Jazz '07
TRANSFORMERS REVIEW
Jazz is something of a mixed bag. In the
Transformers (2007) film, Jazz sports an
incredibly sleek, agile and elegant form; both as a
robot and as a Pontiac Solstice. Sadly, though, this
hasn't translated well at all to toy form. Sure, it's
only a £10 action figure, but compared to the likes of
Bumblebee and Barricade, it's a disappointment
nonetheless.
Jazz's alternate mode assumes the sleek and sexy form of a Pontiac Solstice. The look of the actual car is faithfully reproduced for the most part. The base grey colour, however, is flat and dull. It lacks a certain sparkle that is noticeable in its absence. On the plus side, though, the car mode itself feels incredibly sturdy and solid.
Transforming Jazz for the first time makes for a fresh and unexpected experience. The mechanism of forming the arms is especially inventive. The "automorph" feature is a welcome feature in this case: swinging down the windscreen/roof rotates the head up into place and compresses the front grille to form the chest. The other features are less inventive. The rear spoiler can be unhinged to form a shoulder-mounted shield, which serves little purpose to be honest.
Jazz's accessory, a telescopic rifle, has no place to go in vehicle mode (though it can be clipped to the rotating spoiler), and in robot mode it can either be mounted within the forearm, or can be hooked onto the shield to form a shoulder-mounted weapon.
Jazz's robot mode has about 3 centimetre's worth of abdomen missing. His legs are disproportionately oversized and his upper body is somewhat lacking. Because of the way the forearms are formed from the car's bonnet folding on itself, they seem quite flimsy and hollow. Figure articulation is limited. The shoulder movements are blocked by the chest pieces, and the unmovable doors mounted on the thighs limit knee and hip articulation.
Looking past these faults, the robot mode is very detailed, with bronze accents on the waist and shins complementing the silver and black colour scheme. There is even a silver Autobot logo screen printed onto the waist. The visor on the head is striking in the right light conditions.
Jazz is not perfect, but overall he's hard to dislike. He's stylish, he's sturdy, he's squat. But there's something inexplicable about him that just manages to keep him on the right side of being a good Transformer.
Jazz was released worldwide in 2007 as part of the line based on the characters from the live-action "Transformers" feature film.
Jazz's alternate mode assumes the sleek and sexy form of a Pontiac Solstice. The look of the actual car is faithfully reproduced for the most part. The base grey colour, however, is flat and dull. It lacks a certain sparkle that is noticeable in its absence. On the plus side, though, the car mode itself feels incredibly sturdy and solid.
Transforming Jazz for the first time makes for a fresh and unexpected experience. The mechanism of forming the arms is especially inventive. The "automorph" feature is a welcome feature in this case: swinging down the windscreen/roof rotates the head up into place and compresses the front grille to form the chest. The other features are less inventive. The rear spoiler can be unhinged to form a shoulder-mounted shield, which serves little purpose to be honest.
Jazz's accessory, a telescopic rifle, has no place to go in vehicle mode (though it can be clipped to the rotating spoiler), and in robot mode it can either be mounted within the forearm, or can be hooked onto the shield to form a shoulder-mounted weapon.
Jazz's robot mode has about 3 centimetre's worth of abdomen missing. His legs are disproportionately oversized and his upper body is somewhat lacking. Because of the way the forearms are formed from the car's bonnet folding on itself, they seem quite flimsy and hollow. Figure articulation is limited. The shoulder movements are blocked by the chest pieces, and the unmovable doors mounted on the thighs limit knee and hip articulation.
Looking past these faults, the robot mode is very detailed, with bronze accents on the waist and shins complementing the silver and black colour scheme. There is even a silver Autobot logo screen printed onto the waist. The visor on the head is striking in the right light conditions.
Jazz is not perfect, but overall he's hard to dislike. He's stylish, he's sturdy, he's squat. But there's something inexplicable about him that just manages to keep him on the right side of being a good Transformer.
VERDICT:
Jazz was released worldwide in 2007 as part of the line based on the characters from the live-action "Transformers" feature film.