Vault Review: Transformers
Dark of the Moon, Air Raid

Wednesday’s review is a bit late due to some Internet difficulties, but I think those are sorted out now.  So without further adieu, here’s my write-up on one of the more interesting figures to come out of the Dark of the Moon line: Air Raid.

I really love seeing the end of a Transformers movie toy line, and not just because we can finally get back to G1 inspired designs.  It seems like the end of a movie line is when the toy designers allow their crazy ideas to take flight, and we get the most interesting interpretations of characters.  My favorite example of this is ROTF’s Lockdown, who was given a realistic and much more dangerous look than his original animated appearance.  I feel like DOTM’s Air Raid fits into this category too.

On my hunt for Prime figures it’s become almost second nature for me to ignore the movie waves.  I probably wouldn’t have even noticed Air Raid if he hadn’t been molded in that brilliant IAT-esque green.  He was packaged in airplane mode, which I also found intriguing because there aren’t a lot of toys based on an AWAC plane design.  Even though one of his hands was sticking out from underneath his tail wings, I thought he still looked cool enough to pick up.

I didn’t realize at the time, but his robot mode would eventually win me over.  I love it when Transformers incorporate a unique feel to their design, ya know, besides a giant robot.  Figures like Bludgeon/Banzaitron had that cool samurai motif going, while it seems Air Raid has come to the party dressed as a futuristic space knight.

The sculpting on his robot mode is fairly detailed.  His spindly arms and legs have that muscular movie look to them, while the bulkier armored parts contain a lot of intricately sculpted paneling.   I really love how his leg armor goes above his knee to cover most of his thigh.  His chest looks pretty cool too with its golden crest-like design.

Air Raid’s head sculpt is finely detailed with a large light-piping window on the back.  When his eyes are lit up you can easily see that they gave him sculpted pupils.  Maybe it’s just me, but the combination of that large gold fin on his helmet with his shoulder wings and thrusters gives me a strong Rocketeer vibe.  Continue to page 2…

9 thoughts on “Vault Review: Transformers
Dark of the Moon, Air Raid

  1. I ran across this guy at my local CVS pharmacy last week and thought he was really cool. Like you said, you don’t see many AWAC toys on the shelves. However I skipped him because he was $14.99 and I thought that was kind of high for a figure I had no plans on purchasing and the fact that some Walmarts are selling DOTM toys for less than $8! I wouldn’t mind getting him at that price.

  2. You know, with that profile he has in robot mode, and the crest on his head, he weirdly reminds me of Terrorsaur from Beast Wars. He has kind of a pterodactyl look going there which I find interesting.

  3. Great and useful review, as per usual! Love the guy’s plane mode, not too keen on the robot mode. Looks a bit too spindly. If I ever clap eyes on him (doubtful), I think I’ll still pass. If I was 30 years younger, this might’ve be one of the coolest toys in the world for me. Now, I think I’d rather spend the cash on other things, like beer.

  4. Funny. Just goes to show how different eyes see different things. I saw him and totally thought “gladiator.”

    I have him and enjoy him a lot. While scattered, there were definitely a few gems in the DOTM line.

    1. I’ve been trying to figure out what he reminds me of in robot mode, and it just hit me: one of the earlier Beast Wars shark-based TransFormer. Can’t remember the guy’s name, but I believe he was a TransMetal. Come to think of it, in plane mode, he looks a bit like a Stethacanthus shark, too.

      From now on, this guy is “Sharky” to me.

  5. I have to say that I really hate when the designers try to pass off kibble as a weapon. The fact that he doesn’t have a right hand, and instead just has the tail of the plane is an instant disqualification for me. That is sloppy design, any way you slice it. It looks terrible, and totally ruins any figure they do it on.

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