Sunday, April 19, 2009

Enterbay "24" Jack Bauer

"The following takes place between 8:00 am and 9:00 am"

"24", an American TV series, is a thriller which is shown in "real-time", with each minute of airtime corresponding to a minute in the lives of the characters. Leading actor Kiefer Sutherland won a Golden Globe for his role in the first 10 episodes, before the show even finished screening, which led to increased ratings for the show. Kiefer Sutherland, as Agent Jack Bauer, works for the Los Angeles Counter Terrorist Unit as they try to safeguard the nation from terrorist threats.

This is my second Enterbay figure (my first figure was Enterbay's first release as well, Bruce Lee from "Game of Death" - see link here) and it's Enterbay's "24" CTU Agent Jack Bauer. It comes in a huge box which is touted as Enterbay's 2009 newly developed & designed packaging box set. In My HUMBLE Opinion, it is a complete waste of resources as it is completely unnecessary. The box cover has the number 24 printed using lenticular printing which gives the impression of the moving digits as seen in the series.

Inside this box are two smaller boxes, one housing the figure and the other containing his accessories. There must be a better way to package this - to think that a part of the price we paid went to this packaging - SIGH!! They could all fit into one box instead of three boxes in total! That's a lot of trees which died for nothing.

First, the accessories - certificate of authenticity (seems unnecessary too), holster, H&K USP compact handgun, suppressor, flashlight, wrist watch, 3 extra posing hands and figure stand FS-100.

The H&K USP compact pistol is just one molded piece without any moving parts nor removable magazine. One would expect more after dishing out so much for this figure, at least the accessories should be of Hot Toys' standard and not Hasbro's (or HasBeen, as everybody knows)

The figure's likeness doesn't disappoint though. It has the amazing likeness of actor Kiefer Sutherland as CTU Agent JACK BAUER wearing a tailor-made outfit (navy blue sweater and black pants with socks and shoes) plus a bullet proof vest and Messenger Bag.

This is where Enterbay scores BIG!! I had been keen to get Medicom's RAH (Real Action Heroes) 1/6 scale 12-inch "24" Jack Bauer (they released at least 3 versions of Kiefer Sutherland as Jack Bauer) but just couldn't bring myself to part with good money for Medicom's sub-standard Jack Bauer head sculpts - theirs just don't cut it! I'm so glad I waited because Enterbay didn't disappoint in the head sculpt area with such a fantastic likeness.

The skin tones, the paint work, the wrinkles on the face, the determined expression, the realism - PRICELESS!


He comes hugging his messenger bag like his security blanket (it is not included in the accessories box) sandwiched between thick foam pads

His messenger bag

The bag opens but reveals nothing - it's empty.

Enterbay's 1/6 scale 12-inch Jack Bauer from "24" - armed and ready to take down terrorists



Side profile of Kiefer Sutherland as CTU Agent Jack Bauer

After Seasons 1 and 2, Jack Bauer changes his weapon of choice from the Sig Sauer P228 (9 mm Parabellum) pistol to the smaller, lighter, polymer-framed Heckler & Koch USP Compact, also chambered for the 9 mm Parabellum cartridge.

His watch and flashlight (doesn't even have the bulb and glass cover like Dragon's and Hot Toys)

His socks and shoes. I prefer 1/6 shoes with feet rather than Hot Toys' type which has a hole for the leg peg to go into. Jack Bauer's pants is made from a very thin cloth material (almost paper-like). I had expected a thicker material at least.

Enterbay's Jack Bauer doesn't wear a belt either, and no place to put his holster which I dumped into his bag, along with the other hands

Jack be nimble, Jack be quick, Jack jumped over a candlestick

Jack's side profile by Enterbay


Kiefer William Frederick Dempsey George Rufus Sutherland - no kidding, that's his full name (born 21 December 1966) is the son of Donald Sutherland (he starred in "The Dirty Dozen" along with Lee Marvin in 1967 [see link here]) and Shirley Douglas, both of whom are successful Canadian actors. Stand By Me was the first film Kiefer Sutherland made in the United States. As of 2008, Sutherland has appeared in over seventy films, most notably The Lost Boys, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me, A Few Good Men, Flatliners, Young Guns, The Vanishing, The Three Musketeers, Stand by Me, Eye for an Eye, Dark City, To End All Wars and A Time To Kill, The Sentinel and MIRЯORS (2008). I also remembered his distinct voice in "Phone Booth (2003)" as the caller who traps Colin Farrell's character Stu Shepard in the phone booth. The film is set in real-time, so the timespan in which the film takes place is as long as it takes to watch it, much like "24".



Counter Terrorist Unit (CTU) Agent Jack Bauer, at your service

Enterbay's 1/6 scale 12-inch figure Jack Bauer from "24" is a wee bit tiny in size (not sure if this is due to the fact that Enterbay's first figure was Bruce Lee, who as an Asian is of smaller built than the standard American/Caucasian and by keeping to the same mold, Enterbay has compromised the scale factor and gone the way of Medicom - NO!!!). Here's a picture to compare the difference in sizes (I call this picture "The 3 stooges") - Dragon's Jean Reno as Hubert Fiorentini in "Wasabi (2001)" (more pictures here), Enterbay's Jack Bauer and FBI Agent Fox Mulder (Dragon's Dragon's Kriegsmarine Warrant Officer "Georg" wearing Sideshow's Fox Mulder's togs - full review here).

For the same price, you can get Dennis Haysbert (also famous as Sergeant Major Jonas Blane in "The Unit") as President David Palmer (when they did this series, nobody even thought there'll be a black US President in the white house - look who's living there now). Problem is, Enterbay's President David Palmer comes dressed in his suit and nothing else, no accessories - zilch, nada, none, zero, not a thing (you get the idea) so that's paying a lot for very little, other than the sculpt and a ill-fitting suit (the tie is HUGE). Jonas is a big man and cuts an imposing figure but that didn't come across with the 12-inch figure, given Enterbay's smaller than usual body type so I gave it a miss - no regrets whatsoever!

UPDATED February 21, 2010: Another Jack Bauer Figure but this one is by Playhouse and Jack is disguised as a GSG-9 operator (low profile version). Pictures HERE


9 comments:

desmond said...

Bro, if we can get a jean and belt for Jack, I think the overall outfit will be getting closer to screen accurate..

alex teo said...

hey desmond, we'll have to get hold of Medicom size attire because of Enterbay's small size body types :(

Storm Echo said...

I like both the 24 figures but still think the price is too high. The accessories are weak and the body has problems. Loose joints and I had a foot break off the day I received my figure. As far as I know, you can't switch the heads out onto better bodies either. But I'm still glad I bought them. I got the jeans from the Diamond Jack Bauer and they fit and look good. I'm using my David Palmer for a Snake Doctor custom (from The Unit).

alex teo said...

hi storm echo, i find Enterbay's figures are top heavy too and the ankle joints are not tight enough to hold a lot of the poses. Price was the reason i stayed away from David Palmer and only got Jack Bauer. would've liked to do a Snake Doctor kitbash but will wait for another opportunity - hope you can show your pictures of your custom Snake Doctor :)

desmond said...

One more thing I definitely agree with you is the box packaging by Enterbay. Don't know why they make a big box with two small boxes inside and is a waste of resources. Furthermore, it will take up a lot of space. I prefer the box size made by Medicom afterall.

MTM said...

Hi, this is amazing,great pictures!
I'm actually from the art department of MTM Special Ops watch company,
We've created the watch that Jack Bauer wears on season 1 & 2
I was wondering if you still have these images in a high resolution
I would love to have a copy of them in our show room in Los Angeles CA, along with your blog
please let me know

Thank you

alex teo said...

Hi there, thank you for the kind words and thanks also for writing. I do have these same images in high resolution and wouldn't mind letting you have them for your showroom in Los Angeles. It would be an honor. I only ask that you send me pictures when they are up in the showroom. Let me know where I can send the high res pictures to. CHEERS Alex

MTM SPECIAL OPS said...

HI Alex, did you get my email?
I've send you my information already, please let me know if you prefer to send a cd or dvd with the images, whatever is easier for you
Thank you
MTM

alex teo said...

Hi Alfredo Ortiz, sorry I've been a little busy with work - someone has to pay for all these wonderful collectibles LOL XD I've received your email and I'll be going through my archives to look for the images this weekend CHEERS