Toy Review: Transformers Deluxe Class Laserbeak

I admit that I have been less than eager about the new toys from Hasbro for "Transformers: Dark of the Moon (DotM)." The MechTech gimmick of oversized weaponry really killed the realistic looking vehicles and figures aesthetic established from previous toy lines of the films. But then Hasbro played the nostalgia card by unveiling Laserbeak as one of the available figures to spend $10-12 retail price as I listed it as one of my favorite "DotM" toys to look forward to. I really liked how the Decepticon Laserbeak in the original 1984 cartoons converted from fearsome looking bird to miniature cassette tape and wondered if they would pull something off in the 2011 toy. But then my cynicism kicked in as I recalled how similar 1984 tape/animal character Ravage received a rather poor toy consisting of a cool panther that converted into a crumpled ball of junk that the toy designers called a "reentry mode." So would DotM Laserbeak be a cool toy that beckoned to its old school glory with a bird mode and a useful prop mode?

Nope.

Beast Mode

Laserbeak does have a bird form like its original incarnation and for the most part it is pretty nice. Red angular wings unfold from the round gray areas and he has an evil looking head. Black talons serve as his feet and he has a sharp looking tail to boot. There are plenty of posing options to make Laserbeak look like a bird of prey. A pair of twin cannons mount on top of his wings similar to his 1984 self. It works pretty well for the most part as a toy animal.

Vehicle Mode

Vehicle mode is where Hasbro really shoots itself in the foot. It could have converted into an everyday prop used for spying like the micro-cassette tape back in 1984 (USB thumb drives would probably be its modern day equivalent). Instead, Laserbeak converts into some sort of unmanned hover jet. In terms of Transformers play, this is as redundant as it gets. It already is an unmanned flying toy as a bird. Having it transform into a slightly different unmanned flying vehicle is a redundant as it gets. And there hardly is any difference between the two forms. This is just lazy toy design

Mechtech Weapon

All DotM figures are able to interchange their oversized weapons amongst each other. Laserbeak features a pair of gatling guns shaped like the cannons of the 1984 toy. The guns mount on top of the wings in either mode and provide some nostalgia factor. Additionally, the gatling guns can connect together and form into a giant double barreled Cybertronian cannon that any DotM figure can wield.

I guess this goes to show that nostalgia can cloud judgment in purchasing.