WONDER WOMAN DVD Maquette - DC Universe Animated movie statue

I picked up an amazing statue this past week, based on the DC Universe Animated Direct-to-DVD Wonder Woman movie. The statue is made of polystone, measures about 8 & 1/2" tall (plus its base) and was released in a limited run of 4000 back in (I think) 2009. 

Wonder Woman comes in an attractive, if not slightly busy, box. There are loads of photos of the prototype (which I can't help but notice looks better than the final product due to the eye paint), and a bit of narrative on the back describing the plot of the movie on which the figure is based. The statue doesn't require any assembly, and is sandwiched safely between two styrofoam trays. The black base has a plaque on it, with the edition number inscribed in the underside. 

The sculpt is credited to Jim Shoop, and features a design with strong, muscular shoulders and arms, without projecting too much bulk. The style is simple, rather than "realistic", as it is based directly on animation. Everything is generally pretty smooth, including the voluminous hair, which has a minimum of creases to hint at depth. There's a slight wrinkling at the ankles of Wonder Woman's boots, but even they are otherwise smooth. I like the overall pose, with the exception of the sharp downwards tilt of her chin, which is just a bit too much for me (the image on the box shows a more "straight-ahead" look, and I really prefer it). The paint work around the eyes, though sharp, seems a bit thick, making her look somewhat sinister, until you get used to it. The paint work is otherwise excellent, with sharp lines, no bleed and appropriate colors. The skin tone works well, and the bracelets are a gloss grey. Wonder Woman is holding a metal lasso across her hands to complete the look.The statue is quite attractive and looks excellent, but she needs to be displayed above eye-level because of the sharp downward tilt of her face. Had they brought the chin up a shade and gone a bit subtler with the eye shadow, and a tiny bit fuller with the lipstick, I think this statue would have been much closer to the material it was modeled on. As it stands, its still excellent, and I'm happy to add it to the collection, but she needs to be displayed "just so" to bring the most out of her.

Gaming Heads Lara Croft "Survivor" Statue Box

Gaming Heads is due to release a new Lara Croft Tomb Raider statue any time, now. It's the "Temple of Osiris" version, and it looks brilliant. Unfortunately, it's a bit out of my price range, so I'll be taking a very difficult pass. I did have a recent request for another look at the earlier Gaming Heads release of Lara Coft in her modern, re-booted "Survivor" look's box. I had mentioned in my review of the figure that the box was so nice it probably deserved its own review. So, here it is!

The box is absolutely enormous - by far the largest box for a figure I have ever gotten (this is also the largest statue in my collection)! It measures nearly 23" tall by 16" wide and 11" deep. It's very hard to capture those dimensions on camera, so trust me, it's big. The pictures are stunning photos of the prototype, which (unfortunately) looks better than the actual statue. I've included a side by side so you can see what I mean. Otherwise, the box is beautiful, with several turnaround shots, a neat biography, and the edition number (this was limited to 1000 worldwide).

Lara Croft in Jungle Outfit - Playmates Toys Tomb Raider figure

I recently had a request through my earlier post of my Tomb Raider collection shelf display for a review of one of the figures. I called it "Large Size Lara Croft". It's actually a Playmates Toys 8" Lara Croft from one of their larger sized diorama sets. In the late 1990's Playmates did a line of about a half dozen smaller sized (6") figures with diorama display bases under the Adventures of Lara Croft banner. They also produced 3 (I think) larger, 8" figures with dioramas. One was Lara Croft in Wetsuit, which came with a dock display. Another was Area 51 Lara Croft, which came in an industrial display. And the third was Lara Croft in Jungle Outfit, from which my figure comes. I actually purchased the figure loose, not knowing that it was the Playmates figure at the time, and it came a bit warped and scuffed.

Jungle Outfit Lara stands about 9" tall, has two pistols that can be stored in her hip holsters or held in her hands, and sports very little articulation: v-hips, swivel neck, swivel shoulders and a swivel at the left elbow allowing for inward/outward rotation of the forearm. That's a total of 6 points. It's only enough to fine tune the stance she's been given, with the locations of the arms to the guns as the aspect giving the figure its personality. Unlike her junior version, this Lara comes with her sunglasses on. And that's about it. Jungle Outfit Lara is a dated piece, and would probably look a whole lot better on her original, included base. As she is, she's ok, but I'm happy to have her in my collection. I've got the larger Wetsuit Lara, as well (also without the diorama dock base), with only Area 51 Lara missing. Might have to remedy that some day...

Alongside SOTA Riddick

JUDGE DREDD - Art Figures Artistic Interpretation "Heavy Cop" Version 2.0 Review

This was the final assembly day for Judge Dredd, and it was absolutely as aggravating as I had anticipated. The final assembly involved threading his belt through all of the included accessories, as well as the four loops at the bottom of the vest and the top loop of the holster. Everything actually went really well, for the most part, until the very last step. Go figure. I checked some pictures online to see where things should go (he's got a lot of stuff!). There's a round disc in a pouch (can't remember what that is) to the left of his belt buckle, the two pouches with 2 spare magazines each, the medical kit, the breather bag, a grenade, his combat knife and the holster.

I used two pairs of tweezers to help me thread things through, and I was able to get everything pretty much where I wanted. Then it was time to attach the main portion of the holster itself to his thigh. Sounds simple enough, but it wasn't. The problem was that the straps were not long enough to wrap around the thigh and the pants to buckle closed. I literally fought with those things for nearly an hour. The straps can be pulled out a little, but it's no simple task. I tugged with the tweezers and with my fingers (terrified the entire time that something would break), lost my patience a half-dozen times and finally, in the end, got the thing buckled into place. I intentionally left the knife off - it's got a very thin clip on the back and I'm afraid it will break off if I try to attach it, so it's going back in the box until I want it in his hand. So (Finally!), Judge Joseph Dredd, Karl Urban style, is fully kitted and outfitted. And, man, he looks good...

Art Figures' Heavy Cop is an unlicensed 1/6 scale figure of the main character from the movie, Dredd. It's one of my personal favorite films, and Karl Urban's depiction of Judge Joseph Dredd is outstanding. The film seems to have a pretty dedicated, if small, following. With hopes for a sequel longingly housed in the back of my mind, I'm thrilled to be able to add a movie Dredd to my toy collection. It's not my ideal (1:12 scale is my dream), but it will do for now. In fact, the figure is so well-done that I've gone ahead and purchased a 1:6 scale Art Figures Boy Black (aka Riddick) to stand alongside him!

Art Figures released a movie version of this figure some time back. I missed out on it, but thankfully caught this version just as it was released. This version, which I'm calling "2.0" features Dredd outfitted in "classic blue" comic-book colors (in the film, he wore black). This version also features shoulder pauldrons that are prominently gold (the first edition had darker pauldrons, with the gold mostly washed out), an unblemished helmet (version 1.0 had a few battle-damage scars), and the inclusion of a hair piece. Once completely outfitted, the figure looks striking and complete as Judge Dredd. The outfit is faux leather and the armor portions are plastic. The articulation is sufficient to strike some poses, but I tend to keep my figures pretty static for display. Besides the pain I had to endure getting this figure outfitted, I really only have two complaints. First, I hate the hands. The feature bendy fingers, and with the added bulk of the gloves, I can not get them to look natural. I'd much rather be able to swap them out like I can with my One:12 Collective Dredd hands. Second, the Lawgiver (and other accessories) are too plain. They have the shape and design they should (and there's even a sticker on the gun mimicking the "ammo display", but other than that it's all just plain blue plastic. Comparing that to the level of detail that Mezco got into their Dredd Lawgivers, I can't help but feel disappointed. I think they all would probably have looked better in black, on the original version. But here, they look like toy plastic.

Other than that, there's really nothing else for me to say about Heavy Cop. He looks outstanding, feels like quality, and is the only collectible figure based on Dredd out there. Blue Version 2.0 is limited to 300 pieces worldwide, so if interested at all, I'd suggest jumping on it rather than waiting! He looks right at home beside my only other high-end 12" figures: Dark Knight Batman (Hot Toys) and War Machine (Hot Toys)...

The Chronicles of Riddick SOTA Toys action figure line

SOTA (State of the Art) Toys made some pretty wonderful action figures back in their day. They created one of the greatest lines ever with their Street Fighter figures, and their Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life figures are still my favorite Lara Crofts in my collection. SOTA released a series of action figures based on the Vin Diesel movie The Chronicles of Riddick around 2004, and even a decade later these are the only licensed toys that have ever been released based on the Riddick universe.

I'm a huge fan of the Riddick series of films. I like all of them, and LOVE The Chronicles of Riddick. The character of Richard B. Riddick is a personal favorite of mine, right up there alongside two other deep-voiced tough guys of few words: Batman and Judge Dredd. But while I've got plenty of Batman action figures and a growing shelf of Dredd characters in 1:12 scale, Riddick eludes me. Now, I know that both of those other characters have years of storylines to fall back on, and a huge following of fans who have grown up with them over decades, while the character of Richard B. Riddick is fairly new, and much more modest in popularity by comparison.

So far as I know, only two 6" action figures have ever been made of Riddick, both by SOTA Toys, based on The Chronicles of Riddick. I have both (still in package) and they look good (quite exceptional for the time in which they were produced, actually).

The basic Riddick figure comes outfitted in his black tank, long pants, forearm bracers and harness/backpack combo. He's got 2 Ulak knives and his goggles are removable. He's got joints at the neck, shoulders, biceps, elbows, wrists, hips, knees and ankles. The likeness is pretty good, and the paint is well-done. There are a couple of different paint possibilities I've seen for the head. One is completely bald, and the other (the one I've got) has a much more noticeable hair line.

The other Riddick came in a boxed set with a Crematoria Hellhound. He's outfitted in the Necro armor he wore as a disguise at the end of the film. There are a couple of big sword-like weapons that appeared in the film included, as well.

Other figures in the line included Vaako, as played by Karl Urban. He comes with the gun he used to shoot Riddick on Crematoria as well as the ax he tried to kill the Lord Marshal with (I think). The likeness is ok, but not quite as sharp as Riddick's

Lord Marshal comes with a removable helmet and a couple of the giant weapons he used . The armor on both of these figures is very detailed and shows a great deal of care went into their design.

I think the Vaako sculpt (or maybe it's a combination of parts, because the torso looks like the boxed Riddick's) was released with an added helmet as a SDCC Exclusive, and labeled as a Necromonger.

The Lensing Necromonger is an interesting figure, in that it is really well-done (you can even see a tiny face peering out from behind the purple lens of the faceplate), and has plenty of icky detailing in the crags and folds of the skin around the neck. However, it's not a figure that really needed to get made. I'm not sure why SOTA decided to make this odd and fairly minor character into a toy (really, how and why would anyone use this thing in their Riddick adventures?). If they really needed another figure, they could have gone with Dame Vaako, Aereon the Elemental or even Toombs the Merc. In any event, the figure looks pretty faithful to the film.

Unfortunately, the same can't be said for the final figure in the line. Kyra (aka, Jack) really doesn't look anything at all like the incredible Alexa Davalos. I really love Kyra's character in the film - there's a cat-like grace and fluidity to her movements, and she does a great job of keeping up with Riddick (no easy feat!). I was upset at her demise, but that seems to be the fate of EVERYONE who befriends Riddick (even jackals!). The figure sports a poor likeness, and the articulation doesn't look like it does much to capture the acrobatic abilities of the character. She comes with 2 blasters that she used in the final battle on Crematoria.

I don't know if it's true, but I've heard rumors that a fourth film, Furia, is in the works (announced this past November/December?), along with an upcoming television series called Merc City. If those rumors are true, the Riddick Universe is alive and well! And in that case, it's a perfect time for NECA or Mezco Toyz to pick up the license and get us a proper Riddick line of figures. Can you imagine how amazing a One:12 Collective Riddick would be? Heck, I think Mezco would do an amazing job with a line akin to their recent Mortal Kombat offerings! Or what threeA could do with the Riddick universe? How about a Figma or Figuarts Riddick?

Art Figures' release of Boy Black illustrates what can be done with the character, if done properly. The toy companies just need to know that there's enough of an interest. The films have garnered a small, but dedicated following, and I know that I, for one, would be gloriously thrilled to get behind a proper line of figures based on the Riddick universe!

JUDGE DREDD - Art Figures Artistic Interpretation "Heavy Cop" Version 2.0: DAY 3

Today posed the first real challenge: Dredd's armored vest. It's made of a front and back panel, connected at the top by a padded neck ring, and on the sides by 4 tiny clasp buckles. The shoulder pauldrons also have elastic rings on their outer ends.

Front

I figured that those rings need to slide up each arm to the bicep area, where they would serve to keep the shoulder armor from flapping around loosely. I wasn't sure how I was going to get those on, AND slide the whole shebang down over his head. Never mind that the clasps are REALLY tiny, are made of plastic, and didn't want to seem to come apart no matter how hard I tried. I'm also terrified of breaking something.

In any event, it took some time, and patience in the form of me walking away a couple of times, but the armor got on. Sliding the elastic up the arms wasn't as hard as I thought.

Back

The second arm, especially, went much smoother than anticipated since the range of motion is pretty good and I could bend it and maneuver to get the loop to reach. The neck collar is a very tight fit, and closing the clasps on the sides of the vest was a real challenge. I just couldn't squeeze the vest close enough together over the underlying sweater to get them to seat. I eventually managed one on each side, which helped, but it was a trying process. However...he looks awesome with it on...

JUDGE DREDD - Art Figures Artistic Interpretation "Heavy Cop" Version 2.0: DAY 2

I decided to "go small" on this first day of assembly, just sticking with the head. Before getting to that, there are a couple of things worth mentioning: this second version has some notable differences from the original. The most obvious is that this guy is outfitted in blue. He's very blue, while the original was black. Second, this version's shoulder pauldrons are clearly gold, while the original had a faint gold overlaid with a dark wash.

Third, the helmet on this version is completely fresh - there's no evidence of "battle damage" like there was on the original. I almost feel like this version of Dredd is pre-Peach Trees, maybe even right out of training. The final, and maybe most obvious, addition is the hair piece.

It fits great, looks good, and is going straight back into the box after this picture, never to be seen again: no one gets to see Dredd's hair, unless it's in the dark, from the back, right after the opening credits, for like 2 seconds.

The face sculpt is good, the eyes are cool and the stubble is really well-done. The most important parts are from the nostrils down, and the scowl is captured perfectly. Both the hair and the helmet fit spot-on, and both look awesome. Next, I'll attempt the armored vest. There are tons of buckles and straps on this thing, so I'm a bit tentative, but I'll take is slow and see how it goes...