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Packaging - ***
If I had to choose between the original red and the newer blue, I still
think I prefer the red. But the style of art and sturdiness of the
clamshells still makes these packages high on my list.
While there's a sticker on the front proclaiming the fact that these are
omgcnfo.com exclusives, there is no mention of which variant each one is.
Something next to Deadly's name would have been a nice touch.
Sculpting - ****
One nice thing about reviewing the Muppets - I've had to greatly expand my
vocabulary of words that mean 'great'. When it comes to the sculpts on
these figures, I've over used 'amazing', 'fantastic', and 'stupendous' so
much, I've had to take the next step and make up my own words. So
today I'm stating that the sculpt on Uncle Deadly is staggeringly
stunnomenal. Trust me, that's a good thing.
You want detail work? Check out the textures, buttons and tears in
the clothing. You want likeness? That head sculpt is not only on
model, it's uber-cool. You want scale? He fits in perfectly with
the rest of the line? You want fries with that? See the guy in
the red paper hat.
Deadly will be going on my list of favorite Muppet sculpts, right up
there with Sweetums and Adventure Kermit.
Now, there is one thing worth mentioning that bugged me. The tail
is NOT attached to his butt. It's attached to the underside of the
jacket, and has no posability at all. I'm sure they did this as a cost
cutting measure, and I'm cutting them a lot of slack on it because it's the
end of the line. You may find your score is effected more heavily by
it than mine though, so it's important to keep in mind.
Paint - ****
When Palisades and omgcnfo.com announced three different paint schemes for
this figure, there was some trepidation. Even when the three were
shown in photos later, some folks were still unsure if they'd really want
more than the traditional version. Trust me - you're going to have to
really check out all three to be sure you've got your favorite, and even
then, you may end up buying more than one.
The quality of the ops on all three, in general, is the same stellar work
we've seen for most of the line. I see a lot of toys from a lot of
companies, and it still surprises me how good of quality Palisades has
managed to demand and get (most of the time) on this line.
I did have some issues with the paint work on the ghosts and skulls, but
I'll bring that up in the section on accessories.
Now, which paint job is the best? His traditional look is the one
most folks will gravitate to first, but don't discount the other two.
The "Steppin' Out" version is somewhat similar, but has a slighlty more
tuxedo style paint job. He fits in nicely with the other "Steppin'
Out" Muppets like Tux Kermit or Tux Rowlf.
The "Flashback" version is done in a black and white film style, with
shades of gray used for everything. Initially I was the least
interested in this one, but I have to say it's really grown on me over time,
and I'm quite surprised at how wide of a palette they got with just shades
of gray.
And as advertised early on (although I don't believe it says so anywhere
on the package), the Flashback version also glows in the dark! I had
to take hiim into a dark room to double check, because it's a nice unobvious
paint they used, but his head, hands, feet, tail, hump...it all glows in a
nice, bright, eerie fashion!
Articulation - ***1/2
Your favorite Uncle has neck, ball jointed shoulders, cut biceps, elbows, cut
wrists, ball waist (similar to Statler and Waldorf), hips and ankles.
He's much more articulated above the waist than below, which makes quite a
bit of sense due to his character design.
The arm articulation is great, and allows him to hold all kinds of cool
poses. the hands can be brought all the way together, and also posed
up around his head.
The only joint I would have added or improved would have been the neck.
It's a simple cut joint, and a ball would have been so much more
interesting. I wish I could tilt his head, but it's not a huge
problem.
Accessories - ***
Deadly comes with three accessories, if you include his little black
display stand. There's also the ghost, and the skull.
Each of the three versions has slightly different ghosts and skulls.
Two of the ghosts/skulls are white, and one is completely clear. The
completely clear version is obviously the most distinct, but the two white
ghosts/skulls are slightly different as well. One is slightly darker,
and slightly shinier.
The paint ops on the two painted ghosts is somewhat off. It's
tricky - they went for a slightly translucent look, by not covering the
clear ghost below, but it doesn't particularly work. The painted
ghosts and skulls also have some slop around the eyes and mouths that the
figures themselves don't have.
There are also small clear stands for the ghosts, so that they can float
in the air. The stands work pretty well, but the post doesn't fit too
tightly into the base, so that it tends to drop off when you pick it up.
The clear versions of both accessories are actually my favorite, but then
I'm a little odd.
Fun Factor - ***1/2
For kids to have fun with their favorite Uncle doesn't even require that they
know who he is. He's such a cool looking character, with such an
interesting design, that they'll be drawn to him, Muppets fans or not.
He also has enough articulation to be fun, especially in his arms, and is
plenty sturdy to handle serious play time.
Value - **
At $15, he's steep. You're paying over the original $10 price for
several reasons - first, he's an exclusive; second, his production numbers
are well below the regular releases; and third, he's a tail ender, one of
the very last figures in the line.
Things to Watch Out for -
Not a thing. You might find that you like one of the ghosts more than
the others, but I'm betting if you only buy one, you'll pay more attention
to the version of Deadly than the version of ghosts/skulls.
Overall - ***1/2
This line has had a good run - 9 full waves, several ultra-cool playsets,
tons of exclusives, and three years of fun. Now that Uncle Deadly and
the Penguins are out, that leaves just the Rainbow Connection Kermit (who
was also available at the show, so should ship from Palisades Direct any day
if you've ordered through them).
Palisades has done many great lines, but I suspect that the Muppets line
will be their greatest accomplishment overall. It will certainly be
one of my top ten lines of the last decade, and has managed to reach a level
of quality and completeness that very few lines ever attain.
If you have to end the line, ending on a figure as strong as Uncle Deadly
ain't such a bad idea. He looks great, he's a ton of fun, and I
suspect he'll sell through lickity split.
SCORE RECAP:
Packaging - ***
Sculpt - ****
Paint - ****
Articulation - ***
Accessories - ***
Fun Factor - ***1/2
Value - **
Overall - ***1/2
Where to Buy -
He's an exclusive, so your best bet is right from the source -
omgcnfo.com. Or you can pick one
up off ebay, if you really feel the need.
Related Links -
I've reviewed a ton of the Muppets - just about the entire line, I believe.
Your best bet is to hit the Reviews Archive,
and search for 'muppet'.
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