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Packaging - ***1/2
I'm been mentioning for some time that I like the clamshell packaging, and that
hasn't changed. We still lack the amount of text I'd like to see on the
insert, and the Matrix colors and graphics are fairly dull, but that's not
Mcfarlane's fault.
If you're a MOCer, these will store away nicely
and are likely to stay in great shape. If you're not - they open just as
easily as anything else.
Sculpting - **1/2
This is a very low score for a McToys figure, and is surprising considering
the quality of the other figures, particularly Morpheus and the Twins.
Chop of Trinity's head, and this score would
jump to ***1/2 stars. The work on the body is great, with every detail in
the clothing and coat, and the holstered guns look excellent. My only
complaint below the neck is that her right hand sculpt isn't quite right to hold
the extra machine gun. It's not awful mind you, but the gun doesn't
fit as tightly or neatly as it should.
If I was only going by the head though - and
let's be honest, in a licensed property the accuracy of the head sculpt
outweighs all else - this figure would have a tough time managing **
stars. While I think Trinity is a babe, I'm quite aware she's not
model-pretty. Still, this version is a far less attractive woman than the
one Carrie-Anne Moss portrays in the films. The Neo sculpts are no great
shakes, but the lack of resemblance on the Trinity sculpt is a greater offense.
Paint - ***
The paint application is adequate for a McToys figure, but not up to the usual
intricacy that you might expect. That's partially due to the lack of paint
detail necessitated by the license, and you can't fault them for the general
lack of color. But there was some gloppiness to the skin tones, and the
lines between the glasses and face, and hair and face, weren't clean or neat
enough to generate a higher score.
I am happy to note that the blacks used on the
clothing are varied, giving the outfit more visual attractiveness than a single
black would have.
Articulation - **
I'm actually giving her a slightly better score than Morpheus and the Twins,
although she really is just a statue as well. There's a little more
articulation here though, and for most people a low score in this category isn't
going to be a factor. If you're expecting a statue with a few posing
possibilities, you won't be disappointed.
Trinity had neck, shoulders, right bicep, wrists
and thighs. There's not much you'll be able to do with these, but at least
the right bicep joint is somewhat useful.
Accessories - ***1/2
There are technically four accessories, although you might want to leave two of
them in the holsters. Yes, the guns on her belt ARE removable, but it's
pretty easy to damage the straps holding them in.
There is also an automatic pistol that fits in
her right hand, although as I mentioned earlier, the fit isn't stupendous.
The big accessory is the base.
The base consists of two sections that don't
connect. There's the floor/wall combo that Trinity is using to start her
acrobatic leap, and there's a lobby column. Both are shot up quite nicely,
with plenty of rubble and debris, including spent shell casings on the
floor. Some of the bullet holes also have debris blasting out of them, as
though it's the moment of bullet impact. This concrete debris is done
using a very soft plastic in thin spiral lines. While it's a good idea in
theory, it ended up looking an awful lot like some sort of funky aquarium plant
growing on the wall. The base looks good overall though, and is certainly
more interesting than the ones included with Morpheus and the Twins.
Value - ***
If you pay $10 for her, since a decent value. It's nothing to make you
swing a muskrat over your head repeatedly, but it's decent. Pay more than
that - like at Gamestop for example - and take off some points.
Overall - **1/2
N2 Toys did Matrix toys the first time around. These figures blow
those out of the water, no doubt about it. Of course, that was a couple
years ago, and N2 was also picked with great regularity as worst company in the
People's Choice Awards. For McToys to have done worse than that would have
taken considerable effort on their part.
All the figures give you very dynamic statues,
with interesting poses, and decent display pizzazz. But comparing Trinity
to the rest of the line, her shortcomings become much more apparent. She
was a borderline *** for me, but considering the head sculpt, I just couldn't
give her the edge.
Where to Buy -
I bought them at Gamestop, but at $13 a pop, I don't recommend it. Here's a
couple on-line suggestions -
- Killer Toys has a great pre-order deal
up right now - you can pre-order each of the individual Revolutions figures for
$9.95 each. Twin 1 has been a big issue for folks to find in the Reloaded
release due to McToys packing ratios, but you can order each of the figures
individually this way and save yourself that fear. They also still have
Trinity (and Neo) for $10 each.
- Aisle
Sniper has Neo and Trinity as a pair for $22 plus shipping.
- Beans Toys is sold out of the Trinity,
but have a great price on the Chateau (at just $23) if you're looking for that
one.
- and if you're looking for the N2 versions, Time
and Space Toys still has some of those available for around ten bucks each.
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