Tag Archives: Super 7

#3623: Radioactive Man

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

RADIOACTIVE MAN

THE SIMPSONS ULTIMATES (SUPER 7)

Fun FiQ Fact #0102: The Simpsons’ in-universe fictional super hero Radioactive Man shares his name with a Marvel Comics villain, meaning that Disney owns two completely unrelated Radioactive Men!

I don’t talk too much about The Simpsons here on the site, largely because I’ve never been incredibly invested in The Simpsons, and therefore don’t have a ton of the associated merch.  It’s worth noting, however, that one of the things I did during the pandemic was watching through the show’s whole run, at least up to what was current at the time, which gave me a slightly different perspective, I guess.  I still can’t say I have *that* much of an attachment to the franchise, but I’ve certainly narrowed in on the things I like.  Unfortunately, there’s a shortage of Sideshow Bob merch, and they never did anything for Cecil, so my Simpsons-based Frasier set-up is a no-go.  Guess I’ll just have to settle for something else.  Well, I do like super heroes, so I could do worse than Radioactive Man, I suppose.

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Radioactive Man is part of Series 3 of Super 7’s The Simpsons Ultimates.  This set wound up being the final assortment of the line, as the Simpsons license has transferred over to Jakks Pacific.  It’s…well, it’s an interesting send-off, I guess.  While Playmates’ old World of Springfield Radioactive Man was based on Rainier Wolfcastle’s interpretation of the role from the episode “Radioactive Man,” Super 7’s version is based directly on the in-universe comic character, which is a nifty switch-up.  The figure stands 7 1/2 inches tall and he has 24 points of articulation.  His articulation is…something.  The elbows are restricted, as per usual for Super 7, and the tolerances on the joints are definitely a mixed bag.  On my figure, the shoulders are really tight, while the hips are quite loose, especially the right one, which pops off a lot.  Also, one of his two heads never truly clicks into place on the ball-joint.  QC was definitely very lax on this assortment.  His sculpt is, admittedly, pretty decent.  It translates the design into three dimensions pretty well, and actually manages to look good from multiple angles.  There are two different heads included, one calm, the other with his teeth bared.  The calm one doesn’t click in place quite right, but they’re both at least pretty nice sculpts.  The figure does a bit of mixed media, with a cloth cape piece, which has a wire running through it for posing options.  It sits a little weird on the neck joint, but it’s otherwise decent to look at.  The color work on Radioactive Man is basic, but bright an eye-catching.  There’s minimal paint work, and what’s there is a little on the sloppier side, again because of the clearly lax QC for this round of figures.  There’s a lot of small scratches, fuzziness, and even errant marks that shouldn’t be there, especially given the retail on this thing.  Radioactive Man includes the aforementioned swappable heads, plus six hands (fists, two different right gripping hands, a thumbs up left hand, and a pointing left hand), a Radioactive Man comic, and an American flag (which has 43 stars, for some reason).  Personally, I’d have loved to see some goggles that do nothing, but that wouldn’t actually be right for this one, with him not actually being the Wolfcastle version.  As it stands, though, he does feel a little light.

THE ME REMAINDER OF THE EQUATION

While I’ve never been crazy into the Simpsons stuff, the Playmates line was always very tempting to me.  I particularly liked the Radioactive Man and Fallout Boy set, though I never actually owned one.  The Ultimates line has also been tempting me, but the higher price point kept me from jumping in on most of the figures.  I was honestly holding out for a “Cape Fear” Sideshow Bob to be my entry into the line, but with that off the table, I was back to being tempted by this guy.  With the line ending, and uncertainty about availability, I bit the bullet and bought one.  He’s…well, he’s a bit of a mess, honestly.  The general set-up is great, but the QC is *rough*.  I was rather unhappy when I pulled him out of the box.  That said, I’ve had some time to mess with him and let my opinions form more fully, and I do find myself liking him a lot more than I did initially.  There’s still issues, but he’s at least fun to pose and stick on the shelf.

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 and their eBay storefront.

#3600: Tron ReAction Figures

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

TRON & FLYNN w/ LIGHTCYCLES

TRON REACTION FIGURES (SUPER 7)

Fun FiQ Fact #0079: I saw the original Tron for the first time about a week before the release of Tron Legacy, exclusively to know what was going on prior to watching the sequel.

I *love* Tron Legacy.  It’s a defining movie for me.  Just, like, the whole thing.  I love the music, the design, the choreography, the characters…I love it all.  It’s super great.  You know what’s not super great about Legacy?  It’s tie-in products.  Sure, there were a few slightly nifty products when the movie came out, but there was a *lot* more trash.  And I just really want some figures that are semi-decent.  Until then, I will forever be stuck making due with stuff from the first movie.  I love Legacy.  Did I mention that?  The first movie?  It’s…fine.  Like, I get the ground-breaking nature and all.  But…ehhh?  Still, I’m not gonna say no to everything Tron related, if that’s all I’m gonna get.  So, here’s some Tron stuff.

THE FIGURE THEMSELVES

Tron and Flynn with their respective Lightcycles were released as part of Super 7’s Tron ReAction line.  The line as a whole was a Disney Parks exclusive, but Tron and Flynn were both also offered up for order on ShopDisney.

First up, it’s the title character, Tron!  The figure stands 3 3/4 inches tall and he has 5 points of articulation.  He’s just got the standard ReAction articulation, which is exactly what you expect.  He’s based on the original Tron look, hockey pads and all.  The sculpt is a pretty basic one, but that’s really what you need for this style of figure.  The face has a respectable likeness of Bruce Boxleitner, especially given the style and sizing.  Obviously, it’s not to the same level as either of the two DST figures, but it works well enough.  I like the slight detailing for his costume elements; it’s simple, but very effective.  Tron’s color work is really solid.  He’s molded in glow-in-the-dark plastic, with plenty of line-work for all of those classic “tron-lines”.  It works really well.  Tron is packed with his identity disk, which can be stored on the figure’s back.

And, perhaps not the title character, but certainly a central one, it’s Kevin Flynn!  …Yeah?  He’s like Tron, but, you know, not.  Flynn was actually the only character to get multiple figures, since there was a single card and the one with the lightcycle.  The single was his “disguised” colors, where this one is the standard.  Like Tron, he stands 3 3/4 inches tall and he has 5 points of articulation.  His sculpt is very similar to Tron’s, but they only actually share the right arm; everything else is minorly tweaked in some way.  Even the head’s got a Bridges likeness; it’s very similar to the Tron head, but I think that’s more the style and similar traits between the two actors.  His color work is very similar to Tron’s as well.  He’s also molded in the glowing plastic, and he’s got his own unique “tron-line” detailing, to help distinguish him.  He’s packed with the same identity disk as Tron, which can likewise be mounted on his back.

Both figures are packaged with a Lightcycle, designed to work with the included figure.  The cycles are each about 6 1/2 inches long, and they have moving wheels and an opening hatch.  Both cycles (and the one included with the Ram figure I don’t have) use the same sculpt.  The sculpt is very basic, but it matches what we see on screen pretty well, and it does what it needs to.  The figures fit inside, though with the 5POA set-up, they do admittedly look pretty goofy, just folded in half in there.  The coloring is where the change-up occurs.  Tron gets orange and Flynn gets yellow.  Both are accented by some black paint, as well as a little bit of the same blue glowing plastic used by the figures.  The glowing doesn’t work as well on the cycles, but it’s still nifty.

THE ME REMAINDER OF THE EQUATION

I haven’t been to a Disney park since 2007, and I missed these on Shop Disney.  So, how did I get them?  Well, a bit of luck, really.  They just so happened to come through All Time, and I just so happened to be there at the time, allowing me to just so happen to get them for a reasonable price.  They’re basic, but I do really like them.  It’s the simplicity that really sells them.

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 and their eBay storefront.

#3589: Stalker

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

STALKER

G.I. JOE: ULTIMATES (SUPER 7)

Fun FiQ Fact #0068:  Lonzo “Stalker” Wilkinson was part of the “Original 13” debut line-up for A Real American Hero in 1982, and was also the line’s first African American team member.

My general lack of interest in Duke as the face of G.I. Joe is, in part, due to the fact that I find his predecessors in his various roles more interesting.  Obviously, I’m a big Hawk fanboy, and I dig him as the top-tier leader of the Joes, but I also dig Stalker, who originally occupied Duke’s role as the team’s field leader, and had a much larger role in the original comics.  In the Sunbow cartoon, he was a more minor player, appearing in only 23 out of 95 episodes (and only having a speaking part in 10 of them).  Still, he was there, and he was still somewhat important, so, you know, justification for a toy, right?

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Stalker was released in Series 4 of Super 7’s G.I. Joe: Ultimates.  There was supposed to be a distance of time between the release of Series 3 and 4, but they wound up shipping within about a week of each other, so more Joes for me, I guess.  Stalker’s the first of this set’s two Joes, the other being Gung-Ho.  Like Doc from earlier this week, Stalker’s a slightly deeper dive character, at least as far as the cartoon is concerned.  The figure stands about 7 inches tall and he has 31 points of articulation.  After the issues I faced with Doc, I’m happy to report that the articulation on Stalker works as intended, and I had no issues with things getting stuck or warping.  I’m glad it seems to have been a one-off thing.  Stalker’s movement is pretty decent, but back to Series 1 standards, it seems, rather than the slightly improved motion from Series 2.  Stalker is sporting an all-new sculpt, which I was admittedly a little surprised by.  He and Snake Eyes (and most of the rest of the original 13, to be fair) have a history of sharing parts, and their designs in the cartoon would have still allowed for it to a degree.  I kind of expected re-use to be the main reason for Stalker’s inclusion, honestly, but that’s not the case.  He’s got a slightly stockier build than Snake Eyes, which I suppose is more true to more individualized takes on the character.  It’s a strong sculpt, and one I definitely dig.  There are three heads to choose from, one stoic, one smiling, and one shouting.  All three have the beret as a separate but permanently affixed piece, in contrast to how it was handled for Flint.  I don’t believe we see Stalker in the cartoon with his hat off, so it makes sense that they’d all be attached.  I’m partial to the friendly smile, because I generally think of Stalker as being that sort of character, but I like all three of them.  Stalker’s color work is done to match his animated appearances, which slightly brightened up the colors of his original figure.  It’s pretty basic, but a good set-up.  His face paint is very clean, and the skin tone is very consistent on all three heads and his assorted hands.  The figure is packed with three pairs of hands (in fists, trigger finger, and gripping), an animated style pistol, a re-use of the animated style rifle (which is back to being totally painted, after being molded color for Doc), the assault rifle we saw with Scarlett, his toy-style sub-machine gun (re-used from Duke, but in the proper dark grey), a jump pack (re-used from Snake Eyes, but with tan straps instead of green), a radio, binoculars, a canteen, and a bundle of dynamite.  That’s quite a bit, especially on the weapons front.

THE ME REMAINDER OF THE EQUATION

I like Stalker a fair bit, what with the whole “alternative to Duke” angle and everything.  It was kind of a big deal for me when I opted to skip the Classified Stalker, on the basis that he just really wasn’t speaking to me.  Just a few weeks later, this figure was announced and made me feel a lot better about my decision.  I wasn’t expecting to get him as quickly as we did, and with a bunch of other things piling up, I almost skipped this one too, but I didn’t, and I’m glad for that.  I actually like this one a whole lot more than I’d expected to.  He may not dethrone Snake Eyes as my top of the line, but he’s a close contender, and certainly got an underdog vibe about him.

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 and their eBay storefront.

#3587: Doc

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

DOC

G.I. JOE: ULTIMATES (SUPER 7)

Fun FiQ Fact #0066:  The G.I. Joes have no shortage of soldiers, but they’re a lot shorter on medics, with just two on hand, and usually only one of them at a time.  The first of them was Doc, introduced in 1983.

I’ve always liked the non-combatant portion of the Joes, since a story can’t just be all action guys all the time.  Admittedly, my personal favorite of the bunch is Lifeline, the Joes *other* medic, but that doesn’t mean I can’t also appreciate Carl “Doc” Greer.  He is, after all, the original.  Let’s give him his moment, shall we?

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Doc is part of Series 3 of Super 7’s G.I. Joe: Ultimates. He’s the second of the two Joes in the set, following up on Scarlett.  He’s very definitely the deepest dive the line’s taken thus far, having been pretty heavy-hitter driven up to this point.  He’s also the first instance of Ultimates beating the Classified version of a character to market, though Hasbro’s in-house release is coming later this year.  The figure stands about 7 inches tall and he has 31 points of articulation.  The articulation scheme here is intended to be the same as the other male figures in the line, but my figure has a pretty major issue with the hips.  It seems the dark tan plastic used for the majority of this figure’s construction has some issues with getting stuck, resulting in the hips being pretty badly fused right out of the box.  I did what I could to free them up, but it resulted in some stressing and tearing, and I wasn’t able to get the left hip fully freed up.  That’s a pretty major issue, and it was right out of the box.  The actual sculpt isn’t bad.  It’s on par with the others, specifically being pretty similar to the Duke and Flint releases.  There are three heads here, much like a lot of the others.  There’s standard, smiling, and screaming expressions.  The sculpts match well with Doc’s animated likeness, and they’re consistent across all three heads.  Unfortunately, the QC issues showed up again here, as the glasses on the screaming head broke while I was swapping the heads out, which is again not fun.  The color work on Doc is okay.  The skin tone is painted again, which looks decent.  I’m not big on the molded color for the uniform, especially from a consistency standpoint.  Doc gets four sets of hands (gripping, trigger finger, fists, and alternate gripping in white for gloved), his helmet, first aid kit, satchel, flare gun, a laser rifle, radio, comic book, and a two piece mortar that references his original figure.  It’s actually a really nice selection of extras, and I particularly like the comic and the first aid kit.  I was a little surprised that he didn’t get a stretcher to complete the set-up for his vintage figure, but I do like what he got.

THE ME REMAINDER OF THE EQUATION

While Scarlett was definitely my biggest want from this assortment, I was actually rather looking forward to this figure, since I like some of the more minor and unique characters.  I had high expectations for him, and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a bit disappointed by the final product.  The hip thing is really, really annoying, and it’s a shame, because all the architecture is there for him to be a really fun figure.  As it stands, he still *is* a fun figure, but just not one without his drawbacks.

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 and their eBay storefront.

#3584: Scarlett

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

SCARLETT

G.I. JOE: ULTIMATES (SUPER 7)

Fun FiQ Fact #0063: Scarlet is G.I. Joe’s First Lady, debuting as part of the 3 3/4 inch line’s Original 13 in 1982.

It’s been seven months since I’ve taken a look at Super 7’s G.I. Joe: Ultimates, largely because it’s been about eight months since there were new G.I. Joe: Ultimates to look at.  In general, Ultimates seem to be in a rocky spot, but I’m still invested in getting at least the line’s Joes…or most of them.  Scarlett’s one of my favorite characters, an essential counterpart to Snake Eyes in my collection, so I’ve been waiting for her addition to the line since the first series.  She’s here now, and I’m taking a look at her today!

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Scarlett is part of Series 3 of Super 7’s G.I. Joe: Ultimates.  She’s the first of the two Joes in the set, the other being Doc.  She continues the trend thus far of keeping the Joes pretty much on the heavy hitters side, especially in terms of the cartoon, where she’s one of the the four most recurrent Joes.  The figure stands about 7 inches tall and she has 33 points of articulation.  Scarlet’s articulation scheme matches pretty much with the slightly improved articulation from Series two, matching up pretty closely with the layout used by Lady Jaye.  Scarlett continues the line’s trend of basing the sculpts on the Sunbow animation models.  It’s an all-new mold (though one that’s already been slated for a re-use on a follow-up figure in her DiC colors), and it’s on par with the rest of the line.  It’s simple, clean, and very effective.  I really like the smaller details, like the folds and creases at the base of the boots.  She gets three different head sculpts, one with a neutral expression, one smiling, and one with a headset.  They continue the Sunbow likeness of the figure, and they’re really consistent internally.  They also swap out without much fuss, which I always like.  Once again, the headset wearing one is my favorite, but all three are equal quality.  Scarlett’s color work is handled pretty well.  It’s a lot of molded colors, but, in contrast to Flint and Lady Jaye from Series 2, she’s got painted skin-tone for the faces, which I admit, does help to better sell the animation angle.  Scarlett is packed with three pairs of hands (in fists, flat, and gripping), two styles of crossbow, 3 identical standard arrows, 3 different specialty arrows, a bag for holding the arrows, an assault rifle, and a radio.  The hands are cool enough, though it’s a bummer that she’s got one less set than prior figures.  I do like the crossbows, as well as the swappable arrows.  The arrows are a little delicate, but they swap into place alright.  The bag on mine had the strap come unglued right out of the box, which was definitely frustrating.

THE ME REMAINDER OF THE EQUATION

I loved the first series Snake Eyes, and since one of my earliest Joe pieces was the ToyFare exclusive Snake Eyes and Scarlett two-pack, I’ve been hoping to duplicate it in modern styling.  She’s not quite as strong as Snake Eyes, but he’s the high mark for the line, and she’s still a lot of fun.  They’re a really fun pair, and even if the line doesn’t have longevity, it got me these two, which is my big thing.

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 and their eBay storefront.

#3582: Soundwave

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

SOUNDWAVE

TRANSFORMERS ULTIMATES (SUPER7)

Fun FiQ Fact #0061: Soundwave is actually one of the earliest classic Transformers characters to get a non-transforming figure, having been part of Action Masters.

I don’t circle back to Transformers quite as often these days, so when I do, I gotta make it count, right? Yeah, go for the best of the franchise, the things that best represent the whole thing. And what best represents the Transformers? That’s right, it’s figures that don’t transform at all! Yeah! So, let’s look at this not-transforming Soundwave!

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Soundwave is part of the fourth wave of Super 7’s Transformers Ultimates, which also features Starscream (a particular favorite of Super 7’s for this line) and a dead Optimus Prime. The figure stands 8 inches tall and he has 29 points of articulation. Sizing wise, he’s in the general scale of the line established up to now…which isn’t really to scale with anything else. I’m not sure exactly what they’re aiming for, but they’re okay for a standalone set-up. The articulation set-up here is okay. Super 7 can have some troubles with range of motion. Given Soundwave’s blocky build, some restrictions are expected, and they’re definitely there. The elbows do at least get about 90 degrees, but other areas aren’t so great. The neck and shoulders in particular are pretty stiff, meaning, amongst other things, he can’t do his tape eject pose. That’s a real bummer, and my biggest knock against this figure. His sculpt is all new, and it’s very much G1-inspired. Since this is territory that Hasbro’s R.E.D. line already covered, there’s a bit more of a comparison going on. There’s definitely some common ground, since they both use some pretty heavily animation-based inspiration, but the approaches are a little different, with Hasbro prioritizing movement over aesthetic, resulting in some odd looking spots. Super 7’s priority is more on the aesthetic, so he looks a bit better in the sculpt department. The ankles especially look a lot better. He’s got three different heads in play, with standard being the usual animation-based one. He’s also got one based more directly on his original toy, which we don’t see as often, and, for the first time ever in toy form, a head based on his mouthed appearance from the Marvel Comics run. Sure, it’s not the right color scheme, since that wouldn’t match the rest of the figure, but it’s still cool. Soundwave’s paint work isn’t bad. It’s pretty flat and clean, which is what you want. I’m not sure how I feel about the opaque window on the chest. It’s obviously more accurate for animation and comics, but it throws the toy look off. Soundwave is packed with 5 pairs of hands (which are *very* hard to swap), plus his shoulder cannon, blaster, a clear cube (which I assume is something episode specific that I’m just not up on), and a miniature version of himself in tape deck mode. The two cannons can be stored in his back, in an homage to his vintage figure.

THE ME REMAINDER OF THE EQUATION

I don’t have an overwhelming attachment to non-transforming Transformers, I’m hard pressed to pass on a Soundwave. So, it’s hardly a surprise that I broke on this one, especially with the fun extras he gets. He’s kind of a lateral move from the R.E.D. figure, I guess, but he has the benefit of more distance from other Soundwaves.

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 and their eBay storefront.

#3559: Blue Ranger

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

BLUE RANGER

MIGHTY MORPHIN POWER RANGERS ULTIMATES (SUPER 7)

Fun FiQ Fact #0038:  David Yost’s Billy Cranston, aka Mighty Morphin Blue, had the longest run of the original five Power Rangers, making it halfway through the fourth season before departing.  He was the only of the core Mighty Morphin cast not to gain a replacement during the original run.

I keep *sort of* being done with Power Rangers, but in that sort of fashion where I know I’m not *actually* quite done.  What can I say, I’m a sucker for Blue Rangers, especially when they’re Mighty Morphin Blue.  If there’s a new line of Rangers, I’m pretty much a lock on picking up a Blue, as is the case with today’s offering, which is a Blue Ranger from Super 7’s Ultimates imprint.

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Blue Ranger is part of the third wave of Super 7’s Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Ultimates line.  Each assortment gets two of the Rangers, and in this case, it’s Blue and Black.  The figure stands about 7 inches tall and he has 32 points of articulation.  Movement can always be a bit touchy on an Ultimates figure, and that’s somewhat maintained here.  His arm movement, especially on the elbows, is restricted.  He does get okay movement on the neck, as well as the mid-torso and waist.  He’s a little stiffer than other Ranger lines, but he’s not terrible.  You can get some decent poses out of him with a little bit of work.  But, by usual standards for Super 7, not bad.  The sculpt on this guy is largely shared with the other male Rangers in the line.  It’s a pretty good one.  We’ve gotten all different manner of builds on the Rangers in differing lines from differing manufacturers.  This one goes for the lighter build, which is pretty accurate to what we see on screen.  Detailing is generally pretty basic, but generally lifelike.  He gets a unique head with his signature triceratops helmet.  It goes for his cleaned up “toy style” helmet, and it does that pretty well.  Like his Lightning Collection counterpart, he’s also got a slightly tweaked belt, featuring his proper emblem on the buckle.  Blue’s paint work is basic, but quite clean, and pretty much exactly what it needs to be.  Blue gets a quite impressive selection of accessories, which includes two unmasked heads, five pairs of hands, three different configurations of his Power Lance, four different styles of the Blade Blaster, his power blastert-thingy, his morpher, and power coin.  While most of the other Rangers use the two heads to cover both people who use the identity, Billy instead gets early and late run head sculpts.  The early sculpt is goony and a little silly (but the paint is pretty good), while the later run sculpt sports what is probably the best David Yost likeness I’ve seen on a Billy head.  For the Power Lance, there are extended and compacted versions of the show-accurate look, plus a toy style version.  The Blade Blaster gets folded up, blaster, blade, and toy style versions, and the hands are designed to work pretty well with all of those differing configurations.  The gripping hands are all a little loose when holding the accessories, which makes for some tricky posing.

THE ME REMAINDER OF THE EQUATION

You know, way back in 2014, when I got my Figuarts Blue Ranger, I really thought that was going to be it, but here I am with yet another version.  Honestly, I knew I was grabbing this one as soon as he was shown off.  Of course, he was beaten to market by the Remastered edition of the Lightning Collection release, which hits some of the same marks as this one, albeit in its own unique way.  I like them both for different reasons.  Based on what I’ve seen, Blue looks to be the nicest of the Super 7 Rangers, which I appreciate as someone who only collects Blue Rangers.  On his own, he’s not perfect, but there’s quite a bit about him that I really, really like.

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 and their eBay storefront.

#3527: Orko

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

ORKO

MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE REACTION FIGURES (SUPER 7)

Fun FiQ Fact #0006: In both the original ’80s Filmation Masters of the Universe and the 2002 re-boot, Orko and Mekaneck share a voice actor, Filmation founder Lou Scheimer in the ’80s and Gabe Khouth in the ’00s.

I’m not a hardcore Masters of the Universe fan by any means, but I’ve got a shortlist of three characters that I like to have in every possible style.  Number three on that list is He-Man’s plucky comic relief sidekick Orko, who I’ve had a soft spot for since I was rather young.  Yes, kid me saw the appeal of the kid-appeal character.  I was an easy target.  Super 7’s ReAction line is an ill-explored one in my collection, but I did get the Mekaneck back when he first hit, but I passed on Orko at the time, and he sold out.  He has eluded me for a bit, but no figure escapes me forever.  Oh, no.  I’m like a mounty: I always get my man.  Or…you know, action figure.  I’m like an action figure mounty.  Sure, let’s go with that.

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Orko was part of Series 2 of the Masters of the Universe ReAction Figures, which is interestingly enough, the same one that had Mekaneck.  The figure stands 2 1/2 inches tall and he has 5 points of articulation.  Orko doesn’t tend to get the same articulation as the rest of the characters, but this one actually gets the same set-up as everyone else, giving him some of the best mobility of any Orko figure.  He actually has “legs” to move, which is unique to this particular Orko.  As per usual for the character, Orko gets a unique sculpt.  It captures the style of the line nicely, and also requires less adjustments to his character design than some of the others.  His arms are a little longer, but not by much, and overall, he gets all the important details you need to sell Orko’s look.  Orko’s color work is his usual set-up; the paint work is a little spotty on the ears (a classic issue with Orko figures), but otherwise it’s pretty clean.  Orko is packed with his wand, which for this release is just a simple yellow cylinder, rather than anything more ornate.

THE ME REMAINDER OF THE EQUATION

Since I missed out on grabbing Orko from All Time back when he was new, I’ve been waiting for one to come through, and one did indeed, just last week, in fact.  I’ve been stepping back my pick-ups recently, but he was worthy enough to bring home.  He’s a fun little version of the character.  Plus, he gave me an excuse to introduce my daughter to Orko, which is always a fun time!

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 and their eBay storefront.

#3453: The Challenger

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

THE CHALLENGER

BRUCE LEE ULTIMATES (SUPER 7)

I haven’t really talked a ton about Bruce Lee here on the site.  I’ve got two prior reviews, and one’s here because there was a Kato involved, while the other’s a Minimate.  He’s someone whose work isn’t a main focus of mine, but whose impact on pop culture I can very much appreciate.  He’s gotten all sorts of toy coverage over the years, and the latest is coming out of Super 7’s Ultimates umbrella.  They have a couple of versions of Lee, and today I’m taking a look at “The Challenger,” which is based on Lee’s character Hai Tien from his unfinished film, Game of Death.  Look, it’s Bruce Lee in the yellow jumpsuit with the stripes; it’s hard to go wrong with that one.

THE FIGURE ITSELF

The Challenger makes up one half of the first wave of Super 7’s Bruce Lee Ultimates, with the other being “The Warrior,” who is based on his appearance in The Way of the Dragon.  The two of them started hitting back in July.  The figure stands a little over 6 3/4 inches tall and he has 29 points of articulation.  Compared to the improved articulation of the second round of G.I. Joe Ultimates, Lee’s articulation is a bit of a step back.  It’s not awful, but you’re not getting more than 90 degrees on the elbows or knees, which can prove limiting when it comes to fighting poses.  There’s enough give on some of the other joints to work around it to some degree, but articulation definitely remains an area where Super 7 struggles on these releases.  At the very least, this guy isn’t plagued by loose joints, so he’ll hold the poses you put him into.  The Challenger sports an all-new sculpt.  This another area where Super 7 sometimes struggles, especially when it comes to likenesses of real people.  The Challenger gets three different head sculpts, and they all sport a surprisingly strong likeness of Lee.  Like, really good, actually.  Of the three, the one with the pursed lips is definitely the strongest, but the other two aren’t bad either.  The level of detailing is also really sharp, which I was happy to see.  The detailing on the body is a lot more basic.  Obviously, it’s just a jumpsuit, so there’s not a ton to be done there, but he doesn’t even really get folds or texture, so it’s a touch bland.  It is at the very least a pretty good match for Lee’s build in the film, so it keeps the likeness going from what the head sculpts started.  The bracelet on his right wrist is a separate piece, so take care when swapping the hands so as to not lose it.  The Challenger’s paint work is really strong on the heads; it’s not quite Hasbro’s face printing, but it’s still quite lifelike, again aiding with the likeness.  The body is again far more basic.  It’s largely just molded in the one color, but it gets painted details for the stripes and the shoes.  The stripes are sharp and cleanly defined, so they at least do what little painting is needed well.  The Challenger gets a solid selection of accessories, with 14 different hands, 4 different styles of nunchucks, a holster for the nunchucks, and the green pointed stick from the poster.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

I’m at best a moderate fan of Bruce Lee, but that’s enough to want at least some toy coverage.  In particular, I’ve always dug the yellow jumpsuit design, which is a very distinctive look.  I’ve wanted a good figure of it for a while, and none of the other versions quite hit the mark for me.  This one looked cool as a proto, but I wasn’t sure how the final product was going to turn out.  He came in during a fairly crowded week of new stuff for me, so I was poised to pass on him…until I took a look at the final product and saw how well those heads turned out.  My dilemma was solved easily enough, as Jason from All Time reminded me that it was my birthday, and passed this one to me for the occasion.  This figure’s not perfect.  The articulation is rather limited, and the body feels a little devoid of detail.  But those head sculpts do a lot of heavy lifting on this one, and I’m ultimately very happy with the final product.

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 and their eBay storefront.

#3443: Flint

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

FLINT

G.I. JOE: ULTIMATES (SUPER 7)

Hey, remember last week, when I was talking about Super 7’s G.I. Joe: Ultimates line?  Well, I’m gonna talk about it again.  Because, you know, there’s another one of them to talk about.  Last week, I looked at the line’s take on the Lady Jaye; today, I’m looking at a character almost always paired off with her, Daniel “Flint” Fairborne!

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Flint is the second figure in the second series of Super 7’s G.I. Joe Ultimates line, where he’s the second of the two Joes.  The figure stands 7 inches tall and he has 31 points of articulation.  Flint’s articulation scheme is, much like Lady Jaye, a bit of an improvement over the Series 1 figures, who were themselves an improvement on other Super 7 Ultimates offerings.  Of note, he can get his elbows deeper than 90 degrees, which is a plus, and unlike Lady Jaye, he’s got a pretty great range of motion on his neck.  I definitely dig that.  In contrast to the trend of Flints post-vintage, this release doesn’t share any of his parts with the line’s standard Duke release, instead opting for an all-new sculpt.  Like the rest of the line’s figures, he’s specifically patterned on his Sunbow animation model.  While Lady Jaye, who like Flint appeared in the cartoon the year prior to her introduction in the toyline, had a notably different design for the show, Flint’s show design actually wound up pretty close to his final toy design, so this figure sticks to a more classically Flint look.  The sculpt does a pretty respectable job of capturing Flint’s animated likeness.  Like Lady Jaye and Duke before him, Flint has 3 different head sculpts.  The one he comes wearing has his beret sculpted to the head, and is a pretty basic sculpt.  There’s a second with the beret attached, which also adds a headset, to match the other two Joes.  The third is sans hat, and is a little more detailed, more in-line with the miniseries or movie animation than the run of the mill episodes.  This head also gets an extra removable beret, and it’s overall my favorite of the three; I wasn’t expecting the removeable beret to look as good as it does.  Flint’s body is pretty solid work, too, with detailing that’s generally just a little sharper than Series 1’s Duke; I especially like the raised collar piece, as it adds a fair bit of depth.  Flint’s color work is decent enough.  He’s got the proper animation colors, so his shirt’s the same olive green as the pants, offset by brown for the camo pattern and his accent pieces.  While the first series gave painted skin to Duke, Flint and Lady Jaye both get molded plastic skin, which has its pluses and minuses.  The paint’s definitely the best on the head with the removable beret; something about the eyebrows on the other two seems off.  Also, the one with the headset has a big spot of red paint on the back of his beret on my copy, which is rather annoying.  Flint is packed with 8 hands (a pair of fists, a pair of loose grip, a pair of tight grip, and pointing and closed grip for the left hand), binoculars, a radio, a flashlight, a shovel, a newspaper, a back pack, a standard laser rifle, a pistol, and Flint’s usual shotgun.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

As I’ve said before here, I’m a big fan of having Flint and Lady Jaye together, so if I get one of them in a given style, I definitely want the other.  Thankfully, the trend has been releasing them together, and Super7 kept that trend going.  Hooray!  After being really impressed by Lady Jaye, I was worried that Flint wouldn’t wow me quite as much, but he’s a pretty solid contender in his own right.  Like Jaye, I expected to like this figure, but I didn’t expect to like him as much as I do.

Thanks to my sponsors over at All Time Toys for setting me up with this figure to review.  If you’d like to see a video of this figure in action, I helped out with one for their YouTube channel, so check that out.  And, if you’re looking for cool toys both old and new, please check out their website and their eBay storefront.