Some of the most memorable "fictional" characters in television, The Simpsons' Itchy and Scratchy was your typical cat-and-mouse cartoon, except a lot more violent. Each short follows the same formula of Itchy the mouse offing Scratchy the cat in bloody and over-the-top ways, showing that broadcasting standards in the Simpsons universe are pretty light. The duo has gotten plenty of merch over the years, and while Super7 did the first-ever figures of their robot mascot counterparts, we needed the real deal. Jakks Pacific was happy to provide, but they proved really hard to find, as in I never saw them in-store. Fortunately, getting them online was easy.

Jakks has been working with simple designs for this line, and that includes these chaotic cartoons. Itchy is mostly blue in color, with a large overbite and ears, buckteeth, and three strands of hair on his head. Most of these figures have blank expressions, but Itchy has an open-mouth smile, making him a bit more expressive than usual. There's a very visible seam line at the jaw, which throws off the look a bit. The paint is clean, though the tongue is unpainted. Given that the lower half of the head is a separate piece, you'd think Jakks would've painted the tongue and then glued both halves of the head together.

Itchy and Scratchy both belong to the 2.5" scale line, and Itchy stands right at that mark. Like any classic cartoon animal, Itchy wears a pair of white gloves, but he also has a red jacket. The body was molded in red plastic, with the skin/fur color painted on, and it's made clear by the area that the head plugs into being solid red, as well as a red line around the abdominal marking. As glaring as some of these visual nits are, I'll give Jakks a pass since these are mass-market figures, and the sculpt overall is good. In addition to the usual swivel neck, swivel/hinge shoulders, and sit-down hips these smaller figures have, Itchy also gets a tail swivel, and said tail is a soft material as to keep it from being fragile. Befitting his violent nature, Itchy comes with a club to wield, and it fits fine in either hand, but it can be hard to keep him standing when holding it. It would’ve been nice if Jakks included a stand for him.

Then there's Scratchy himself, Itchy's favorite target of torment. I have the Playmates figures packed away for right now, so I can't really compare the two, but I can safely say Jakks' is an improvement of what was released over two decades ago. The head is solid plastic, meaning areas like the hairs, ears, and fangs are a little pointy, but I don't think you'll have to worry about hurting yourself on him. Unlike Itchy, Scratchy is a little more grumpy, with his usual expression of unamused eyes and tongue hanging out. There's a seam line for the muzzle, but it's not as noticeable as Itchy's jaw. The eyes are part of the head sculpt rather than separate pieces, and the paint is pretty clean for a small figure, but there are a few areas of bleed.

Scratchy stands just under the 3" mark, making it more apparent these figures aren't meant to go with the other small-scale releases. I feel these fit much more with the 5" figures, considering how Treehouse of Horror IX showed they're small compared to actual humans. Granted, he and Itchy aren't in scale with one another, but I often remember Jakks doesn't do well with scale. That aside, Scratchy is just as spot on as Itchy, with the gloved hands as separate pieces glued onto the forearms, and near-perfect paint work on the abdominal marking. He has the same articulation as Itchy, but his tail is big enough to help with balance. His weapon of choice is a mallet, and the somewhat flexible plastic for the handle makes breakage less likely.

Itchy and Scratchy are both a fun pair to have, but their scarcity doesn't help much. I got Itchy through Five Below's online store, and both of them are available through some place called Hobbiesville, which charges a bit more for them, but is nonetheless reliable. There's also a Krusty-themed set that has the pair, and even though there are no weapons there, it's good to know Jakks wants to ensure fans can get them. Now can we at least get a 5" scale Scratchy?

- 9/3/25...[See More]

Thundercats was a pretty standard 80s action cartoon: you had a group of heroes facing off against a supervillain and their henchmen on a daily basis, with some child characters and a funny animal sidekick thrown in. Season 2 shook things up a bit with the inclusion of not only more Thundercats, but a new group of villains known as the Lunataks. They didn't work for Mumm-Ra, and also didn't get along as well as the Mutants did, but nevertheless presented new problems for the heroes, and were well liked by fans. Super7 waited until wave 8 of their Ultimates to start doing them, but my first Lunatak, Chilla, is the second one they've put out.

The Lunataks had some pretty funky designs, and Chilla is the most humanoid of them, but she shared some of the same design aspects as the others, such as the horns, the nose, and the crescent symbol on her forehead, er, hair. The hair, and by extension the horns, are soft plastic, as to reduce fears of breaking the horns. The likeness is accurate to the show, save for the hair having more detail, and she bears her default stern expression. The alternate head is much more displeased, with red eyes, mouth wide open, and hair flowing back. The mouth is sculpted with some depth, and there's a reason for that that I'll go over in a bit. The paint is very clean on the heads, and these figures certainly look nicer now that Super7's trying more to make them look less glossy.

Chilla stands 6 1/4", and befitting her powers, she has an icy color scheme, utilizing light purple and a few different blues. The paint lines on the body are very clean, save for a small speck above the right boot. The body sculpt itself is good too, with proper proportions and great blending with the articulation. The lower part of the dress isn't soft plastic, but it doesn't get in the way of leg movement thankfully. The icicle-like bits on the gloves are also tough plastic, so take some care when handling the arms not to jab yourself. Since Super7 likes tailoring, Chilla's cape is fabric, with an integrated wire, so that it can be posed dynamically. Holding the cape in place is a collar glued into the back, and it's made of soft plastic to keep it from restricting the shoulders.

Chilla has the standard movement, with a barbell head, swivel/hinge shoulders, elbows, wrists, hips, knees, and ankles, ball-jointed (maybe barbell) chest, and swivel waist and thighs. Most of the joints move with no issue, but the leg joints were really stiff out of the box, and needed heat to get moving. They move fine now, but the thighs aren't all that great. The chest has some decent range, but I would've liked a little more tilt to it, and I'm not sure if the waist is a ball or just a slightly loose swivel, but some tilt there would've been good. On the positive side, the heads and hands swapped easily, with no need for heat.

The accessories for Chilla are pretty good, and most of them come from specific episodes whose names I can't remember. I already mentioned the extra head, and coming with it is an ice breath effect that plugs into the mouth with no issue. It's a little smaller than I would've liked, but it looks great. She also has sets of closed, gripping, and grasping hands, as well as a pointing right. Chilla has not just ice powers, but heat powers as well, made evident by the heat laser beam that plugs into the pointing hand. Going back to the ice powers, she has an icy grenade and a ice collar that can be placed around another figure's neck, but the latter can't be worn by Chilla herself. Less fantastical accessories include an antifreeze bottle, a spray can, and a handbag, and I know the last two come from "Sideswipe." If you pre-ordered the whole ninth wave from Super7 directly, you'd get a head pack with a smirking head for Chilla. That's something I really would've liked to get with the figure itself, rather than being locked behind a pre-order you have to pay upfront for.

The Lunataks were some of the many characters who never got figures in the original LJN line, and Super7 has finally done them justice. Chilla is a well-made figure, aside from some quibbles with articulation, and with Alluro having been out for a while and Luna and Amok having just come out, I'm holding out now for the remaining two Lunataks. It looks like there's nothing new going up for pre-order yet, so it's a good time to get the previous releases in this line.

- 3/19/25...[See More]

Although it's had a few hiccups early on, Super7's Thundercats line has been going great, even though I didn't start getting them until last year. There's been some benefit to holding off, however, as I've been able to get some good deals on a few figures, such as the SDCC Ghost Grune and the most recent Lunataks release in Luna and Amok.

Luna, the leader of the Lunataks, proves you don't have to be large to be in charge, as she stands a mere 2 3/4" tall. She's an old woman, though, and she certainly shrunk with age. The main expression is somewhat devious looking, as if she's thinking about how to take down the Thundercats or Mutants (or both). The secondary head isn't as pleasant, as she's clearly upset about something, or just shouting orders to her fellow Lunataks. The hair sculpt is the same on both portraits, bearing plenty of detail, though the lines on the white streaks bear a lot of bleed and slop. The faces and other details are clean, at least.

Luna's outfit is a simple one, bearing a leotard, amaranth leggings, boots, and wrist cuffs. There's some bleed and fuzziness from the black articles of clothing onto the skin, and you'd think with the simple design, there'd be little room for error. At the least, the sculpt overall is very accurate to the show. Her small size means less articulation as well, as Luna only gets a ball-jointed head and hips, swivel/hinge shoulders, and swivel wrists and shins. It's good enough for a figure of this size, though the left shin peg unfortunately got stuck and twisted apart, so I had to reglue it. It's always a shame when a joint that was fine before suddenly breaks. Aside from the extra head, Luna also has a riding crop and some different hands: two gripping, two relaxed, a pointing right, and a left for holding the crop. The default right hand does a better job of holding it though.

Since Luna is far too small to sell by herself, her faithful steed Amok is packed in with her, or is she a pack-in to him? Anyways, the main portrait is great, as he bears a grumpy look complementing his huge chin and horns. The shades of purple and blue used for his skin are nice, and the wash certainly helps. Aside from this head, he gets two others: one has an open mouth and less squinty eyes, and the other is more happy and content, as Luna's praising him for a job well done. Most of the time, Luna and Amok are the only Lunataks who actually like each other.

Amok is quite the beast, and in his default posture, he stands over 8" long and 6" tall. He's a rather chunky and somewhat heavy figure, and scales fine with the others. There's some muscle to him as well, befitting his strength, and as with the head, the wash really helps it stand out. He has a spot on Luna to ride on above his neck, and various other bits of armor and straps on him, with the leather parts having the appropriate texture and wash. Like Luna, paint is quite the issue with him, as in addition to various areas of bleed, there's also some rub-off from the leather armor onto the arms and legs. With how much Super7 is charging for these figures, the paint should really be cleaner.

Compared to his master, Amok has more standard articulation for the line, getting a barbell head, swivel/hinge shoulders, elbows, wrists, hips, knees, and ankles, swivel biceps, waist, and thighs, and ball-jointed tail. The joints are some of the best I've ever seen on an Ultimate, as they move smoothly, but hold a pose well. The range on them is great as well, save for the ankles due to the design of the hooves. Aside from the extra heads, Amok has three pairs of hands - closed, grasping, and relaxed - and nothing else. Not that he needs much, plus he's already sharing a box with another figure with accessories of their own.

Luna and Amok carry a notably higher price tag than most figures in the line at $85, but that's because it's a two-pack, and one of them is pretty darn big. Holding off on them did me some good, as I was able to get them for $40 less. Cost and other issues aside (such as paint and Luna's leg breaking), this is a fun set of figures, but while I'm happy to have both, Amok is the more enjoyable of the pair because, well, look how big he is!

- 9/2/25...[See More]

Ironically (appropriately?), I'm pretty tired as I write this.
Sleepwalker is an odd character. One of a whole race of such beings, he alone managed to get stuck in a human mind while patrolling the Dreamscape for ne'er-do-wells. Able to enter the physical realm so long as his college-student host remains asleep, he mostly inadvertently scared the hell out of the populace, but still got the job done with his reality-warping powers. His series relied somewhat heavily on guest stars, which is exactly the bad sign it sounds like. I dunno, I loved him. Just a weird monster-hero weirding it up in the corner of the Marvel U. The art in particular was interesting, playing as it did with the dreamlike nature of his powers.
And amid the sounds of Hasbro finally scraping clean through the bottom of the barrel, my boy gets his first ever toy. A few waves after Stilt Man, but before Razorback. Sounds about right.
As this is only one of two MLs I've purchased in the last decade, I can't speak for mold reuses here, but I can say that if it's new, they probably have their eyes on a Carrion in the near future. He's appropriately built, and flexible enough to get into some interesting poses. If you have a Doop stand handy, he looks great doing that "running in midair" thing he does. Like I said, odd. The hood does restrict the neck somewhat, but it's a small price to pay.
The headsculpt, being the only exposed skin apart from the right arm, is a natural focal point, so it's a good thing it looks great. Some subtle airbrushing around the eyes and mouth (the only such accents on the figure) really make the sculpt pop.
If I had to criticize something, it'd be the wrappings. Separate pieces slipped onto the limbs, they're almost too realistic to feel right, compared to the smooth, ribbon-like look of the art. But it's probably based on a recent guest appearance, and comics have changed a lot since then.
Accessories are limited to open hands and a pair of giant bug legs for the Void BAF. The legs are translucent red-orange rubber, and pretty well detailed with nice airbrushing, but will be given to someone that prefers recent characters. I'm not sure what else we could ask for with this guy, apart from maybe a few wisps of vapor or something. Certainly a flight stand, but those days are pretty much gone.
This guy never really made an impact, and that's a shame. Just too weird to make it, I guess. His so-so rogue's gallery didn't help, either. There are probably more people buying him for the BAF part than any personal interest. But honestly, he's a perfect crowd-filler, especially among spellcasters and mystical beings, and captures the character as well as one could ask for. I can't be too objective here, since I really do have a lot of nostalgia for him. An extra half-star just for the memories, I guess....[See More]

So, Devcon. This guy appeared exactly once on the old cartoon, and got passed over for a convention-exclusive toy twice. Somehow, he left enough of an impression to finally make it out this year. His badass bounty-hunter personality apparently left enough of an impression, because he sold out so fast they reissued him. Which is the only reason I found one.
Starting with the robot, this is pretty much a somewhat more greebly recreation of the animation model. Which is fine, it was a solid look. Very rounded, for the most part. A few corners here and there. The colors are bright without feeling toyish. We get the usual swivel-hinges at the shoulders, elbows, and hips. Swivel waist, tilt/rocker ankles, and a ball joint neck. No wrists, but that's not too surprising given the transformation.
He's got his forearm gun, which can of course be held in the hand if you prefer. The boosters on his ankles can also plug (clumsily) into his back, either side of the gun, or even the shoulders and forearms, likely a side effect of the weaponizer/fossilizer/whatever they're calling that theme now. I prefer them on the legs myself.
Apparently this is a heavy retool of Studio Series Blurr. I'm happy enough with the TR version that I never upgraded, so this is new to me either way. Transformation is fairly intuitive, smooth and solid. Almost simplistic, with a couple nice flourishes.I've almost gotten used to parts that like to pop off, or fail to lock effectively, so this was a relief. There is a touch of partsforming with the gun and boosters, but so it goes.
And we're left with a bang-on accurate take on the animation model. Lacking any reason to blend in on Earth, it's something like a stumpy digital thermometer with fins and boosters. Nah, it's a pretty serviceable "alien" design. Not much swooshability, and it at least sits flat on the skids that stand in for landing gear. The fins do slightly touch the shelf, but as long as it doesn't slide around too much, the paint should be safe. (edit: no they don't, I just transformed it in a hurry, is all)
This wasn't a major character by any means. If anything, he was basically the Boba Fett of Transformers, if you can remember when he was just some badass hunter with less than a half hour of screen time, and that was all we had to work with. Well, he at least got toys from the start instead of decades later. I've been futzing with this guy a lot, trying to decide if the cartoonish nature turns me off at all, but at the end of the day, a good TF is a good TF, and this is good stuff. It's mostly the price tag, I think; I've been at this long enough to remember $7 Deluxes, and money's a lot tighter now. But once in a while, I dip back in, and it's nice to be pleasantly surprised....[See More]

Want List: [1995 - Mr. Potato Head], [1996 - Wendy’s Felix the Cat], [1996 - Beanie Babies Chip], [1996 - McDonald's Disney Hercules Megara], [1996 - McDonald's Disney Hercules Phil PVC Figure], [1997 - McDonald's Disney Hercules Hades], [1998 - Comedy Central South Park Eric Cartman Collectible Figure], [2000 - LEGO® RoboRiders FROST], [2001 - Bandai Digimon Tamers Rapidmon 6" Action Figure], [2002 - LEGO Harry Potter 4729: Dumbledore's Office], [2009 - Disney Store Princess Mulan], [2012 - Thunder Bison Burst Bison (B-Daman) Product Code: CB-41], [2012 - Cineplex The Hobbit Gandalf Cup Figure], [2015 - Hallmark Star Wars Yoda Christmas Ornament], [2019 - It Chapter 2 Pennywise Cup Figure]
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While Street Fighter has plenty of memorable (and more often than not sexy) female combatants, the earlier days of the series had it primarily be a man’s competition. SFII introduced Chun-Li, the first and for a time only female fighter in the franchise, but "The New Challengers" made sure she wasn’t alone and added another girl: Cammy. Much like Chun-Li, she’s an undercover agent who stepped into the ring to seek the truth, and now she’s got a Jada figure as well.

As the case is with most figures in the line, Cammy’s default expression is a serious one, with an angrier, shouting head as an alternative, but the main head has the mouth open as well, albeit slightly. This gives off the impression she’s working up a sweat mid-battle, and both heads have a great likeness. The paint is very clean, with her eyebrows being brunette instead of blonde as to match her SFII-era design, and her scar, in addition to being somewhat faint but clean, is sculpted onto the face with a bit of depth. She has two hairs peeking out in front under her beret, along with a long pair of braids in the back. The hair sculpt is different on both heads, with the more aggressive one having it flowing in the wind, and both heads use a rubbery material for them, reducing fears of breakage.

Standing 5 1/2" tall, Cammy could give Chun-Li a run in the fanservice department. She wears a green leotard with her Delta Red badge on the right side of her chest, long red gloves, and tall boots, in addition to various tattoo patterns on her legs. The paint work for the outfit is very clean, and there’s a bit of wash for the skin as well. There’s a fair amount of muscle on her slender frame, including a prominent set of abs, and let’s not forget about her posterior. Chun-Li may have the thighs, but Cammy’s got the ass. The wrist cuff areas of the gloves have some dips in the front and back, and I’m not sure why. Maybe it’s to allow more range for the wrists?

Speaking of articulation, this battling Brit has all the joints you can ask for. Cammy has a barbell head, ball-jointed neck, chest, waist, and hips, swivel/hinge shoulders, wrists, and ankles, double-hinged elbows and knees, and swivel biceps, thighs, and shins. There’s more movement for the head and neck than Chun-Li, but she still lacks pectoral hinges, on account of the body being too slender to allow for them. Everything else is good, and the braids can swivel as well, but keep in mind the hair is soft rubber, including the pegs, so you’ll want to be careful with them as not to twist apart the pegs (the alternate head uses tougher material for the hair). Aside from the extra head, Cam also has interchangeable hands, with pairs of closed and palm-up hands, as well as a Cannon Spike effect that goes onto either foot. I really wish these figures would come with stands to help with more dynamic and aerial poses, but doing so would probably bump up the price a bit, but not by too much, since Jada likes to keep their products affordable.

Jada already did a great Chun-Li, so I was more than happy to get Cammy, and it’s partially because of her I found out GameStop began carrying this line. Sure, these figures are $5 more there, but it’s easier to find them there than at Target. Entertainment Earth has an exclusive repaint coming that features a pretty cool metallic leotard and tattoos, but I would like to get her Alpha look as well now that we know Jada’s doing that, and Sakura as well to complete the main three girls.

- 9/1/25...[See More]

Favorite Series: G.I. Joe Classified
Currently Collecting: 1:12th scale action figures
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For such a recognizable character from the original TMNT toy line, you'd think Ace Duck would have more prevalence. He has not. He had a brief cameo in the original cartoon, followed by a more major role in the comic continuation Saturday Morning Adventures. He appeared in the IDW continuation, and even the 2012 cartoon gave him a brief nod. Then, of course, there's the TMNT Adventures comic, which made him not an ace pilot but rather an ace wrestler. Since NECA's been on a bit of a Stump Wrestling kick, it's no surprise he'd be next.

Archie Ace looked nothing like Playmates Ace, but the main portrait reminds me a lot of that old figure. He's got a big grin and a lowered brow, creating a look that says "I'll pound you into next dimension!". Tomasz Rozejowski sculpted Ace, and he adheres more to Ken Mitchroney's art style than Jim Lawson or Chris Allan, but he's more similar to Lawson's design than Allan's. His "gonna kick some ass" expression isn't the only one, as he also gets a smug, confident head looking off to the side. The third portrait is my favorite one, depicting him with red, dazed eyes and a wide-open beak, lifted right from when Leatherhead grabs him by the legs and starts swinging. The pupils on the default head are a tad too big, but that aside, the paint is clean and well-done on all three portraits.

Ace stands tall at about 7 1/2" up to the tip of the hair, and unlike his toy design, he's a big, muscular waterfowl. His upper body isn't quite as chunky as Cryin' Houn, but he's still pretty solid and beefy. Unlike the toon line Ace Duck from a few years back, his body is smoother with no feathery texture, though there are some small feathers sticking out of the forearms. He's a bright yellow nearly all over, and the outlines bring out the sculpted muscles a bit more. He has a pair of wings on his back, way too small to lift him into the air, compared to the larger wings he had in "Stump'd Again!". His only article of clothing is a red speedo… with a noticeable bulge in the front. I just think it's funny Nickelodeon's name is tied to a figure whose "packing," but it's not the worst thing TMNT-wise they could be attached to (remember the bloodfest that was the Bodycount mini-series?). His tail is sticking out the back, and if you feel around you can tell this and the speedo are a softer material.

Ace is well-off when it comes to articulation, and moves similar to Houn and Leatherhead. He has a barbell head and chest, swivel/hinge shoulders, elbows, wrists, wings, knees, and ankles, ball-jointed hips, and swivel thighs. The joints work very well, and the elbows can get pretty close to ninety degrees. The wing swivels are kinda tight, however, and how close they are to each other limits their up and down motion a bit. I'd recommend some heat when swapping heads the first time around, and after that it'll become easier to pop the extra ones on the joint. He also comes with interchangeable hands, with pairs of closed, gripping, relaxed, and I guess gesturing hands, as well as the same folding chair the Turtles four-pack had. It's more than what Houn got, but now that I've mentioned it, it'd be nice to get the larger wings from his second appearance as an option.

Like Cryin' Houn, Ace was released through Walmart first, but is now hitting Target, a more trustworthy retailer when it comes to NECA. Also like Houn, he's $50, higher than average for the company due to his size, but he has a bit more accessories to justify the cost than his fellow wrestler does. With Houn's alter ego El Mysterio confirmed, it just leaves Bloodbath as the last Stump Wrestling participant for NECA to do… unless they decide to do Stump, Sling, and Trap as well.

- 8/27/25...[See More]

Given how Street Fighter's cast spans the globe, it's no surprise more than a couple of fighters come from the U.S. of A. Ken is one of those American fighters, but the earlier games established him as being born and raised in Japan (with a Japanese-American mother) before moving to the States. Thus, that makes Guile the first actually American SF figure by Jada.

I wish I knew who was sculpting these figures, because everything we've seen from this line looks great and stays true to the SFII-era designs. Guile has a good likeness, with a large brow and serious expression, and as always with this line, there are two heads to make use of, so you also have an exposed teeth head with an angrier expression. I can't forget his crazy flattop hair, and it looks nice, albeit a bit flatter than it should be, and if you feel like it, you can have him stand on his head thanks to it. The hair sculpt appears to be the same on both heads, it's just the paint wash that's applied differently. The paint for the faces is good as well, including printing for the eyes.

Guile stands 6" tall and is dressed appropriately for an Air Force member. He wears a green tank top, camo pants, boots, and a dog tag chain. The chain is a separate piece, not on his person in the box, and the head(s) keep it around his neck. The work on the camo pants is good, with plenty of colors, but the parts underneath the knee caps are solid green, so they create a bit of an eyesore when the legs are bent. The rest of the paint is good, with clean work and some wash here and there to bring things out. There are also his American flag shoulder tattoos, and the work on them is nice, but the right one looks cleaner and nicer than the one on the left.

Guile continues Jada's trend of well-articulated figures, with the usual joints for the head, neck, pectorals, shoulders, biceps, elbows, wrists, chest, waist, hips, thighs, knees, shins, and ankles. Everything moves easily, has plenty of range, and the interchangeable parts swap with no issues. What I like most about the articulation here is how the waist is designed, with some dips in the front and back of the socket to allow for plenty of lean in both directions. It would be great if other companies did waist joints like this. Guile's key accessory is the Sonic Boom effect, made out of clear, yellow-tinted hollow plastic, and comes with a stand to keep it in the air. His hand options include a pair of fists, a gripping right for holding an included comb, and an open left, so that you can recreate one of his win poses. The extra right can also hold the chain, so his other win pose can be achieved.

I don't think anyone expected Jada, a company who specializes in die-cast collectibles, to make one of the best and most affordable Street Fighter toy lines to exist, but they pulled it off, and Guile is more proof of how damn good they are when it comes to action figures. There's a blue variant of him out now that looks pretty cool, but unless there are any unique parts included, I can pass. I may as well, given how it's a Target exclusive, and barely any Targets I know stock this line.

- 8/25/25...[See More]

eBay User Name: xmen.legends
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eBay User Name: shredder_media_retro
Currently Collecting: Madballs
Want List: Madballs
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Hi everyone, I don’t know where to go for this. But I would like to delete my account. I’ve been inactive for several years. I appreciate it!...[See More]

Favorite Figure: Thing Hot Rod
Favorite Series: Fantastic 4
First Figure: Thing Hot Rod
Currently Collecting: 2005 toybiz Fantastic 4 series
Want List: Doombot
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When news first broke out that a new Super Mario Bros. movie was happening, fans weren't sure how to feel. We all know how the '93 movie turned out, and being handled by Illumination Entertainment, the same company that created the Minions, left some worried. The first trailers showed off something promising, and the end result lived up to the hype, being a big love letter to the franchise. I'll admit I haven't seen it until recently, but I loved it from start to finish. Jakks Pacific made a couple of figures to tie in with it, and you can grab them for pretty cheap nowadays. I kind of figured holding off on them would pay off.

The packaging isn't like the cardbacks Jakks usually does for Nintendo products, instead being in window boxes, making them a bit more collector-friendly. The boxes are mostly black, but have some figure shots and item symbols all over, and different color accents with each figure. Getting the figures out is very easy, as there are no plastic ties with the trays here, and these are ones you'll want to open up.

Illumination made sure to stay true to the traditional designs of the Mario universe, but with a few of their own adjustments. Mario himself doesn't look too different, save for some more details to the outfit and face. Jakks did a good job matching the models used in the film, though his mustache is a tad too big. He does have a mouth underneath it, and he's smiling as well, but you can't tell unless you pull up the ends of the mustache. The box touts "realistic eyes," and it's done by having the eyes sitting deep in the head, with clear plastic in front of them. It's nice, but the eyes look like they're always following you, like one of those creepy paintings. One of the last things you'd want out of an action figure is for it to always stare at you.

These figures are done in a slightly larger scale than the game figures, and Mario stands about 5" tall up to the hat. Being a big-budget movie as opposed to a video game lets Mario have a more detailed outfit, with stitching on the overalls, more wrinkled clothes, and shoelaces, but it's still the same red and blue costume we all know and love. There's plenty of painted areas on him, and aside from some slop and fuzziness, the work is very good for a mass market figure. The buttons on the overalls have a metallic finish, and even the little ones on the hips are flawlessly applied.

The new tooling and larger scale meant Jakks was able to make these more articulated than their usual 4" figures. Normally, their Marios have a ball-jointed head and hips, swivel/hinge shoulders, hinged elbows and knees, and swivel wrists. Movie Mario updates the elbows to Revoltech-esque joints, and also adds swivel thighs and ball-jointed waist and ankles. You still can't get much tilt out of the head, but everything else is an improvement. Sure, some of their newer game Marios add ankle joints, but when are they going to give them waist and thigh movement, or even bicep/elbow twists? Anyways, Mario comes with a plunger to hold, because he's a plumber, of course. You don't see that brought up often in the games nowadays.

You can't have Mario without Luigi, and he looks just as good as his brother. The likeness is pretty good, but like Mario, his mustache is too big, and his eyes should be a bit farther apart, another issue his brother has. As always, he's the taller and more slender of the two, and at 5 1/2" tall, he's in perfect scale with his brother. His outfit has the same added details as Mario, and the paint is a bit cleaner than him. He has the same articulation as well, though the waist doesn't have as much range, most likely due to the thinner body. The big flashlight is a good accessory for him, and it'll make for some good poses, especially if you army-build some Dry Bones to terrorize him.

Before the Mario bros. came to the Mushroom Kingdom, Princess Peach was there, and I gotta give credit to the movie's crew for proving once again she's not just a damsel in distress. Her likeness is much better than the brothers, but the eyebrows could be a little better, as they're a bit too thick and too bright in color. The paint on the face is very clean, right down to the eyelashes, and there's more metallic paint for the crown. She's about 5 3/4" tall, making her taller than the bros like she should be, but not tall enough. The outfit looks great, though there is some slop on the left shoulder, and the lower body is just one solid piece. The game line Peach had a hollow dress with legs fully sculpted underneath, but here they went the cheap route and made the feet the only visible part of the legs. I would've preferred a soft rubber dress with articulated legs underneath, since their more recent Simpsons line showed Jakks was capable of doing so.

Unlike Mario and Luigi, who got more articulation than before, Peach moves not much differently from her 4" counterpart, having just a ball-jointed head and waist, swivel/hinge shoulders, hinged elbows, and swivel wrists. The long hair restricts the head quite a bit, but the waist is designed to lean forward quite a bit, and the arms work fine, but bicep joints would've gone a long way with her. She comes equipped with a parasol, just like the game line, and she can hold it in a variety of ways, even with the lesser arm movement than Mario and Luigi.

Rounding out the first wave is Toad, completing the SMB2 line-up. The likeness isn't as accurate as the others, as the larger eyes make him look more like his game design, but everything else is fine… save for the height. He's 4" tall, which is smaller than the others, but when you put him up next to the others, it's obvious he's oversized. He's supposed to only come up to Peach's waist, not her chin. But I suppose scale was never really Jakks' strong suit; just look at their Pokémon figures.

Toad's outfit looks good, especially with the texture to the pants and shoes, but the paint is a little sloppier than the other figures. The backpack is a notable stand-out to his appearance, and there's all sorts of gear on it. Rope, pickaxe, mug, lantern, and a sleeping bag. It's assembled from various bits of plastic, and the paint is clean on it, just keep in mind it'll weigh him down a bit in the back, though you can adjust the hips to keep him standing. He comes with a frying pan that fits not only in his right hand, but also in a slot in the backpack so it can be stored on his person. I didn't even notice it at first until I brought him out for this review. Toad has some decent articulation, with a ball-jointed head and ankles, swivel/hinge shoulders, hinged elbows, and T-crotch hips. I would've liked some more movement to the arms, but I'll take what I can get.

I made a smart decision holding off on this line, as I able to grab all but Luigi for below retail. Aside from a few issues regarding likenesses, paint, and movement, these are great figures for those who've seen the movie, and even those who haven't and just like Mario in general. Just keep an eye out for good deals like I did.

- 8/23/25...[See More]