Monthly Archives: July 2022

#3150: Fennec Shand

Posted by Ethan Wilson in Reviews and tagged with , , , , , ,

FENNEC SHAND

STAR WARS: THE BLACK SERIES (HASBRO)

“An assassin and elite mercenary, Fennec Shand has worked for all the top syndicates. Clever, capable, and cunning, she is not to be underestimated and is full of surprises”

Though seemingly killed halfway through her debut appearance in The Mandalorian‘s first season, Ming-Na Wen’s charismatic bounty hunter Fennec Shand proved far too good a character for a throwaway role. A cryptic end of the episode teaser hinted at a possible return, and the second season would reveal that Fennec had been saved by none other than Boba Fett. After a few more episodes of The Mandalorian, she returned once more as a main character in The Book of Boba Fett, which was as good a spot as any for her to get some toy coverage.

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Fennec Shand is the first figure in the Book of Boba Fett sub-line of Star Wars: The Black Series. She was part of the first assortment of 2022, alongside a bunch of non-Book figures. Thus far, she and the deluxe Boba are the only figures under the branding. The figure stands about 6 1/2 inches tall and she has 30 points of articulation. The articulation is standard for modern era Black Series. Her sculpt is all-new. It’s a pretty solid offering. The head sculpt has a respectable likeness of Ming-Na Wen, as well as matching pretty well with the design for the character. The body sculpt is a nice, clean recreation of her show design, with respectable proportions and sharp detailing. The paint work on Fennec is a good offering. The base work is all fairly cleanly applied, and her face makes alright use of the face printing. It seems a touch offset on all of the copies I’ve seen, but not so bad as to look too wonky. Fennec is packed with her helmet and her sniper rifle, which features a removable strap. The helmet fits well on the head, and she can hold the rifle nicely and securely.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

I liked Fennec from her first appearance, and I was very glad when she returned on the show, as well as with her follow-up on Book. Her figure took its time getting here, but I feel she was worth the wait. Not everything is perfect, but she’s very cool, and another great addition to the growing Mando cast.

Thanks to my sponsors at All Time Toys for setting me up with this figure for review.  If you’re looking for toys both old and new, please check out their website.

#3149: Inigo Montoya – Bloodied

Posted by Ethan Wilson in Reviews and tagged with , , ,

INIGO MONTOYA — BLOODIED

THE PRINCESS BRIDE (MCFARLANE TOYS)

Alright, just one more day with The Princess Bride.  Let’s make the most of it, shall we?  With variants for Westley and Buttercup already on the books, that just leaves Fezzik and Inigo.  Fezzik’s variant was just not enough for me to justify spending the extra $40 to get him, but I was able to get on board with the Inigo variant.  And, I’m gonna take a look at that variant today!

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Inigo Montoya (Bloodied) is the final figure in Series 2 of The Princess Bride line from McFarlane.  He joins Buttercup as the other figure based on the end of the film, though they are notably two characters that have no real interactions, especially at the end of the film.  He’s specifically based on Inigo’s injured appearance post final duel.  And, like Buttercup, Inigo’s natural counterpart, Count Rugen, isn’t likely to get made.  That said, he’s again another figure that does alright as a piece on his own.  The figure stands a little over 7 inches tall and he has 35 points of articulation.  Almost all of Inigo’s sculpt is a re-use from the Series 1 release, with only the head sculpt changing.  Inigo’s sculpt was the best of the Series 1 figures, and his appearance remains fairly similar throughout, so it’s a good re-use.  The new head trades out the more calm and composed expression from the first release for a more intense, teeth-gritting expression.  It fits the mid-battle look, and changes up his look enough to make him more noticeably different from the first release.  It’s a good sculpt, perhaps not as strong a likeness as the first one, but still with enough of a vibe of Mandy Patinkin to be recognizable.  Inigo’s paint work takes the set-up on the first figure, and adds the blood from his injuries.  They blood splatters actually match up with the injuries in the film pretty well, and the blood on the hand in particular looks pretty convincing.  Also, notably, the figure doesn’t have the side-eye, and that certainly is an improvement.  Inigo is packed with his sword (with additional blood smears) and a display stand.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

Inigo is definitely the least different of the variants in the main series, and I wasn’t sure that I was going to get him.  That said, in hand, I rather liked the look of him.  The blood effect is actually quite nicely handled, and it does more to change up the figure than you might expect.  The Series 1 figure is still going to be my go-to, but I certainly like this one more than I’d expected to.

Thanks to my sponsors over at All Time Toys for setting me up with this figure to review.  If you’re looking for cool toys both old and new, please check out their website.

#3148: Princess Buttercup – Wedding Dress

Posted by Ethan Wilson in Reviews and tagged with , , ,

PRINCESS BUTTERCUP — WEDDING DRESS

THE PRINCESS BRIDE (MCFARLANE TOYS)

As we make our way through the rest of the second assortment of McFarlane’s Princess Bride line, we’re entirely dealing with the variants that make up the majority of the assortment.  Yesterday, I looked at one half of the story’s central pair of lovers, and today, I’m taking a look at the other.  The last Buttercup figure focused on the “Princess” half of the title, while this release focusses on the “Bride” half, depicting her from her wedding to Prince Humperdink at the film’s climax.  Seems like a sensible enough excuse for another variant of the character.

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Princess Buttercup (Wedding Dress) is part of Series 2 of The Princess Bride line.  She’s one of two figures based on the film’s climax in the second assortment, though the two don’t, like, go together or anything, since there’s no Humperdink to go with her at this time.  Still, it’s a prominent look, and the one she’s wearing during their escape at the end, so even without the Humperdink to go with her, it makes a degree of sense.  The figure stands 6 3/4 inches tall and she has 35 points of articulation.  The sculpt on this figure has a number of parts in common with the Series 1 version of the character, though not really many of the visible parts.  The head is the same (though not the hair; that’s been modified to add the crown), as are the hands, and the legs and pelvis.  The head remains a respectable take on Robin Wright, and the new crown piece sits nicely on it.  The new upper torso captures most of the features of the dress from the movie, though some of the details seem a little bit iffy on exact accuracy.  The new feet are more or less the same as the prior versions, but with extra detailing at the top of the foot; not entirely sure that’s accurate, but it at least looks a bit different.  Like the last figure, the skirt piece is cloth; the pattern appears to be the same; it’s a solid fabric, and kind of stiff, making it rather far off from the dress in the movie.  But, I guess it gets the general idea across?  The color work on this figure is okay, with the paint on the face being pretty clean in particular.  She’s still got a bit of side-eye going on, but it’s a little more reserved this time, and not matched by the squinting, so it looks a little better.  The dress seems a little too blue to my eyes, but that might just be a lighting thing.  The paint work is at least pretty cleanly handled.  Buttercup is packed with only a display stand.  While there’s a shortage of things to pack with the standard Buttercup, the fact that this one doesn’t include the dagger from the scene after the wedding seems like a silly omission, especially given that she’s still got that gripping hand.  What’s its purpose otherwise?

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

I was iffy on needing this figure initially, but wound up getting the whole series, and she came along with it.  It’s at least a fairly unique design, and, issues of accuracy aside, I do think she still makes for an alright figure.  The eyes being less ridiculous this time around certainly helps her, but it’s a shame she doesn’t really match up with the rest of the cast that we’ve gotten so far.  Still, on her own, she’s quite nice.

Thanks to my sponsors over at All Time Toys for setting me up with this figure to review.  If you’re looking for cool toys both old and new, please check out their website.

#3147: Dread Pirate Roberts – Bloodied

Posted by Ethan Wilson in Reviews and tagged with , , , ,

DREAD PIRATE ROBERTS — BLOODIED

THE PRINCESS BRIDE (MCFARLANE TOYS)

Yesterday, I kicked back into my Princess Bride reviews with the only new character in Series 2 of the line.  Today, I continue with the first of the three variant figures that make up the rest of the assortment.  I’m going to look at them from most notable variant to least notable variant.  Most notable it is, then!  Princess Buttercup’s love Westley initially resurfaces in her life as the masked mystery man, the Dread Pirate Roberts, but after rescuing her from Vizzini and his men, he reveals his identity, before taking a bit of a beating while trekking through the fire swamp, changing up his look bit for the rest of the movie…or at the very least removing the mystery of the initial look.  That’s the look that gets the figure today!

THE FIGURE ITSELF

The Dread Pirate Roberts (Bloodied) is the second figure in Series 2 of McFarlane’s The Princess Bride line.  While I don’t like to harp on names on the box too much, the fact that this guy is still labeled “Dread Pirate Roberts,” despite being a post-unmasking version of the character, and thereby being pretty much exclusively Westley at that point, seems like an odd choice.  But, it’s hardly the oddest choice that ol’ Toddy boy has ever made.  The figure stands a little over 7 inches tall and he has 35 points of articulation.  As was expected for this release, a lot of his parts are shared with the Series 1 Roberts.  It’s a for better/for worse situation, since it’s consistent and all, but it’s also victim to the weird hang-ups of the original sculpt, especially that weird torso/pelvis set-up.  He gets a new head and left arm to sell his new look.  The head is a solid offering.  The likeness is even better than the masked version, and the hair is pretty much perfect for Elwes’ hair in the movie.  The new left arm showcases the damage to his shirt from fighting the Rodent-of-unusual-size, as well as the missing glove.  It’s a good change-up, marred by only one thing: they didn’t re-sculpt the right side, so he’s still got one glove, which is a look he never has in the movie.  Even just redoing the hand would at least sell it a bit better.  As it stands, it just feels a bit lazy.  Westley’s paint work is largely pretty similar to the standard version, but he’s got some blood on the shoulder, as well as more detailing on the face and the hair.  He seems rather pale for Westley, but honestly, it’s not the worst thing.  Westley is packed with his sword and a display stand, mirroring what came with the first release.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

The first Westley was the weakest of the first series.  This one had a bit more potential.  Ultimately, he probably could have just been an extra head and hands with the first release, especially given that they didn’t even fully commit to the dressed-down look, but at the same time, this one does work just a little bit better than the first one.  The unmasked look is more prevalent in the film, and works better as a figure, so he’s ultimately a slightly better offering, and just the better of the two, really.

Thanks to my sponsors over at All Time Toys for setting me up with this figure to review.  If you’re looking for cool toys both old and new, please check out their website.

#3146: Vizzini

Posted by Ethan Wilson in Reviews and tagged with , , ,

VIZZINI

THE PRINCESS BRIDE (MCFARLANE TOYS)

Back nearer the beginning of the year, the first series of The Princess Bride figures from McFarlane Toys hit retail.  It covered the basics for the film’s cast, and was generally not as bad as it could have been, given that it was, you know, McFarlane, and all.  A follow-up was announced very shortly after the first, which includes variants on all of the first assortment’s characters, as well as one new addition.  I’m looking at said new addition, Wallace Shawn’s Vizzini, one of the film’s most inconceivably memorable characters, today.

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Vizzini is one of the four figures in Series 2 of The Princess Bride figures from McFarlane.  As noted above, he’s the only unique character from this assortment, and, going by how the line seems to be performing, he’s probably going to be the last unique character we’re going to see from the line.  The figure stands about 6 1/2 inches tall and he has 35 points of articulation.  His height means he’s a little shorter than the other figures, but he’s not enough shorter to accurately represent Wallace Shawn.  For accurate sizing, he should be almost an inch and a half shorter than the Inigo figure, when in reality he’s only a half an inch shorter.  It’s almost an inch off.  Flip side is that he happens to be in almost perfect scale with the Fezzik figure.  So, in a line-up with the three criminals, like in the movie when they first appear, it’s Inigo who winds up looking out of place.  But, you know, he’s the one that’s actually in proper scale…so it’s weird.  Scaling issues aside, the actual sculpt is pretty solid.  The likeness on the head is on par with the rest of the line, so it’s not spot-on, but it’s also close enough to be recognizable.  The expression is a good fit for the character, with that goofy grin and all.  The detailing on the outfit is pretty sharp, with a bunch of really great texturing.  The articulation scheme is a little less awkward looking here than on the rest of the line, which is certainly a plus.  The paint work on Vizzini is on par with the rest of the line.  The base work is all pretty cleanly handled.  We’re still getting the slightly odd grey smear for the five o’clock shadow, but it’s not quite as thick.  The eyes lose the side eye thing, so that’s a plus.  I also really dig how the accenting on his tunic turned out.  Vizzini is packed with two goblets and a display stand.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

With the four figures we got out of Series 1, I wasn’t expecting a Series 2, to be honest.  In the back of my mind, I was hopeful for a Vizzini, so his inclusion in Series 2 is pretty awesome.  He’s a slightly better quality of figure than the Series 1 figures, so that’s actually quite nice.   And hey, they actually made a Wallace Shawn figure!  How cool is that?

Thanks to my sponsors over at All Time Toys for setting me up with this figure to review.  If you’re looking for cool toys both old and new, please check out their website.

#3145: Quasar

Posted by Ethan Wilson in Reviews and tagged with , , , , ,

QUASAR

MARVEL LEGENDS (HASBRO)

“Donning a pair of Quantum Bands, Wendell Vaughn transforms into Quasar, the Protector of the Universe!”

 Before Marvel really exploded in the ’60s, but after Timely’s real start in the ’40s, the company had this sort of nebulous period in the ’50s (at which point they were operating under the name Atlas), where they just tried a little bit of everything. They still tried at the superhero game every now and again, and one of those attempts was Marvel Boy. Though he didn’t amount to much in his first go-round, he would resurface years later in the pages of Fantastic Four, having suffered a nervous breakdown, and ultimately dying in battle. His power source, the Quantum Bands, would find their way to a new wielder, Wendell Vaughn, aka Quasar. Though never a top tier Marvel character, Quasar had a fair bit to do up through the ’90s, as a notable fixture in Marvel’s cosmic line. He’s never been particularly plentiful on the action figure front, but he did at least get some Legends love in the last year. I’m taking a look at that figure today.

THE FIGURE ITSELF

 

Quasar was a Walgreens-exclusive Marvel Legends release, following last year’s theme of cosmic characters. He has subsequently been offered up for a wider release, which is probably for the best, since he never really showed up much of anywhere on the first time around. The figure stands about 6 1/4 inches tall and he has 32 points of articulation. Quasar is built on the Bucky Cap body, which is pretty much on the eve of its retirement at this point. It’s been given a little bit of a facelift, with a new set of arms, which now have the pinless construction on the elbow joints. He also gets a new head, cape, and Quantum Bands. The head has an impeccable likeness of a younger Robert Redford, which honestly works. It looks like his comics counterpart, but with a touch of realism. The new cape is very clean and sleek, and quite well-balanced. The bands are sharply detailed, and a good match for the in-comics pieces. The color work on this guy is pretty solid. He’s bright and eye catching, and I really like how the star field on the cape turned out. Quasar is packed with two sets of hands (fists and flat handed) and a set of effects pieces to go over his fists.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

 I’ve always wanted a good Quasar figure, and there’s never really been a good option for one. The MU one was all modern, and not my thing, so the classic look here is definitely cool. The Walgreens exclusives haven’t been super easy to get, so I was really glad that he got the wider release. It would be great if, perhaps, it were followed up by, I don’t know, maybe that Nova figure that I also could never find. That would sure be nice.

Thanks to my sponsors at All Time Toys for setting me up with this figure for review.  If you’re looking for toys both old and new, please check out their website.

#3144: Captain America

Posted by Ethan Wilson in Reviews and tagged with , , , ,

CAPTAIN AMERICA

MARVEL LEGENDS (HASBRO)

“When, in 1941, a frail young patriot agreed to be a test case for an experimental “super-soldier” serum, he was transformed into Captain America – the living symbol of freedom. His body is now physically perfect, his courage unmatched and his fighting skills cannot be equaled. Cap joined WWII and helped the allies win the war. After spending the decades following the war in suspended animation, he was revived by the Mighty Avengers, a super hero group this charismatic born leader would eventually command.”

Hey, remember way back, when I was having to space out my Marvel Legends reviews, because, like, there weren’t a ton of them?  Well, I’m not *quite* back to that level, but I’m still kind of needing to space some things.  I mean, it’s been more than two weeks, which feels like a fair bit of time.  Also, last time I left off on a standard Captain America, and this time I’m picking up with a standard Captain America.  You know, for consistency sake.  Back in May, I took my first look at Hasbro’s celebration of Marvel Legends‘ twentieth year, with their fancy updated take on Iron Man.  They’re working to recreate the whole “Series 1” line-up from Toy Biz’s run, so joining up with Iron Man is the aforementioned Captain America!

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Captain America is another of the four figures in Series 1 of the “20th Anniversary” sub-line of Marvel Legends.  Though he was the first figure shown off, Cap’s trailing Iron Man and Hulk in his arrival at retail.  As with the whole line-up, Cap’s a Fan Channel-exclusive, so he’s not at big box stores.  It’s a nice change of pace, given that the 80 Years Cap was a Walmart-exclusive.  While Iron Man was a slight deviation in terms of design from the 80 Years figure, Cap is more or less an equivalent update, though this one is without the Alex Ross-inspiration.  He’s a more straight-forward update of the look of the original Legends Cap, which certainly makes a lot of sense for this release.  The figure stands 6 1/2 inches tall and has 32 points of articulation.  From the neck down, this figure’s sculpt is the same as the 80 Years release.  It’s a good, strong sculpt for a classic Cap, and it’s only gotten the one use before, so I like seeing it crop up again.  He gets a brand new masked head sculpt, which is rather different from the last one.  After years with the weird scowl-face, the 80 Years was a step in the right direction.  It was a bit specifically inspired by Ross’s art, which is a little less on the multi-purpose side.  This one, sculpted by Paul Harding, is more general in its design, and it’s very definitely my favorite Hasbro Cap sculpt to date.  Definitely a worthy successor to the original Cap sculpt, and that’s saying quite a bit.  Cap’s color scheme is much brighter on this release than the 80th figure.  I like it.  I like it a lot.  It’s bold and very eye catching, and there’s a ton of really well-rendered accenting, especially on the scale mail.  It really helps the sculpted elements to pop.  Much like Iron Man, Cap is quite well-accessorized.  He gets an unmasked head, a corresponding pulled down mask piece to go over the neck, three sets of hands (fists, open gesture, and a flat/pointing combo), a shoulder harness, his shield, three different styles of effects pieces for the shield, and a display stand with a cardboard backdrop.  The unmasked head matches up well with the masked one, and it’s a pretty solid sculpt in its own right.  I dig that ’80s style hair for Rogers.  The hood piece is kind of loose and floaty, but it serves its purpose well enough.  The hands are all re-used, but they work well, and provide him with a host of cool posing options.  The shoulder harness is a new piece, distinctly different from prior ones.  I like its more simple design.  The shield is at once an improvement on prior pieces, and also the worst thing about the figure.  I really like the larger size of the shield, and I like the effects pieces…in concept.  In practice, it results in three permanent holes in the shield, rendering it rather odd looking when the effects pieces aren’t in place.  So close, and yet so far.  Perhaps a future release will re-work the piece to remove the holes, and then we can have it all.  Cap’s display stand is the same one included with Iron Man, and his backdrop is likewise double sided, with an illustration of the original figure’s stand on one side, and the cover to the issue of Captain America packed in with the Series 1 release.  Yes, unlike Iron Man, Cap’s cover is actually the same one was the original figure.  So, that’s a pretty cool touch.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

I liked a lot about the 80th Cap, but I felt like he was just shy of hitting that perfect Cap mark.  I definitely liked the look of this one from its announcement, and I was thrilled when it turned out to *not* be a Walmart exclusive.  It was very definitely my favorite and most anticipated of the Anniversary figures, and it’s been a little bit of a wait, but it was very definitely worth it.  The shield thing is a bit annoying, but that issue aside, this figure’s absolutely fantastic, and undoubtedly the best Legends Cap to grace the line.  I really, really like this figure.

Thanks to my sponsors over at All Time Toys for setting me up with this figure to review.  If you’re looking for cool toys both old and new, please check out their website.

#3143: Ice Sword

Posted by Ethan Wilson in Reviews and tagged with , ,

ICE SWORD — 1ST STEEL LEGION

BATTLE FOR THE STARS (JOYTOY)

Remember when I was talking about Joytoy, that new corner of the toy world for me?  Well, why not talk about them just a little bit more.  Three reviews just doesn’t quite seem like enough of them.  And, in the spirit of the pattern I’ve thus far had going, which is mecha, then figure, then mecha, I’m gonna go ahead and look at another of the figures.  In addition to loosely aping popular franchises to come up with cool mecha designs, they also do a little bit of loose aping of other various sci-fi concepts.  Amongst them, space-y soldiers in high-tech armor, that are in no way meant to be Halo Spartans or anything like that.  Why would you think that?  Anyway, without further ado, here’s Ice Sword.

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Ice Sword is part of Joytoy’s Battle for the Stars branding, specifically as part of their “1st Steel Legion” sub-set, which is a set of four different armored-up figures, all of whom are effectively the next step up from the single-release figures like Grice Anna.  The figure stands about 4 inches tall and he has 32 points of articulation.  Obviously, given the full armor set-up, his range of motion is somewhat restricted in a few spots, most notably the shoulders, but for the most part he’s still very mobile.  Ice Sword’s sculpt has a fair bit of overlap with fellow 1st Steel Legion member Black Sickle.  Given the whole shared Legion set-up, it’s not a terribly surprising or unreasonable bit of re-use, since you would expect some degree of standard-issue-ness to the whole thing.  The structure of the sculpt has a full under-lying body, with all of the armored parts being separate pieces.  The armor is polished and geometric, with plenty of technical details, seams, joints, and all sorts of doo-dads.  I like it.  It’s a good modern sci-fi armor set-up.  Clearly influenced by other things, but still rather unique.  It’s all removable in theory, I suppose, though in practice it seems like a bit much to undertake.  Joytoy themselves don’t advertise the armor as removable beyond the helmets.  Said helmet is Ice Sword’s main “unique” piece for this release.  I dig the Spartan (and I mean that in a historical sense, not a Halo one) influence of the design.  It’s very clean and classically heroic, and it just meshes very well with the rest of the armor.  Under the helmet is a full unmasked sculpt.  It’s rather grizzled, and there’s plenty of detailing.  I’m not big on the top-knot, but it’s an alright sculpt on the technical side.  What really makes each of the 1st Steel Legion figures shine is their unique color scheme.  Ice Sword is predominantly white, as you might expect from someone with “Ice” in their name, though he gets some red detailing, as well as just a splash of blue.  It gives him a vaguely Captain America-esque feel, at least to me.  The paint work on this guy is pretty solid overall.  There’s a little bit of bleed over on some of the edges, but nothing major, and the work on the insignias and markings is all nice and sharp.  There’s a little bit of a wash on the armor, so that it looks a little broken-in, but it’s not too overpowering.  Ice Sword is packed with a sword (rather unsurprisingly), a shotgun, a small machine gun, a pistol, a small shield, and three sets of hands (in fists, loose grip, and tight grip).  It’s an impressive selection, especially when compared to the last 1/18 figure I looked at from the line.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

Since getting the Grice Anna figure back in December, I’ve looked at a few other of the 1/18 figures to possibly grab, especially as they’ve come into All Time.  All of the 1st Steel Legion are pretty interesting looking figures, but Ice Sword was the first one that really jumped out at me.  I’m not entirely sure why, especially given that he’s not even the all-green one with a hammer (who both Max and Tim are still trying to sell me on), but I just liked the look a lot.  He’s a ton of fun.  He’s different from the Mechas, and honestly a bit different from Anna, but I really like him.

Thanks to my sponsors at All Time Toys for setting me up with this figure for review.  If you’re looking for toys both old and new, please check out their website.

#3142: Iron Giants

Posted by Ethan Wilson in Reviews and tagged with , , ,

IRON GIANTS

THE IRON GIANT REACTION FIGURES (SUPER 7)

Okay, so I wrapped up the Retro-styled Star Wars figures yesterday, but I’m not pivoting away from the whole retro thing entirely just yet.  Instead, I’m doing one more day, this time turning my sights on 1999’s 1950s-era space-race coming of age robot story, The Iron Giant.  It’s certainly a favorite of mine, and it’s had a growing presence in the toy world in the last few years.  One of the most recent additions comes courtesy of Super 7’s ReAction brand.  I’ll be taking a look at a couple of those today!

THE FIGURES THEMSELVES

The Iron Giants, both with Hogarth and with Super symbol, are two of the three figures that make up the Iron Giant ReAction Figures line-up, with the other being the “Weapon” version from the film’s climax.  The figures both stand just a hair shy of 4 inches tall and they have 5 points of articulation.  The sculpts between the two are largely very similar, as expected.  The arms and legs are entirely the same, with the heads and torsos getting minor deviations.  The “with Hogarth” version is meant to be a standard variant of the character, with no extra frills or anything, and a fairly all-purpose expression.  The Super version has the torso modified to add the “S”, as well as a goofy grin on the head, which feels pretty perfect for the scene.  Both sculpts are a really solid recreation of the character’s on-screen design, and there’s a lot of really sharp technical detailing, which looks really good.  The paint work is pretty basic, since he’s mostly just molded in the proper colors, so it’s really just the eyes and the darker grey accents, as well as the “S” on the Super version.  The main version includes a small micro figure of Hogarth (which is admittedly far too large for proper scaling, but for the style of figure, it makes sense), while the Super version is without any extras.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

After a rather long gap in terms of toy coverage, I’ve been pretty thrilled by all the cool Iron Giant stuff recently.  That said, I didn’t jump on these immediately, largely due to the heightened price point on ReAction figures.  When All Time was able to get them in and set me up with an alright deal on them, as well as give me the chance to see them in-person, I was a much easier target.  I really dig them.  They’re kind of basic, but I like having something more on the basic side.

Thanks to my sponsors at All Time Toys for setting me up with these figures for review.  If you’re looking for toys both old and new, please check out their website.

#3141: Boba Fett – Morak

Posted by Ethan Wilson in Reviews and tagged with , , , , ,

BOBA FETT — MORAK

STAR WARS: RETRO COLLECTION (HASBRO)

“Once regarded as one of the most fearsome bounty hunters in the galaxy, Boba Fett seemingly met his demise in the Sarlacc pit.  A survivor to his core, Fett lived to fight another day”

Hey there, I’m looking at these here Retro Collection figures, and there’s still one left, so, you know, I’m gonna review it now, I guess.  Returning in all his fully armored glory after being presumed dead for almost 30 years (though not in-universe, of course), Boba Fett takes an important role in The Mandalorian‘s second season’s conclusion, before taking the central role in his own show, The Book of Boba Fett.  Yay, Boba Fett actually doing things!  That’s great!  Everyone should be thrilled!  And that’s all I’m gonna say about that.  Now I’m gonna say some stuff about the figure.

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Boba Fett (Morak) is the final figure in the six-figure line-up for the second mass release assortment of Star Wars: Retro Collection.  He caps off the second season-inspired looks with his fully kitted-out and restored look from the last couple of episodes of the show (which also doubles as his Book appearance).  The figure stands about 3 3/4 inches tall and he has 5 points of articulation.  He’s clearly inspired by the original Kenner Fett, but is almost totally reworked to match the new look.  Like Bo-Katan, the range finder on the head has been moved to its upright positioning, though the rest of the helmet remains effectively the same.  The rest of the sculpt is a great half-step between the original figure and the updated look we saw on-screen.  I particularly like that they’ve kept his not-actually-firing-rocket set-up for his jet-pack.  It feels very appropriate to the vibe.  Boba’s paint work is pretty decent.  It’s more accurate than the original Boba, but still dialed back a bit to fit in with the style.  The colors are a little brighter and more vibrant, and the application, while perhaps a little bit thick, is fairly clean.  Boba is packed with two blasters.  While the vintage figure just made do with a re-purposed Stormtrooper blaster, this Fett actually gets a version of his classic rifle, as well as a smaller pistol, which can sort of be holstered, like how Karga could holster his gun.  It’s not quite as well implemented, but it’s still cool.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

As much as I rag on Boba, the vintage figure is one of my favorites, and I was excited about the prospect of an update to it with the new look.  This figure was probably the one I was most looking forward to in the set.  He’s pretty basic, but certainly still a lot of fun.  Ultimately, I think the Armorer remains my favorite from this set, with Boba as a close second.  It’s not a bad space to be, all things considered.

Thanks to my sponsors at All Time Toys for setting me up with this figure for review.  If you’re looking for toys both old and new, please check out their website.