Breakaway
“Breakaway is really fast and likes to bomb things.”
I have a thing for robots that turn into jets. Breakaway is my recent cheap fix.
In jet mode Breakaway is a reasonable facsimile of an F-35 Lighting II. He is cast primarily in shiny tannish-brown plastic with his details provided by paint applications. One notable feature of this mode is that his head is visible inside the cockpit.
From the rear, Breakaway looks reasonably compact and complete for an tweleve dollar toy. He is light years ahead of the jets from the previous movie line.
In profile we can see how all his parts fit together quite nicely. Breakaway has one retractable main gear and two wheels on his underbelly which all him to roll about while making plastic rumbling noises.
Breakaway even looks good “in flight.”
Transformation to robot mode is easy and intuitive. It feels a lot like Energon Starscream or Generation 2 Smokescreen and I like that. In robot mode Breakaway combines that classic Aerialbot look with a “frog man” motif as evident by his large feet and hunched appearance.
From the rear we can clearly see the “tribal tattoos” that dominate his wings and tailfins. I would have much preferred some old Aerialbot style stripes to these weird green markings.
Up close we can see Breakaway best feature: his adorable face. A combination of a Zaku-esque breathing mask and two large blue eyes make this badass robot look like a helpless little puppy. Won’t you give him a hug?
Breakaway’s articulation is pretty standard. He does have a waist joint but in order to use it you must forgo locking his tail section into his back. His one “Mech Alive” feature is a dial on his right arm that spins the Gatling gun. The gun is really tight whereas ideally it should just spin freely with a flick of the dial.
In the end I found Breakaway to be a refreshingly simple figure. The combination of a great jet mode, intuitive transformation, and charming looks makes me think Breakaway will be a sleeper hit for the new Transformers Revenge of the Fallen movie line.