KRE-O Starscream

Series: KRE-O
Allegiance: Decepticon
Year: 2011

Prelude: In 2011 Hasbro attempted to break into LEGO’s market with their own click brick line, Kre-O. Of course the most popular TF characters all entered that line, including Starscream. Which one, though? G1 Starscream? Movie Starscream? A weird mixture of the two? Hard to say, so we shall take closer look at this pile of bricks here. Let’s say go!

Robot Mode: Like all Kre-O sets, Starscream comes in pieces and needs to be assembled and there are left-over parts in each mode, too. The robot, once you’ve finished building him, is an interesting mixture of styles. The head and the colors are clearly based on G1 Starscream, but the general shape of the body is more akin to the Movie version, while some aspects seem to be entire original, such as the big missiles standing up on his wing tips. He has G1 Screamer’s turbines for boobs and Movie Screamer’s thrusters on his back. Taken together it is very much its own thing, a weird but somewhat cool looking amalgamation.

Articulation is pretty good for a figure assembled from bricks and Starscream can do some nice poses without falling over or apart. The figure is about the same size as Masterpiece Starscream, a tad bigger even, which still makes him a good deal shorter than KRE-O Optimus Prime. 

For weapons, Starscream carries a double blaster on his right arm and no less than four missiles on his left one. No Null Rays and not quite the missile launchers he had in the live-action movies, but again, a weird amalgamation of the two. 

Bottom line: a pretty decent robot mode as far as brick-assembled figures go with decent articulation and a pretty unique look.

Alternate Mode: The big weakness of the Kre-O Transformers is that they don’t transform. You disassemble him and then rebuild the pieces into the alternate mode with parts left over. Starscream’s second mode is a jet fighter that kind of looks like an F-15 Falcon if you squint, but isn’t really any particular real-life model. 

Unlike the robot mode, the jet mode is mostly a homage to G1 Starscream both in shape and in color. There are quite a few features here, such as a three-piece retractable landing gear, a cockpit that opens up and seats a Kreon pilot (see below), missiles under the wings, and even a ladder so the Kreon pilot can climb into the cockpit. Nicely done. 

Nothing much more I can write here that the pictures don’t tell better. A very nice brick-assembled fighter jet with some nice play options.

Partners: Like most of the bigger Kre-O sets, Starscream, too, comes with several smaller figures, called Kreons. The first one is basically G1 Starscream, looking pretty fun with a great smirk on his face and outfitted with his customary arm cannons. Very nice. The second figure is a generic human in a black flight suit and helmet, which can serve as Starscream’s pilot in jet mode. Evil human or just a hologram? Make up your own mind, but I like the evil frown he has for a face.

Remarks: Starscream might well be my favorite of the various larger Kre-O sets from that time, as he is a rather unique mixture of different Starscream versions that somehow manages to become its own thing. I’d like to see a proper toy figure of this version of Screamer, to be honest. One that can properly transform, goes without saying.

Bottom line: the Kre-O sets are very much a product of their time, but if you ignore the fact that the figures don’t really transform, you are left with quite a bit of play value. Starscream looks great in both modes and I am sure there are plenty of customizing options for experienced click-brick-fans. I enjoyed assembling him and little Kreon Starscream is just adorable. So if you are looking to try your hand at a Kre-O set, Starscream is one of the best options in my opinion.

Rating: B-