JUDGE DREDD - Re:Action Mega Action Figures review

Re:Action Figures released their 2000 A.D. line of Collector Action Figures in 1999. The line included 6 figures, headed by Judge Dredd.

Dredd stands just a shade over 6 inches tall, at 6 & 1/4", and comes equipped with a Lawgiver Mark 11, a Daystick, a boot knife and a Birdie Lie Detector. The Lawgiver can be stored in a holster on the outside of the right boot, and the knife fits into a sheath behind the left boot. Dredd's right hand is sculpted to hold the pistol, while the left seems a little closed, but can hold the knife, detector and stick ok.

The sculpt on everything is excellent! Ok, well, the stick is a little plain - looks like an all-black whiffle ball bat. Oh, and maybe the knife, too. But, otherwise, all aces. I like the shape and angles of the helmet. It's a little more rounded and wide than the LCBH and One:12 Collective Dredd's. Re:Action's Dredd has a chin that comes to a sharp point, and from some angles his grimace almost appears more like a sly smile. The shoulder pads are attached via a peg to a hole in each shoulder blade. This provides a little give when moving the shoulders, but they are still pretty restrictive.

As far as movement goes, this Dredd has some points, but I don't like the way most of them work, so I'll keep him in his basic vanilla pose on the shelf. The head has a swivel at the base of the neck, but mine is stuck. The shoulders have ball/hinge joints, there are pin elbows and swivels at the tops of the gloves. The hips are just a 1999 T-crotch, and he's got pins in the knees. Not enough to get anything dynamic or natural-looking, other than standing straight ahead and looking pissed.

The colors are good - a very vibrant, almost electric, blue and some great yellows with an orange undertone. The greens are dark, almost olive, and there's a wash over just about everything to make them look used and/or grungy.

I really like this version of Dredd for what it is: a cool-looking 1999 shelf-stander. For its time, I think it must have been pretty good, but probably overlooked. Toy Biz's LCBH version certainly has more going for it in terms of articulation, but Re:Action's Dredd is nothing to sneeze at. I'm glad he's part of my 2000 A.D. collection!

BATOU - Ghost in the Shell Stand Alone Complex Taito Lottery B Prize Statue

This is the companion piece to the previously reviewed Major Motoko Kusanagi Stand Alone Complex statue from Taito. This time around, it's Batou! And, I've got to say it again, I'm impressed...

Batou comes in a vivid green window box (his box kind of matches Motoko's apple, while her box matches her outfit). It's still on the flimsy side, but this one survived shipping better than either of my Motoko boxes did. Once out, the figure stands slightly taller than Kusanagi, but it notably heavier (she clocks in at a mere 3.7 ounces, while Batou weighs 8.6 oz) and feels much more solid. The sculpt is great, and the paint is flawless again. The mouth is a little weird because of the single long "tooth" sculpted up top and again down bottom. But, otherwise, this is Batou.

I've not much else to say here. The statue is great, and looks really sweet alongside Kusanagi. I don't much care for them posed with the bases matched, as there's no good way to display them when they are back-to-back, so I've got Batou off to the side over Motoko's shoulder. This is another great statue from Taito, and is much more reasonably priced (I got mine for less than $30 shipped from Japan). If you're a fan of the show or of the character, I say go for it. Hopefully, you won't be disappointed - I know I'm not!

MAJOR MOTOKO KUSANAGI- Taito Lottery A Prize Ghost in the Shell statue review

Somewhere along the way, and without really realizing it, I've somehow managed to accumulate a small collection of Ghost in the Shell Major Motoko Kusanagi figures (at the moment, I count 9 different versions on my shelf). Chief amongst them is my Alpha Max statue, which I plan to review shortly. Coming up closely behind is Taito's MUCH less expensive Lottery Prize A "Stand Alone Complex" statue. The most shocking thing about this statue is that I can't find a single detailed review of it anywhere on the internet. So...I decided to write one myself.

First of all, know that with Taito (I have a few different statues by them) you are getting a relatively inexpensive, mid-to-small-sized statue. It's made from hard plastic (almost brittle - be careful with her) and feels very lightweight (ie, hollow). Kusanagi comes in a window box with large beautiful photos of the prototype on all sides. The statue is sandwiched between a pair of clear clamshell trays, and there's a bit of plastic wrap thrown in around her for good measure. The box is attractive enough, but the cardboard is pretty flimsy and chances are that it (the box) will have a bit of creasing, bending, and worn edges, no matter how hard the shipper tries to protect it. The figure shouldn't have any issue, though (I've gotten two of these, and both figures were perfect, despite damage to the boxes). The back of the box shows a shot of this statue paired with Lottery Prize B, Batou. Each comes on a half-circle base that should sit up against one another so that the figures stand back-to-back. I've got Batou on order. When he arrives, I'll do a quick review with shots of both statues together.

As far as the statue itself goes, I've got to say, this is one gorgeous figure. Standing about 7 & 1/4" tall, the sculpt, paint, proportions and detail are simply astounding. Aside from a couple of very minor nits, she's just about perfect in my book. First, there's the pose. The Major is standing with her right foot slightly elevated at the heel, her chin down towards her chest and her coat and hair blowing out behind her to the left. Her right hand grips her pistol while her left cradles a green apple across her chest. This apple seems out of place unless you've watched the Stand Alone Complex 2nd GiG season. In the last episode, Kusanagi is trapped under some rubble with Kuze and an apple. I won't say any more in an effort to avoid spoilers, but suffice it to say that the apple is strangely significant. Plus its vibrant green really provides a striking contrast to the deep shades of violet and grey that the rest of the statue possesses.

Taito's Motoko has one of the prettiest faces of any version I've seen of the character. The eyes are set pretty wide apart, and are slightly oversized. They are applied perfectly. The styling, sculpt and movement in the hair frame the face nicely, and despite a fairly neutral expression, the Major comes off as stern yet feminine.  The little details are all expertly applied: buttons on the coat, metal clasps on the shoulders, and some really terrific creasing on the back and arms of the coat, which provide a great contrast to the ultra-smooth nature of the body suit. And finally, there's some really, really subtle airbrushing to key spots on the torso and legs. The darker purple applied there enhance the depth of the entire sculpt, and really make me feel like this is a much higher-end statue than it actually is.

Taito's Lottery A Prize Motoko Kusanagi is a real winner. Very rarely do I get truly impressed with a figure or statue, but this is one of those instances where I truly love what I got. As I said earlier, this is my second favorite version of the character that I own, much more so than the newer Hdge Technical statue. I like Taito's figure so much, in fact, that I purchased a second to keep in-package. As far as the Major goes, it doesn't get much better than this!