Bumblebee [BMK Series 1]

If it’s not completely obvious, Yolopark started their BMK range with the old standbys — classic Transformers characters recognizable to everyone. While I know it’s uber cool to pretend to only like deep cuts… I like the main guys too. I’m also not cool, and I’m cool with that. Not to mention, I love classic Bumblebee.

Spending a little time with him in this BMK kit is exactly what I needed after a hectic few weeks.

BMK stands for Beginner Model Kit, and that’s very obvious when assembling one. Ideally, these are for a younger audience, but as I’ve said before, they’re just right for a future display I have in mind. They’re solid representations of classic characters at a pleasant size — exactly what I’m looking for.

So far, all the BMK kits I’ve assembled have followed the same general format. You’ve got a torso piece that includes the character’s waist and legs down to the knees. The lower legs, arms, and head are separate pieces that snap into place to complete the build. It’s done in seconds — maybe minutes if you’ve got some tight joints or distractions, like an insane cat going nuts while you’re trying to do something.

That was me. Her name is Miso, and she’s a tiny force of nature.

Cat chaos aside, Bumblebee looks great once assembled. His arms and head have a decent range of motion, and while the legs are mostly static, there’s a swivel at the knee and an ankle joint that give his stance a little life.

Bumblebee comes with his pistol — something you might catch him using if you flip across the Transformers channel. It’s an iconic look for him, even though his original toy never had a weapon.

Completed, it’s a nice, satisfying Bumblebee that looks like he just stepped off the screen. I’m really liking this BMK display idea of mine… now I just need to make some more progress on that room organization.

Leo X Godzilla [Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles X Godzilla]

Rounding out the first wave of figures in the awesome TMNT X Godzilla line from Playmates is Leo X Godzilla. Pairing the Turtles’ leader (regardless of what Raphael says) with the King of the Monsters, and utilizing Leonardo’s signature blue alongside Godzilla’s atomic breath, just feels natural.

The blue flames on his katana combine the two characters’ signature weapon/attack perfectly, and it just looks fantastic.

I’ve made the comparison before, but I really feel the need to make it again — these feel more like designer toys than action figures you can just pick up at Target.

After this year, Mattel will be taking over mainline TMNT action figures, and thanks to Turtles of Grayskull, I know they’ll be in good hands. This crossover feels like an excellent finale to Playmates Toys TMNT for me, as I’ve been buying them since I was a kid in the late ’80s.

Once again, the figure has excellent articulation and sculpted detail. It’s pretty amazing just how well the melding of Godzilla with the TMNT aesthetic works. I really like the way his tail and back plates integrate with the turtle shell.

Part of me wishes they’d do a Gamera. Now that I’ve said that, I really want one.

Unfortunately, this is the last TMNT X Godzilla figure we’ll be looking at for a while, as wave 2 isn’t due out until this fall.