The Champ is Here!!!!

I think I'm going to be posting one review a week. With Uni work, I just couldn't find time to take pictures, upload them and write a review. So when I come home on a Thursday I'll get my review on and bring some awesome images to you. My next review which I'll try and do over the weekend, but may have to wait until next Thursday will be of some of the Jakks Pacific UFC figure line. Here's a sneak peek at the UFC figures I'll be reviewing:




So this review is going to be of the Toys R Us exclusive John Cena and Edge with toy title belt and DVD. This set is based on the 2006 feud between Cena and Edge. I haven't had chance to view the DVD yet, but it is region 0 so should be good to view worldwide. It does say NTSC on the disc which I'm sure is some kind of US encoding, but I'll let you know if I have any problems when viewing it.

NOTE: I'm still working on resizing these images so they look good on the page. If there is a problem, just click them to see them full-screen. Also, appologies if the quality of the photos suck, I'm taking them on my iphone and uploading them directly to photobucket as I'm rushin

Packaging





The packaging is in line with every WWE Mattel product on the market, it will look in place if you are a collector that keeps your things boxed up. The box allows you to touch the title belt which could be a bit annoying if someone messes with it before you buy it. The figures are hidden inside the packaging so are untouched by the great unwashed.



Everything is attached with these really annoying tie things. It's not a major problem as it keeps things in place, but it's just a bit annoying as it takes time to cut everything free.



Both figures are in a plastic see-through bag with the display base and card name tag inside the bag (The bag is then attatched to the card with the annoying plastic tie.) I noticed that the John Cena name tag was creased because the figure had bent it while in the box. So if you like to display the figures on the stand, don't expect the name tags to be in perfect condition as they could be damaged inside the box without you knowing.

Head Scan/Part Sculpt
John Cena- Cena is the exact same figure as his Basic series 1 (but painted differently). Cena hasn't changed that much in this time so it doesn't bother me that the same torso and head scan has been used.



Edge- The head scan on this figure is the same as the Elite series 1 figure. The part choices look to be the same as the WrestleMania Heritage figure (but I don't have that so can't be 100% sure.) I have a slight problem with the head scan being the same and that is Edge has changed heair style slightly from 2006 to 2009. The figure has a hard time in standing up. Because of the part choice, the knees seem to cave in bringing the ankles really close together. I don't know if its just a problem with my figure, but standing him in the wrestling ring is a bit of a pain. Standing him on the base is fine.



Articulation
John Cena- Cena's articulation is slightly different than most basic style figures because of his cut-off jeans. Instead of having a swivel just below the knee at the top of the shin, it is at the bottom of the shin above his sneakers.

Edge- Edge features the same articulation as all the other basic figures, I won't go into them here as I've mentioned them in a previous review.

Paint



John Cena- Cena has loads of detail. He has logos on his shorts and detail on his sneakers. Even his sweatbands have the catchphrases and logos he was using at some point throughout the 2006 era.



Edge- Edge only has his "sun" tattoo on his shoulder but that is accurate to the time frame so I have no problem with this. He has his gauntlets painted on each wrist with the drawstring ties painted on the inside which is a nice touch. The "Rated R" logos on each thigh look awesome, they're painted nice and big and not cramped up like the old Jakks version of this figure.





Accessories (not including display bases)
John Cena doesn't have any accessories.

Edge has one elbow pad. Without looking up some of their previous encounters I can't say whether this is accurate or not, but it seems odd that they'd only include one elbow pad with the figure when the two previous Edge figures both had two elbow pads.

This set also comes with a toy WWE title belt which I'm going to include in this section. The belt is a step up from Jakks versions of the toy belts. The strap feels like faux leather, whereas the Jakks Pacific title belts had foam straps.



The plates are made of plastic but painted exceptionally well. My only complaint is that there aren't enough plates on it. There should be two plates either side of the main spinning one. The plates that are on the strap look good and I have no complaints with them, but the ones that are missing detract slightly from the belt. The title belt fastens with velcro at the back which can be adjusted to fit a childs waist.

Comparison/Scale



Other Images

Elite Series 1 Rey Mysterio

The other day, I received Elite Series 1 MVP, 2-Pack Series 1 Glamarella and the figure I'm reviewing right now; Elite Series 1 Rey Mysterio. In the time it took me to complete this review, I have received other figures too. They are; One full set of 2-Packs Series 2 (Finlay/Hornswoggle, Miz/Morrisson, Primo/Carlito), WrestleMania Heritage Randy Orton and the Basic Series 1 box set of 6 (loose). I am also expecting in the post an American store exclusive Edge and John Cena with toy belt and DVD. While I don't expect to be able to review every figure I get, I'll review my favourites so don't be suprised if you see an image of a figure I haven't reviewed yet popping up in another review. I'll also take requests via the comment box, I've set it up so that non-members of Blogspot can leave comments.

Packaging

I didn't take a picture of the packaging because I was too excited to open it and I had already posted photos of the Elite CM Punk's box. Rey comes in the same style box. The figure is fixed in the package with clear rubber bands. The bubble allows for the figure to be visible so is good for MOC collectors. But I opened mine up, so less of the boring stuff...

Head Scan/ Part Sculpt



Since he wears a mask, it's quite difficult to judge if the figure actually has a good likeness. The details on the mask is fine- the straps on the back are raised up and some of the detail on the mask is also raised. The head shape makes him look a bit weird because it's perfectly round. They haven't quite captured Rey's jaw line properly which makes something seem off about the figure.

The part sculpt on the figure is very good. The torso choice is perfect to a certain extent, Rey isn't that skinny but his muscle definition is very similar to this. I've got a feeling it could be unique to Rey as nobody else in WWE at the moment would suit it. His pants mould is also very well done and will be unique to him (because of the size of the figure).



I don't know if this is a sculpting problem or a lack of paint, but I've put it in the sculpting section as it could have been easily rectified with a tiny bit of paint, but would look a bit odd. The gloves on both hands have a part sculpted to the arm ( a kind of wrist strap). The left hand is fitted perfectly but the right hand there is a gap between the hand and the arm. It is painted with Rey's skin tone, so i think it was meant to have been a little further down on the arm (so there is no visible skin tone).

The shoes/boots are also specifically made for Rey. They are very sinilar to what he wears and aren't just generic lace-up boots like we've seen on previous attempts at his figures.

Articulation



Rey has Elite articulation which means he has added points of articulation such as double jointed knees and torso cut. There is also some articulation at the ankle. It seems like the foot is connected to the ankle with a ball joint to allow accurate movement for the foot.

Paint

The paint application on the figure is top notch. I was a little apprehensive before buying the figure because I wanted to be sure the tattoos were accuratley placed but I couldn't wait for them to hit shops over here (the UK). So I ordered it online. I'm very happy with the tattoos and where they're placed.



The logos on each leg are nice and big, exactly how they should be (unlike some previous Jakks figures which had small logos on the thigh only.)



Accessories

The elite figures all come with accessories. Rey comes with a black t-shirt and the hood thing he gives to a fan during his entrance. The shirt just goes over his head, the sides are cut out to accuratley represent the way he sometimes wears t-shirts. The hood fits snug on his head. I tried to fit it onto Chris Jericho's head but it wouldn't go, so I think it was specifically made for Rey. It's not a cloth hood like it would be in real life, it's made of plastic.



I'm going to include his elbow pads in this section. I wouldn't really talk about elbow pads as they aren't really an accesory but an expected part of the attire. The elbow pads slightly restrict the elbow articulation. They aren't too bad, but I hope in the future that Mattel makes pads out of slightly softer material.

Comparison/Scale


This image shows and Elite Series 1 Edge and 2-Packs Series 1 Jericho with Rey. Rey is shorter than the two of these in real life and seems to be in scale in figure form too.


This is a shot of Elite Rey and a Ruthless Aggression (Jakks Pacific) Rey. I took image to give you an idea of how short the Elite Rey actually is.


Other Images

Update plus a Thank you

If you read my previous post, you would have seen that I was waiting for six figures. They haven't arrived yet. But a different order I made has arrived today. It included; Elite Series 1 Rey Mysterio and MVP and Beth Phoenix/Santino Marella 2 pack. Expect a few reviews of these in the next few days.

Just want to say a big than you to Martyn at Dropkick Radio for plugging my blog. For the people that aren't aware of what this is; it's an online wrestling radio show and podcast. Check out www.dropkickradio.com for more information.

2 Blogs in one day--Shock Horror!!!

After looking at my last blog, I've just realised that I'll have to be careful when I edit the images. I'm taking them from my Photobucket account and then resizing them on this website when I write my blog. I thought it'd expand the page to fit the larger images on, but that's not the case. If you want to see the images, all you have to do is click on them and they'll open in a new tab or window. Sorry for any inconvenience.

I'm expecting this in the post any day now, hopefully the image doesn't stretch the page;



It's a Toys R Us exclusive set of 6 (The first series of Mattel's Basic figures). I ordered it from a seller in the US (on eBay). I'm getting them loose (to save a little on shipping). I think I'm going to review one figure at a time instead of doing them in a group like I did in my last post. After re-reading it, I think it came across a little mumbled. The reviews will be a work in progress until I find a format that I'm happy with. I'll also try and take more images. I took all my pictures before I wrote it then realised I ran out too soon.

I'm also waiting on a Jakks John Cena figure that comes with a cloth "Hustle Loyalty Respect" T-shirt from the exclusive triple pack (with Edge and Big Show). I'm going to wait on reviewing the Cena from the 6-pack until this one comes so I can either do some comparison shots or put the cloth shirt on the Mattel Cena.

I've also just ordered some more Mattel product. I've ordered the final two Elite figures from Series 1 (MVP and Rey Mysterio) and I've also ordered Beth Phoenix/Santino Marella 2-pack. That's all I want from the first batch of figures they've released. I'm waiting for the Elite series 2 Orton (with full sleeve tattoos) to be released, if I can pick up the WrestleMania heritage Orton for cheap then I may get that too.

My first WWE Mattel figures have arrived.

These figures are from Mattel's first series of WWE figures. Edge, CM Punk and The Undertaker are all Elite figures which come with accessories and more articulation. The Chris Jericho and Shawn Michael's figures are from the first series of two-packs which have the more basic articulation. The Stone Cold Steve Austin figure is from the WrestleMania Heritage series which is part of the PPV series, these figures also have the basic articulation.

Packaging

The elite figures are packaged in an hour-glass shaped window-box. The figure is fastened to the bubble using clear elastic bands.

The elite figures have a window in the back of the packaging so MOC collectors can view the detail on the back of the figure. CM Punk's stats and a large image of the figure is on the back. Also on the back of the package is the other figures in the series.

The box is almost collector friendly. It is possible to remove the figure without destroying the box. The only problem is, you have to cut some tape which is used to seal the box. So once the tape is cut, it is impossible to close the box unless you re-tape it.

The packaging for the other figures have a similar hour-glass shape but is a more traditional wrestling figure box which has to be destroyed to gain access to the figure.

Attire Choice/Paint Application

The attire choice for Stone Cold Steve Austin would have been a pretty easy decision as the WrestleMania Heritage series consist of figures from specific WrestleManias. The Austin figure is based off his match against The Rock at WrestleMania 17. Thus the two knee braces are accurate. If you prefer Austin's earlier look of one knee brace, it is pretty simple to un-hook one of the braces at the hinge and take it from the figure. It's slightly dissapointing that a waistcoat wasn't included but a Jakks waistcoat will fit the figure perfectly. The paint app is also very good- it helps that the attire is one solid colour. The addition of the tattoo above the boot is nice to see and looks very accurate.



The Undertaker has his skull design on one thigh and roseary beads on the other. Undertaker's attire hasn't changed much in recent times so it's pretty accurate. His jacket and hat are nice (but expected) inclusions. The elite line is meant to include extra attire and the coat/hat is what one would expect to be included with The Undertaker. The hat is perfectly molded to the shape of his head so it is a perfect fit. The coat is hard plastic and can be quite difficult to remove the first time. But once you get it off and have the technique right, it becomes easier. All the tattoos seem to be in place. It's difficult to know whether they are accurate or not because he has so many but from what I can see they all look to be in place.



Edge's attire choice seems a little odd. It's not a bad choice as it is one of his latest attires. I don't know when the cut-off date was to decide what attire the wrestler would wear, but he was wearing attires with slightly different logos on before he got injured. His entrance coat is made of similar material to Undertaker's but is slightly softer. The technique to get the coat on and off is slightly easier to perfect because it is softer. The detail on the attire is nice to see. There is a strip of white on the back of each boot which I didn't know he had until I looked at some images. His tattoos are accurate and applied in the correct places.

CM Punk must have been one of the more difficult decisions as he has a lot of different colour combination tights and boots. They went with grey coloured trunks and kick-pads. It's not the most exciting colour combination but it is very accurate. The cloth "fists" t-shirt that is included with the figure is also good. It fastens at the back with velcro which makes it very easy to remove. His tattoo sleeves are very colourful, they're probably a little too bright to be accurate, but I'd prefer them to be too brightly coloured than not coloured at all. The amount of detail is unbelieveable. Tattoos of things like ice-cream cones and muffins, I didn't realise he had them. The only things that are missing that I can see are his two shoulder tattoos. One of them is a Pepsi logo and the other is the Cobra logo (from G.I. Joe) this is understandable due to copyright issues.

Shawn Michaels attire is a good choice. I looked back on his feud with Jericho and saw that in at least one of his matches against him, he wore those tights. They are very accurate- each stud on the tights is painted to the highest detail.

Jericho's attire choice is also accurate to the time of the feud. I think he wore this when he won the World Title in the scramble match. He was also wearing it in his match earlier in the night against Shawn Michaels.

Head Scan/Figure Sculpt/Articulation

The Undertaker's head scan is very accurate and has an excellent likeness. The points of articulation don't harm the look of the figure. For example, the cut in the torso which allows the figure to double over isn't obvious. This is nice to see as it allows for a little bit of realism. The Undertaker has elite articulation which means he has points of articulation at these points; Ball-jointed neck, ball-jointed shoulders, single-jointed elbows, swivel-hinged wrists, cut-torso, swivel waist, psuedo ball joint at the top of the leg (looks a lot more like a leg than an actual ball joint, works the same as a ball joint but nicely hides the articulation), double jointed knees, swivel at the top of the boots, up and down movement at the ankle.

Edge has elite articulation. His torso joint is a little more visible than Undertakers but that's not too much of a problem since it's only an action figure. The kick pads look very good and the swivel on the boot doesn't affect the look too bad. Edge's face scan is good, apart from the hair. The hair colour is wrong. I think Mattel have a problem getting the browny blonde hair colour right. I've seen images of basic series 1 Triple H and they haven't got that quite right, the Shawn Michaels hair is also wrong (which I mention later on). Edge's hair on this figure is more ginger than his natural colour. His eyebrows especially are a bright orange colour.

CM Punk has elite articulation and the same (or at least very similar) torso as Edge. He also has the same boots. His knee pads affect the articulation. It's not too noticeable unless you have another elite figure without knee pads. The pads are made with quite hard plastic which means that the knee won't bend fully.

The rest of the figures in the review are in the basic style so aren't as articulated. They have a ball joint neck, ball joint shoulders, hinged elbows, swivel hinged wrists, T-joint crotch, hinged knees, swivel boots, hinged ankles.

Jericho has the same boots as Edge and CM Punk. But they are all slightly different heights, so it's nice to see that Mattel has a wide range of part choices for the range of heights of WWE Superstars. Jericho's torso choice is good, it isn't too defined but isn't too flabby. Jericho's head scan is very life like. It is a bit unemmotional but does look like him.

Shawn Michaels seems to have the same torso as Jericho. This isn't a huge problem, but Shawn is slimmer than Jericho in real life, so is a bit innacurate. Shawn's head scan looks like him, but I have a few complaints. Throughout his feud with Jericho, he had his stubble and longer hair not tied up. The hair colour is wrong too. Like I mentioned earlier about the elite Edge, Mattel seem to struggle to get that hair colour right. I've seen a picture of a future elite Shawn Michaels and it has orange coloured hair.

I can't find many complaints about the Austin figure. The head scan is one of the best of any wrestling figure I own. The torso choice is also very good, it manages to capture Austin's body shape very well. The only complaint I have is about the arms. The triceps are massive. Austin was never the biggest guy so these arms were the wrong choice. The arms they used on Jericho would have been fine.

Accessories

I've already reviewed the accessories for the Elite figures but all the Mattel figures come with a display stand which I didn't take a picture of. All the stands are the same, they're a black oval shape and have the WWE logo printed on. In the package is a small piece of card with the WWE logo and the wrestlers name which slots into the front of the base. The Elite and Basic figures have the same name tag design, the WrestleMania heritage figures have a different name tag design which says, "WrestleMania Heritage" and then the wrestler's name. The figures have small holes in their feet which allow them to be attatched securely to the base. I hope that in future if there is a classic line, different base designs will be made. It'd be cool to stand someone like Goldberg or DDP on a WCW base or RVD on an ECW base.

Final thoughts

I'm not going to give the figures a score because it's a matter of opinion on what constitutes a 6 or a 9 out of 10. All I'll say is that I'm very impressed with Mattel's first attempt at wrestling figures. All their lines are in scale with each other, so if you would only want to buy a few elites because they're more expensive, they won't look out of place next to your basic roster.

Blog Intro.

Well I've been deliberating for a few months now whether I should create a full website dedicated to reviewing old and new action figures or start off small and see where it takes me.

As you can see, if you've found this, I've created a free blog. Start small. I've never really reviewed anything before but have collected figures for approximatley 16 years. So I'll mainly be posting reviews of wrestling figures (old and new) and I'll also occasionally do reviews of other action figures and collectibles.

I am expecting a parcel any day now which contains some of the new Mattel WWE line. I'm hoping it comes today (8th Jan). If it doesn't, I'll likely do a review of the Jakks UFC line and what I have so far.