed) [Prime]
(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 Prime "Robots in Disguise" legion Wheeljack. For a review on the mold itself, read the review of the original Prime "Robots in Disguise" legion Wheeljack figure here.)
Hyperspeed Wheeljack's
general color scheme is a "light" homage to the G1 Wheeljack toy that was
redecoed in a racing color scheme back in the '80s that advertised Marlboro
cigarattes. Obviously, Hasbro can't reproduce that color scheme exactly,
even if they were to take the Marlboro logos off the toy because of all
sorts of legal issues. However, the main change for the "Hyperspeed" version
of the character is his paint job in vehicle mode, with considerably more
light red paint than the intial release of this mold, with most of the
middle of the back area in that color, with light red paint apps spreading
out into two uneven stripes down the sides of the top of the vehicle mode.
These stripes do generally call back to "Marlboro Wheeljack" in a vague
way, but they're TOO uneven, and thus look a bit sloppy and painted by
someone that doesn't exactly have the steadiest hands. This is my biggest
issue with this new deco-- it just doesn't look professionally done, or
crisp. Most of the other color changes on Hyperspeed Wheeljack are quite
minor-- his headlights and front grill are painted a nice silver, and his
taillights are now solid yellow compared to the red/yellow layered pattern
on the original release of this mold. The paint used for his windshield
is actually a VERY dark shade of blue, compared to the black used on the
original-- though the blue is so close to black, I'm surprised they didn't
just leave it the same, as it certainly looks the same upon a cursory glance.
Wheeljack's base plastic colors on this version are the same as on the
original, with a good amount of white plastic and a fairly dark milky gray
for the wheels and many of the "robot parts", as well as identical paint
apps on the robot head.
No mold changes have
been made to the core figure, but the accessory for Hyperspeed Wheeljack
has been changed to the standard Autobot dual-barreled blaster that comes
with a few other 2012 Prime Legion class figures-- though this one is transparent
light pale gren, compared to the usual light red. I like the deco change,
since leaving it red would've made it blend in with all the additional
red in Hyperspeed Wheeljack's vehicle color scheme this time around.
Hyperspeed Wheeljack
is an okay homage to the rather obscure "Marlboro" color scheme on the
original toy, but if you have the original Legion, this one isn't nearly
different enough to justify purchasing the mold again, given the sloppier
light red vehicle paint apps being the only major change. However, the
flipside of this is that if you want this mold but don't want the big "Star
Hammer" vehicle/base that comes packaged with the original, this one comes
all by his lonesome self at a much cheaper price, and still looks close
enough to the original where he makes a pretty good stand-in.
Review by Beastbot