Review: Hasbro Transformers Prime- Soundwave

The Facts

• Devoted to Megatron and unlike Starscream he gets things done
• Soundwave is able to detect and jam transmissions across the entire energy spectrum, a talent that makes him suited to his position as Decepticon Communications Officer.
• Originally designed as a cassette player, he has gone through several iterations throughout the toy’s life cycle but has always been communications related.
• Current version is a modern military UAV Reaper Drone.

Technical Data is as follows;

Strength-8

Intelligence-10 (little known fact: Soundwave is an MIT grad)

Speed-6

Endurance-5

Rank-8

Courage- 4

Fireblast-6

Skill-9

Sculpt/Paint

This is the TF Prime version of Soundwave, thus he has a very anime/CGI style. Some classical elements do exist. The head is definitely a homage to earlier versions and of course the paint scheme of mostly blue and gray, I can pick out elements of G1, Revenge Of The Fallen, and War For Cybertron versions, I am sure there are others in there too. I can also get a bit of a Beast Machines feel from some of the lower half of this figure; there is a sort of skeletal look to it. Overall this version of Soundwave is captured well in plastic form and is a clean and sharply done sculpt with a very arts and science feel. Gray, blue, silver, and pink are used in the paint scheme. There are nice details added with silver highlights and pink highlights throughout. Something I did not notice until a few days after I opened this figure was the underlying paint application; there a nice touch of dark blue added under the arms and on the neck area.

Articulation

Let’s face it here; there are lots of moving parts here.  Hasbro and Transformers wrote the book on articulating robots. Soundwave transforms easily and very obviously, which for me in my ripe old age of 33 is good, as I seem to have trouble with the movie lines of recent years. I like the leg transformation especially, as joints rotate and spin, almost like a “Bayformer” transforms. The two piece feet/heels allow SW to balance nicely and lead to pulling off some decent poses. My particular had very nice tight hip/thigh socket joints, which I have found to be very loose on most other Transformers with this type of joint set up. Maybe Hasbro has ironed out the wiggly hip issue that has plagued some of their figures in recent years. (Namely Tomahawk from the HFTD line)

I always find it hard to get good action poses from my Transformers. The upper body is nice; it has a triangular shape torso which incorporates Laserbeak very nicely. The arms are well done at the shoulder, giving that typical high shoulder blade look that so many transformers have, whether it is doors or wings. When we get down to the lack of wrists and the hands… well it reminds me of “Junice Merill” (Slightly-Off Laurence Welk Performer) which of course was one of Kristen Wiig’s characters on SNL. We have some tiny finger like devices that while true to the cartoon; I just do not care for the look of them. Maybe if some wrist articulation were added that would improve upon the rather spindly hands.

Accessories

Soundwave comes with Laserbeak which sits atop the drone in vehicle form and fits nicely in the chest of Soundwave in robot form. I am quite impressed with the way he fits into Soundwave’s chest it is a smooth and very well incorporated design, great thinking here Hasbro!

Pros

1. Great head sculpt really captures that faceless autonomous robot look.  He looks cold and calculated like an Autobot/Human killing robot from outer space should!
2. I like the skeletal look of the lower half of his body, yet poseabilty and balance have been retained.
3. Paint scheme is simple but immensely effective, it’s all in the details and he has just enough!
4. Laserbeak, who wouldn’t want to shoot a cool electronic spy bird out of his or her chest? Especially when it is incorporated so well into the sculpt.

Cons

1. Tiny fingers…weird and tiny fingers with no wrist articulation.( I know they are accurate to the cartoon)
2. 12.99? Really… I know plastic is a petroleum product but sheesh he is too skinny to cost $13.00!
3. He doesn’t talk in that oh so cool Soundwave voice… in this decade we have gotten light up Tron figures,  a Storm Shadow 3-3/4” figure that can practically start his own dojo, but we still do not have a talking Soundwave, what gives Hasbro???

I have to say I have not been able to get into  the cartoon, but I do like this figure. It has enough classic elements to retain the look of Soundwave and the use of a UAV Reaper Drone is really an inspired and modern idea. Laserbeak fitting into Soundwave’s chest is classic and the fact that it is done so well here really shows some effort from Hasbro. Maybe I will pick up season one of Transformers Prime on DVD and give it another shot!