Post by Gane on Jul 20, 2010 13:02:35 GMT 8
Human Alliance Jazz
After all this time waiting, Human Alliance Jazz has arrived in Manila sometime this weekend and luckily I get to snag one before it goes out of stock. GT still doesn't have the new stocks which would probably include a Human Alliance Jazz at the time I bought mine; so I roamed around Shoppesville shops where I find other shops offer him only if get Human Alliance Bumblebee as well.
Jazz may have died in the first movie but his appearance has been one of the memorable parts of the movie, having been one of the favorite characters in G1. And now being "immortalized" in Human Alliance is one sweet deal for collectors. I know I don't list him as my favorite Autobot but he's definitely in my top 10 (or probably top 5).
Just like the rest of my review, I will not be mentioning how you will transform Human Alliance Jazz or give you the stats for his character. I will focus mainly on my observations of the toy itself, because yeah I play with them and not keep them in their boxes for possible future endeavor...
The Packaging
Human Alliance Jazz is labeled under the Hunt for the Decepticons series although they kept the original packaging design, it sure would have annoyed a lot of followers if they used the new box... ewe...
As usual the box is awesome because of the clear plastic display window which you can use to return Human Alliance Jazz inside and it will act as a display base in any shelf along with the rest of the Human Alliance figures. Probably on the second wave of the Hunt for the Decepticons series that they used paper twisties instead of the rubber coated wire twist ties.
The back sports the usual bot and alt mode for Jazz, Capt. Lennox and the motorcycle/blaster which I tought at first that it'd Elita-1 completing the Arcee Team. Sorry no pics since it's already available elsewhere online...
What you get inside the box are Human Alliance Jazz, Capt. Lennox, Motorcycle Blaster, Blaster projectile (inserted into blaster), transformation manual and a Hunt for the Decepticon Mission Code (just like the rest of the toys in this series).
Human Alliance Jazz Alt Mode
[/color][/size]After all this time waiting, Human Alliance Jazz has arrived in Manila sometime this weekend and luckily I get to snag one before it goes out of stock. GT still doesn't have the new stocks which would probably include a Human Alliance Jazz at the time I bought mine; so I roamed around Shoppesville shops where I find other shops offer him only if get Human Alliance Bumblebee as well.
Jazz may have died in the first movie but his appearance has been one of the memorable parts of the movie, having been one of the favorite characters in G1. And now being "immortalized" in Human Alliance is one sweet deal for collectors. I know I don't list him as my favorite Autobot but he's definitely in my top 10 (or probably top 5).
Just like the rest of my review, I will not be mentioning how you will transform Human Alliance Jazz or give you the stats for his character. I will focus mainly on my observations of the toy itself, because yeah I play with them and not keep them in their boxes for possible future endeavor...
The Packaging
Human Alliance Jazz is labeled under the Hunt for the Decepticons series although they kept the original packaging design, it sure would have annoyed a lot of followers if they used the new box... ewe...
As usual the box is awesome because of the clear plastic display window which you can use to return Human Alliance Jazz inside and it will act as a display base in any shelf along with the rest of the Human Alliance figures. Probably on the second wave of the Hunt for the Decepticons series that they used paper twisties instead of the rubber coated wire twist ties.
The back sports the usual bot and alt mode for Jazz, Capt. Lennox and the motorcycle/blaster which I tought at first that it'd Elita-1 completing the Arcee Team. Sorry no pics since it's already available elsewhere online...
What you get inside the box are Human Alliance Jazz, Capt. Lennox, Motorcycle Blaster, Blaster projectile (inserted into blaster), transformation manual and a Hunt for the Decepticon Mission Code (just like the rest of the toys in this series).
Human Alliance Jazz Alt Mode
This time I have pictures for comparison so hold on to your horses. First off you'll notice that his paint scheme is similar to that of Sideswipe so all the gaps for the "parts" are very visible (unlike Human Alliance Bumblebee and Barricade), which when converted to 1:1 scale would mean that those are really large gaps you wouldn't want to see on your vehicle. But then again it doesn't matter and transforming him to his alt mode will result in tighter gaps unless you don't plug them locks tightly (which the factory didn't to minimized wear and tear).
The toy looks really cool along with the rest of the Human Alliance figures but I still don't understand why on Earth did they not use clear red plastic for the rear signal lights just like what they did with Mudflaps'... It's a minor detail, but it really sticks out when his headlights are molded in clear plastic. And lastly Human Alliance Jazz shares something in common with Human Alliance Sideswipe, no rear plates. Nada...
Human Alliance Jazz is longer and wider than Skids (and Mudflap) but comparatively shorter than Bumblebee (or Barricade and Sideswipe). I forgot to check their height but I believe he's shorter than Skids in this mode.
You may think that you can pose windows down but it only folds halfway without the top part of the door and the shin area of his legs will not allow the doors to be closed.
Human Alliance Jazz Bot Mode[/color][/size]
Before transforming him I had a few glances on the manual because I don't know where to start... LOL But after that hick-up the manual was set aside... Beware of some tight plugs on the rear spoiler and hood, you don't want to crack those plastics don't you?
On the bottom part his transformation is similar to that of Mudflap and Skids, while his top half is similar to Barricade's. Oh and remember the scene where they first transformed in front of Sam and Mikaela? There's spinning here on his top half... Just like Barricade, he doesn't carry a big "back pack" that complicates the weight distribution and his torso not visibly empty if you look at him at the sides.
The box picture doesn't justify the chest section, because the center grill should be rotated with the Pontiac logo upright and you can give a slight angle to the headlights. To immitate the movie tigh area as seen on the side of the box, you can rotate the rear section to the front. Although the manual only indicates placing it on his sides; you can also keep it in place to make him the Autobot with a big ass (see side view pic above). LOL He's got extra firing power on his body like the cannons on both knee shields, and the one on his shoulder for when Capt. Lennox rides on his shoulder.
I don't think the twins will pick a fight with him, because he maybe just a bit bigger in alt mode, but he's almost as tall as Bumblebee in bot mode. His size doesn't translate to his hands which are small just like that of Sideswipe. I wonder if they don't have inferiority complex since they're the only ones with small hands...
The crowning glory in my opinion is the lever at the back of Human Alliance Jazz's head; it hides his "ocular protector" or sunglasses, or whatever you call it, so you can pose him with or without his cool glasses which gives him that endearing personality from G1. It's not listed as a feature in any part of the box and it only has a tiny diagram at the back of the manual, they probably felt it's just a minor detail which a lot of his followers would think otherwise.
Is it me or does he looks like a goat?
The downside in this figure is his feet. It doesn't have articulation from the rest of the leg section, so you'll have to take that into consideration. They could have placed a pin there, but no... they had to cut back and make that part immovable...
Motorcycle/Blaster[/color][/size]
Why in the world couldn't they just make Elita-1? The only Elita-1 I know is the one that's supposed to come out sometime in the Holiday Season 2010 in delux class, and it's not a repaint or retool of Chromia and Arcee. Somebody once said that Elita-1 might come out later on a possible but unconfirmed Human Alliance Jolt...
The motorcycle transforms into a blaster in a breeze... no challenge at all. It is smaller than Arcee and Chromia and the stand is located on the otherside of the bike so you can't really display it along with the Arcee Team because it faces a different direction. I propped it in the picture below to make him face the same direction as the others...
Capt. Lennox[/color][/size]
Wow, he's almost too small for Jazz. Is the guy playing Capt. Lennox shorter than the rest of the actors? His figure is a few millimeters taller than Mikaela's and shorter than the rest of the Human Alliance er, humans... I can't comment on the similarity because the paint is applied too thick that it hides a lot of details on my copy... the prototype version on the box picture looks a lot better and detailed.
"Sorry I didn't think it would warrant a picture. The figure is too small to make anything clear with my camera phone... but if anyone is interested I will have some uploaded."[/size][/i]
Conclusion[/color][/size]
For Completists this is a great buy... You will love everything about it except for the motorcycle... The box is still the same Human Alliance design which I really like. You may have second thoughts about the price though since he's a small car in alt mode, but having seen the tall bot mode and all those features... he's one Autobot you don't want to miss. The details are superb as always, but they upped the level on this one (and that of Barricade). If you think the Leader Class Starscream is super detailed that it's already considered to be repackaged as Master Piece, then this Human Alliance Jazz will not let you down... you may probably not need additional detailing...
As aforementioned, the only drawback in my opinion is the lack of articulation for the foot (other than the stabilizer tab at the inner side of the heels) which could help greatly in photo shoots. This also translates to the lack of visible seat inside Human Alliance Jazz in alt mode which is standard to the line. From afar the pistons will appear as seatbelts on racing cars; you can't see the seat until you open the doors et viola Capt. Lennox sits on the floor... LOL
He's easy to transform which reminds me of Human Alliance Barricade but has better crotch area to allow more posability... In alt mode he's really has a snug fit, but additional pressure and those separation lines will disappear.
Finally I give Human Alliance Jazz a good 4 out of 5... yes even with the deal on his feet and the motorcycle is another matter altogether.
Thanks for reading...
Comments are Welcome...
joke... no really comment and questions are indeed welcome... ;D[/center]
keeping the site active as a place to dump info for easier backtracking. 