Clearly, FOX was determined to get this set made. Now, years later,
they've convinced Mcfarlane to produce the set as part of their line,
although it looks quite a bit different than the proposed set for
Playmates. You can see the original proposed set here.
Yes, there's some similarities, but I think the McToys plan to go with the
forest scene is much smarter, since they got more key figures (like CBG) in
the mix.
This set has just started shipping, and most online retailers should get
it in over the next couple weeks. I don't know if any brick and mortar
stores will get it - TRU had the first series and the movie figures, and
Suncoast/FYE might get it as well. Expect to pay $20 - $25 depending
on the retailer.
Packaging - ***
The package is designed with MIBers in mind. While the figures
aren't displayed exactly like they would be when the set is put together,
it's close, and it is supposed to look good even if you never open it up.
That means a lot of twistie ties. To hold the figures in place,
they used a ton. So if you're an opener, you'll need to grab a frosty
beverage and kick back while you spend awhile taking this guy apart.
Of course, this idea - setting up the figures in the box in a displayed
manner - only works if the figures all stay where they are supposed
to. You'll notice that was not the case for me, and Hibbert was
bouncing around the box free.
There's a special note on the packaging too...Bart has a small plastic
rod that holds him to the tree. This rod is hard to find, being taped
into the clear plastic tray over near the fire pit. Don't throw out
the package before you find it!
Sculpting - ***1/2
Sculpting is never Mcfarlane's problem. Well, almost never.
And this set sports the usual terrific work that we've seen on other
Simpsons figures from them. If you've like series one and the movie
figures, you'll enjoy these.
I had a few minor issues, like the slightly blocky and chunky look to the
cuts around Homer's flippers, and the slightly soft sculpt on Marge's
hair. But the general appearance is top notch across the board, and
this is perhaps my favorite set of Simpsons figures from McFarlane so far.
The scale is good, and these go fine with previous figures. The
adults are too small to go with the WOS line, but the kids would still work.
The sculpts on the bases are good, although the most intricate is the
trees for Bart, Lisa and Maggie. The webbing between the trees is made
from a very hard plastic, and you know what that means...it's brittle as
well. I snapped the webs cleanly off from the left tree when I was
taking it out of the package. I was going to glue it back together,
but I was able to pose it up tight and in place, and it made handling the
trees and web far easier.
I also snapped the pegs for Hibbert's feet right off taking the base out
of the package. They bent and broke with barely any pressure, so take
extra care there as well.
The three bases, along with the fire pit, look terrific together.
The base of the figure pit is a clear plastic, and the flames are
translucent, so if you have a small light source you can put below it (or
inside it), it would light up nicely.
Homer is permanently attached to his base, but the rest of the figures
attach with pegs with the exception of Marge. She merely stands where
ever you'd like, and she doe so pretty well on her own.
Paint - ***
Unfortunately, the paint isn't quite up to the level of the sculpt. As
has been an issue with many of the Mcfarlane cartoon lines, the paint is
sloppier than usual. There's some rub marks on the eyes (several of the
figures exhibit this), small details are a bit sloppy like the buttons on
Hibbert's vest, and some of the large coverage is less than
consistent. Colors are bright and bold though, and while it's not
as clean as I expect from Mcfarlane, it's still better than average.
One other thing to note - there's far fewer of the black outlines on these
guys than we've seen on past figures and sets.
Articulation - CBG **; the rest *1/2
If you're looking for super articulated, you are clearly looking in the
wrong place. But this set is designed to be set up pretty much one
way, and then look good.
All the figures have a jointed neck. All of them are cut joints,
with the exception of Homer. He has this weird springy bobble neck,
and I have no idea why. I would have much preferred a cut joint, since
I could at least turn his head and he'd hold a pose.
That cut neck is it for Maggie, Lisa, Bart, and Homer. Marge has
one additional joint, at the base of her tail. Unfortunately, I could
do much with Marge's neck because it's painted tight enough that turning it
would tear the pin.
Surprisingly, I couldn't get any of Bart's legs to move. They are
all in the right spot for them to hold onto the tree, but I was still
expecting them to be articulated.
Hibbert has cut shoulders as well, so you can pose the arms. That's
pretty important for his design. Burns is NOT articulated, even at the
neck.
Finally, there's Comic Book Guy. As I said, he had the cut neck,
but he also has cut shoulders AND cut wrists, to allow him to pose in
slightly different ways with the staff.
Accessories - ***1/2
I'm counting the figures as the main 'thing' here, while the bases and
accoutrements are 'accessories'. And if you look at it that way, then
you'll see why this score is so high.
Both the sculpting and paint work on the base is great. The figures
all fit nicely in their correct spots, even Bart and Lisa. The set is
large enough to hold them all as well, and having a set that's too small for
the figures has been a common past complaint.
There's one more accessory too - CBG's staff. It comes apart as
well to allow you to fit it into his hand higher up on the stick if you
prefer.
Fun Factor - **
Okay, these aren't kid's toys. They are fun for adults of course, and
fans of the show will probably like this set better than most of the other
McToys Simpsons stuff so far (although the movie stuff was damn good once
you've seen the film and can appreciate the lines).
Value - ***
At $25, I'd drop this to **1/2 stars, and average value. But at around
the likely $22 - $23, this set is a pretty solid value. And if you pick
it up closer to $20, which is possible at one of my sponsors, you can add
another half star.
Things to Watch Out For -
Way more than usual, but I've mentioned them all. There's the web that
can snap, there's the foot pegs that can snap, and there's Bart's post which
is easy to overlook and toss out.
Overall - ***1/2
While I had quite a few nits to pick with this set, I'm actually quite happy
with it. The figures look great together, and going with the exterior
wooded scene was a great idea.
The paint issues may pull this set down a bit for you though,
particularly if you aren't as enamored with the theme as I. For me
there's a cool factor that boosts up the overall appreciation of the set.
Score Recap:
Packaging - ***
Sculpt - ***1/2
Paint - ***
Articulation - CBG **; the rest *1/2
Accessories - ***1/2
Fun Factor - **
Value - ***
Overall - ***1/2
Where to Buy -
These are just starting to hit some retailers. I don't know
if any brick and mortar stores will get them, so online might be your only
answer. Check out these sponsors for your pre-order (they should have
them any day):
- Clark
Toys has the FANTASTIC price of just $20 for this set!
- Amazing
Toyz has them listed at $23.
- CornerStoreComics has
this listed at $23.
Related Links -
I've reviewed quite a bit of Simpsons goodies over the years, and you should
be able to find links to all of them at this page.
Keep scrolling down for a ton more photos too - I got a tad photo happy
with this set, including adding not one but TWO large photos at the end!
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