I received the Hot Toys Finn figure a while back, but only just recently found time to give it a review. Check the link below to head over to the Kool Kollectibles channel for the full video review. I do go through the ankle mod, so check it out if you're thinking of doing it too.
The set comes with a fairly decent array of accessories. I especially like the rifle and bag, with both having lots of nice details.
The ankle mod I mentioned is specifically to remove the clear ankle pieces and mod the ankle joints so that they fit into the lower leg. This reduces the height of the figure to bring it more into scale with the other characters such as Rey and Han. Check out the video review for the full details.
Once all setup, the figure is actually very nice, and looks great on display. The jacket in particular is very nicely tailored, and has great quality materials and tailoring. Really looking forward to Rey and BB-8 now!
The new addition to my Lord of the Rings collection finally came with the release of Asmus Toys' Gandalf the Grey. Check out my full video review below :)
Overall it's another fantastic set by Asmus. Not quite as impressive as the Aragorn figure, but still pretty damn good! The head sculpt is not perfect, but the attention to detail across the outfit is very nice indeed.
There are a few nits to pick that I go through in the video review, so check that out for all my thoughts on the figure!
Picked up the new Kotobukiya Bishoujo Harley Quinn recently. Click through to the full video review below for the main reason why I'm disappointed with this release.
Box art is the usual Kotobukiya Bishoujo style with the view of the statue and the artwork on the back.
You can see in the pic below why I am disappointed with the eyes on the production statue. The prototype that they showed at conventions looked much closer to the concept art with nice deep red and blue eye shadowing.
But the final production statue has barely any red on the right eye, and the blue on the left is just smeared around. Overall it still looks nice on display, but it's definitely not up to the usual high standards of previous Bishoujos that I have.
The Hot Toys Alien Warrior finally made it to Australian shores after a seemingly long delay after the HK release. Aliens is one of my favourite films, so finally having a xenomorph in the collection in awesome!
Click the link below to checkout my full video review on the Kool Kollectibles channel! Remember to give the video a thumbs up and subscribe to the channel for more reviews :)
The box is nicely done, with a clear slipcover similar to those provided on previous diecast figures like Robocop and Iron Man Mk3. Accessories wise, it doesn't come with much at all, which is disappointing for the price. Something extra like an alien egg or facehugger, or even a diorama backdrop would've been nice for the higher price point.
Overall, the figure looks fantastic on display. The paint app and sculpting in particular look great. The paint has a wet look to give the alien skin that sheen, and the paint actually has the blue/brown pearlescent look to it as well when the light hits the skin.
The opening jaw feature is a scary gimmick, and is difficult to get to stick. The trick is to pull down on the trigger mechanism at the end and it will lock into place. The mouth opens due to the very soft rubber tendons and jaw piece of the figure.
There is a warning not to leave the mouth open for long periods of time to prevent damage. I definitely won't be opening the mouth too much! Hopefully the soft rubber does not deteriorate too fast over time.
The sides of the head sculpt have a magnet on one of the ridges to attach the acid blood spatter. The spatter on the chest is added by inserting the grooves over the ribcage area. It does give it a nice look, and hopefully is a tease for upcoming Marines figures!
The rubber suit severely limits the articulation of the arms, hips, and knees. The instructions have another warning to not leave these bent too much for too long to prevent damage. Luckily there's enough articulation that doesn't distort the suit to allow a walking/stalking pose. It still looks pretty awesome like that on display, especially if you have some Predators too!
Hopefully they announce the Aliens Ripley and Power Loader soon. In the meantime, I'm waiting for the Alien version of Ripley to come out later this year. Stay tuned for more reviews :)
Got the new Sideshow Collectibles AT-AT Driver recently, and it's definitely another solid addition to the Star Wars collection!
Click through below to check out my full video review over on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel. Make sure to give it a like and subscribe for more reviews up soon :)
Box art is pretty stock standard these days. Accessories aren't that many to discuss. The exclusive is the larger rifle, which is nicely done. The detailing and paint application in the helmet is pretty nice, with some additions that make it more screen accurate. I think there are still a few inconsistencies that really detailed fans will be able to pick out in the helmet. But for more it looks pretty great.
The flight suit is similar to other suits that Sideshow have done for other figures, including the recent TIE Pilot and X-wing Luke. It's nicely tailored with decent stitching. The gloves and boots are molded plastic, which could be nicer, but still look OK enough on display.
The hoses attaching the chest piece to the helmet restrict the head movement, but look OK. Some futzing of the hose is probably needed to make it look its best, but overall its a decent representation based on movie screenshots I've seen. So again, it's a nice addition to the Star Wars collection, particularly for those that are looking for more troopers from the Hoth battle.
Earlier in August I posted a collection update video over on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel. With things coming in thick and fast in Sept/Oct, I thought I better post it up in the website too! :)
Click through below if you haven't checked out the latest in my collection. Certainly was another big 3-4 month period from around April to August this year.
Hope you can check it out, subscribe, and stay tuned for all the upcoming reviews coming soon! :)
After seeing closer photos of the Damtoys and Blitzway collaboration on the Universal Soldier figures, I just couldn't resist them. And overall they are pretty awesome figures. I just love that I finally have a Van Damme figure in my collection at last lol!!
Now out of the box, there was an issue with both figures regarding the orientation of the arms and the articulation. Check out the video below for a closer look at the shoulder joint issue and how I fixed the problem.
Click through the link below to watch the full video review of the two figures. They look great displayed with other action movie characters from the 80s and 90s!
I got mine from Big Bad Toy Store, and unfortunately it looks like all the BBTS stock only came with generic black boxes under the slip cover rather than the proper art boxes shown on the Damtoys website! Not sure why this happened, but speculation is that Damtoys ran out of art boxes at the factory and simply started shipping them with generic boxes under the slip cover. Disappointing, but overall not too big a deal since I just display the figures anyway.
And out of the box they look fantastic! The head sculpts are nice and the array of accessories is pretty nice too. Another thing to note about BBTS stock is that Luc Deveraux does not come with his armour decals applied. The decals actually come in a plastic bag and have to be applied yourself. Lucky the application of the decals is pretty straight forward, and they stick very well.
As I mentioned above, the head sculpts are great. The paint app I think is a step above Sideshow human paint apps, but still not quite the realism of Hot Toys. Still, they're very close to HT quality and the mold themselves are great.
I think the Van Damme sculpt is better than the Lundgren, and I love that they even included the little bump on his head. The likeness is pretty damn awesome.
Once all setup with the accessories, they look fantastic. It's great that they added some extensions for Andrew Scott so that he stands a little taller for that movie accuracy in height. All the buckles and clips function as they should, but just go easy on them in case you snap or break something!
The visors are a definite pain in the arse to put on, and I had trouble getting them to sit by the side of the head properly without jutting out. Takes a bit of futzing around, but you can manage to get them on better than me at least.
And here they are setup in the display cabinet with the other great action movie characters I love. Definitely a fun addition to my collection! If you're a fan of the movie, I would highly recommend them!
Finally got the third member of the Journey to the West gang with Zhu Bajie arriving at last. But overall, it was worth the wait with it being another great addition to the line.
Inflames put a lot of effort into the first two, with Sun Wukong and Sha Wujing being of very high quality. Zhu Bajie doesn't come with as many accessories, but the quality is definitely still there.
Click through below for my full video review on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel!
The only concern I have with the figure is the black colouring of the outfit staining the painted torso. Straight out of the box I had a couple of minor paint marks on the torso made by the outfit. Luckily they're covered and not noticeable unless you take his top off, but it does highlight the staining is easy to do and is pretty much irreversible.
But all in all, the quality of the staff, hat and costume is outstanding. The head sculpt and paint app is also of very high quality. Posed up together with the others, it makes for a great looking team on display!
Can't wait for the last Tang Sanzang (Tripitaka monk) and the white dragon horse set to finally finish off the team!
Finally got the next figure in the Bandai Tamashii Nations Star Wars Movie Realization line. If you've seen my previous videos, you'll know that I love this unique style of figures, and this new Royal Guard is no exception!
Click through below for my full video review on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel. Summary of thoughts and some pics further below too :)
Packaging is simple and classy as with the others. Everything is nicely packed in collector friendly clamshell. It doesn't come with too many accessories, but the main attraction in the figure itself is just gorgeous in that red hue!
You get the usual katana and sheath that can be attached to the hook in the belt. It also comes with the expected golden staff, which I actually photographed held in the wrong direction lol!! The larger ball end is meant to be in the hand, but I thought that was the smacking end so had the other end in the hand lol.
The front cape looks OK, but is a bit of a pain to put on. You need to take off the imperial chest symbol to reveal the peg holes. The way in which the holes are oriented means once the front cape is on, it leans to one side to give room for the katana. But this gives a strange look on display since it doesn't look symmetrical. So I display it with it pulled out slightly so I can still rotate it straight.
All the other details are as you'd expect with this line, with the molding and paint detailing right up there with the other figures. I love the two-piece helmet!
Together with the others, these figures make for a superb, unique Star Wars collection. They are always a focal point of discussion when friends see my collection. I think this will continue to be a great Star Wars line for many years to come! Looking forward to getting more now that some concept art was shown at SDCC!
Trying to keep up with the various incarnations of the Superman and Batman characters . So with the new Batfleck announced, and the revisions on the Superman , I couldn't resist getting the new figure. Overall it's a definitely improvement over the first Man of Steel figure.
For my full video review, click through below to watch over on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel. Summary of thoughts and pics further below :)
Packaging is nothing too fancy, but simple is OK with everything looking classy and packed nicely.
Doesn't really come with too many accessories, with the exclusive coming with the kryptonite light-up rock. The LED is pretty bright and gives it a nice green hue. But with such a lack of accessories, it would've been good if they had just included it in all sets!
Biggest improvements for me over the first figure are:
- Better scale in the height against other figures.
- More realistic head sculpt
- Better details on the suit
The worst thing for me about the Man of Steel figure was that it was over-sized and dwarfed many other figures. This new one corrects that and reduces the height. The bulk on the body seems to be bigger too, especially in the thighs. I think they look a bit too chunky, but it seems fairly accurate to the movie.
The chest symbol looks much better with it being wider across the chest. It also has the nice details along with the new suit that has some of the Kryptonian markings on it. The darker colour and texture of the suit I think is also an improvement over the first.
The head sculpt has certainly divided the collecting community. I for one stand in the crowd that think it's an improvement over the Man of Steel. The MoS head sculpt seems almost too stylised in direct comparison, whereas this new one seems more realistic with the steely stare. I think from most angles it also has a better likeness.
The cape is also a huge improvement over the first. The new one has a beautiful texture and drapes very naturally against the body and shoulders in particular. I guess the only complaint I have against the suit is in the ankle area where it bunches up in the crease at the ankle joint. My MoS figure doesn't do this, but it seems to be a common issue with this new figure. You can try to stretch the suit around it, but the crease just comes back.
In the end, I think it's another solid figure from Hot Toys. The detailing in the suit, head sculpt, and better scale certainly makes it fit in better with other figures in my collection. Really looking forward to adding the new Batman and Wonder Woman to complete the Trinity.
Couldn't help myself and picked up the Hot Toys Boba Fett from Return of the Jedi recently. The Deluxe version was about $30-$40 more expensive than the regular version, so went with that for the extra accessories.
Overall, it's another solid figure from Hot Toys, but there were a couple of nitpicks that bring it down a notch. For my full video review, click through below to watch it on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel!
The packaging art is nice as always from Hot Toys , so nothing too much to write about.
The set does come with a decent array of accessories, all packaged pretty nicely. As you can see below, the Deluxe version has the Sarlacc Pit diorama stand and a couple of fire effect pieces for the backpack. Overall, if you just got the regular version, I don't think you're missing out on too much. The extras are nice, but not necessary.
The paint app and details on the Sarlacc are nice, but a little small for that sort of forced perspective look. It's not pulled off that well to be honest. The tentacles remind me too much of Japanese hentai as well lol!!
My biggest nitpick comes with the suit itself and the alignment of the chest armour pieces. Similar to the Sideshow Jango Fett, the armour pieces are not attached symmetrically, and really draws the eye when viewing the figure. Some people have said the armour in the movie was never symmetrical, but in all screenshots and photos I've seen, it looks pretty symmetrical to me. It's very disappointing at this price point that Hot Toys could not get them aligned properly.
The other frustrating part was attaching the backpack to the clips on the back. That was far more difficult than it needed to be, and was far more difficult than the Sideshow version. But once finally on it all looks OK, with a small magnet at the lower back to keep it close to the body.
Another minor point is the black belt that is under the red belt. It is apparently movie accurate, but is not visible and simply makes him look pot-bellied with the huge buckle. I would either remove it like some collectors have, or try to move the buckle to the side so that it doesn't protrude at the front.
The best thing would have to be the underlying TrueType body that is definitely a huge improvement over the previous Sideshow version. The weathering overall on the suit is also pretty good. So all-in-all, I'm pretty happy with the set, but it didn't wow me as much as their other Star Wars figures. For fans of Boba and the original trilogy, it's still a great set to get.
This has to be one of the best Hot Toys releases this year so far! The detail in the suit and the incredible head sculpt rank it right up their with some of their best.
Click through below to see my full video review over on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel. More pics further below too :)
The box art is simple but nice, with a nice window through to the figure inside.
It doesn't come with too many accessories, but the awesomeness in the base figure itself makes up for that. The light-up feature in the helmet was way to difficult for me to even bother trying it out. From what I've seen on forums, the light-up effect isn't all that great, so I didn't bother trying it out.
The suit has lots of different textures and material, making for lots of intricate detail. Unfortunately that has resulted in a restrictive suit that limits articulation. But overall I tend to have my figures in museum poses anyway, so that's not too big an issue for me.
As I mentioned before, the head sculpt is beautifully done, with a great sculpt and detailed paint application. This shows just why Hot Toys is at the top of the 1/6th scale game right now.
The mouth piece folds down, but can also be pushed back up and the magnetised lens placed over to complete the full helmeted look. Overall, the display options look great.
This has turned out to be one of my favourite Marvel figures alongside the diecast Iron Man Mk3. Will be interesting to see how the Deadpool figure turns out. I may well get that too if the quality equals this one!
If you follow the page and channel, you'll know that I love Street Fighter. And this statue set line from BigBoysToysHK is a fantastic series for Street Fighter fans. If you used to play Street Fighter 2 in the arcades back in the 90s, this line is made just for you!
The nostalgia I feel when I press that sound and light effect button is great, and all the statues in the series bring back so many memories!
For my full video review, click through below to the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel. More pics are further down :)
The packaging has the same styled artwork on the box, with the nice velcro opening flap.
Once all setup,the statue looks fantastic. As always, the mold and paint work is top-notch, with great details and little touches. I especially love the dog-tag around his neck.
I love that they include the pieces of the arcade game background that broke in-game, such as Guile's wooden crate here or the previous Ken's barrel. It's little touches like this that make this a great homage to the arcade game.
The sound and light effects are classic Guile too, with the original Street Fighter 2 sonic boom sound byte. The spinning light effect of the sonic boom itself is great. They actually changed the rotation direction based on an eagle-eyed fan that pointed out the prototype was actually spinning in the wrong direction! That's what you call great fan service!
Together with the others, the series just makes for an awesome Street Fighter display for fans of the old arcade game. The teaser for Blanka has been shown, and that looks amazing too. Can't wait to get the whole series when they continue releasing sets through 2017!
A few weeks ago I got the new Sideshow Jawas 2-figure set, and overall was pretty happy with them. The outfits and accessories are pretty nice, but it's the underlying bodies that let it down with some very loose joints.
Here's my full video review up on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel. I go through everything, so hopefully you can check it out! More pics and thoughts below too.
The packaging is the same simple style for these more expensive figures.
Comes with an array of hands and weapons for accessories. Overall the paint app and detailing is pretty nice. One major thing to look out for is taking the ion blaster out of the holster. In the factory they have shoved the large tip in so far into the holster it is extremely difficult to get out. The tip does separate from the the rest of the blaster to be careful to not snap it!
The lightup eyes are a nice touch. The switch on the back of the head is easily accessible and they are bright. Luckily there is enough reflectiveness that they still look OK when switched off. The Jawas do look pretty hilarious without their hoods on! Interesting to see that for the first time lol!
The fake leather pouches are all nicely done and weathered. Everything on mine seems sturdy and not overly delicate, but as always with these small parts, just be careful how you handle it.
The material of the outer cloaks is a cotton type material that is not overly delicate, which helps when handling the figure. There is weathering, especially on the hems which adds some nice detail. The hoods themselves are separate pieces and fairly nicely tailored. You can wrap them in two different styles for slightly different looks.
Wrapping the hoods does create these tentacle like pieces at the rear. But I have seen some other collectors really nicely hide these behind the leather straps and pouches. With a bit of futzing, they do end up looking great though. I'm just too lazy to do it properly lol!
With a bit of decent posing, they end up looking pretty good, especially with droids. But as I mentioned before, the bodies are very loose. They come with small stands, which are a must to keep these guys standing. Even then it gets difficult trying to pose the figures on the stands.
Along with the other Sideshow figures, they do make great little display pieces in the Star Wars collection!
If you're a fan of the original movie, then these are probably the best Jawas out there at the moment. A few nits to pick, but overall I'm pretty happy with them.
