[Toys] Transformers Kre-O: Jazz

• Images provided by Seibertron. 

Well this is an interesting one. One of the three things I got for my birthday. I thought I'd take a look at Hasbro's latest brainchild for the robot toyline we all know and love.

The Kre-O toyline is Hasbro's answer to "Transformers LEGO sets" and is their way of saying "We're sorry about last time." Rather than doing what Built To Rule tried by making a vehicle that transformed with some brick rearranging here and there, Kre-O is essentially a brick set that can be assembled into a car OR a robot, with some pieces being put to the side in either mode.

That said, let's pop this baby open. Solid.

Jazz here is a faux-Deluxe price point. He's not too big, but not too bad. I'll address some reasons why he's not the best, but for now I thought I'd give that size class out there.

Jazz is a plump little car. I could swear he should be a little less tall, but I suppose it can't be perfect. I found the assembly interesting here; while there are all these parts left over for the legs and ankles, they found a place to store the feet on the back of this vehicle and made use of its bulk by building around it with thinner pieces, making this into a surprisingly solid car. I like the thought put into these.

An additional detail I thought I'd bring up is that in order for you to put the figure inside, the roof flips open. Nice thoughtful addition to make it easier. 

The robot mode leaves a bit to be desired. The two major problems I will address are the lack of hands - which I guess can be expected on a cheaper set - and the lack of articulation for the knees. While he does look really nice in a static pose, it would be cool if he could move around a bit more.

That said, the arms are rather impressive with how they're built; There is a joint on the shoulders (which isn't present on the vehicle at all, this is specifically used for the robot), as well as a solid elbow bend. I saw these joints being used in pictures before I got this guy and thought they might be hazardously floppy, but I was wrong. They're great.

Jazz here has some callbacks to his G1 design. Particularly, the wheel placement on the lower legs and shoulders (a little low on this one though), the front of the vehicle forming the chest, and of course his iconic head and stripes are present. And while you can't see it from here, the car doors are spread out in the back, which is a really nice touch. He's primarily silver which is no doubt in honor of the movie, but otherwise he's an incredibly clear G1 homage. I really dig the look they managed to pull off, given it's a robot made out of bricks. 

Jazz comes with two Kreons (those are the names of the mini-figs for Kre-O, for those new to this) - A generic "Race Driver" no one will care about (but in case you do he comes with a cap as well, hooray!) and Jazz himself. Every Kre-O set - sans the "Scout" price Bumblebee and Optimus - comes with a Kreon of the character the set is based on.

Jazz here comes with a gun, his iconic door wings and of course sports a very G1-inspired head and color scheme. Definitely something you G1 fans will want. Also, I liked the little detail of having the visor be part of the helmet, and yet underneath there, the original robot face still has eyes. That means you can reuse this head on anyone you like!

The articulation for all Kreons is about the same so I feel no need to address in later reviews what they have, but they have the same kind of articulation as Lego mini-figs, with the addition of balljointed shoulders and hips, as well as a swivel joint at the waist, allowing you to give them a lot of personality in how you pose them.

Overall, I am pleased by what I get out of this set. If you don't like what you see already, I can't say you'll be too swayed by having one in hand, but it's definitely worth getting if you're looking to satisfy any bit of curiosity you may have. Because if you're into Legos, you're getting a decent car that doubles as a decent robot. For the price you'll be paying, it's not too bad. They're off to a decent start, and I can only see them improving from here.