Saturday, October 31, 2009

Hot Toys 1/6th BLADE Vampire Hunter Preview

Hot Toys is proud to announce the latest collectible from their Marvel series - Hot Toys MMS113 Blade II 1/6th scale BLADE Limited Edition Collectible Figure - a vampire hunter who is half-man and half-vampire that becomes the protector of humans against the vampires.

This collectible stands approximately 30cm tall and features more than 32 points of articulation. Dressed in the Daywalker’s movie-accurate costume of an overcoat, black jacket, vest, shirt, pants and boots. Accessories and weapons include: Lifelike head sculpt with Blade’s signature tattoos at the back, Authentic likeness of american actor Wesley Snipes who plays Blade, Sunglasses, Shoulder Holster, Two (2) foldable glaives, Two (2) extendable hand armors, Sword with scabbard, Interchangeable sword handle with blades, Five (5) stakes, Two (2) UV Bombs, Machine Gun (a heavily modified Ingram MAC-10 sub-machine gun), Two (2) Handguns (Heckler & Koch USP Matchs modified with laser sights and rail-like attachment), Four (4) sets of interchangeable gloved hands and Figure stand with Blade II movie logo and Blade nameplate















This is the BEST Blade figure by far and the details are all there for a 1/6 collectible figure!! Glad I didn't pick up Medicom's two versions of Blade. They both pale in comparison and let's not even talk about the Marvel Studios Blade action figure. Release date: Q1, 2010

Artists info: Head Sculpt by So Young Lee and Head Paint by JC Hong

UPDATE March 3, 2010: Review of Hot Toys BLADE Figure in hand. It's even better than this!

Friday, October 30, 2009

1/6 Léon: The Professional by Heroic - Preview

Coming really soon from a company called Heroic: "Perfection Killer". Guess who he's really supposed to be? If you say, "Léon (Jean Reno), a hitman (or "cleaner" as he would rather be known) from New York City's Little Italy" then I say "You hit the jackpot, and give the man (or woman, I'm not sexist) some milk!"

Léon is the main character (protagonist) from the film "Léon: The Professional (1994)", a French English-language thriller film written and directed by French director Luc Besson, and starring Jean Reno, Gary Oldman, and a young Natalie Portman in her feature film debut.

I've been waiting a really long time for this and can't wait to get my hands on it! From the authentic outfit to the vest , everything's there!






Even the weapons case! In 1/6 scale and highly detailed too!



Check out all his weapons, plus pliers plus knife plus grenades - I want it NOW!!

UPDATED December 28, 2009: Pictures of actual product in hand and full review HERE

Thursday, October 29, 2009

G.I. Joe "Saving Private Ryan" Tom Hanks Figure

When the movie "Saving Private Ryan" was about to be released in 1998, it was rumored that a 1/6 scale World War II US Army 2nd Ranger military figure with Tom Hanks as Captain John H Miller head sculpt was to be released. There were even pictures circulated and it got collectors excited. Apparently the film producer and director Steven Spielberg did not sign off on it and the G.I. Joe Normandy Ranger was released without the Tom Hanks head. However, the Tom Hanks head with five o'clock shadow did appear on the secondary market and I got hold of it.

It was a matter of replacing the G.I. Joe Collectors' Club Limited Edition Second World War Normandy Ranger head with the Tom Hanks John H Miller head sculpt to get a "Saving Private Ryan" 1/6 scale Captain John H Miller military figure. I also replaced the M1 helmet and M1A1 Thompson sub-machine gun.







Close-up of the 1/6 Tom Hanks as Captain John H Miller with five o'clock shadow head sculpt. Obviously head sculpts have improved much since but I'm a sentimental guy. I still have some of my vintage figures and although they are not as detailed as the ones being released now, I liked them for what they meant back then. They are also good for comparison with the standard that can be achieved now. Case in point: the recently released excellent DiD 1/6 scale 12-inch Second World War US Army 2nd Ranger Marksman "Private Daniel" (with Barry Pepper likeness as he appeared in "Saving Private Ryan") reviewed HERE

This M1 helmet is from the recently released Soldier Story WWII US 2nd Ranger Battalion rifleman (Previewed HERE) and does not have the Captain bars in front. It also goes to show how small Soldier Story's 1/6 heads are because the bodies they use are bigger than Hasbro's G.I. Joe Classic Collection bodies yet the helmet seems tight and small on this head.

G.I. Joe Collectors' Club Limited Edition Exclusive Second World War Normandy Ranger came with helmet (replaced with Soldier Story 2nd Ranger helmet) and outfit consisting of shirt, pants, combat field jacket, Ranger assault vest with Entrenching Tool and e-tool holder, leggings and ankle boots. The figure is equipped with an ammo bag, M1A1 Thompson sub-machine gun (also replaced with one by Cotswold), .45 pistol with holster, Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR), knife with fabric sheath, and web belt with canteen with cover. The original head was a Club exclusive WWII head with red hair and blue eyes, and came in a traditional long box. Pictures of the original head sculpt can be seen in pictures I posted under "June 6, 1944: D-Day".

Added these two fragmentation grenades.

His Ranger tab/insignia

The ammo bag and his Combat Knife in sheath





Here's the Tom Hanks as Captain John H Miller with five o'clock shadow head sculpt without helmet

Another Tom Hank as Captain John H Miller head sculpt with WWII US Army Ranger outfit by Dragon was posted HERE and pictures of the 1/6 Tom Hanks as Captain Miller with 1/6 Matt Damon as Private First Class James Francis Ryan can be seen HERE


Wednesday, October 28, 2009

A Comparison of Naked Snake & Other Medicom figures

Just wanted to do a comparison of the various Medicom 1/6 bodies thus far: Medicom "Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope" Han Solo (full review HERE) and Medicom "Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater" Naked Snake (pictures HERE). Both are of the same height but Han's head is bigger. Skin colour also painted differently.


Medicom Han Solo, Naked Snake and a much taller Hideki Go, MAT (Monster Attack Team) member and Ultraman Jack in human form. I wonder if Manchester United drew inspiration from him for their new football jersey this year. I had also done a line-up of the Ultra Guard HERE, comparing body types

Added Medicom 1/6 scale Star Wars Clone Trooper which is taller than their Boba Fett and Jango Fett and almost as tall as the Medicom Darth Vader.

The Medicom Star Wars Clone Trooper and Han Solo; they are actually worlds apart in the Star Wars universe, although George Lucas slipped in a shot of the Millennium Falcon docking in Episode III

Medicom Star Wars Clone Trooper and Medicom RAH (Real Action Heroes) MAT (Monster Attack Team) member Hideki Go, Ultraman Jack in human form

Two fellow space beings but from totally different universe - space pirate Medicom RAH Captain Harlock (キャプテンハーロック Kyaputen Hārokku) (Full review HERE) and Hideki Go. Captain Harlock is much taller and slimmer, one of those new bodies created by Medicom - comparative pictures of the new Harlock and the much older version HERE

How they compare with Naked Snake (Cold War version)

See the difference in height

A mix of various Medicom RAH figures with their different height and body types

And here's Naked Snake standing next to the much taller Raiden, from "Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (MGS4)". Full review and pictures HERE

Medicom RAH 1/6 scale Motoko Kusanagi from "Ghost in a Shell / Stand Alone Complex - Solid State Society"