Transformers Review: Cliffjumper (Prime RiD Deluxe)

Intro:

            Finally, The Cliff has come back to New Planet Cybertron!!!

            Sorry about that, I’m just so darn excited about this guy. After missing out on the First Edition The Ro… I mean, Cliffjumper, I was adamant that I was going to get this guy.

            It’s ashamed really that Cliffjumper only got 5 minutes of screen time (I ain’t gonna tell you what happened, you have to go find out for yourself), but despite all time, Cliffjumper figures have been one of the most sought after figures in the line, be it the First Edition or this Robots in Disguise sub-line. I just wished that Cliffjumper could’ve layeth the smacketh downeth on many more Decepticons candy @$$es. 

            Anyways, it took me a whole lot of searching to find this, but is he worth the effort to hunt him down? Read on…

Alternate Mode:

            Cliffjumper transforms into a Dodge Challenger muscle car – suitable for his character portrayal (and not to mention his voice actor). Another obvious nod to the voice actor himself (whether it’s intended or not) is the horns on the hood. Wrestling fans may still remember that one of Dwayne Johnson’s nickname was The Brahma Bull, hence his bull-head logo. Get the connection?

            Anyways, the horns are made from bendable soft rubber, so that it won’t poke your eyes. The underside of the car isn’t quite that clean unfortunately. You can clearly the robot parts underneath and even Cliffjumper’s head peeking. 

 

 

            Cliffjumper also comes with a Battle Hammer, which looks rather more like a Battle Axe, if you ask me. There are two Mech-tech ports – one on the roof and one on the ride side of the car where you could plug in the Battle Hammer and use it as some sort of a blaster instead. 

 

 

 

            Cliffjumper has got a very nice car mode and definitely one of the most realistic-looking cars in the line so far.

Robot Mode:

            Back in the G1 days, Cliffjumper was a depicted as a Minibot, who is Gung Ho in nature. Fast forward decades later, Cliffjumper is equally gung ho. Being a bit short and stout, I think the overall look really suits his character.

 

 

            Also, back in G1, in action figure form, he used to be Bumblebee’s twin, but this time around, they are worlds apart. While ol’ Cliff still maintains his “horny” look, Bumblebee has taken a significantly drastic look overall. 

Horny look?

            I can’t compare him to his First Edition cousin, but based on photo comparisons, the RiD version’s finishing seems to be cleaner. 

The Cliff enters the Ring while posing to the millions (and millions) of The Cliff's fans

            For a figure in his class, his overall articulations are above average. His head is on a ball joint, but due to a protruding gear piece at the back of the head, the head can’t look upward, which is quite ashamed really; the shoulders are on ball joints as well, but the wheels seems to limit his movements; the arms rotate slightly below the shoulders; the elbow bends, followed by ball-jointed wrists; there is also waist articulation; the ball-jointed hips are a bit loose for my liking, and they rotate too; the knees bend as if they are double-jointed; and finally ball-jointed ankles.

The Cliff gestures as he's about to deliver the People's Elbow

            The major critical articulations are there, but unfortunately, a lot of them are rather limited, as mentioned before. Also, although as stated previously that the robot’s finishing seems to be cleaner compared to his First Edition cousin, he isn’t exactly perfect. 

He lands the Cliffbottom...

            As with his immediate predecessor, when viewed from the side, his chest is awkwardly hollow. The arms, as they are formed by the car mode’s doors and chassis also seems a bit too deformedly hollow. The chest piece, which seems to be formed by the hood, is actually a separate faked hood. It’s not to say that it’s bad thing, but I’m just saying that it’s there. 

... covers for the pin...

            As mentioned previously, Cliffjumper does come with his Battle Hammer. However, you may also have the option of wielding it as a gun, by using the same plug that you would use in his car mode, and plug it onto his hands. 

... and The Cliff celebrates the win

            Overall, he’s an okay figure, but with a lot of room for improvement.

Overall:

            Despite his limited screen time, he actually became one of Transformers: Prime’s fan favorite, partly due to his bad@$$ attitude, and also because of the voice actor who played him.

            He’s not exactly perfect, and he’s rather far from it, but this version of Cliffjumper seems to be an improvement from his original First Edition counterpart. Character-wise, he is definitely admired for his testicular fortitude.

            Now, if you smell what The Cliff… is… cooking…

            Final verdict: 7.5/10.