|
Packaging - ***1/2
I love dem clamshells. Okay, so the overall blue has gotten a little dull,
but in general the packaging is a solid design. And yes, each bubble has a
different exclusive sticker on it. The bubble also points out that this
figure is from Muppets Tonight, although I don't ever recall Pepe actually
wearing this outfit.
Sculpting - ***1/2
The Pepe sculpt is very well done, although he doesn't rank up there with
the very best of the Muppets line so far. He's a fan favorite though, and
they've done a fine job capturing his look.
This version looks like a slightly different head sculpt than the first, but
if it is the differences are small. Overall he looks great, especially
decked out in all his cool beach attire.
Paint - **
Unfortunately, these have perhaps the worst paint application I've ever
gotten on a Palisades product.
The hair, eyes, and body look fine, but the shirts on both figures have big
problems. The Toyfare version looks the worse of the two, due to the red
and yellow colors. The red shows the yellow through it very easily, and
there's a lot of inconsistency in the color. Some areas of the red are
splotchy and dark, while others show the yellow clearly underneath
The blue shirt suffers from identical problems, but due to the colors they
don't show up quite as badly. Still, since the shirt is the big selling
point, I was disappointed at the quality this time around.
Articulation - ***
Pepe has less articulation this time around than in the regular release, but
I doubt you'll miss it a whole lot.
He has neck, all four shoulders, waist and hips. His missing the elbows
and wrists that his previous version had, but that's not too bad considering the
bare arm sculpt.
Accessories - ****
A perfect score in this category as usual. The vacation version has
one re-used accessory from the regular release - the beach chair - but
everything else is new.
He has a snorkel and mask, drink with a little umbrella, elephant inner tube
(don't I recognize this elephant from some place?), flippers, and cloth baggy
swim shorts. Everything looks fantastic, and the tube, flippers, mask and
shorts fit great. He doesn't have the holes in his hands to hold things
this time, but he can still manage to hold the drink if you get it just right.
Value - Toyfare **; Musicland **1/2
You won't feel too bad forking over the extra 3 bucks or so for the
Musicland exclusive. It is an exclusive, and it's cheaper than a
convention exclusive.
But the Toyfare version is killer, even considering that it includes
shipping. If you're lucky, you can hit a toy show (like one of the Wizard
World shows) where they would have these for less.
Overall - Toyfare **1/2, Musicland ***
The paint ops on both these figures pulled the score down into the average
range, and the price on the Toyfare one hurts a little further. Only the
completist or die hard Pepe fan really needs to pick that version up, and for
most Muppets collectors, the Musicland version will do just fine.
Where to Buy -
Musicland, Media Play and Sam Goody will have the blue shirt version -
Toyfare has the red shirt!
KEEP SCROLLING DOWN FOR MORE PHOTOS!
|
