People are wondering about the new figures from the upcoming James Cameron epic Avatar. We’ve got aliens, space soldiers, a mech, and a ferocious six legged beast… well, what do we think?
These figures are 3 3/4th scale… so they’re in scale with GI Joe and Star Wars figures. Though reduced in size from the 6″ scale we were getting used to, they do pack in tons of articulation, in places you didn’t even know were possible.
There are two larger sets that go with this scale, the Amp Suit, and the Thenator. And we got to check two of the 6″ Movie Master figures.
Overall I’m pretty impressed with the toys. There are certain limitations that remind you that these toys are foremost for playing with, but there are plenty of surprises that help this line stand out. The amount of detail and durability is fantastic. So, I wish the arms on the Amp suit, though very articulated, were just a little bit more so, so I could have both hands on the large gun. This set is much more durable than the McFarlane Mifune set that came out a few years ago around Matrix Revolting. The bullet chain is superb. Each little bullet is sculpted with plenty of detail, but its crafted out of a strong, but super flexible, rubber. Check out the paint and detail on the chassis of the gun… this looks beautiful, and defies the “little kids toy” designation.
The individual figures look pretty good. I’ll be honest, the actual look of the aliens, that these figures are based on, don’t impress me. I agree with all of the Fern Gully and related jokes. They just don’t seem nearly as original or mind-blowing a vision as we’re used to from the director of Terminator, Alien and the Abyss. But source material aside, the figures are all very detailed for this miniature scale. Some of their limbs seem dangerously slim, but they’re all going to do fairly well in their backyard battles. I was impressed with the amount of detail sculpted, and that Mattel was able to pull it off, while keeping it fun for the kids (who will probably be the ones who really enjoy this movie)
They put articulation in the ankle, knee, hips, waist, elbow, shoulder and neck. For being this small, they sport more articulation than I expected. They also come with a stand, with a peg. This comes into play with the i-Tag webcam technology.
The 6″ Movie Master figures are good. The points of articulation are all over the place, especially in the arm. But I was able to get the guy kneeling because their ankles offer a wide range of motion.
My biggest complaint is about the Thenator… I had a difficult time getting the head and tail to snap on (but they’re allegedly not going to pop off), and after all that, the posability is pretty limited. Maybe this creature will be super-cool in the movie and my impression will go up… but my non-weighted feelings are more MEH than anything. I wish his jaw would open a little more while we’re at it.
Now, each of these figures i-Tag technology that you can do with a web cam. I’ll get a video demo of that posted shortly. You hold each base up to the webcam and it creates a 3D model (on your screen) that you can rotate.
The long and short of the whole thing is that the figures are nice, but I think my impression of the movie will change what I think about each of the characters. The Amp suit is by far the nicest piece of the line, and actually a decent Mech even if you have no interest in seeing the movie. It offers some great detail and possesses some great articulation. Its durable and fits many 3 3/4 scale figures. That one is my highest recommendation.
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