Fall of Cybertron Jazz

Robot Mode: Fall of Cybertron Jazz adheres relatively closely to the basic design of G1 Jazz (and most other Jazz figures, for that matter) in that he has the classic car-hood-as-chest look. Unlike most other Jazz figures the entire chassis of the car converts into his upper torso and arms, meaning his lower body - everything from the waist down - has no part of the car mode at all. That includes the wheels in his feet, which are fake.

The figure’s proportions seem a bit mismatched, as he’s got a pretty big head on a very broad upper body and a very slim lower body with comparatively short legs. Articulation is good, if short of spectacular, and while the figure has quite a bit of sculpted details, many of them get lost amidst the mostly white paintjob. Jazz carries a gun and... yeah, that’s pretty much it.

Not sure what else to write here. A good robot mode that’s recognizable as Jazz, but somehow... boring.

Alternate Mode: Jazz transforms into a Cybertronian car that does somewhat resemble his Earth mode (a Porsche most of the time). Folding the robot together into car mode is a relatively simple affair, but getting all the panels on the sides to line up properly is a tad more complicated. The finished product does manage to look a good deal more detailed than the robot, but it’s basically still a white car. The gun can be mounted on top. To sum it up: a decent care mode, but little else.

Remarks: Jazz was a playable character in the Fall of Cybertron video game, where he went on a mission with Cliffjumper to discover the fate of Grimlock and the Dinobots. He and Cliffjumper ended up bumping heads with Shockwave and finding a bit store of Energon that they intended to power the Ark with. Later on he was seen urging the last remaining Autobots onboard the Ark for the final evacuation of Cybertron.

As a toy Jazz is... well, I guess the best word would be: boring. He’s not bad, but neither is he particularly good. He has no obvious faults, but for some reason I don’t really warm up to this figure. Maybe the problem is that he’s just another car Transformer with the car’s hood for a chest and very little else to distinguish him from literally hundreds of other, similar figures. Sure, he’s Jazz, but that’s pretty much it. So the bottom line: a good, yet boring figure.

Rating: C+