Transformers: Masterpiece Bluestreak

The Transformers Masterpiece line is an interesting one to me. Super accurate G1 versions of the best or most beloved characters, given accurate robot and alt modes. Or at least, that’s the idea. For the most part, these things all come together pretty excellently, but there are exceptions. When the line was first starting up in the early 2000s, I was pretty much all in on it. Then it was ‘rebooted’ a few years back, and I didn’t have much of an interest. I think one of the issues was that the new line began with another Optimus Prime and is mainly Autobot focused, and on top of that, it contains some Autobots that I just don’t care about as characters.  The new-ish Masterpiece line does contain some really impressive looking toys, however, and by all accounts they are still deserving of the name. There are some that I would like to get a hold of. When they do get US releases, they are Toys R Us exclusives, which makes them often difficult to hunt down and more expensive on the aftermarket than I’m comfortable with.

The most recent Toys R Us exclusive Masterpiece figure is Bluestreak here, of the Datsuns. The three G1 Datsun cars were sort of the Autobot toy equivalent of the Deception Seekers: three of basically the same robots with basically the same alt modes, minor differences notwithstanding. The Datsuns were Prowl, Smokescreen and Bluestreak, and perhaps not coincidentally, they’ve all gotten the MP treatment. 

Bluestreak is not much of a character, even having the nebulous role of ‘gunner’ in his original G1 toy bio, and many will argue that he’s also the blandest of the Datsun trio. He’s not even blue, and his grey and black color scheme isn’t exactly the most eye catching. He’s also the only one of the three who’s ‘just’ a car. Prowl is a police car and Smokescreen is some type of race car, while Bluestreak is the kind of car that one uncle always had: that sorta sports car that’s supposed to be real cool and probably was, back when it was newer and less rusty. No offence, Bluestreak. 

So this is the first time I’ve experienced this mold, and the first Masterpiece I’d bought in ages. I got Acid Storm two years ago, and before that Rodimus Prime, and before that, Grimlock. Bluestreak is a nice figure to be sure. He looks exactly like Bluestreak, for whatever amount of source material exists for reference, and he basically transforms the exact way his G1 toy did. The arms fold up under the chest hood, and the huge car window feet turn into the back half of the car after turning 180 degrees. That transformation scheme alone is worth the pretty reasonable price tag, as it brings back all sorts of toy nostalgia. There is a certain type of that nostalgia that can only come with a Transformer though, that feeling of knowing how a figure converts without having to look at instructions, and when it’s a memory that sustains itself over the thirty years since I’ve last handled one of these three Datsun guys, that is a very satisfying feeling. 

His robot mode is again pretty bland color wise, although it is spiced up a lot by the red of this thighs. He’s more colorful as a robot than a car, which is pretty much to be expected. 

 So, here’s a complaint. The Datsun trio, in robot mode, are known for two things: the door wings, and shoulder mounted missile launchers. The door wings are present, although a little underwhelming due to their size and inability to pivot upwards more: had there been one hinge, or one joint there so the doors could angle just slightly upwards, they would have been fine even though they are just a touch too small. The missile launchers are just lame. They end up being these two small, tan plastic things that just sit there on the shoulders. I say ‘things’ not out of an inability to come up with a better word, but ‘things’ in the most generic of senses. They don’t have any details, they don’t have any distinguishing characteristics, they don’t even look like they’re supposed to be weapons; in fact, I’d wager that if you didn’t know what they were supposed to be, you’d be at a loss for what to do with them. For the most part, as a part of the robot mode, they aren’t so distracting as to detract from the figure, and if you’re looking at Bluestreak from any kind of distance, say, more than a foot or two away from your face, they aren’t a big deal at all. But they are a real dud on what is otherwise an all-around well realized figure.