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Packaging - ***
The large window box shows off the figure nicely, and the graphics match the
carded series. The boxes I found were tri-lingual, which can be annoying
for some folks. A nice touch here though is that they are moderately
collector friendly - there's only a couple twisty ties, and everything can be
put back into it's original state if you desire.
Sculpting - ***
The sculpting isn't bad at all, and is really the nicest aspect of this
large scale series. They've captured the look of each character well,
although that's not too tough considering the basic quality of the style.
My personal nit to pick here is that the hands
weren't sculpted to hold anything. Okay, Mattel decided to not give us any
accessories, but that doesn't mean a resourceful kid couldn't come up with
something. Unfortunately, with the closed fists on Batman and Supes, that
won't be an option.
Scale between each of these three is good,
although Bats seems a tad bigger in relation to the Supes and Flash than either
the smaller versions or the maquettes. Still, it's hardly noticeable, and
overall you should be very satisfied with the sculpting.
Paint - *1/2
Too bad I can't say the same about the paint ops. Every figure has issues
in some way or in some place, and I looked at several on the shelf. The
borders between the red and yellow on the Flash are all sloppy, the top edge of
Superman's costume, next to his skin, is poorly done, and the soft rubber capes
have odd marks or dots. My poor Flash even had a pock mark on his nose.
Considering the size of these figures, and the
simplicity of the colors and design, there's no excuse for this poor of paint
application.
Articulation - **
The figures all have neck, shoulders, waist and hips. Again, it seems very
odd for such large figures to have such little articulation.
The capes restrict the shoulders slightly on
Batman and Superman, but it's not terrible. However, cut elbows or wrists
would have been a nice addition, and you may have a little trouble finding that
sweet spot that keeps them standing on their own.
Accessories - Bupkis
None of the figures comes with any sort of accessory. That's another very
disappointing feature, since in this scale there are plenty of possibilities.
How about a sculpted hand on Batman that can hold a batarang? Or maybe
some Kryptonite for Superman? Anything?
Value - **1/2
The larger scale Simpsons were $15, but they came with four or five very cool
accessories each. The similar rotocast Hulk was only $10, and had lots of
articulation. That's a great price - these should be at least two bucks
cheaper considering the great work Toybiz is doing with their large scale
rotocast figures.
Overall - **
I bought all three because I'm a big fan of the license. If I weren't,
I'd have skipped on anything but Batman. Had the paint ops been well done
they would have been a great, low cost alternative to the maquettes, but instead
they are neither great looking statues or great looking toys. They fall in
that limbo in between, and neither kids nor collectors will be overly pleased
with them. They're not doggie chew toys, but it's disappointing to see
them miss such a golden opportunity.
Where to Buy -
I snagged mine at Wal-marts. I'm betting Target and TRU get them soon,
although they might be a buck or two more than the $10 I paid at Wally World.
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