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07.14.05 by Widge @ 8:26 pm  We're pleased to review this Con exclusive, one of the most creative we've seen in our travels so far. This stick figure was being handed out by the folks at Bare Bones Studios, to help promote their books, like the sick and twisted robot story of love and death, Why Am I Programmed to Kill? I was also assured by the writer of Heroes Inc. that his mom loves the book...so I can't think of a more ringing endorsement than that. Anyway, notice the amazing amount of detail and the care of craftmanship on this figure. The sculpt is impressive as well. It also comes with an industry-thumping zero points of articulation. We can't wait to get it home and have it kick the asses of our Aliens and Conan figures. In the meantime, check out the Bare Bones guys on their website here and send them love. They're sick and wrong. And we respect that. Categorized as: Reviews and Toys
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06.29.05 by Widge @ 10:52 pm   Remember when Star Wars didn't suck? Yeah, we do too. We are filled with nostalgia for the good old days as we present these two things which just came in off the truck: the Millennium Falcon and an X-Wing Fighter, both models from RC Ertl. I was never good with models as a kid. I couldn't color in between the lines and...well, Christ, have you seen my handwriting? I sign a credit card slip and somebody asks, "You a doctor?" Anyway, suffice to say I screwed up enough models to know that that sort of pastime simply wasn't my bag. But these look simple enough where even a shmoe like me could handle them. The X-Wing comes with a nice thing on the box that says "Easy! Beginner!" Now you're speaking my language. They're both "moderate" level and the X-Wing is "Snapfast" style, which means the Falcon is probably out of my league. But hey, if you like some hands-on work, go for them. Crying over them while you watch your bootleg copy of ROTSith probably is bad for your concentration, though. Categorized as: Headsup and Toys
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06.18.05 by Widge @ 12:34 am  
Produced by McFarlane Toys Asking Price: $24.99 each.  While the film this set is based on didn't exactly burn up the domestic box office or light up the hearts of critics, it did come back to kick some serious ass with overseas dough and the DVD release as well. So it made its money. But for those of us who were a little displeased with the film, there's always the original comic book series, and the prospect of kickass toys from the likes of McFarlane. While not the license's finest hour, the set is exactly what it purports to be: a recreation of the final scene in which a Predator gives birth to a nasty hybrid booger that must be destroyed. You've got the chamber, you've got the table that the stricken Predator lays on, you've got the other Predator keeping watch and...that's about it. The two Predators don't get to do too much, seeing as how they're just kind of there. The Predator who's "hatching" has three points of articulation (neck and shoulders), but seeing as how he's supposed to just lie there and, you know, "give birth," that kinda makes sense. I think it would have been cool to have the hybrid be a point of articulation as well, so he could swivel around and stuff. But that's just me. The sculpt on this figure is pretty good, considering he's only 4.5 inches tall and thus, there's not a lot of room to work. The braids all are flexible and the armor's pretty detailed for such scale. The Predator who's just kinda hanging out over to the side has three points of articulation (wrists and neck). He comes with that wicked staff/spear thing and his blades (stashed under the base in the box), can be inserted into his wrist weapon. His sculpt is good, complete with braids and the nifty cape, but I dunno, his face looks a little squished to me. Just around the mandible region. Maybe it's just me. And the only problem with this guy is he's got these metal poles in his feet to put him into his place on the base.  So the end result of all of this is you've got the equivalent of a diorama that really can't be played with. Both figures are kind of locked into their roles in the scene and...that's it. I'm also troubled by the cardboard top that goes across the titled back top of the set: it appears like it's supposed to be on there permanently. And it comes with a slightly cheesy logo for the film and stuff. I'm not sure why this is on there, it's pretty superfluous and, because it's cardboard, it just comes off as tacky. As much as I love the Aliens and Predator stuff that McFarlane usually puts out, this one is a bit weak. One, because the thing is very limited into what it's good for: you basically can set it up and just leave it. And two, because that top gives it a cheeseball affair, when McFarlane toys are usually of a higher quality than what that cardboard portends. If you're a huge fan of the movie or just can't stand not to own everything Alien/Predator related, then by all means, it's not that expensive. But otherwise, I'd advise you to grab something else from the second series of McFarlane's Alien vs. Predator toys. Pic of the set's top comes by clicking on the full story below (More). Needcoffee.com Gabfest! Categorized as: Reviews and Toys
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05.31.05 by Widge @ 5:21 pm 
Produced by McFarlane Toys Asking Price: $14.95 each. On further with McFarlane's second series of Conan toys, "Hour of the Dragon," and we come to two figures which were, for all intents and purposes, made for each other, so we'll tackle them together, shall we? We're talking about Conan the Warrior and the Man-Eating Haunter of the Pits. Conan is the same old asskicker we've come to know and love, while the Haunter is the thing that looks like Gorilla Grodd on a really, really bad day. The sculpts are impressive as hell, and that's par for the course with McFarlane's stuff. Conan is muscular out to here and his clothing and gear are all excellently represented. Considering Conan's leaping from a considerable height, the body pose reflects that well. The only grief I have is with his sword, which bent a little in the packaging and I simply couldn't get to straighten out. Conan comes with the sword and axe you see pictured, plus a rod that goes into his right thigh to enable him to do that leaping thing. The base comes with it too, obviously, and the sculpt on it is quite nice. Mmmmm, gristle and bone. He also has eight points of articulation (upper thighs, waist, neck, upper arms and wrists).  The Haunter is very impressive as well. He's spikey and mottled and just basically looking nice and pissed off. As you can see from the look on his face. And his pose is a nice lunge at what's supposed to be Conan coming down from on high with a present for him. He has a smaller base that fits in with Conan's and comes with five points of articulation (waist, upper arms, wrists and neck). The problem with these two should be fairly obvious. One, it's kinda useless to own one without the other. Since Conan is perpetually leaping, he can only be posed to leap down and attack something. While this is fun to do with other toys you might own (click here for the full story and the rest of the pics), it kinda limits the playability. Same with the Haunter...at least here if you had a bit more articulation, you could make him be lunging at something else, but that arm stays up there. Makes me wonder why they didn't release them as a set and just be done with it. With the King Conan boxed set, it kinda makes sense that you would have something posable and that's all it was good for. But here, since they are action figures, it just seems a shame to have such limited poseability and playability. Don't get me wrong, for what they're designed to do, they're quite cool. But know going into it that you're going to pose them up on a shelf and basically leave them there. Needcoffee.com Gabfest! Categorized as: Reviews and Toys
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05.28.05 by Widge @ 1:44 am 
Produced by McFarlane Toys Asking Price: $39.99. McFarlane's second series of Conan toys, "Hour of the Dragon," has this as its flagship/deluxe boxed set. And it is a sweet one. Based on an older Conan who's the big cheese (and looking pensive and a little bored about it) from the Robert E. Howard stories, it's dead on in its recreation of the character. It's evident that our friend Conan would be much happier if he were sinking a sword into the head of something large and disagreeable, for example. It's a nice portrait of a guy who came, saw, conquered and is now really wondering what the hell the big deal was all about. The figure itself has two points of articulation, one for the right arm, which is kinda useless since it's meant to sit on the arm of his throne, and his neck. This is also pretty useless, since his left cheek is meant to sit propped there against his left fist, like you see in the pic. The detail on the figure is just as intricate as we've come to expect from McFarlane, with all of the armored bits nice and ornate and the fabric all flows well. The throne is detailed as well, with scenes on the sides and the crazed, spiny back and top, along with the base, curtain and lion head that forms the backdrop. Categorized as: Reviews and Toys
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