Packaging - **1/2
Big box, basic colors, access
to press his button. The colors follow the standard, and what
was somewhat dull on a 7" figure is downright boring for one this
large. Still, it's sturdy, and it does proclaim "Over 12
Sayings!".
Sculpting - ***
Now I'm pretty sure this figure
is nothing more, sculpt-wise, than a blow up of the Stewie from series
1. And yet I gave that sculpt only **, while this one gets
***. What happened in between?
Actually, the problems I had at
the smaller scale seem less of an issue at this size. I'm not
sure why, since that's not normally the case - usually, as the figure
gets bigger, the issues become more obvious to the eye.
But not this time. The
oddly shaped head seems closer to the show, and while I'm still not
thrilled with the frown, it works pretty well with this particular
position of the eyebrows and eyes. The expression also works
well with the majority of the sayings that he spouts when you push the
button.
He still does have the neck
issue, that I detailed in the review of series
1. Unlike the cartoon, where his chin drops down below his
body, in 3D it must stay above, and that throws off his appearance
slightly.
Stewie stands about 12" tall -
just under it - and will be a tad big next to Peter. But from
what I saw of the two together at SDCC,
it will still work just fine.
Paint - ***1/2
No issues major issues here. When dealing with such a large
figure and so few colors, consistency in each color itself is the most
important thing. The red stays red across his body, with no
lighter or darker areas, or weird changes in texture or
finish. Likewise with the yellow of his shirt and his skin
tone. The few details are clean and neat, and overall the
paint ops are solid.
Articulation - ***
Stewie isn't meant to be super poseable, but he still has a few
joints. There's his neck, shoulders, top of his legs, waist
and wrists. Like I said, not a lot, but it's more than the
small version of Stewie had, and just about as much as you
could possible get into a character design like this. A ball
jointed neck would be the only thing that could boost the score much
more.
Accessories - ***
Stewie comes with his faithful
bear, Rupert. There are no hidden weapons in Rupert, which is
a good thing since at this scale you'd end up detained at the airport
for a very long time if you tried taking this toy on board.
Rupert is a plush bear, just
like he should be, although the plushiness throws off his appearance
slightly. Stewie can't actually hold him either, which is too
bad, but he comes with a couple rubber bands to keep him close.
Talking Feature - ***1/2
The box proclaims "over 12 sayings", and here's what I can find:
- "Oh, I'm going to crap double
for you tonight!"
- "When the world is mine, your death will be quick and painless."
- "I say, am I to spend the entire day wallowing around in my own
feces!"
- "You must continue to sanitize my crevasse and be damn grateful for
the opportunity!"
- "Why don't you burn in hell!"
- "Hmmm, the ruptured capillaries in your nose belie the clarity of
your wisdom."
- "Oh Mother, I come bearing a gift. I'll give you a hint -
it's in my diaper, and it's not a toaster."
- "Oh, blast, you and your estrogenically treachery!"
- "What the hell do you think you're doing?"
- "Evidently madam, you and I differ greatly in our conception of
beauty."
- "I offer you the opportunity to join me in glorious battle."
- "Gah - there I've gone and soiled myself. Are you happy
now!"
- "Oh, that is a vile and odious lie!"
Since that's 13, I'm betting
that's it. Sort of a baker's dozen of humorous
quotes! They are all good quotes, although I'm sure every fan
will be able to spout at least 12 more that are equally as good.
The speaker is actually on his
back, facing out, so hearing him from the front is a little
difficult. He could use a little more volume, but the button
is easy to get to, and you can turn him off easy enough if your kids
(or co-workers) start to drive you nuts.
Fun Factor - ***
Most kids who would actually play with this probably shouldn't be
watching the show. But he's still very fun, and I'm betting
that if you take him in to work - which is my plan - folks won't be
able to ignore his presence.
Value - **
Stewie is pushing the price
boundary at close to $40. That's some serious cash for a 12"
figure, even if he does talk. He's cool to have, but you'll
need to think about this particular category more than usual in this
case, since how willing you are to part with that kind of green can be
a very personal situation.
Things to Watch Out
for -
Dead batteries. Be sure to push the button and check him out
at the store, just in case the pimple faced stock boy has spent most of
last night making him talk.
|