Toy Wizards Review: Transformers R.E.D. Coronation Starscream

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“Coronation, Starscream? This is bad comedy”.

Hasbro is at again with some more figures in the R.E.D. non-transforming Transformers line, with Coronation Starscream homaging the 1986 film The Transformers the Movie.

Having previously covered R.E.D. Optimus Prime and R.E.D. Soundwave, how does the leader of the Decepticon Seekers stack up? Is he better? Worse? Yes. Yes, he is.

Coronation Starscream is far and away better when it comes to paint application, which was my biggest gripe with Optimus and Soundwave. Both of those figures had average paint application with blemishes and sloppy application throughout. Starscream was given much more attention to detail. Paint is clean and blemish free, and the overall sculpt of the figure, especially as it pertains to the head sculpt is spot on. This figure screams G1. Whether that was an intentionally bad pun or not is up for you to decide.

My only real gripe with Starscream here is his joints are a little too loose to the point of almost being floppy, his null rays in particular pop off easily to the point of being annoying, much like Soundwave’s shoulder cannon from wave 1. Actually, one other gripe is my copy came packaged missing a tail fin that would’ve normally been pegged into his left leg. It sucks, it’s a bummer, but I can live with it.

Since this is Coronation Starscream he comes with all the accessories you would expect. Aside from some blast effects and an alternate set of hands, Starscream includes a cloth cape, his shoulder pads as part of the cape, and his crown molded to match perfectly to the ’86 movie…right before Galvatron crashes the party and blasts Starscream into space dust.

The cape is easy to attach to the figure, with each side of the cape sliding over the pegs inside of the shoulder pads which then peg onto the back of Starscream’s shoulders. To make things easier for yourself remove his fully posable wings and null rays to add the cape and then simply pop the wings back on and reattach the null rays. As for the crown it simply sits on and over Starscream’s head to complete the look.

One last bone of contention is the scaling is a little off to say the least, compared to the first wave. Starscream towers over Prime and Soundwave which makes for an inconsistent visual. While it’s kinda bad here, it’s not nearly as ridiculous as it is with R.E.D. Bumblebee which we’ll review in the not too distant future.

Since I don’t have plans to get my hands on MP-11 Masterpiece Starscream (although there is going to be a Studio Series ’86 Movie Starscream coming soon), the R.E.D Starscream will do for now. He’s not perfect, but for $20 he’s not bad either.

I give R.E.D. Coronation Starscream 3.5/5 capes and crowns.