School is out, and I’m back home from travel and ready for a #Transformers mini-review! Lots of bots and cons in the queue. First up is Studio Series Bumblebee Movie Optimus Prime! This is the only Studio Series toy I own.

Obviously, this toy is beautiful! It’s an amazing realization of the design from the film, which is a great blend of different Prime styles through the years. The head sculpt is aces, and articulation is very good. Lots of detail, better used here than in Siege, IMO.

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The kibble is minimal. Look at that side view! You don’t see a silhouette like that very often at the $30 price point. I have few complaints about robot mode, just some minor tabbing issues on the legs.

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Transforming this fellow is quite a chore. The head on mine doesn’t want to stay on. I think complex transformations are a thing for Studio Series, and this one certainly is complex. I think it’s too much, personally, but some people enjoy that. It looks OK in truck mode, eh?

Well, from one side, it does. From other views, the panels do not line up. This turns out to be due to an assembly error on mine. It’s frustrating, as it WILL NOT hold together, even with the use of clear rubber bands as a cheat.

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The shoulder ratchet is the issue. First pic shows the maximum intended rotation on the properly jointed half. Second pic shows the joint rotating one “click” too far. The joint is one “click” off on the other end, leaving a gap. I believe the fix would be removing a pin. Yuck!

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Bottom line: SS-38 Optimus Prime is an amazing robot, with a challenging transformation and an adequate truck mode. Even without the assembly error, I suspect keeping it all pegged together in truck mode is tough. He’s purty enough that I enjoy him despite his flaws.