The 2007 Transformers film was accompanied by one of the largest product blitzes in the history of the Transformers brand. The prominence of the movie allowed Hasbro to push the toy line to new levels of complexity and diversity.
In addition to the standard "main line" figures, several sub-lines were developed. Some, such as the Fast Action Battlers and Cyber Slammers, are aimed at younger users. Others, such as Real Gear Robots and the various role play toys, expand on the plot and concepts of the movie.
Virtually all of the movie cast received multiple toy incarnations at various price points, from the tiny $4 Legends versions and two-for $5 Robot Heroes PVCs, up to the massive, complex, electronic $80 Ultimate Bumblebee. Given the limited number of Transformers featured in the movie, the toyline naturally contains many additional characters. Many of these are featured in alternate movie-related media, such as prequel comics and video games.
Toyline
Action Figures ("main" line)
Overview
Deluxe Bonecrusher.
The main line movie figures attempt to emulate the spindly, multi-faceted appearance of the screen characters, succeeding to a remarkable degree. This aesthetic carries over to characters that do not appear in the movie, giving the line a unified appearance. Most alternate forms are realistically styled contemporary Earth vehicles, many of which are licensed replicas.
The main line figures feature an above-average design complexity, with figures such as Deluxe Bumblebee packing an amazing number of moving parts into a small package. Transformations are fairly complex, and tend to capture the movie's visual spectacle of a vehicle flying apart into a thousand pieces as the robots transform. The primary gimmick of the main line is "automorphing", wherein moving one piece of a toy will in turn move other pieces into their designated positions via hidden gears, furthering the parallel with the movie's visuals.
Deluxe Bumblebee as a '76 Camaro.
Many of the vehicle modes' exteriors are formed by thin panels, but limbs and torsos are sufficiently integral to the vehicle-mode panels that they are not shellformers. On some of the toys, these panels swing back on themselves or are otherwise concealed to such an extent that the finished robot gives comparatively little indication that it turns into a vehicle at all -- yet another point of unity with the movie's design aesthetic.
Unfortunately, due to issues of vehicle-mode licensing and the fact that the robot designs are the shared intellectual property of DreamWorks, it is a virtual certainty that the Movie toys will never be made available as redecos in other franchises or as convention exclusives.
Movie Deluxe Class
Wave 1 (aka "Preview Figures")
- Protoform Optimus Prime
- Protoform Starscream
Wave 2
- Bumblebee
- Autobot Jazz
- Decepticon Brawl
- Barricade (includes small figure of Frenzy)
- Scorponok
- Wreckage (a non-Movie character, based on an unused ILM design)
Wave 3
- Bonecrusher
- Swindle (a non-Movie character, appears in the Movie Game & prequel comics)
Wave 4
- Arcee (a non-Movie character, was to appear in the film, but was replaced by Ironhide)
- Camaro Concept Bumblebee
- Dreadwing (a non-Movie character, appears in the Movie Game & prequel comics)
Wave 5
- Final Battle Jazz (remold of regular Deluxe Autobot Jazz)
- Longarm (a non-Movie character, appears in the Movie Game, based on a non-transforming tow-truck that appears in the movie)
- Payload (a non-Movie character, appears in the Movie Game & prequel comics)
Wave 6
- Dropkick (a non-Movie character, appears in the Movie Game)
- Recon Barricade (a redeco of Barricade)
Wave 7
- Cliffjumper (non-Movie character, redeco of Deluxe Camaro Concept Bumblebee)
- Landmine (non-Movie character, based on a Sector Seven vehicle from the movie)
- Autobot Camshaft (non-Movie character, redeco of Deluxe Swindle)
Wave 8
- Stockade (non-Movie character, based on a Sector Seven vehicle from the movie)
Wave 9
Movie Voyager Class
Wave 1
- Blackout (includes non-transforming scaled-down figurine of Scorponok)
- Autobot Ratchet
Wave 2
Wave 2 Revision 2
Wave 3
Wave 4
- Rescue Ratchet (G1-homage redeco of Ratchet)
- Thundercracker (a non-Movie character, redeco/remold of Starscream using the same head sculpt as the Target exclusive Starscream redeco)
Wave 5
- First Strike Optimus Prime (G1-homage redeco of Voyager Optimus Prime)
- Evac (non-Movie character, redeco/remold of Voyager Blackout)
- Offroad Ironhide (redeco of Voyager Ironhide)
Wave 6
- Incinerator (non-Movie character, based on Bell/Boeing VH-22 Osprey, seen during the movie.)
Movie Leader Class
Wave 1
Wave 2
Wave 3
Wave 4
- Nightwatch Optimus Prime (redeco of Leader Optimus Prime)
Future releases (confirmed at BotCon 2007)
- Deep Desert Brawl (redeco of Leader Decepticon Brawl)
Other Action Figures
Movie Legends
Wave 1
Wave 2
Wave 3
Movie Legends Allspark Battles
Wave 1
- Cliffjumper vs. Recon Barricade (redecoes of Legends Bumblebee and Barricade)
- Autobot Jazz vs. Bonecrusher (repackaged minor redeco of Legends Jazz)
- Rescue Ratchet vs. Decepticon Brawl (redeco of Legends Ratchet)
Wave 2
- Ironhide vs. Desert Blackout (redeco of Legends Blackout)
- Nightwatch Optimus Prime vs. Stealth Starscream (redecos of Legends Optimus Prime and Starscream)
Movie Real Gear Robots
Capitalizing on movie scenes in which the All Spark brings ordinary Earth machines to life, Real Gear Robots is a line of modern electronic items which convert to miniscule robots. The toys are comparable to the Scout class in size and price. Their alternate forms tend to be slightly scaled down from life size, with realism varying widely. The robot modes are generally more in line with the blocky aesthetic of Generation 1, rather than the more complex look of the movie characters.
Wave 1
- Speed Dial 800 (Mobile Phone)
- Longview (Binoculars)
- Spy Shot 6 (Digital Camera)
- Power Up VT6 (Portable Video Game Player)
Wave 2
- Booster X10 (MP3 Player)
- Zoom Out 25X (Digital Video Camera)
Wave 3
- Meantime (Digital Watch)
- High Score 100 (Game Console Controller)
Wave 4
- Wire Tap V20 (Mobile Phone)
- Night Beat 7 (MP3 Player)
Wave 5
- Hacker X-3 (Portal Video Game Player)
- Highline 1070 (Mobile Phone)
- Photon T-34 (Digital Camera)
Wave 6
- Farsight T-20 (Binoculars)
- Midnighter XR-4 (Digital Watch)
- Twitcher F451 (Game Console Controller)
Movie Ultimate
Fast Transformers Fun
Cyber Stompin' Robots
(non-transforming)
- Cyber Stompin' Optimus Prime
- Cyber Stompin' Bumblebee
Cyber Slammers
Wave 1
Wave 2
Wave 3
Wave 4
Fast Action Battlers
Wave 1
- Cannon Blast Ironhide
- Battle Blade Starscream
- Power Hook Optimus Prime
- Ion Blast Autobot Jazz
Wave 2
- Double Missile Decepticon Brawl
- Axe Attack Autobot Ratchet
Wave 3
- Disc Blast Decepticon Frenzy
- Gyro Blade Blackout
- Fusion Blast Megatron
Wave 4
Future releases (stock photos seen)
- Claw Slash Ramjet (Starscream redeco)
- Fire Blast Optimus Prime
- Pulse Cannon Ironhide
- Sonic Shock Smokescreen (Jazz redeco)
Role Play
Helmet Role Play
- Optimus Prime Voice Changer (helmet)
Converting Arm Blasters Role Play
- Optimus Prime Battle Rig Blaster
- Starscream Barrel Roll Blaster
Super Soaker Gauntlet Blaster
- Transformers Water Shooter
T.E.C.H. (Transformers Electronic Combat Hardware)
Wave 1
- Digital Dagger
- Quick Bow
Wave 2
- Tight Shot
- Flash Bang
Wave 3
- Autofire
Non-exclusive special packs
Screen Battles (upcoming)
- Final Stand (minor movie-accurate Deluxe Longarm redeco with Mikaela driver figurine and battle damaged legless Bumblebee figure)
- Desert Attack (minor Deluxe Scorponok redeco with Epps, Figueroa and Donnelly figurines)
- Capture of Bumblebee (minor Deluxe Camaro Concept Bumblebee redeco with Simmons and Sector Seven agents figurines, one of them being a miscolored William Lennox)
- First Encounter (minor Deluxe Barricade redeco with Sam, Mikaela and Frenzy)
Store exclusives
Target exclusive Scouts
Wave 1
- Hardtop (redeco of Cybertron Hardtop)
- Arcee (redeco of Energon Arcee)
- Signal Flare (redeco of Energon Signal Flare)
Wave 2
- Strongarm (redeco of Energon Strongarm)
- Skyblast (redeco of Energon Skyblast)
- Clocker (redeco of Cybertron Clocker)
Wave 3
- Armorhide (redeco of Cybertron Armorhide)
- Elita-One (redeco of Energon Arcee)
- Air Raid (redeco of Energon Skyblast)
Wave 4
- Warpath
- Storm Surge
- Crosshairs
Store exclusive redecos
Target exclusives
- Robo-Vision Optimus Prime (redeco of Voyager Class Optimus Prime)
- Autobot Jazz (G1-homage redeco of Deluxe Class Autobot Jazz)
- Starscream (G1-homage redeco of Voyager Class Starscream)
Best Buy exclusives
- Autobot Ratchet (metallic redeco of Voyager Class Ratchet)
- Megatron (metallic movie-accurate redeco of Voyager Class Megatron)
more to come...
Store exclusive multi-packs
Costco exclusives
- leader Class Optimus Prime with bonus figures (Legends Class Bumblebee & Autobot Jazz)
- Ultimate Bumblebee with bonus 3" Titanium Bumblebee
Sam's Club exclusives
- Deluxe three-pack (Decepticon Brawl, Bonecrusher & Autobot Jazz)
Target exclusives
- Legends four-pack (Movie Legends Class Optimus Prime, Legends of Cybertron Optimus Prime, Movie Legends Class Megatron & Legends of Cybertron Megatron)
- "Evolution of a Hero" two-pack (Deluxe Class "Classic Camaro" Bumblebee & battle-damaged "Camaro Concept" Bumblebee)
- 3" Movie Optimus Prime Titanium three-pack (Contains 3" Optimus Prime in robot mode, semi mode, as well as set exclusive Protoform robot mode)
Toys'R'Us exclusives
- "Decepticon Desert Attack" two-pack (Voyager Class Blackout & Deluxe Class Scorponok)
- Legends six-pack (Bumblebee, Autobot Jazz, Optimus Prime, Megatron, Barricade & Starscream)
Wal*Mart exclusives
- "First Encounter" two-pack (Deluxe Class Bumblebee & Deluxe Class Barricade)
- "Leader for the Ages" two-pack (Fast Action Battler Optimus Prime & Classics "Ultimate Battle" two-pack Optimus Prime)
- "Mass Media Battle" two-pack (Real Gear Robots Speed Dial 800 & Booster X10)
- "Robo Recon Team" two-pack (Real Gear Robots Spy Shot 6 & Longview)
- "Brain Scrambler Team" two-pack (Real Gear Robots Power Up VT6 & Zoom Out 25X)
Plain Transformers Fun
Mr Potato Head Transformers
Plush Transformers
- Softimus Prime (G1-style Prime, soft toy transforms by turning inside out, using velcro)
- Slumblebee (ditto, for G1-styled Bumblebee)
Robot Heroes
(2-inch non-transforming cutified figurines similar to Star Wars Galactic Heroes et al. G1 cartoon characters in Movie packaging)
Wave 1
- Optimus Prime vs. Ravage
- Rodimus vs. Insecticon (Actually Hot Rod vs. Shrapnel)
- Mirage vs. Starscream
- Grimlock vs. Shockwave
Wave 2
- Ultra Magnus vs. Megatron
- Bumblebee vs. Soundwave
Wave 3
- Optimus Prime w/Matrix vs. Unicron
- Autobot Jazz vs. Thundercracker
Wave 4
- Optimus Prime vs. Blackout
- Ratchet vs. Megatron
- Bumblebee vs. Barricade
- Autobot Jazz vs. Frenzy
Wave 5 (upcoming)
- Optimus Prime w/sword vs. Scorponok
- Ironhide vs. Bonecrusher
- Armor Bumblebee vs. Starscream
- Protoform Jazz vs. Brawl
Collector
Unleashed
- Bumblebee
- Optimus Prime Turnaround
- Megatron Turnaround
Movie Titanium
Japanese exclusives
While most Japanese toys were more or less identical to their Hasbro counterparts, down to the packaging which was simply given an additional sticker in Japanese, and various Japanese store exclusive toys were simply imported Hasbro toys which Takara didn't see commercially viable as mass releases, there were a few genuine Japanese exclusives.
- EZ Collection Bumblebee "scanning version" (a clear redeco of Legends Class Bumblebee, exclusively available with the August 2007 edition of Hyper Hobby magazine)
- Bumblebee "limited metallic color version" (a redeco of the first Deluxe Class Bumblebee toy with a shiny gold metallic finish, exclusively available at Lawson stores)
- Protoform Optimus Prime "Fusion Cluster Edition" (a redeco of Deluxe Class Protoform Optimus Prime in "entry mode" colors, exclusively available at the C3xHobby Convention and later also from e-Hobby)
- Protoform Starscream "Fusion Cluster Edition" (a redeco of Deluxe Class Protoform Starscream in "entry mode" colors, exclusively available at the C3xHobby Convention and later also from e-Hobby)
- Blackout "4500x version" (a redeco of Voyager Class Blackout in more realistic metallic colors and with the precise identifying marks attributed to him in the film dialogue, exclusively available at Lawson stores)
Merchandise
Trivia
- As of the Movie toyline, the "Ultra" pricepoint has been abolished. Whether this will continue to be the case for future lines remains to be seen, although Hasbro has stated a possible return to this pricepoint with Classics 2.0.
"Drought"
Oh well. Better luck with the sequel toys!
Since the movie's premiere, many fans have complained of a severe toy shortage in most markets, particularly the U.S. Mainline figures have proven to be more difficult to locate at retail than in many years, if not ever. This is due to the convergence of several factors:
- The tremendous success and high profile of the movie has vastly broadened the toy-buying audience, with many more kids, adult collectors, and scalpers seeking out product.
- Major retailers such as Wal-Mart and Target placed orders for TF movie product based on their sales records for Cybertron and Classics figures, as well as movie-related toylines in general, which tend not to do well (as the Spider-Man 3 figures still warming shelves wherever you live can attest).
- Unusual congestion at Chinese factories and shipping docks lengthened the time necessary to produce and ship new figures to the West.
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