RID 2015 Steeljaw

Robot Mode: Steeljaw is a robot that looks very much like a werewolf, from the head design down to the fact that he has a big bushy tail. Actually the tail reminds me more of a fox than a wolf, but he has one, an articulated tail. He also has legs designed to emulate a wolfman’s bent-back legs, which makes it a bit of a challenge to give him a balanced stance, but it works just fine with a bit of practice. Overall articulation is fine, if short of outstanding.

For a weapon Steeljaw carries a Wolverine-like claw that he can hold in either hand, making for a cool visual. No other weapons, though I assume the cartoon will show him with some inbuilt energy weapons of some sort. His big, pointy shoulders seem earmarked to contain some kind of missile launcher or something similar.

On the downside Steeljaw looks... I don’t know, a bit unfinished, I think. The forearms don’t really snap together properly, the torso is see-through from the side, and overall one gets the feeling that a few things were cut for cost here. That’s not saying there is anything drastically wrong with this robot, mind you. He looks cool and is fun, but I can’t help the feeling that the designers did the minimum here rather than the maximum, if you know what I’m trying to say. Still, Steeljaw is a fun robot. The fact that he’s a werewolf and has a tail helps, of course.

Alternate Mode: Steeljaw transforms into a blue offroad vehicle of no specific type. Everything folds together pretty nicely and the transformation is easy without being boring. The resulting vehicle shows no robot bits except that the tip of the tail can be seen at the rear, though it kind of looks like a weird spoiler of some sort. The windows are black, not see-through, and the Decepticon symbol remains very evident on the front windshield. Detailing is minimal, but present, such as painted headlights. Finally Steeljaw’s claw can be mounted on the roof of the car for storage. So all in all not the most original car mode in the world, but fully sufficient.

Remarks: The new Robots in Disguise cartoon hasn’t started as I write this review, so I can’t really say anything about the role Steeljaw will play in it. Given that he is the only Decepticon in the first wave of Warrior class toys (the new name for the Deluxe class) I assume he’ll be more than a bit player, but that’s just conjecture at this point. What is not conjecture is that you can install the RID app on your tablet or smartphone and scan Steeljaw’s chest symbol in order to unlock the character in the game. You can just as easily use a picture of the chest symbol, though (it works with the one here on my site, btw).

Steeljaw is my first figure from the new RID line and I was kind of surprised to find him this early in a German toy store, but there he was, two of him sitting in the midst of huge armies of Age of Extinction shelfwarmers. I had to snatch him up. And my final verdict? You can see that Hasbro is still on the make-them-simpler trip, as Steeljaw is relatively small for a Deluxe-class figure and not nearly as complex as others I’ve seen. Still, he looks cool, he is fun, and considering that the RID cartoon and toyline seem geared towards a younger audience than Prime or the Movie toylines, that’s fine with me. Not sure hardcore collectors will like him, but people that like fun Transformers toys will be fine with him, I think.

Rating: B-