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Packaging - ****
It doesn't get much better than this. Sideshow has given us their
usual collector friendly packaging, with marvelous graphics and
text. The design is simply beautiful, and sets the standard for this
style packaging.
Sculpting - ***1/2
I picked up the film to watch it once again before doing this
review. The head sculpts on these figures are definitely Jen and
Kira, and they've done a fairly nice job.
There is something that's
slightly off - it's tough for me to put my finger on it though.
Perhaps Jen's face is slightly too pointed...perhaps his hair line doesn't
go back far enough around the ears to look right. Or maybe the eyes
are simply too widely set on the head. I can't quite put my finger
on it, as it's not a glaring error, but there is something that throws the
sculpt off ever so slightly.
But they still look extremely
good, and are very true to the source material. If I hadn't watched
the movie to compare them to, it's likely I wouldn't have noticed anything
off at all.
Both have rooted hair, and
it's very well done. No bald spots here, with tight coverage over
the whole head. Jen's is a beautiful golden color, while Kira's is a
mixture of black and blue.
Paint - ***1/2
The predominate paint ops here are on the face. The eyes of both Jen
and Kira are extremely well done - bright, straight, and clean. They
eye lashes and lips look nice as well, and the skin tones of the face,
hands and feet all match up well.
Articulation - ***
The bodies used are the standard Sideshow male and female body. They
have all the excellent articulation you'd expect, but from the forearms
down and the shins down, they have newly sculpted hands and feet.
Obviously that was necessary,
but it removes some articulation, particularly at the ankles and
wrists. This means you'll have fewer posing possibilities, and I had
a lot of trouble simply getting Kira to stand on her own. Her feet
caused her to fall over backwards unless I leaned her very far forward.
The other problem with the
articulation is at the neck. It's very limited, although it is
there.
Accessories - ***1/2
Each figure comes with a nice display stand, crucial for Kira but nice
for Jen as well. Each stand has the characters name on it, and works
very well.
Kira comes with her little
animal sidekick, Fizzgig. He's well sculpted, and his wild hair look
is captured with some fake fur/hair. There's no articulation, but he
stands on his four little feet just fine.
Jen comes with his flute,
which actually plays a key role in the film, and the crystal shard which
he must return to it's rightful place.
The accessories are all well
done, and fit with the film perfectly.
Outfit - ****
Wow. I can't think of a better word to describe the clothing on both
Jen and Kira. The detailed embroidery, beautiful beadwork, and
intricate design are wonderfully done.
These are easily the most
complex outfits produced by Sideshow so far, and they've done an
outstanding job. The wide variety of materials used is a great
example of the effort and thought they put into the costumes. They
didn't spare any expense.
I particularly like Jen's
belt, which is nicely detailed and comes with a pouch to carry the
flute. Kira's cloak is also extremely nice, with a detailed
embroidered leaf across the back.
Value - ***
As always, this score depends on where you buy them. I picked them
up from Aisle Sniper, where I paid $70 for the pair plus shipping.
At that cost, they are a decent value, particularly if you're a big fan of
the movie.
This score rises though as
you find them at cheaper prices. The big surprise is that Media Play
is carrying them for $30, and excellent price for this level of detail and
quality in a LICENSED product. Remember those licenses cost bucks
too!
Overall - ***1/2
If you're a fan of the film, you don't want to pass these up. They
are truly beautiful, from the packaging to the outfits to the
accessories. The only thing bringing them down from four stars is
the loss of articulation, as it hurt what poses I could put them in,
particularly Kira.
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