Review of Talos - Jason and the Argonauts
Vinyl Statue

Introduction

For the Harryhausen fans, Star Ace (and their parent company, X-Plus) have been a dream come true. They have been producing in both vinyl and resin a variety of his greatest movie creations, from the Cyclops to the Allosaurus.

The latest release is Talos, the giant bronze statue from Jason and the Argonauts. As you recall, the foolish sailors stole the treasure Talos' was guarding, and he came to life to stop them. This vinyl statue comes in two versions, a regular and a deluxe. I'll be looking at the deluxe tonight.

The regular will run you around $200 or so, while the deluxe is closer to $300, all depending on the retailer of course.

Packaging - ***
The regular version is the one piece Talos, with the ship and a small 'splash' stand, as seen in the photo above. This all comes in one box, while the diorama base that comes with the deluxe is in its own box. If you purchase the deluxe, you get these two boxes packed together in a brown shipping box.

The vinyl statue is held in place in plastic trays, and the package is completely collector friendly of course. So is the diorama base packaging, but rather than plastic trays, they used soft foam to cradle it. That's because the diorama isn't vinyl, but a heavier polyresin.

Sculpting - ***1/2
You'll see a lot of places describe this statue as 'soft vinyl', but I'm not sure why. The box says 'supervinyl', and while that's a brand name for Star Ace, it's also more accurate. There's nothing soft about the material, but the vinyl does mean it's much lighter than a resin statue.

The statue stands about 12 inches tall, posed lifting one of the ships out of the sea.  The regular version includes a sculpted 'splash', and the ship's bow can rest in this translucent plastic.

Oddly, I did have a little trouble keeping him standing without the diorama. The right foot is posed with his weight forward on the ball of his foot, but the actual center of gravity isn't forward enough to make it stable. You can mess around with the lean of the statue and the support of the ship to get it to work, but I found it surprising that it didn't stand easily. On the diorama it was better, but I would still recommend putting a little quake putty on the right foot.

The sculpting on the figure itself is excellent, with a hammered bronze appearance. The pose is dynamic, and works well with the ship and base. All it's missing is a few sailors flying off the boat.

Paint - ***1/2
The look of bronze is mirrored in the paint application, where the highlights are rubbed bright, while the cracks and crevasses are darker and tarnished. You might think it's a simple paint application, since it's there are no small details to capture, but getting the metallic look accurate was critical.

The boat has a few small details, and the work on the diorama, especially the frothing water, is extremely good. There are white caps on the waves, and a shimmering sea bottom below. It's an excellent effect, thanks to the detail paint work.

Accessories - ***1/2
There really aren't 'accessories' in the traditional sense with this figure, but there are still extras, some of which only come with the deluxe.

While Talos himself is a solid piece, the ship and splashing water are individual items. It's unlikely you'll use him without them, but they are separate pieces. There are also two extra oars, I'm assuming included on the off chance you damage one somehow.

The deluxe version, which is what I'm reviewing here, comes with a large diorama base. It includes part of the beach, where there is a spot for each foot to rest, and a chunk of the water. In the water is a divot for the small splash effect to attach, creating an complete screen scene.

While the bases are usually not necessary with these statues, this time I'd say it's a must buy. It really adds a lot to the overall look of the statue.

Value - **
These statues are not cheap. Of course, being imports is part of the issue, but large vinyl and resin statues have always been expensive. Considering the property, I doubt the run is extremely large, driving up costs as well. Still, the one barrier for most collectors will be the cost.

Things to Watch Out For -
Not much. Like I said, I'd add a little putty under the ball of the right foot to ensure he remains upright, but otherwise you should be good with the simple assembly.

Overall - ***1/2
This is one of those rare occasions where the diorama base isn't just nice, it's really necessary to create the best looking display. While I commend Star Ace for giving collectors cheaper options, this time you'll want to go for the deluxe.

They are also doing a much larger version of Talos as part of their new series called 'Gigantic'. As the name applies, he's big, coming in at 20" tall. The price tag goes way up too, and the design is less dynamic, with him posed in a guard position rather than during battle. Personally, this smaller version is the way to go with this figure, but I'm very interested to see what else they do with this new Gigantic series.

Score Recap (out of ****):
Packaging - ***1/2
Sculpting - ***1/2
Paint - ***1/2
Accessories - ***1/2
Value - **
Overall - ***1/2

Where to Buy 
Online options include these site sponsors:

- Entertainment Earth has the deluxe for $320 and the regular for $220, with free shipping.

- or you can search ebay for a deal.

Related Links -
Other Star Ace Harryhausen statues include the Cyclops, Ceratosaurus, Triceratops, and Allosaurus.

You should also hit the Search Reviews page, in case any other applicable reviews were done after this one was published.

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