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!

MOTOKO KUSANAGI - Banpresto Ghost in the Shell Arise statue review

My relationship with Ghost in the Shell is an ever-evolving one. It's not something I immediately took to, and with every new incarnation comes a bit of "adjustment" on my part. The original film left me confused, but bored enough to not really care. When I got a bit older and re-visited it, I was able to appreciate it much more. I've since watched (and really loved) both "Stand Alone Complex" seasons, the Solid State Society follow-up, and even "Innocence", to some degree. But "Arise" really took some getting used to...

I watched Borders 1 and 2 of the Arise series about a year ago, and the best I could say was that didn't hate them (I personally preferred the 1st to the 2nd). Motoko's new look and personality didn't really click too well for me, and the new, less-refined personality angles on the rest of the team members were much the same. At that point, I had a hard time appreciating that these characters were new to one another, and to the idea of the Section as a "team".

I saw Banpresto's Arise Kusanagi statue at that time, but decided that since I didn't much care for the character design in the films I shouldn't bother with buying a figure.

Fast forward to this past month and the release of Borders 3 and 4, which re-ignited my interest in Ghost in the Shell. I re-watched the entire series from the beginning, and wow did I see things differently! The four Borders come together well in a story arc that I enjoyed, and a character treatment of the Major that I grew to appreciate. That, combined with a reveal from Figma of a New Movie Major figure due for release next February, and I knew I had to order Banpresto's statue.

The box arrived unexpectedly from Japan yesterday, providing a wonderful surprise-ending to an otherwise exhausting work week (love when that happens!).

The actual package is fairly unassuming, but does a fine job of protecting the statue, while allowing you to see what you're getting inside. Kusanagi is sandwiched between two plastic clamshells, unattached to her base. There's a plastic wrap around her, keeping the rubbing to a minimum, and hopefully helping to ensure no paint rubs. It was surprising to me how far back the figure is set in the packaging - I had expected the front window to have a clear plastic flush against it, which it does not. However, everything inside was snug and safe.

There are no images on the box, the red and white are pretty stark, and everything is written in Japanese, save the heading on the front and top.

In sharp contrast to the dull, utilitarian box, the figure inside is really terrific! This version of Major Motoko Kusanagi stands 7 & 1/2 inches tall, on a large black base. She is made of a hard, rigid plastic, and features no points of articulation.

The sculpt and paint details are top-notch. The shirt, jacket and pants are all full of appropriate wrinkles, with the jacket and pants getting an airbrush of a darker color at the creases to add some depth. There are loads of buckles and zippers all over the place, painted nicely with a shiny silver (no bleed, either!).

There's a really odd strap/belt and buckle in the middle of the jacket's back - not really sure what function that would serve - but it's done well. The boots are a darker, deeper shade of red to set them apart from the pants and jacket.

The plastic of the bare skin is cast in flesh colored plastic, which looks great. The whole thing contrasts so beautifully with her hair, which is in such an awesome shade of purple/blue that it seems to change depending on the lighting. The face is gorgeous, with super-clear details all around the eyes. I think they've actually succeeded in making the statue more attractive than the animation did.

I do find the pose to be a bit awkward. Her upper half is in mid-twist to her left, while her legs are slightly pigeon-toed, with her right heel lifting. That, combined with her chin-down and shoulder thrust out make for an odd overall pose. Try standing like this - maybe you'll see what I mean. It's all just very unnatural.

The twist and downward glare make this a difficult figure to place on the shelf. She looks best above eye-level, and with the base set so that it's more of a "diamond" than a "square", with a corner as the front rather than a side as the front (that all sounds really awkward, but hopefully it makes some sense).

Once on the shelf, though, the statue is just great. The colors are so unique, and the detailing is so rich that she's wonderful to stare at. The hair in particular has great, deep strands, and the pistol stands out beautifully against the flesh color of her hand and the deep red of her outfit. It's truly a striking piece.

The base is probably the weakest part of this figure. It's a black square with a "wall" on two sides behind the figure. There's a little detail of lines and circles (screw heads, maybe?) carved onto the surface, but it's pretty boring and doesn't really set the figure off in any way. There's a raised portion to meet the heel of her right foot, and the pegs are really snug, so she's not going anywhere once she's attached. I do wish it was less obtrusive (it's needlessly "thick" looking) and enhanced the figure in some way, but whatever. It's a base.

Overall, I'm very pleased with this figure. It captures the Arise look of the character well, and it is really nicely done. Best of all, it is relatively inexpensive and can be had for a little over $30.

LARA CROFT Tomb Raider - On the Shelf

Here are a couple of shots of my current Tomb Raider display. The first shelf has: Adventures of Lara Croft (Playmates) Yeti diorama, Bengal Tiger diorama, ToyFare exclusive Bomber Jacket Lara, Toy Biz beastly ugly Lara, Motorcycle Lara and the Combat Training version from the first Angelina Jolie movie. Below that shelf, the next has Adventures of Lara Croft Doberman diorama, Large Scale Wetsuit Lara, Great White Shark diorama Lara, Large Scale standard Lara and Nile Crocodile diorama Lara.

Next: Upper Shelf is NECA Legends Lara, Playmates Lara, NECA Underworld Lara and Anniversary Lara, with a couple doubles of the Adventures Playmates Laras in the background. Lower shelf down has a couple of "Cradle of Life" Shadow Guardians, the Wetsuit statue, a couple of SOTA Wetsuit Lara's and a Jacketed SOTA version, along with a blistered NECA Anniversary figure, and the large 12" Electronic NECA Legends Lara. I've got a few more not pictured, including a couple more doubles in-package, the large Gaming Heads "Survivor" statue and the Play Arts Kai figure. So, that's my Lara Croft collection as it stands today. If you'd like to see a review of any of the figures that I haven't done so far, feel free to request one and I will do my best to get one posted...

REBOR DINOSAURS - On the Shelf

Here's a couple of shots of my current Rebor Dinosaurs collection. The upper shelf has the Ceratosaurus Dentisulcatus "Savage" and the newest release, Acrocanthosaurus atokensis "Hercules". The lower shelf sports Utahraptor ostrommaysorum "Wind Hunter", Tyrannosaurus Rex "King T. rex" and Yutyrannus huali "Y-rex". The T. rex is posed standing on a Schleich Triceratops (until the "Fallen Queen" diorama stand is released, because the big guy just won't stay standing with that little stone Rebor included as its stand. There's a Halo 1/35 scale driver that came with a die-cast vehicle in the foreground of the lower shelf for scale. I've framed each of their included information cards (with the exception of Utahraptor's - I need to go out and get one more frame), as well. If you'd like a review of any of the figures I haven't already done, say so and I'll do my best to post one...

MEZCO ONE:12 Collective Thoughts

My One:12 Collective Judge Dredd figure arrived yesterday and reminded me anew just how awesome the line is. I do have the Dark Knight Batman (both the regular and PX Exclusive versions) and it really is an amazing action figure. But my excitement waned a bit between that release and Dredd's. However, once I got the Judge in-hand, well...just Holy Cow. What an amazing figure. And that got me to thinking about my own One:12 Collective wishes.

I've seen pictures of the upcoming releases in the line: Superman, Flash, Space Ghost and Frankenstein. They look cool and all, but I don't honestly have any interest in any of them. And in all honesty, I feel like Mezco might be overlooking the real power of what they have here. They've created a way to articulate action figures while keeping a gorgeous aesthetic. So, it would be logical to tackle figures who have never been able to meet that standard: figures whose sculpt hinders their articulation because they haven't been clothed in cloth. Superman? Flash? Too many of those out there already, with some really excellent articulation. Frankenstein? Doesn't need great articulation in my mind. Space Ghost? Ok, yeah, he's pretty cool but I just don't have much of an investment. That all said, I decided to consider: which characters do I really love, and wish they had a highly detailed sculpt NOT RESTRICTED by plastic clothing?

I came up with two at the top of my list:
1) Gandalf the Wizard. I love this character, especially in the books. And Toy Biz did a really fair job with many versions of him. In fact, their "White" is my current favorite Gandalf. But, his layers and layers of cloaks and robes really make any kind of posing difficult. Toy Vault did a clothed version nearly 20 years ago, but the sculpt underneath it all is...well, 20 years old. Mezco could finally do this character justice, really and truly. A highly articulated Gandalf, with a great sculpt, appropriate accessories and an so many iterations - I think it would be a real gold-mine for the line. In fact, if Mezco managed somehow to get Harry Potter and the assorted characters from that world into the One:12 Collective, it would be all over (Star Ace is getting a lot of great press for their 12" versions; I'm certain Mezco could match their quality in this 6" scale).

2) Lara Croft. NECA did a fair job at sculpting some good Tomb Raider figures, but they never managed to get any articulation in there, and the faces were never painted in a manner that did the figures justice. Imagine a line of Lara Croft figures articulated enough to allow her to be posed as she should, while still capturing a beautiful likeness. She's iconic and the reboot has given the franchise new life. Now is the time for my dream Lara! Mezco...please?

If I want to get crazy, there are a couple more figures I can wish for that I know would never happen, but which I can imagine as One:12 Collective jems. Vin Diesel as Richard B. Riddick from "The Chronicles of Riddick". The Major, Motoko Kusanagi from "Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex". Aragorn and the Witch King Ringwraith from LotR. Darth Vader and Darth Maul. Mark Messier in a NY Rangers Captain's jersey with the 1994 Stanley Cup....

...ah, well...I can dream and wish...

Please share your own thoughts and wishes, as well...