Action Figure Reviews

When I heard the news that McFarlane Toys was gonna put out another RoboCop action figure-- this time a 12-inch deal with battle damage-- I figured it'd be just as beautifully painted and perfectly sculpted right down to the last detail as the first one was. Only with some breaks in the armor a la the end of RoboCop 2. Sure `nuff, Mickey F delivered in that respect... well, except the battle damage was more reminiscent of what Robo looked like near the end of the first RoboCop movie. Anyhoo, the new toy retains the same degree of articulation as its smaller, more intact predecessor... which was surprisingly extensive to begin with! This toy boasts fifteen points of articulation, including ball-jointed hips and bending ankles, complete with working Achilles tendon pistons.

Sadly, I was hoping McFarlane Toys would "tweak" the design of this larger-sized re-release. You know, like more extensive articulation ( I was kinda hopin' big Robo would be able to do the Looking-in-one-direction-while-firing-in-another deal like he did in the coke lab bust scene). Or a removable helmet revealing the uncovered head of our hero complete with bullet-wound forehead scar, and Robo's trademark retracting thigh holster, all of which were sadly absent from the little figure. No dice on all counts, I'm afear'd. Needless to say, I'm a bit bummed that they didn't even bother to try and add some new bells and whistles to this super-sized bad-boy. But hey, why improve on the design when you know the toy fanboys are gonna buy it no matter what! They sure reeled ME in, that's fer dang sure...

FYI: If you plan on releasing your 12" McFarlane battle-damaged RoboCop action figure from its blister-packed imprisonment, be warned: this thing gives off a VERY strong, sorta resiny odor (or "geek-whiff", as I like to call it). A good method of eliminating most of the odor is to air this bad-boy out for a few days in the great outdoors. Preferably in a nice, shady, reasonably dry spot that isn't frequented by large rats or possums. The last thing you need is your display cabinet reeking of geek-whiff...

`Late

This is very good figure as he has great sculpting and a incredible likeness as its pretty movie accurate. I recommend Marvel Movie/Marvel Legends/Spider-Man figures for age 10 and up due to the fragileness nature of the figures. Bottom line this is a must have figure if you are a big Fantastic Four fan! I strongly recommend this figure!

The McFarlane toys are more of a collectors item than an actual toy. The items are excellent.

Alex Rodriguez played in his first spring training game today, in which he went 0 for 2, and he was not wearing the blue home jersey of the Texas Rangers. My connection says that McFarlane Toys will be coming out with an update version of this figure in a New York Yankee figure, but I will believe that when I see it. Ironically, one of the other MLB Series 8 Figures is Alfonso Soriano, so you have both of the players in the biggest trade of the off-season in their old uniforms. Yankee fans can also get Kevin Brown in his old Dodger uniform and Hideki Matsui as an actual Yankee in a Yankee uniform. Note: Andy Pettite and Roger Clemens in their Houston Astros uniforms will both be in McFarlane's MLB Series 10 out this summer, as will the second Derek Jeter figure (will he still be the Yankee shortstop when that happens? Stay tuned, America).

As always with the McFarlane figures the details are quite impressive. You can just about read the printing on the baseball, which is suspended off of the infield dirt, and I especially liked the back of A-Rod's jersey is starting to come out from the uniform pants. His autograph appears on the glove and his index finger is sticking out, just like it is supposed to be. Even the cleats on the bottom of his A*Rod shoes are there. In terms of articulation you can move the figure's head slightly and his right arm swivels most of the way around; it actually looks good in several positions, so take your pick. The figure is attached to the base plate, which is right at the edge of the outfield grass, by a metal peg on the left leg and a clear peg on the right (so that the toe is not touching the ground).

I do not know if the trade makes the MLB Series 8 Figure: Alex Rodriguez with Blue Rangers Jersey (Home) an instant collector's item, but with this and the Soriano figure coming out at the same time I just had to pick up both and put them side by side on the bookshelf. The blue jersey is a nice shade of blue and they do seem to be reducing the amount of dirt on the pant legs in this series (someone at McFarlane really loves to have dirt on the uniforms; nobody is every playing in the first inning apparently).