Review: 10338 Bumblebee
Posted by CapnRex101,The launch of 10302 Optimus Prime was highly anticipated in 2022, as the Autobot leader looks exceptional in LEGO form and demonstrates the obvious potential of LEGO Transformers. 10338 Bumblebee follows this year, as the ideal model to accompany Optimus Prime.
Even though Bumblebee is significantly smaller than Prime, the transformation is very complex. That is a strength in certain respects because some clever building techniques are required, although it also seems liable to create problems, particularly for Bumblebee's vehicle mode and articulation.
Summary
10338 Bumblebee, 950 pieces.
£79.99 / $89.99 / €89.99 | 8.4p/9.5c/9.5c per piece.
Buy at LEGO.com »
While the engineering is remarkable, Bumblebee involves some major compromises
- Ingenious transformation
- Good for display in robot mode
- Massive shoulders do not suit Bumblebee
- Relatively limited articulation
- Ugly vehicle mode
The set was provided for review by LEGO. All opinions expressed are those of the author.
The Completed Model
Whereas 10302 Optimus Prime was able to adhere closely to the original Generation 1 figure, Bumblebee is more challenging. The figure released in 1984 is notoriously underwhelming, so the LEGO designer, Samuel Johnson, has developed his own version of Bumblebee, albeit one obviously inspired by the character's G1 design.
The model is undoubtedly recognisable as Bumblebee and the legs match his G1 appearance very closely. However, the bulky shoulder armour departs from the classic toy or Bumblebee's animated design and creates issues with articulation, as the arms look extremely stubby. Also, the lack of knee and ankle articulation restricts posing options, although some dynamic stances are still possible.
Optimus Prime fared better in that respect, but articulation is not a particular strength of either model, unsurprisingly. Additionally, their relative sizes are not accurate, as Optimus should be about twice Bumblebee's height, if not even larger, based on some scenes from the animated series. However, I think Bumblebee's height of 26cm works well beside Optimus Prime, as the figures look like they belong together, but there is still a major size difference.
I like how Bumblebee's head is constructed, using the 2x2 curved wedge slope developed for 10302 Optimus Prime as the face and yellow axe blades as horns. The blue eyes look superb and another printed piece adds texture to the forehead, recreating the vents from Bumblebee's appearance in the original Transformers animated series.
The overall shape of the head looks good too, again corresponding with the G1 design. Also, a ball joint underneath provides ample articulation, but the head is definitely best viewed from the front, where the horns appear most accurate. Nonetheless, the back is nicely finished with a 2x2 inverted tile.
Bumblebee's torso is quite simple, but looks excellent. The proportions of the head and chest match the character's original design and the printed Autobot symbol is a nice addition. There are some differences between this model and Bumblebee's traditional G1 portrayal though, as the front windscreen is missing from the bottom of the torso, for example.
However, the large shoulders are the most obvious change, as mentioned earlier. Normally, I find heavy shoulder armour effective on LEGO mechs and robots, but they are fundamentally wrong for Bumblebee, in my opinion. I would rather the wheel arches had remained part of the torso and only the wheels, with minimal bodywork, folded out to become the shoulders.
That could have solved another issue, as while the chest seems appropriately bulky from the front, gaps emerge when viewed from the back or sides. These Technic parts are essential to the figure's transformation, which is very clever, but I am sure the mechanism could have been better disguised.
The aforementioned missing windscreen is actually found on Bumblebee's back, serving as a jetpack, according to the set description. I like how the windscreen folds up and the trans-light blue parts could represent power jets, but the back of the model looks untidy with this attached. Also, the jetpack adds unnecessary weight to the figure's back.
Although the position of the shoulders makes some poses look awkward, you can rotate them and angle the elbow for Bumblebee to point his blaster forward. Unfortunately, the elbows only include hinges and cannot swing outwards, but you can change the angle of the weapon to give the impression of Bumblebee holding the blaster slightly to one side.
The actual weapon, questionably referred to as an ion blaster in the set description, features some interesting details. Its shape bears a resemblance to Bumblebee's typical blaster in the animated series and I like the dark blue colour choice. Black or grey is more common on other toys and onscreen, but this shade contrasts with the Transformer itself.
Despite their limited articulation, without moving knees or ankles, the legs appear particularly authentic to Bumblebee's original design. I love how the bonnet folds up to accommodate the transformation and a series of rubber tyres underneath each foot provide solid grip for varying poses, even though the feet are not planted flat.
Furthermore, the printed tiles on the legs look excellent and I am glad these parts are printed. Only minor cosmetic details, such as the number plate, require stickers. The hip movement is reasonable too, as click hinges provide a good degree of sideways motion and they can swing forward or back. The yellow armour protecting the hips can actually move up slightly, allowing the forward motion.
The feet have no need for printed pieces, as the layers of the collapsed bonnet provide ample detail. Additionally, panels behind the feet fold away, similar to several modern Bumblebee G1 figures, which attempt to capture his appearance from the Transformers animated series more accurately than the original toy.
Bumblebee's transformation is more complex than Optimus Prime's, with many more moving panels. Even so, those experienced with traditional Transformers should not have any issues and the first stage is certainly familiar, removing the jetpack and locking the legs together with clips, ready to become the front of the car.
Next, the aforementioned panels on the back of the feet unfold, allowing the whole torso and legs assembly to rotate down, as shown in the images below. The bonnet segments can then slide into position and the dark bluish grey bumper returns to a flat angle. This design is clearly more elaborate than the toy from 1984, but the basics of its transformation remain.
The front and rear sections are only connected with two 9M double-ended rotation joints. This new element matches the existing 6M rotation joint and provides a remarkably strong core, so moving the heavy torso assembly does not feel easily breakable. From the position below, you can start to transform the torso into vehicle mode.
Even though the arms consist of multiple small panels, they slot together neatly, reminding me of some modern Transformers. Bumblebee's backpack swings over his head on a pair of black supports, with clips at either end. These supports do pass the horns on the head without having to fold them in, but I have found they bump the horns out of place sometimes.
Once everything is close to its eventual position, the torso assembly swings further forward and fits on top of the legs. The shape of Bumblebee's car mode is obvious now and the final stages involve moving the shoulders and arms inwards against the body, where they are connected to the legs using clips.
Finally, the boot cover folds into place between the wheel arches and the doors close, slotting together well. The jetpack also comes back into play and becomes the windscreen. Removing and reattaching pieces like this is never ideal for a Transformer, but I understand the need here because the chest would probably look too bulky with the windscreen permanently attached.
Bumblebee's G1 vehicle mode resembles a classic VW Beetle, albeit deformed to a greater or lesser degree, depending on the source. While not based wholly on that G1 design, this model certainly bears a resemblance to the original vehicle. However, the cab is relatively small and its proportions do not seem very realistic, which is a shame.
In addition, the car is hugely oversized next to Optimus Prime's truck mode, measuring 22cm long. Realistically, there are bound to compromises for both sets to be transformable and look appropriate together in robot mode, but it is still disappointing that you cannot really display the Autobots together in vehicle mode. On the other hand, most will choose to keep them in robot mode, I am sure.
The curvature of the nose is pretty effective, incorporating 3x3 quarter circle curved slopes and 2x3 curved wedge slopes to create a lovely shape. The rounded wheel arches are attractive as well, with circular headlights mounted on the front, resembling those on a VW Beetle. The trans-orange lights underneath are odd though, since they differ from the G1 Bumblebee.
By contrast, the bonnet shows great attention to detail, as you can replace a plain 2x2 tile with one featuring an Autobot symbol to match the Transformers series. Another printed element is placed behind the windscreen, decorated with a bee, fittingly. I was initially concerned that the trans-light blue windows would show a lot of unsightly structure inside, but in fact, it looks fairly tidy.
The same cannot be said for the doors. While the panels comprising the arms and hands slot snugly together, there are still plenty of exposed seams and hinges. The dark bluish grey click hinges are especially awkward, even though the door mirrors are grey to match. The shoulders and arms are my least favourite part of Bumblebee's robot mode and I feel similarly about the vehicle mode.
The view from behind is better, but there are considerable gaps and the extremely narrow rear windscreen looks bizarre. I dislike the exposed studs over the tail lights too, although the lights themselves are perfect, mounted above some referential bumper stickers. Optimus' classic 'roll out' phrase appears on one side and Bumblebee shows his love for Cybertron on the other.
A couple of interchangeable number plates are also provided, each featuring September 17th 1984 in the corner, when the Transformers animated series debuted. The first number plate is decorated with letters from Bumblebee's name, while the other refers to Bumblebee's eventual reconstruction as Goldbug.
Just like 10302 Optimus Prime, this set contains a stickered plaque, using a 6x8 ramp piece. I appreciate the consistency between plaques, displaying the Autobot emblem in the corner and Bumblebee's motto below. The statistics are taken from his G1 toy packaging, while the back of the plaque hides another printed bumblebee tile.
Overall
Creating a functional LEGO Transformer is incredibly challenging, especially when the original Hasbro figure does not suit a direct translation. 10338 Bumblebee therefore suffers from some significant issues. I generally dislike the vehicle mode and the heavy shoulder armour is simply not a feature I associate with Bumblebee, particularly given the model's many G1 influences.
That being said, the transformation is brilliant, far surpassing 10302 Optimus Prime, which had the advantage of adhering closely to the original toy. With that in mind, I am not sure whether a LEGO Bumblebee figure could be much better than this one, despite its flaws. Also, the price of £79.99, $89.99 or €89.99 feels reasonable, but the model simply has too many problems, in my opinion.
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47 comments on this article
No sir, I don't like it.
Its ok and I will buy it when it hits 30% off.
Those wheels are much too large and are what ruins the look in vehicle mode
I really enjoyed the build and the first transformation.
As I don’t know the toy I have no problems with the differences.
I’m still fascinated by the building techniques and what is possible with my favourite building blocks.
Just terrible. Look at these matchstick legs!
Wish theyd do minifig versions with them like the Kreo Transformer sets did. I'd have to buy them then. As it is, i can pass.
Transformers = crap robot and crap car.
LEGO Transformers = crapper robot and even crapper car.
Surely the point of LEGO is build an ace robot, take it apart and then build an ace car. Or helicopter, or train, or plane, or whatever you can imagine.
Really don’t get this.
This one doesn't do it for me - a rare pass I'm afraid.
The robot is underwhelming and the car looks awful.
I never realized until now how crappy thos set actually is
@BricklingUK said:
"Transformers = crap robot and crap car."
You and I are enemies now.
It's far from perfect, but that doesn't mean it's terrible IMO. The fact that it's so much cheaper than Optimus Prime works in it's favour.
I am reasonably happy with what I see here, and will eventually get it. I think the vehicles look fine side by side. G1 Transformers fans are used to compromises, especially with the original toys, e.g. things like incorrect relative scale or poor robot or alt modes (or both).
That being said... I will watch for an alternate builds from fans, who will have more time to possibly come up with improvements. (See Hulkbuster.)
Honestly, if it wasn't for the head design and the yellow colour, I'd not even relate this build to being Bumblebee. The vehicle mode looks more like an old Fiat sports car then a VW bug. Not to mention the bulky shoulders and jet pack making it out like its a completely different bot.
Massive fail by the designer sorry.
I think Transformers G1 shares and suffers in a lot of the same issues early Bionicle has. Clunky, limited articulation; also iconic, the most distinctive the characters are known for, and always viewed with heavy nostalgia. So I can point to GWP Tahu despite it's small size as sharing many of the same issues in translating to brick form as these Transformers sets do
I would rather we got Megatron though for a rival to Optimus before getting a second Autobot, although I can imagine LEGO hesitating to do an honest G1 Megatron due to the "transforms into a gun" thing.
Personally my favorite Bumblebee is actually the Michael Bay Camaro version. Terrible, terrible films; but the Camaro is what I picture Bumblebee as myself (although the "one good live action Transformers movie, the one even my mom likes" does have Bumblebee as a VW Bug for most of it). As has been said before though "being the best Transformers movie is like being the best square dancer in Hong Kong..."
I'm a relative bystander looking into Transformers fan spaces, but I'm starting to wonder what approach they will take with future models; that is, if they go beyond a presumptive Megatron set and don't stop at those 3. A fourth would probably be Starscream, have the iconic Number 1 and Number 2 heroes and the iconic Number 1 and Number 2 villains, and I know Soundwave has been desirable among AFOLs in MOCs, but beyond those iconic G1 designs, what then? These two sets so far have been mostly attempts to be a merge between the original toys, the G1 cartoon designs, and what's possible in Lego, but Bumblebee here presents a slight oddity that some more apparent liberties were taken with his design - as much as the shoulders are brought up here, the "backpack"/wings are definitely inspired by the car door wings on the movie design of the character. Once we get out of the duos, will they try to be G1 cartoon adherent or take more liberties as with this? What will happen if we get, say, an Arcee? Doing a TFwiki dive, the history behind her G1 design in toys is a headache and a half and never really had a comprehensive one until around thirty years after the fact, and at that, her vehicle mode in a lot of other branches of the series is a bike instead of a car, so would they try to do the animated movie robot mode with a more modern motorcycle vehicle mode, if that's even possible...? Speaking of alt modes, heck, Megatron himself - his original toy was a toy gun; would Lego make an 18+ prop gun??? The easy answer is making it a tank like later toys, but with these models' tributes to the original Takara/Hasbro toys and their transformations, that would break the trend, right? Are Jazz, Ironhide, etc. recognizable enough to sell an Icons set? Would they do a Hot Rod, or do enough Transformers adults still have a grudge on the character?
Was never really into Transformers as a kid so no nostalgia from me for this or Octopus Prime.
Hard pass.
At this point, they just need to make Soundwave. He's a naturally box-shaped character and the transition from robot to tape deck forms should be easy to pull off.
Not sure how any of the cassettes would translate. Probably not great.
I was beginning to think there wouldn't be a review, glad to see one. "Additionally, their relative sizes are not accurate, as Optimus should be about twice Bumblebee's height, if not even larger, based on some scenes from the animated series." Just keeping up the tradition, then. There's a reason the TfWiki article on scale ( https://tfwiki.net/wiki/Scale ) is in the category "Things that don't exist" and starts with the sentence "Scale in Transformers is, not to put too fine a point on it, screwed." All that said, I'm still looking forward to building this. I Ordered it day one, it's just been sitting in its box, waiting for me to clear space. When I do build it, I plan to use the "GLDBG" plate, as Goldbug ( https://tfwiki.net/wiki/File:Goldbugg1toy.jpg ) was my first Transformers toy.
@Andrusi said:
" @BricklingUK said:
"Transformers = crap robot and crap car."
You and I are enemies now."
Indeed, time to break out the ion blasters!
I unfortunately don’t get the goldbug references and am too lazy to google. Unless we’re talking Richard Scarry.
Not a fan of this set myself. I mean Transformers had some unusual car designs at times so I can excuse the vehicle form looking a bit odd, but I cannot get past how ugly those legs look. One of the great things about Transformers (IMHO) is we got some amazing updates to G1 characters in new forms that stayed true to the character and design (the Alternators/Binaltech line is just amazing to me), and I feel that the designer could have made concessions to modernisation whilst still retaining a lot of relateability.
Not much of a disguise.
I think many people forget how odd looking the original toys were as well. And they definitely lacked articulation so I'm guessing this Lego Bumblebee is an improvement. With that said, I have Prime but this will be an easy pass.
The 1x1 printed bee tile is the only good thing in this set, so I will not be getting this set.
@yellowcastle said:
"I unfortunately don’t get the goldbug references and am too lazy to google. Unless we’re talking Richard Scarry."
Bumblebee died in the comics during the GI Joe crossover and was eventually rebuilt as Goldbug (before eventually taking back the Bumblebee name).
If they want to get into deep cuts they could make a red variant of this along with another face plate for the “masked” G1 version of the original toy.
G1 Bumblebee isn't anywhere near as iconic as G1 Optimus is, and what's worse is that this doesn't even really look like the G1 Bumblebee either. It feels like the LEGO designers went too hard into the transformation and forgot to actually make it look like the thing it's supposed to look like.
I love the LEGO Optimus, but this one is a real miss in just about every way. Doesn't matter how well designed it is (in regards to the transformation functionality) if you fail your prime directive.
This set marks the first time I have ever regretted a Lego purchase.
Prime was an amazing set, very true to the original G1. This set is poorly designed.
Vehicle mode looks awful
Robot mode isn't too bad, some nice new concepts that includes the use of rubber tires on the feet.
Playability is horrible. Try and transform it and you're picking pieces up off the floor.
Still dont get why the wheel in the back
@ResIpsaLoquitur said:
"At this point, they just need to make Soundwave. He's a naturally box-shaped character and the transition from robot to tape deck forms should be easy to pull off.
Not sure how any of the cassettes would translate. Probably not great."
Well, the Cassette tape in the 76217 I am Groot set was pretty good... but then we'd end up with a Soundwave probably 2 feet tall and costing the same as a UCS set to do it justice. On an affordable scale, I've no clue how they'd pull it off either.
As a 80’s kid (and I thank god every day that I am), I had to get this. Yes, the car mode on this is truly awful. But don’t have an issue with the robot mode. I cool companion for Optimus on the shelf.
I changed all the window parts to trans-black, and all the parts behind the windows to black. Makes both modes look much cleaner.
@ForestMenOfEndor said:
" @yellowcastle said:
"I unfortunately don’t get the goldbug references and am too lazy to google. Unless we’re talking Richard Scarry."
Bumblebee died in the comics during the GI Joe crossover and was eventually rebuilt as Goldbug (before eventually taking back the Bumblebee name)."
To go into more detail, and because I'll take any excuse to link to TFWiki: https://tfwiki.net/wiki/Goldbug_(G1)
I was a big TF fan in the 80s, so I'll definitely be getting this. I agree that the shoulders aren't really G1 Bumblebee, but I actually think that they quite suit the model. The G1 toy was, tbh, completely rubbish and a set based on that would have been terrible, so this is a definite improvement in robot form. In vehicle form it looks really bad, but I'll never display it like that anyway.
I would't have bought this on its own, but as a companion display piece to Optimus Prime it's OK.
@Graysmith said:
"G1 Bumblebee isn't anywhere near as iconic as G1 Optimus is, and what's worse is that this doesn't even really look like the G1 Bumblebee either. It feels like the LEGO designers went too hard into the transformation and forgot to actually make it look like the thing it's supposed to look like."
Bumblebee and Cliffjumper were two of the smallest Transformers available early on, so they had probably some of the highest ownership levels of the entire G1 lineup. Bumblebee was my first Transformer, so I've been known to pick up instances that depict his VW Beetle mode (far less interested in the muscle car versions). Yes, this looks absolutely nothing like the wonky design of the G1 toy, but without looking up images to see how close they got it, it makes me think of how he appeared in the old cartoon. While I recognized how good a job they did with Optimus, I have no attachment to that character, so this will probably be my first LEGO Transformers purchase. Really hoping for Soundwave, though.
Optimus was well done and set the bar high. Bumblebee suffers in comparison. The robot and car modes are both, just, *off*. I'll probably wait for a sale or promo to pick this one up, hoping there will be other transformers-based kits eventually.
As for a Soundwave kit, maybe a smaller construction that doesn't transform yet fits within Soundwave, then a transformable build alongside Soundwave to represent the sidekick. Would probably be a bit bigger in piece count, but the Soundwave kit would be "complete".
@TheOtherMike said:
" @ForestMenOfEndor said:
" @yellowcastle said:
"I unfortunately don’t get the goldbug references and am too lazy to google. Unless we’re talking Richard Scarry."
Bumblebee died in the comics during the GI Joe crossover and was eventually rebuilt as Goldbug (before eventually taking back the Bumblebee name)."
To go into more detail, and because I'll take any excuse to link to TFWiki: https://tfwiki.net/wiki/Goldbug_(G1)"
Thank you Other and Moon/Planet. I have that crossover series but must not remember the storyline. But those old GIJoe comics were so good. I grew up on Larry Hama and Peter David.
Next up: gun mode Megatron! (sorry, "submarine" mode, I mean)
I got this, (cause I have prime!) the build itself was alright, having to disconnect part of the windshield in order to finish to robot mode was weird. And the legs… argh the legs… need to do something about that. Anyone have a MOC on how to fix them?
@yellowcastle said:
"I unfortunately don’t get the goldbug references and am too lazy to google. Unless we’re talking Richard Scarry."
'...but where is Goldbug now?'
Oh and please, surely one of us could remake this with improvement?
@ResIpsaLoquitur said:
"At this point, they just need to make Soundwave. He's a naturally box-shaped character and the transition from robot to tape deck forms should be easy to pull off.
Not sure how any of the cassettes would translate. Probably not great."
You can eventually look up the work of alanyuppie (https://rebrickable.com/blog/716/moc-review-transformer-fembot-space-cruiser-by-alanyuppie/). The linked site is not his MOC repository but you can easily get it from there (+ the post is very interesting IMO). For me that guy is a living legend, it's unreal how he creates so many Transformers out of Lego.
Long story short, maybe there is Soundwave too, I'm not sure because of the huge amount of creations he's done already.
@GusG said:
"Still dont get why the wheel in the back"
Agreed, it's such a weird feature and makes it look even less like a VW Beetle than it would without it. Spare tires go under the front hood.
I don't love it. It looked okay upon initial viewing, but after the review, I think I will have to pass.
The blockiness is one thing, the scale is another.
But ultimately if the transformation is better than Optimus, maybe time for a new Optimus figure lol
Definitely in the minority here but I don't really like the robot mode and prefer the car mode. I think the car looks great from the front and it's cool that it can transform! If this set goes on sale I'll get it just to display the car and transform it for fun on occasion.
@DekoPuma said:
" @GusG said:
"Still dont get why the wheel in the back"
Agreed, it's such a weird feature and makes it look even less like a VW Beetle than it would without it. Spare tires go under the front hood. "
Blame Takara and their Masterpiece Bumblebee toy, which gave him an external spare tire so it could become a detail on his back in robot mode.
@GoldenNinja3000 said:
"Definitely in the minority here but I don't really like the robot mode and prefer the car mode. I think the car looks great from the front and it's cool that it can transform! If this set goes on sale I'll get it just to display the car and transform it for fun on occasion. "
100% with you on this one, you're not alone! I mean, I like the robot mode too, and it's surely an improvement over my '90s Bumblebee toy as far as articulation goes, I just find the car mode very cute and will display that primarily!