Sydney Bristow in grey suit

Mirage Toys added another spectacular failure to an already long list with the release of their Alias toys in early 2004. They only got three figures out before folding, leaving one of the best shows on television again lacking any plastic representation. Stevenson Entertainment Group (yes, they of the terrible, terrible SMITIs) has picked up the license and is trying to succeed where Mirage failed. Their first figure was a convention exclusive, limited to 1,000 pieces, of main spy chick Sydney Bristow in a plain grey suit - they avoided the outlandish costumes that Mirage had already produced to create a more businesslike Syd. The sculpt is decent, if not overly impressive. This really is a figure of a woman in a plain business suit, and that's not a simple thing to capture. It's a lot easier to make a slinky dress and a crazy wig than something people see every day. The facial sculpt isn't quite right - it's obviously supposed to be Jennifer Garner, but the look is a little off. This may be a RealScan product, and if so, that would explain things. The type of paint used also makes her look more yellow and plastic-y than she should. In any case, it's a lot better than the last one was. Standing just slightly over 6" tall, this Sydney is much more articulated than her predecessors, so she'll be able to kick butt: she moves at the neck, shoulders, elbows, wrists, waist, hips, knees and ankles. The hip joints are a bit odd, but they're still better than the alternative. However, Stevenson definitely needs to work on integrating the movement with the sculpt a bit better. The figure includes a 3⅜" square base that has the Alias logo on the front and a pistol that fits perfectly in her hand. The font, known as "TopSecret," is rough and weathered, like it came off a typewriter that's been in service for years. It's easy enough to find online, if you're a big enough Alias fan to want a copy of your own. Stevenson obviously has bigger plans for the property than Mirage did - they not only have a line of mini-busts in the works, but the action figure line will also include figures of Sydney's father, Jack Bristow, and their ex-boss, Arvin Sloane. Though this early figure shows that the line still needs a little improvement, let's hope that it does better than the previous effort. -- 08/17/04

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