Here's another "flashback" spoils to late 2020/early 2021, where I tried to kickstart using all the lockdown time productively only to fall back in to the constant and bottomless pit of personal, social and global despair. A couple years on, though, and... well, hey kids, lets take a look at some cool toys!
Hasbro: G.I. Joe Classified - Cobra Commander
I got this figure out of my general deference to the character and to villains, but man is this bottom-tier of this line, design-wise. I wasn't as bothered by the Fortnite-ish redesigns of the early figures in Classified as a handful of people were, but this near skintight, asymmetrical couture jumble is neither enjoyable to look it nor very plausible for the character. But, such is toys. The alternate pointing hand is fun and the cobra-hilted saber is neat. The half cape and clashing dark hues aren't.
Hasbro: Power Rangers Lightning Collection: Mighty Morphin' Green Ranger
I've never been that into Power Rangers, and this line launched during one of my stronger periods of austerity so while I skipped it all, I have always had an affinity for the green MMPR costume, so when I found this dude I couldn't resist. Plus, I madly adore the package design and art (by Tom Whalen, aka Strong Stuff)! This is a fantastic figure - great sculpt and articulation, clean paint and bright colors, alternate heads, alternate unique hands (for flute-knife playing!?) and a small host of accessories! It makes me wish I was into MMPR because it feels like these would be dream figures; and indeed I liked this guy so much I have subsequently continued to cherry-pick the line.
Hasbro: Star Wars The Vintage Collection - Din Djarin (The Mandalorian) [and Child]
Well, it was inevitable, but really a cowardly bummer that they made Mando take his helmet off (and gave him a proper name [or didn't give him that name upfront (depending on your point of view [or tastes])]), but that's mainstream entertainment for ya. But I was still enjoying the show enough when this came out, and am still compulsively trying to collect all/most of Vintage Collection releases, so here we are. The figure is pretty good, and is the same was as frominthe basic assortment from the neck down. The unmasked head is fine, the likeness isn't that good though; but I do quite like that it and the helmet are swappable heads rather than a slip-on helmet. Aside from the obligatory "show the actor off" head, the real stars here are the accessories - our first in this scale Child (ugh... "Grogu"...) and the infamous ice cream maker! Long time readers might recall I have a particular affinity for this accessory, and while it seemed a bit too fan service-y at first glimpse, I must admit that I enjoy seeing "what it is." The sides open and close cleanly, and we get a nice little stack of gold-pressed latinum unobtainium beskar to fit inside. All snark aside, this is a good release (likeness aside) and a perfect way to get all these elements out.
Hasbro: Star Wars The Vintage Collection - Incinerator Trooper
Man do I hate this kind of expanded universe "painted stormtrooper" stuff, so I was bummed to see it made "cannon" on The Mandalorian... but honestly like several things I hate, the show made it work well enough for me. Plus... this figure has translucent fire effect - something for which I have a terrible weakness. The plastic for the fire is surprisingly firm, as is the gun, and it plugs onto the barrel snuggly and stays up quite well! Quite fun!
NECA: Alien - Ash (40th Anniversary)
NECA delivers yet again on an impossible dream - figures of the remaining Nostromo crew featuring previously un-get-able likenesses! One suspects that the timing, following close to the actors' deaths, may play a part - but let's not focus on the grim. Ian Holm is one of the all-time great actors of the 20th century and his Ash is such an iconic and surprising turn for him! It is so thrilling to have a proper figure of this character at long last! The facial likenesses are, I'll confess, passable. The severed head is a bit more recognizably Holm, ironically. The rest of the sculpt is all new and unique, spot-on to the medical officer's jumpsuit and with all the articulation we have come to expect of modern NECA. He's also loaded with accessories, almost everything Ash touches in the film - loads of tools, confusingly-similar alternate hands, the rolled-up magazine, a glass of milk and the spoilerific severed head/neck! It's kind of frustrating that he lacks the dissection tray and dead facehugger as those are the only two remaining iconic accessories he could have - but maybe one day NECA will release a proper "Ultimate" version and include those.
NECA: Alien - Kane (40th Anniversary)
I mean, come on, who doesn't love John Hurt!? And Kane is such a significant character in the genre, franchise, film and merchandise - it's been a very long time coming to finally have a figure with Kane's face visible! The face sculpt here is pretty good, though honestly not perfect (it's kind of not fair looking at these two figures next to Doc Brown). Still though, very much good enough and hugely welcome. It would have been nice if he'd have come with an alternate un-capped head like Lambert, but it makes sense they keep the huggered head here. In fact, other than the new Hurt-Head this figure is identical to the original figure from 2015, but now also with one of the un-melted helmet domes. The figure looks great but the articulation is really limited by today's standards - one more reason I would love it if NECA could take another swing at the Alien & Aliens licenses. Both are rife with opportunity for updated articulation and the Ultimate format!
NECA: Alien - The Alien (Big Chap) (40th Anniversary)
It really pissed me off that Walmart only sold this series as set online, so I was forced to pay over $30 for a figure I already have, which was only a partial resculpt of a figure I ALREADY had multiples of. But with no local Walmarts, I suppose that is the literal price of my hyperbolic claims of "I'd pay anything for NECA to be able to finish of the crew of the Nostromo."
NECA: Back to the Future - Doc Brown (1955)
NECA doing BTTF is a dream come true for me, and while I've doubled up on every release, this was still the first I got around to opening (thanks, "compulsively stockpiling for some mythical special mood/day that never arrives"). The sculpt is exquisite, the articulation is good and the paint is quite nice! Wouldn't have been my first choice of costume for the first Doc figure, but it's one other companies haven't done so that is fun. Ostensibly this Doc from the Clock Tower finale, but the accessories muddy that interpretation a bit - and annoyingly his left pant cuff is sculpted with the rip in from the plug; so really this is a super specific Doc from, like, the last 30 second of 1955 in BTTF1 and the last minute of BTTF2. He comes with a wrench and alternate gloved and ungloved hands - nice! He also gets some papercraft stuff that just feels like filler, padding out the low accessory count as compared to the Martys (including the cable-plugs would have been cool). These likenesses, though, are insanely good! Arguably NECA's best since TV Ash and are effectively "photo-real." I'm kind of annoyed by this particular "shocked" expression since that, and the goggles, are more iconicly from the garage model/demo scene when Doc's in a totally different outfit. But this whole line seems to be about only keeping each release about 75-95% accurate to the costume.
NECA: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Casey Jones and Raphael (in Disguise)
Movie Casey Jones was always a bit of a holy grail so it was incredibly awesome to finally get him! I was pretty bummed that it was in a two-pack though, cause I absolutely wanted two Caseys but definitely don't want two Trenchcoat Raphs... but them's the shakes (and I've still never seen the single Ultimate Casey, with the unmasked likeness). This Raph is the same as the previous turtles, but fortunately with a new head/expression and a good softgoods overcoat and a plastic fedora and backpack. The reason we're all here though is Casey and he is a dream come true! Gorgeous sculpt, amazing poseability, an incredible assortment of alternate hands and an amazing array of sporting goods! I know the double elbows were pretty controversial but I really like them. They look best on clothed arms, but these aren't too bad - especially since they allow for a crazy range of motion and, thus, posing options. Aside from the non-removable mask, this is a perfect Casey Jone figure! And, thanks to Judith Hoag, NECA was ultimately (ahem) able to release Caseys with Koteas' likeness and a removable mask (and single-joint elbow for those that don't like these) - now if only I could ever find of them!
Don't worry, surely nothing will start a NEW bottomless pit of global despair here, four years later!
"Fortniteization" is such a great way of describing the early Classified figs!