Transformers Revenge of the Fallen review: Autobot Whirl

Name: Autobot Whirl
Function: Aerial assault.
“If used logically, madness makes a great weapon.”

For the first time on Earth, two masters of the ultimate fighting art-Metallikato- face off in a battle to the very end. Weilding ancient blades, handed down through generatations of warriors, Autobot Whirl and Decepticon Bludgeon circle one another, every sensor alert for the slightest opening. Though they move slowly and deliberately now, once they strike, the battle will be far too fast for the human eye to see. It will be decided in a matter of microseconds by flashing blades powered by centuries of training.

Alternate Mode:
Autobot Whirl is a Sikorsky Pave Low helicopter. As seen before with the first movie, the makers decided to render some justice to our G1 favorite Whirl by giving this bot a proper mode. The copter forms with a few gimmicks, including a spinning set of blades, and a deployable raft to help save anyone lost. While Whirl is the traditional color scheme of his G1 original form, I think most Whirl fans will be happy with this Toys R Us exclusive release.
Robot Mode:
Although Autobot Whirl has been released under the Transformers Revenge of the Fallen series, and is in fact a repaint of a previously released toy, I really felt like I was picking up a G1 Classics toy. I did not have Whirl as a kid, but have had one as an adult collector, and this bot breathes life into a G1 classic figure. The figure has a good color scheme to match the character, and in robot form, Whirl turns into a killing machine as a Master of Metallikato.
Special Features:
Whirl has a few features that add to the playability of the toy. First off, the helicopter has a spinning blade feature, which is activated by a push button in the rear of the copter. In robot mode, this is detachable, so one can use it on Whirl’s back, or just leave it off. Another feature is a deployable raft from the cargo area that doubles up as a laser.

Transformation: 5. Not extremely complicated, but the top section of the copter where the blades connect to the body can be a little tricky.
Durability: 6. The bot is durable, but I could see the copter blades breaking easily.
Fun: 7. I am a big fan of Whirl, but some of the drawbacks are limited pose ability, and he has so much rocket gear shoulder pads that he has absolutely no peripheral vision at all. Another distraction for me was the raft/laser is not very feasible for a transformation. The only part that transforms is flipping the raft over to have a connector and a very rounded and dull looking laser. I don’t think Whirl would actually ever use this as a Master of Matallikato anyway. Who uses a laser in a karate fight anyway?
Price: 7. Picked Whirl up with Bludgeon at Toys R Us on special for $35. When you consider at the same time, the voyager class toys were only $18 on sale, and the deluxe (Bludgeon’s size) were on sale for $8 that week, I over paid for the same sized toys.
Overall: 7. Whirl is a decent Transformer. Not one to be overly excited, but decent. I give Whirl a 7 because I was not overly impressed by him other than he has a great vehicle mode.