I've been fortunate enough to see alot of movie figures come my way lately. So far, the ones reviewed have been found in Targets. However, here is a figure not yet out yet. Ratchet is the Autobot medic who after a long hiatus appears in the movie.

Alt Mode

Ratchet's alt mode is a 2007 Hummer H2 SUV modified for emergency duty. He is mostly a fluorescent green color with red striping. On the sides, there is "Fire Department" with "Search & Rescue" located in smaller letters underneath. There is also a "Search & Rescue Fire Dept." emblem on the doors with an Autobot symbol integrated into it. There is a rollcage located on his roof, which incorporates the spare tire (unremoveable) and a solid red lightbar. Finally, there is a brushguard on the grille which includes 3 driving lights.

The detail is done very well. Towhooks can be found front and back. The H2 logo is prominently worn on the front skidplate, just like the real thing. The only real disappointment was in the tires. They look a bit too skinny to be on this class of vehicle. One curiosity on this mode. The panels on the back look like they open, but they don't. They allow for some flex during the transformation.

Transformation

Speaking of which, transformation is very simple. It is also unique that the front end of the vehicle sits upside down as the chest. The rollcage on top disconnects and can mount on his left arm once fully transformed. Sadly, there is no automorph feature to speak of.

Robot Mode

The robot mode is mostly pretty pleasing. The green is still by far the primary color, with some of the red showing. The hands look a bit odd, with 4 fingers definitely looking alien. However, the face is a disappointment. I think it's because there's just too much green. Perhaps if they broke the color up a bit, the figure would come out looking better. At least the eyes are piped with blue.

Points of articulation are as follows. Feet: screw joint, 45 degree rotation (hesitation past that point). Knees: 2pt pseudo ratcheting w/free range peg, 60 degree vertical and unlimited horizontal rotation. Hips: Free range peg w/pin hinge. 150 degree vertical and 45 degree horizontal rotation. Shoulders: Pin hinge, dual setup, unlimited horizontal and 45 degree vertical rotation. Elbows: Screw hinge w/peg, 45 degree vertical and unlimited horizontal rotation. Head: Ball joint, unlimited horizontal rotation. Posing range could be better, but some kibble gets in the way. He is definitely sure-footed.

Ratchet's gimmick is with the rollcage on his left arm. Slide a peg forward and the cage can operate like a claw. I would expect Ratchet to be light on the weapons side, but I found this gimmick a bit lacking. The look may throw you a bit, but overall Ratchet is a solid figure.

Reviewer	Blitzwing
Date	May 22nd 2007
Score	(9 out of 10)
Reads	16930
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