Toy Review - DotM Cmdr Decepticon Hatchet

[griffin]

(Please post photos, comments or even a fully comprehensive review - these are just brief details)

Toy Review - Hatchet
Series - Dark of the Moon
Sub-line - Cyberverse
Size/class - Commander
Wave - 3
New/remould/redeco - New
Released here - August 2011
Approximate Retail Price - $15-20
Approximate Size - 10cm
Allegiance - Decepticon
Alt-mode - Jet/Gargloyle
Main Features/Gimmicks - Drone weapon
Main Colours - Black, gold
Main Accessories - Drone weapon

[Paulbot]

This is a pretty nice figure but with a few minor flaws.

The robot mode looks really great in it's default pose, but it can't really pose in any other position. The front paws are pretty well fixed as are the rear feet. I like the head scuplt, the tail is nice, the way the jet kibble sits on it's back is pretty good too.

In transforming to jet mode everything goes together well. The legs don't quite hide away enough for my liking though. From above though, it's a great looking jet mode.

I voted "only if" because I mainly purchased it because it's one of the new movie cast... but even that's a bit of a stretch. A car version would be preferred. This toy is also screaming out to be repainted as a "Sky Lynx" so if you're not movie-cast specific, maybe wait and see if there's a repaint.

[Decepticon]

Im expecting this in the mail any day now. (Cant wait for Aussie retailers to sell their existing over supply of Commanders!). Just wish it was deluxe size. Also love to see Crowbar and Guzzle as a deluxe.

[Decepticon]

Well he came today. I think he is a really good figure. It does have a bit of leg kibble under the wings. I like his little fold out missiles that turn into guns. He is actually a pretty well detailed thing (unsure what he's suppose to be in robot mode?!) for his size.

[klystron]

This dude is freakin awesome. As a fussy selective collector, take my word for it.

Have to overlook a few small flaws due to the class size, like the arm kibble under the wings (although rather than just being arms slung underneath, they actually split apart to form the undersides of the aircraft fuselage), and the claws hanging out the back. Those are the biggest two aesthetic issues. His only other let down is his limited articulation, but again probably due to his size.

On the plus side, his jet mode is quite good looking jet and has retractable front landing gear (unfortunately the rear wheels are stuck in place). Everything pegs together nicely.

Beast mode is pretty cool and a refreshing change from robots, birds, and big cats. This is what caught my eye in the shop, and without so much as a second thought, I threw it in the trolley. Rare indeed is it I buy a figure in this manner. The beast design is quite well done for my mind, but there are a few articulation limitations (due mainly to size and transformation). He is still capable of some nice poses and looks awesome perched on my shelf.

I also love the drones that transform into guns. Nifty little gimmick/feature. Not sure why they join together to make a bigger gun/drone though. Or why they can be held by the beast hands (looks a little weird, and are much better placed on his back-wings).

This would be so much better as a deluxe sized figure.
All in all, an awesome figure that I am totally totally pleased with.

[kaiden]

I love it.

Its so much better than Optimus and Megatron and yes, even Powerglide.

Hatchet is what I like to think the lovechild of Ravage and Laserbeak. He's like a big cat with missiles on the side like Ravage but can also fly and has missile drones similar to Laserbeak's laser drones in that episode where laserbeak was chasing hound and cliffjumper?

The thing with his 2 guns combining looks like Rodimus' guns.

biggest flaw is definitely the hind legs and his size. the front claws that stick out the back in alt mode doesn't even bother me.
I agree with klystron that hatchet should be deluxe size.

I would actually like hatchet to be a set of 3 and in the same colours of the Seekers - Starscream, Thundercracker and Skywarp.

[griffin]

I'm in two minds with this one. It looks okay, and transforms easily enough, but just doesn't feel right to me... not sure why.
I get the impression that it may have been meant to be a movie character, but just couldn't be worked into the story with it's alt-mode being a jet.
I also get the feeling that it may have originally meant to be a robot, or have a stand-up robotic form because the hands are moulded to hold the two weapons... But since it can't stand up properly or have the head tilt enough forward, the guns get in the way when Hatchet is in its four-legged form.

[yoshi594]

got this guy courtesy of Dirge. He makes a good display piece but as most have noted, he isn't without his faults. Among his other faults mentioned, the biggest one has to be his hind legs. If they were done better, he'd be more playable, poseable, and more awesome.

[UltraMarginal]

I really like it, picked it up at a local Coles for $16.

I think the articulation isn't too bad, especially for the size class, if you take your time you can get a slight variation in poses from it.

I'm a sucker for Transformers that are aircraft so I give high marks for the alt mode and even higher for imaginative use of leg kibble.

the transformation itself is very different from any other jet transformer.

very good.

I do wish though that they'd release two more black deluxe size SUV's one as hatchet and the other as crowbar. all Identical vehicle modes and different robot modes like in the movie.

Hatchet is a great placeholder and even if they do release the dream set of dreads, I'll still be very favorable to this guy.

[griffin]

I'm surprised Hasbro haven't just re-released Dlx Crankcase with two different heads to cash in on the 3 SUV Dreads. That was a pretty significant Autobot Vs Decepticon combat scene, and yet Hasbro haven't cashed in on the opportunity to let kids play it out. Fans may complain, but since they don't count for much to Hasbro's sales, and Hasbro re-releases figures with different heads all the time, why is this one that they haven't bothered with? Instead they re-release Bumblebee (in non-movie colours, that kids already have), Starscream (as Thundercracker for the fans), Ratchet (twice... in red, and then again in white just for the fans), Topspin (in non-movie colours), Sideswipe (as Dark Iron, a non-movie character), Soundwave (in Soundblaster colours for the fans), and Wheeljack (in Gen1 colours for the fans)...
So where is the logic in Hasbro's Deluxe toy re-releases by producing toys that only the fans would even know (and only some of them would even want), when the kids are wanting more characters from the Movie... the whole point of buying the toys for them, to roleplay the characters they were watching and loving.

I think with wave 7 now known, taking us to may-june of next year, I can't imagine Hasbro generating anything significantly new for the TF3 line now. They missed the boat on the Dreads.