The LEGO Group and Hasbro continue their partnership for a second large-scale LEGO Transformers set in the humble form of 10338 Bumblebee.
On from 2022’s unexpected and quite excellent 10302 Optimus Prime comes the Autobot leader’s trusty right-hand bot, Bumblebee. Whilst there are at least three Decepticons who instantly spring to mind as just as appropriate characters to continue the LEGO Group and Hasbro’s extraordinary partnership, none of them offer what the yellow transforming beetle car does – a little bit of practicality in the form of a smaller LEGO set at a lighter piece count and a better price.
Release: July 1, 2024 Price: £79.99 / $89.99 / €89.99 Pieces: 950 Minifigures: 0 LEGO:
More than meets the eye
Let’s be honest, Starscream, Megatron or Soundwave would have likely topped many fans’ choices for the next LEGO Transformer to come out of Billund to match up to 10302 Optimus Prime. They're just as iconic as Prime himself, more than able to stand up against the Autobot leader in play and display, and each boast a striking design that would have been fascinating to explore in LEGO form. Bumblebee, however, keeps things practical at a time when the LEGO Group and Hasbro are likely still looking to best understand the market for this unique partnership of LEGO Transformers, and during a period where people have been gravitating more towards mid-range sets over the big and expensive ones.
Bumblebee makes sense, and practical isn’t necessarily boring – he’s almost as universally popular as that aforementioned trio, whilst as a set 10338 Bumblebee offers up a still charming and interesting character packed with the same nostalgic detail and genuine hands-on fun that 10302 Optimus Prime had including – most importantly – the ability to ‘convert’, sorry, we mean transform (ask Hasbro about that).
The fact that 10338 Bumblebee actually has two genuine modes and transforms between the two with minimal pieces being reattached via LEGO building is as remarkable and fun now as it was two years ago with 10302 Optimus Prime, just as it is that both modes reasonably capture the look and feel of the character as he appeared in the original G1 design from the 1980s cartoon, complete with those bumper-sized rims for the wheels.
And we said this with 10302 Optimus Prime and the sentiment is the same here – that 10338 Bumblebee can actually transform simply cannot be overstated. LEGO shouldn’t function like this (or at least, we didn’t know it could in an official LEGO set until a couple of years ago) without pieces flying off or it just not looking at all right. The transformation here is no less involved or interesting than it was for 10302 Optimus Prime, requiring about a dozen steps to switch between modes, and it is no less impressive a design feat with 10338 Bumblebee for how at either end of the process is a completely different LEGO set to display and play with.
The transformation process – and the fact there are two credible models at either end of it – continues to demonstrate a fine understanding of the LEGO medium as much from an engineering perspective as an aesthetic one, and whilst most of us will likely leave Bumblebee in robot mode, the option to switch down to the yellow beetle-esque car is incredibly enjoyable to have there, just as it is to experience hands-on, and all as much as anything for perhaps opening your eyes to different ways that the LEGO brick can work.
For LEGO Transformers to shift from being one great set in the form of 10302 Optimus Prime to potentially a whole line of authentic, high-quality characters that fans will want to collect, carrying over everything that made LEGO Optimus so credible and remarkable into 10338 Bumblebee (and beyond) is integral, and from the transformation perspective that is more than achieved.
Not just a pretty face
At either end of the transformation are two very different modes for Bumblebee, both of which more than hold up in comparison to their on-screen 1980s inspiration. The robot mode in particular very cleverly captures the proportions, colour design and placement of bits of car bodywork, wheels, headlights and so on, just as they appeared on the character in cartoon and toy form 40 years ago. And of course, the printed face (and printed Autobot insignia) pulls everything together to turn a clever build into Bumblebee as we have always known him, this time in LEGO form. As with LEGO Optimus, LEGO Bumblebee is arguably restricted in poseability, but again there is enough within the structure and make-up of the model that it’s not an integral issue.
As mentioned, the car mode leans into the character design more authentically than perhaps casual fans expecting an accurate VW-esque beetle would expect, offering up cartoon-style proportions that in particular shape much larger wheels. It may throw you off initially, but captures the same charm that helped make Bumblebee who he was back in the day.
Between the two modes it is the robot mode that shines strongest, as was the case with Optimus Prime and you would expect would be so should LEGO Transformers continue with other characters in the future – it’s the mode most of us will leave Bumblebee transformed in, and if there were any compromises to be made they are only felt in the car mode. Robot Bee ticks every box.
Great thing in a small package?
10338 Bumblebee is made up of 950 pieces and priced at £79.99 / $89.99 / €89.99, placing him at about two-thirds of the piece-count of 10302 Optimus Prime and almost half the price, which for where we are in 2024 is a significant plus-point for this set. To get a fully-licensed character close to 1,000 pieces that offers up the same authentic and genuinely unique build and play experience for half the price of the previous model and for under £100 / $100 is truly excellent value, and nicely places 10338 Bumblebee as potentially many fans’ first LEGO Transformers experience, over and above the pricier 10302 Optimus Prime.
The smaller piece-count doesn’t hinder the final design, either, allowing as much detail and movement as is intended for what is a smaller character, and to the same (original cartoon) scale that LEGO Optimus Prime comes in. It’s also a much smoother and faster build process, and no less interesting either. Building a robot of a different size and shape that transforms into a different vehicle keeps things very fresh and interesting as you progress and try to guess how everything you build comes together and all those little turning parts will all work.
Perhaps counting against Bumblebee are two things out of its control now. It’s well-designed in every aspect and true to the source material in a way that creates nostalgia for older fans and instant fun for younger ones. Yet, it’s the second LEGO Transformer, so naturally what makes it most clever has been done once before, and so the novelty of a transforming LEGO set isn’t ever going to be as strong as it was the first time around with 10302 Optimus Prime. And the other thing out of 10338 Bumblebee’s control that counts against it – it’s Bumblebee, and as popular and eye-catching and iconic as he is, there are cooler, more dynamic Transformers out there.
Neither of these are major issues, though (indeed, how you build Bumblebee is surprisingly different to how Optimus Prime comes together), nor obstacles to most of us setting on a plan to pick 10338 Bumblebee up, on launch day or in the coming weeks on sale. We’ve been here once before with Optimus, and pleasingly, although we’re working with a smaller Autobot this time around and maybe not everyone’s first choice follow-up to Prime, things are just as good in every way that matters.
If you want more LEGO Transformers, pick up this little yellow robot. Consider supporting the work that we do at Brick Fanatics too by purchasing 10338 Bumblebee via one of our affiliate links. Thank you.
This set was provided for review by the LEGO Group.
Our honest opinion: Not necessarily the first choice for every Transformers fan to join Optimus Prime, but not one any Transformers fan will want to miss out on. Better value, too.
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