Tag Archives: Diamond Select Toys

#0881: Captain Kirk & Yeoman Rand

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

CAPTAIN KIRK – “THE TROUBLE WITH TRIBBLES” & YEOMAN RAND

STAR TREK MINIMATES

Kirk&Rand1

Star Trek has had rather a storied history with the Minimates brand. It was one of the earliest licenses Art Asylum picked up (back when the figures were on the much larger 3-inch bodies), and it’s a license that DST and AA do really try to keep going. The era of the show with by far the most representation is The Original Series, which not only got the entire main bridge crew, but also a few variations of the “power trio.” Today, I’ll be looking at one of the variations of series lead Captain James T. Kirk, along with one of the show’s less prominent regulars, Yeoman Rand.

THE FIGURES THEMSELVES

These two were released in Series 5 of the first 2-inch Star Trek Minimates line. Series 5 was the last series of the line, and this was actually the last TOS set to be released.

CAPTAIN KIRK

Kirk&Rand2This was Kirk’s sixth (and final) Minimate, but it’s probably his second most important look to be released. It’s officially titled “Trouble With Tribbles Kirk,” signifying that he’s based on the episode of the same name. Of course, there’s not really anything that makes him specifically from “The Trouble With Tribbles,” so he’s really just a basic figure of Kirk in his “casual” uniform. The figure is 2 ½ inches tall and has the usual 14 points of articulation. He uses the standard ‘mate body, with add-ons for the hair and the pant-cuffs. Both these pieces are re-used from the first Kirk ‘mate, which is certainly a good re-use. They’re noticeably more geometric and less detailed than later pieces, but they certainly fit with the rest of the line. The painted details are pretty sharp. By the end of the original line, the figures had actually started getting pretty detailed. Kirk’s whimsical expression was a nice change of pace, and the details of his uniform are nice and sharp. There are some nice subtle touches, such as the shoes being shinier than the rest of the blacks. Kirk included a basic phaser, a communicator, and a phaser rifle. What he does not include is a single Tribble, which seems like a missed opportunity.

YEOMAN RAND

Kirk&Rand3Rand isn’t as well remembered as other cast members from the show, due to her being written out and pretty much never mentioned again following the show’s first season, after only appearing in 8 episodes of the show’s run. Also, not in “The Trouble With Tribbles,” making this an odd pairing, but hey, at least she got a ‘mate. She’s built on the usual body, with add-ons for the hair and skirt. The skirt is the same piece used for Uhura and Chapel, which keeps the uniformity going, even if it is oddly boxy. The hair is unique to Rand, and does an alright job of translating her hair from the show into the ‘mate aesthetic. The details seem a little rough and unfinished, truth be told, but it’s not terrible. The paint on Rand is pretty clean overall. The face is a bit generic, but doesn’t look unlike Grace Lee Whitney. The rest of the details are fairly basic, but what’s there is sharp. For some odd reason, the arms are painted red, rather than being cast in red plastic. In addition, the paint doesn’t seem to have held up very well to time, resulting in some slight scraping here and there. Rand was packed with a tricorder and a data pad.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

Just before Record & Tape Traders started their downhill turn, I found these two, along with the rest of Series 4 and 5, as well as several other lines of Minimates, at a pretty large discount. I was never a super faithful collector of Trek Minimates, but ended up with a full set, which included this pair. They’re not super exciting, but they’re a pretty solid offering, and probably one of my favorite sets from the line’s original run.

#0879: Orc Scout

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

ORC SCOUT

LORD OF THE RINGS MINIMATES

OrcScout1

Though it was rather short-lived in the grand scheme of things, the Lord of the Rings Minimates line certainly had big dreams. After the pretty huge success of Toy Biz’s line of more realistic figures, I guess AA and DST thought they’d get a lengthy run. This resulted in a number of rather important characters getting left out (Why couldn’t they get to the Witch King? Why?), but it also meant we got some more minor characters and looks we might not have seen otherwise. This included several different varieties of Orcs, such as today’s focus figure, the Orc Scout.

THE FIGURE ITSELF

OrcScout2The Orc Scout was released in the second series of Lord of the Rings Minimates two-packs. He was originally packed with Grishnakh, one of the few named Orcs. Unlike the first series, the second round of figures were mostly new, so collectors weren’t forced to double up on previously released figures. The figure stands just shy of 3 inches tall and has 14 points of articulation. Yes, you read that height right; as a “normal” sized person in the LotR line, the Orc Scout uses a larger scale body. More or less, it’s the same as the regular body, but scaled up. In addition to the scaled-up body, the Orc Scout has add-ons for his cap/ears, and torso cover, as well as unique pieces for his gloves. When I reviewed Gimli, I noted how, as an earlier ‘mate, he was lacking in a lot of details. This isn’t the case with the Scout; his extra parts are actually quite nicely detailed, if perhaps not as jam-packed as some later figures. The pieces fit nicely, and generally do a nice job of capturing the Orc’s design, which is really great. Paint-wise, this figures a bit on the drab side, but that’s actually accurate, so you can’t really complain. The general application is pretty clean, and there are some nicely detailed bits, with the full face under the cap being a real standout. The Orc Scout included a bow and arrow, which are a bit difficult for him to hold the right way, but still cool.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

The first series of two-packs from this line were a bit of a turn off, being somewhat hard to find and half made up of figures I already had. The second series fixed the line-up issue, but sadly was even more difficult to get, resulting in me never getting a single one of them. I found the Orc Scout at the same flee market that got me Gimli, Big Guy, and Perseus. I can’t say I’d had an undying need for the figure, but he’s actually pretty fun, and I’m glad to have found one.

#0874: Gimli

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

GIMLI

LORD OF THE RINGS MINIMATES

Gimli1

Over the years, Minimates have covered a whole ton of different properties, of all sorts of differing genres. The Marvel line has been DST’s flagship for quite some time, but they’ve experimented with other potential “seconds” at various points. One such experiment was Lord of the Rings, which they launched right after the release of Return of the King, in hopes of striking while the iron was still hot. At the time of the Lord of the Rings Minimates, DST/Art Asylum were still figuring out exactly what was the best way to distribute ‘mates, so they were available a few different ways. Initially, they were released as boxed sets of four, but the line eventually re-configured into the more standard two packs to which we’ve all become accustomed. Unfortunately, the characters from the boxed sets ended up getting re-packed, resulting in extras of those figures for the more faithful fans who still wanted the new characters in the packs. Today, I’ll be looking at one of the unique figures from the two-pack assortments, Gimli.

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Gimli2Gimli was released in the first series of Lord of the Rings Minimates two-packs. His original pack-mate was Legolas (a logical choice), who was a repack from one of the larger boxed sets. The LOTR line is an oddity amongst Minimates, in that it isn’t in scale with the Marvel Minimates body that would go on to become the standard body for the brand, or even the earlier Star Trek/Music/Bruce Lee ‘mates. They were a scale all their own. However, being a dwarf, Gimli is actually an exception to this, and makes use of the body we’re all so familiar with. As such, he stands roughly 2 ½ inches tall and has 14 points of articulation (though the movement is restricted a bit by some of the sculpted parts). Gimli has sculpted add-ons for his helmet/beard, cape, skirt, and boots. Given how early on in the life of Minimates these figures came, the sculpts on the add-ons are a fair bit simpler than more recent stuff. That said, they capture the general look of Gimli pretty well, if perhaps in a more cartoonish style. Whether or not that particular style works for Gimli is another story entirely, but he certainly fit well with the rest of the line. He does seem a bit on the lean side for Gimli, especially at the arms and torso. Gimli’s paint is also pretty simple; it’s pretty clean and sharp, which is good. The colors are a bit brighter than you might expect, but it does the simplistic style some favors. The detailing on the helmet is pretty cool, and is definitely one of the stand out parts of the figure. Under the helmet/beard, there’s a full face, complete with…another beard. Hey, dwarves are supposed to be hairy. He doesn’t have the most striking resemblance of John Rhys-Davis, but he doesn’t not look like him either. Gimli included an small axe, which could be stowed on either side of his belt.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

While I had both of the boxed sets from the LotR line, I never actually got any of the two-packs. It was in part due to not wanting to double up on the characters I already had, but also due to the two-packs being a bit harder to find. So, I never had Gimli, which was a darn shame. Fortunately, I found him on his own at a flea market last month, allowing me to get one more member of the Fellowship for my collection. Sure, he’s not quite as exciting as some more recent ‘mates, but he’s certainly not bad either.

#0871: Captain Marvel & New Thor

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

CAPTAIN MARVEL & NEW THOR

MARVEL MINIMATES

ThorCapMarvel1

Change is kind of a constant thing in comics. However, as quickly as things change, they’ll just as quickly revert right back, because status quo trumps just about everything. Seriously, for all the times a popular character has been replaced by another iteration, you can probably keep count of the ones that actually stuck on one hand. So, today, let’s look at two new(ish) incarnations of classic Marvel characters, Captain Marvel and Thor. One of them’s likely to be one of the few changes that sticks, while the other’s probably only got until Chris Hemsworth’s Thor graces the big screen next year.

THE FIGURES THEMSELVES

Captain Marvel and Thor are part of Series 64 of the main Marvel Minimates line. This is one of the two sets only available in the specialty assortment of figures. While Carol and the new Thor don’t have a ton of history together, they are both Avengers, so the pairing certainly makes more sense than Howard and Dazzler. Plus, how often do you get two female characters in one set? That’s pretty cool.

CAPTAIN MARVEL

ThorCapMarvel2Captain Marvel is a title that Marvel has passed around a lot over the years, mostly because none of the characters really hit it big and Marvel was reeeally determined not to let the name lapse. Carol Danvers spent a large portion of her career as Ms. Marvel, and after managing to hold her own series under that title, Marvel finally realized that easiest way to keep the Captain Marvel name going would be to give Carol a much deserved promotion. She’s actually been Captain Marvel for a while now, so it seems like this one’s gonna stick. Carol’s had pretty much the same look during her entire tenure as the Captain, so that’s the look here. The figure is the standard 2 ½ inches tall and has 14 points of articulation. She uses the basic body, with add-on pieces for the hair and sash. Both pieces are new to this figure and they do a pretty good job of capturing her in-comic look. The hair’s peg is a little long, so it sits just a bit high, but other than that, it looks okay. The paint on Captain Marvel is pretty decent overall. The only real issue is that the dark blue is the base color, so the red and gold are just a touch murky in a few spots. Other than that, the colors look pretty smooth, and everything’s nice and clean. For accessories, the good Captain includes her helmet (which she only seems to wear very occasionally), as well as a flight stand and a standard clear display stand.

NEW THOR

ThorCapMarvel3New Thor seems like an odd idea. While the concept of someone else wielding Mjolnir certainly isn’t new, and New Thor hit right in the midst of change-ups to other popular characters, it was weird to see another person called “Thor” since it’s not a title, it’s his actual name. However, the character seems to have been pretty well-executed, and I’ve especially loved her in Mark Waid’s run on Avengers. While she’s sure to be a temporary replacement, she’s certainly a fun take on the character. Thor makes use of four add-ons for her helmet/hair, cape, gauntlet, and belt/skirt. The cape is re-used from the MvC Thor (which is certainly appropriate), but the rest of her add-ons are new. The helmet is a pretty awesome piece, with some really cool detailing, and the skirt and gauntlet are pretty cool too. Thor’s paint is nice and sharp, and has some nice, bold work. Under the mask is a nice depiction of Jane Foster’s sickly appearance, with a nice, stern look to it. Thor is a bit light on the accessories, but she has what’s important: her hammer Mjolnir and a clear display stand.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

While I wasn’t quite as excited for this set as I was Dazzler and Howard, I do really like both of the character designs included. Captain Marvel is a long time coming, and she turned out very nicely. Definitely worth the wait. And Thor is a solid ‘mate of a pretty cool design, and a very good choice for this set.

#0870: Disco Dazzler & Howard the Duck

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

DISCO DAZZLER & HOWARD THE DUCK

MARVEL MINIMATES

DazzlerHoward1

The success of the Marvel Studios movies has translated to a pretty big success for all of the associated merchandise, including Marvel Minimates. While the line has far outpaced its original intent, and far more ‘mates see production in any given year than ever before, the line has also placed more of a focus on variants of Marvel’s big guns. This means that the percentage of new characters has taken a bit of a dip over time. However, DST still does their darnedest to throw long-time fans a few bones here and there. Most recently, they took advantage of Marvel’s recent Secret Wars event to produce some of the more “out there” characters, such as today’s set, Howard the Duck and Dazzler!

THE FIGURES THEMSELVES

These two were released as part of Series 64 of the main Marvel Minimates line. They make up one of the two sets in Series 64 not to be included in Toys R Us’ equivalent assortment. The pairing’s a bit out of nowhere, but I’m hardly going to complain.

DISCO DAZZLER

DazzlerHoward3This marks the second time that Dazzler’s gotten a Minimate, which is actually pretty darn impressive, what with her being, you know, Dazzler. Not exactly high profile (as hard as Marvel tried to make her so). Her first mate reflected her later “flashdance” look, but this one takes her back to her classic disco roots. The figure is a little over the usual 2 ½ inches tall and has 14 points of articulation. Dazzler makes use of the standard ‘mate base body. She has add-ons for her hair, bracelets, collar, and roller skates. Yes, she has roller skates. All of these pieces are brand-new to Dazzler (though the hair was shared with Series 65’s Siryn) and they do an excellent job of capturing her look from the comics. Dazzler’s paint is some of the cleanest I’ve seen on a ‘mate in quite some time. The colors are vibrant, and the line work is incredibly sharp. This figure has a serious “pop” factor to it, which makes her stand out pretty darn well. For accessories, Dazzler includes a microphone and a standard clear display stand.

HOWARD THE DUCK

DazzlerHoward2Howard the Duck makes his Minimate debut here. One assumes this is at least somewhat linked to the character actually being in the public spotlight for the first time since the line’s inception, thanks to on ongoing comic and a cameo in 2014’s Guardians of the Galaxy. He’s based on his modern, Disney approved appearance, and clearly takes direct influence from Joe Quinones’ work in the current series. The figure stands just shy of 2 ½ inches tall and has 10 points of articulation (he lacks any movement in the wrists or ankles). The only standard pieces used by Howard are the pelvis and upper arms. That’s not to say that every piece is all-new, though. He uses the shortened arms introduced by the Thunderkittens, as well as the smaller torso introduced by Shock and Lock from the NBX line, to help keep Howard appropriately small. Howard makes use of arms in place of the usual legs, with a unique set of “lower legs” and feet, which are certainly duck-like. He also gets his own unique head, to adequately represent his bill. The hat is permanently affixed (presumably it’s to do with Marvel’s pre-existing deal with Disney in regards to how he’s allowed to be depicted), which is a bit annoying, but doesn’t look terrible. Howard’s paint is fairly muted; mostly warm, brownish colors. It’s a good representation of how he looks in his current incarnation. The detail lines on the head and torso are nice and sharp, and the eyes have a lot of character to them. Howard’s only accessory is a display stand. The peg is smaller than the usual stand’s, to fit Howard’s smaller feet.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

This set is probably the most excited I’ve been for a Marvel Minimates in quite some time. I picked them up from my local comic book store when they first hit. Dazzler may be a repeat character, but the two looks are sufficiently different that this figure still feels totally new. Add in that she’s just a solid ‘mate all around, and you’ve got a definite winner. Howard is a pretty awesome addition to the line and an all-around fun character to get. The permanently attached hat is a bit annoying, but it could definitely be worse. Not a bad ‘mate.

#0851: Dr. Bunsen Honeydew & Beaker

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

DR. BUNSEN HONEYDEW & BEAKER

MUPPETS MINIMATES

HoneydueBeaker1

Over the years, the Minimates brand has covered some pretty out there properties, in addition to the more conventional ones. Recently, DST has begun pushing the boundaries of the Minimate body, seeing just how far they can take that base body, to create ‘mates of properties that might not seem to scream “Minimates” at first glance. One such property is The Muppets, which is very much defined by the unique, non-standard looks of the characters. So, let’s see how well this translation worked, starting off with two of my personal favorites, Dr. Bunsen Honeydew and his unfortunate assistant Beaker!

THE FIGURES THEMSELVES

Honeydew and Beaker are part of the first series of Muppets Minimates. There are two versions of them: clean and “lab mishap.” This review covers the “lab mishap” versions, but both versions of the pair are exclusive to Toys R Us.

DR. BUNSEN HONEYDEW

HoneydueBeaker2The “talker” of the two, Dr. Bunsen Honeydew, is the typical absent minded professor, cheerily bumbling through his various wacky experiments. He is shown here after the “fall out” of one of these experiments, with his clothes slightly singed, and his glasses out of place. The figure is about 2 ½ inches tall and has 12 points of articulation (no ankle movement here). In addition to the normal base body, Honeydew gets a slightly larger head and a slightly shorter set of lower legs. The head unfortunately has a peg hole at the top, so I guess this piece has been used before for someone with hair. It’s too bad they couldn’t seal off the hole, but oh well. He also has an add-on piece for his lab coat, which appears to be a new piece.  It’s closed up, which is a first for ‘mate lab coats. Honeydew’s paintwork is actually quite impressive. His face is fairly simple, but sums up the character pretty perfectly. And yes, he has a nose. It’s kinda weird, but seems kinda key to the likeness, so I’m okay with it. The skewed glasses are definitely cool, and the patterns on the shirt and tie are really great. The front of the figure has been misted with a brownish grey, making him look like he just got caught in the explosion. For accessories, Honeydew is packed with an Erlenmeyer flask filled with a purple liquid and a clear display stand.

BEAKER

HoneydueBeaker3By far the more sympathetic of the pair, Beaker is memorable for his signature “meep meep”s, and his propensity to get blown up and thrown through things. And just look at that adorable mug. How could you not love him? Beaker uses more of the standard body than Honeydew, with only his head being a special piece. It’s the same extended head that was first used on Sinestro, back in DC Minimates Series 8. He also gets an all-new hair piece, as well as the same lab coat used on Honeydew. The hair piece is definitely a highlight, and it’s very well detailed, though I wish the mold line was a little less present. Given Beaker’s rather slight frame on the show, translating to the ‘mate body is a bit tricky, but the figure manages to be a pretty good approximation of Beaker’s build. The paint on Beaker is fairly similar to Honeydew’s. He too possesses a nose, but it works, and the face is undoubtedly Beaker’s. The shoes are a little sloppy, but not terrible, and the patterns on his clothes are even nicer than Honeydew’s. Beaker is packed with another Erlenmeyer flask (the same mold as Honeydew’s), this time in green, and a clear display stand.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

I found Honeydew and Beaker at my local TRU while on the prowl for Star Wars stuff just after Christmas. I wasn’t sure about getting them, but Super Awesome Girlfriend was with me, and she was having none of that, so she bought them for me. Beaker’s always been one of my favorite Muppets, so I was pretty happy to get him, and you can’t have him without the good doctor. Since my store only had the “lab mishap” set in-stock, that’s the one I got, but I actually think it’s my preferred one of the two. All in all, a good start to the new line.

#0841: Farmer Zombie

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

FARMER ZOMBIE

THE WALKING DEAD MINIMATES

FarmerZombie1

I have *a lot* of Minimates. The vast majority of them were purchased because I actually wanted them, or was invested in the character presented. However, some of them I have for no other reason than “they’re Minimates.” Today’s focus, the Farmer Zombie, is one of the latter.

THE FIGURE ITSELF

FarmerZombie2The Farmer Zombie was released in the third series of The Walking Dead Minimates. He was double-packed, and could be purchased with either Prison Hershel or battle-damaged Tyreese. The figure is about 2 ½ inches tall and has the usual 14 points of articulation. The Farmer Zombie is based on a zombie that appeared in issue 49 of the comic. He uses the basic ‘mate body, along with an add-on piece for his hair/the saw-blade stuck in his shoulder. The add-on piece attaches from the bottom of the head, slipping over the neck peg, rather than plugging into the top of the head like most ‘mates. The piece works reasonably well, though it does greatly limit the posability of the head, since the whole thing’s all one piece. As with most Minimates, paint is this figure’s strongest suit. The base colors are suitably drab, and the detail work is exceptionally well-handled, with some great texturing and depth, which makes the guy actually look pretty darn creepy. The Farmer Zombie’s one accessory was a clear display stand, though my figure was lacking his.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

Series 3 is actually where I stopped really picking up Walking Dead Minimates, so I didn’t get this guy new, nor did I feel any huge need to track him down later. I ended up getting him when I ordered a random loose “Mystery ‘mate” from Luke’s Toy Store, along with a few other items. I wouldn’t have gotten this guy otherwise, but I’m glad I did, because he’s actually a pretty well-put-together ‘mate.

#0832: Pvt Frost & Burning Warrior Alien

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

PVT FROST & BURNING WARRIOR ALIEN

ALIENS MINIMATES

FrostXeno1

“What are we supposed to use?  Harsh language?”

— Private Ricco Frost

One of the frustrating things about many of the toylines based on Aliens is the overall lack of any of the human characters.  The film has quite a rich cast of colorful characters, and only a small handful of them ever made it into plastic form.  Most lines avoided humans all together, and those that didn’t, such as Kenner’s line from the 90s, quickly abandoned the film’s actual characters for characters of their own creation.  Fortunately, through the efforts of both NECA and DST, the lack of character selection from the film is quickly being resolved.  Today, we’ll be looking at one of my favorite Marines, Pvt Frost, as well as another variant of the titular creature.

THE FIGURES THEMSELVES

Frost and the Alien are part of the second specialty series of Aliens Minimates, which started hitting stores in late December.  Currently, both figures in this set are unique to this assortment.

PVT FROST

FrostXeno10Despite technically being one of the more minor Marines and only appearing in about a quarter of the film, Frost is actually a kind of memorable guy.  I mean, sure, he’s not Apone, or even Drake, but he manages to get quite a bit of dialogue, and a lot of his lines are fairly memorable.  He’s probably the most humanized of the secondary Marines.  Which makes him being the first character to die, after an hour of waiting, all the more gripping.  Frost’s figure is about 2 ½ inches tall and has the usual 14 points of articulation for a Minimate.  He features the same armor pieces we’ve seen several times before on the various Marines.  Like his series-mate, Crowe, his shoulder lamp is not removable, which is a bit of a letdown after the Series 1 Marines, but not the worst thing ever.  The armor parts are still very nice pieces of work, which quite nicely replicate the Marines’ armor from the movie.  Frost has probably the best paintwork in this whole series.  There are one or two instances of bleed over, but other than that, everything’s pretty clean.  His face is a pretty great likeness of Ricco Ross, and the line work is really sharp.  He’s even got a bit of the armor graffiti we see in the film; a heart with an arrow through it and the name “Heath” in the middle.  This was in honor of Ross’s girlfriend Heather, though I suppose in universe Frost might just be a really big 10 Things I hate about You fan.  Or he’s really into candy bars.  Regardless, it’s nice to see the armor graffiti hasn’t been forgotten.  For accessories, Frost includes an extra hairpiece, the standard issue pulse rifle, a flame thrower (w/ flame attachment), and a clear display stand.  The flamethrower is a new addition to the line, and it looks really great.  Of course, packing Frost with the flamethrower is a bit like packing Thomas and Martha Wayne with a handgun, but let’s not dwell.  It’s just awesome that Frost got two whole weapons!

BURNING WARRIOR ALIEN

FrostXeno12Hey look!  Another Alien!  It’s okay though, guys, this one’s actually totally new and unique!  Yay!  Yes, it seems the DST is well aware that people might get bored buying essentially the same Alien Warrior over and over again, so they’re trying to mix things up.  Since this Alien’s packed with a flamethrower wielding character, this figure is made to look like it’s on the receiving end of the weapon.  Sculpturally, this figure is the same as all of the prior Alien Warriors, with one slight change: not it’s got little flame-y bits on the shoulders (which are re-used from the Marvel line’s Dark Phoenix), in order to make the figure look like it’s really on fire.  The one downside is that these extra pieces remove the elbow movement entirely, but at least they’re removable.  In addition to the two new pieces,  the majority of the figure is molded in translucent orange plastic, to give the figure the appearance of being ablaze.  All of the usual Alien details are still there, but now there’s a slight flame pattern over them.  The end result is maybe not a spot-on recreation of a burning Alien, but interesting nonetheless.  The Burning Warrior Alien includes a newborn alien and a clear display stand.  I’m definitely glad to see the newborn showing up multiple places, because it’s a good piece.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

Frost and the Burning Alien, like the other two sets from Series 2, were part of a slightly delayed Christmas present from my parents.  Frost is probably the best basic Marine so far.  The painted details are all really sharp, and he has a great accessory complement.  Pretty good for a seemingly minor character.  The Burning Alien certainly isn’t going to be an everyday Alien, as he’s quite scene specific, but it’s a really fun variant, and a great way to keep the Aliens in this line interesting.  This is easily the best set in Series 2.

#0831: Pvt Crowe & Attacking Warrior Alien

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

PVT CROWE & ATTACKING WARRIOR ALIEN

ALIENS MINIMATES

CroweXeno1

“You always say that, you always say ‘I’ve got a bad feeling about this drop’”

Pvt. Tim Crowe

I love me some Aliens, and I love me some Minimates. So, I’m pretty pumped to have the second series of two-packs from the line. The line tends to follow the model of 1 Marine, 1 Alien for at least two of the sets in each series (and all of the sets in the TRU-exclusive series). Some of those sets are a bit more colorful and exciting, with some of the more prominent Marines being featured. However, some are just sort of fill space, just like some of the marines and aliens in the actual film. Today’s set is one of those.

THE FIGURES THEMSELVES

These two are one of the four sets in the second series of Aliens Minimates. Crowe will presumably remain unique to the specialty assortment, but only time will tell if this particular Alien will show up elsewhere.

PVT CROWE

CroweXeno2Man, if you thought Wierzbowski was scraping the bottom of the barrel, at least his name was memorable. Crowe’s claim to fame is that he is both seen on-screen AND has a line or two of dialogue, however is never both on-screen and speaking at the same time. Crowe stands roughly 2 ½ inches tall and has 14 points of articulation. Crowe uses the same helmet, chest piece, and boot add-ons as all of the other standard Marines so far. Crowe’s shoulder lamp, it should be noted, is not removable like the Series 1 Marines, which is a slight letdown, but not a major shortcoming. The general sculpt of the pieces is still pretty great, and a very nice translation of the armor shown in the film. Crowe’s paintwork is decently handled overall, but has one glaring issue, which I’ll get to in a second. The general application is pretty clean, and the basic work is on par with the prior Marines, if perhaps a bit more muted in color. The armor lacks any sort of customization, which is slightly disappointing, but hardly a change, given that Dietrich, Drake, and Apone all lacked those details. The face is a decent enough likeness of the late Tip Tipping; he certainly looks more like his on-screen counterpart than the other more minor Marines. Now, about that glaring issue: do you see Crowe’s sleeves, or more accurately, his general lack of them? Yeah, that’s not quite right. The Marines in the film all have various different states of how they keep they’re sleeves. While most opted for an around the bicep look, Crowe’s are generally seen pulled down to his wrists. So, they aren’t quite right here. But, aside from that, he looks fine. Crowe is packed with a standard issue pulse rifle, an extra hair piece for an un-helmeted look (re-used from Marvel Minimates’ Indestructible Hulk), and a clear display stand.

ATTACKING WARRIOR ALIEN

CrowXeno3Yep, it’s another Alien. I mean, it’s totally fair, what with them being the title characters and all. You kind of expect there to be a lot of them (156 of them to be properly cannon for the second movie), but they do tend to get a bit…same-y. This one is essentially identical to all of the other basic attacking Aliens we’ve gotten. That’s not bad; it’s a good sculpt, with a lot of fun details, and the paint adds a lot. This figure does have one minor difference: the tip of his tail is a light grey, as opposed to the usual black. I don’t know that this is based on anything in particular in the movie (unless it’s supposed to represent the Alien’s stinger tail, which is how Gorman is injured in the novelization and the initial film script), but it does make him nicely different from the others. This figure is also different in terms of accessories. In addition to the usual display stand, the Alien also includes an alien egg in both open and closed orientations. The pieces are a tad light on detail, but still cool, and certainly a fun accessory.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

As with the Ripley & Newt set, this pair was part of a slightly delayed Christmas gift from my parents. It’s probably the least exciting set from this series (well, excepting the Hudson & Vasquez set, since they’re both straight re-releases), but I still like it. Crowe is essential to completing the Marines, and is a solid ‘mate, even with his slight inaccuracies. The Alien is still as good as every other time we’ve gotten it, and the slight change makes it a valid variant, I suppose. Plus, those eggs are definitely a plus.

CroweXeno4

#0830: Jumpsuit Ripley & Newt

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

JUMPSUIT RIPLEY & NEWT

ALIENS MINIMATES

RipleyNewt1

“They mostly come at night.  Mostly.”

-Rebecca “Newt” Jordan

Aliens is oft remembered for the Colonial Marines, but they’re just part of the film’s small group of survivors.  One of the most important characters in the movie is Newt, the lone surviving colonist following the initial Xenomorph attack on LV-426.  She’s found her way into the latest series of Aliens Minimates, alongside a Ripley variant.  Let’s see how this set turned out!

THE FIGURES THEMSELVES

This pair is part of the second series of Aliens Minimates.  So far these two are both exclusive to the specialty release, but time will tell as to whether either of them will be picked for TRU release.

JUMPSUIT RIPLEY

RipleyNewt9The last Ripley ‘mate we got was based on her appearance from the last act of the film, when she’s storming the Alien hive.  It’s an important look to be sure, but it’s not how she’s spends the majority of the movie.  This figure is how she spends most of the movie, in a jumpsuit and a leather jacket.  The figure is 2 ½ inches tall and has 14 points of articulation.  She has add-on pieces for her hair, jacket, watch, and the rolled up sleeves on her arms.  The hair and watch are the same pieces used on the previous Ripley, which is good for consistency.  They’re also just pretty good pieces, so no complaints there.  The jacket is from the second Michael Knight minimate, which is a pretty common reuse.  Technically, it should have pockets on the front and straps at the tops of the shoulders, but the piece is close enough, especially at the smaller scale. Ripley’s paint is generally pretty decent.  The overall application is all really clean and the detail lines are tight.  The face doesn’t quite look like Sigourney weaver, but it isn’t horrid.  It’s clearly the same person as the Rescue Mission version.  I do wish she looked a little less bored, though.  The legs are identical to the prior Ripley, which is once again good for consistency. For accessories, Ripley is packed with a standard issue pulse rifle, a pair of arms to match the jumpsuit, and a clear display stand.  The rifle is just as nice as always, and the extra arms allow for this figure to cover another important Ripley look (sans-jacket). I would have liked to have gotten a motion tracker or something, but what she has is acceptable.

NEWT

RipleyNewt11Newt is definitely the main focus of this set, being not only a new character, but also the most pivotal character who had not yet been released.  Newt’s figure is based on her appearance when she’s found by Ripley and the Marines, after she’s been hiding from the Aliens for a while. Newt has one add-on piece for her hair.  It’s a re-use from BSG’s Tory Foster.  It’s a decent enough piece, though it does seem a little too… kempt(?) for Newt.  She also uses the shorter arms and legs introduced with the Peter Pan sets, so that she can be a little shorter, since she’s a kid. The paint on Newt is actually pretty nicely handled.  It’s maybe a little more cartoony than I was initially expecting, especially the bright yellow of the hair, but the overall look is really sharp.  The face does a reasonable job capturing a young Carrie Henn, though the smudges of dirt, while a nice touch, are completely covered by the hair piece. Newt includes Casey, the disembodied head of her doll, and a clear display stand.  The head is definitely a cool touch, since she’s rarely seen without it in the movie.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

These two were a slightly late Christmas  present from my parents, who know very well how much I love Aliens. This Ripley has the misfortune of following the Series 1 version.  She is by no means a disappointing figure, but she just fails to be quite as exciting as the earlier figure. Newt is a surprisingly cool figure.   While she’s not ever going to be Hicks in terms of sheer awesomeness, there’s a lot to like about this figure, and she’s a key character to boot.