Monday, October 31, 2011

Hot Toys 1/6 Edward Scissorhands 12-inch collectible figure REVIEW

Halloween (or Hallowe'en) is an annual holiday observed on October 31, which commonly includes activities such as trick-or-treating, attending costume parties, carving jack-o'-lanterns, bonfires, apple bobbing, visiting haunted attractions, playing pranks, telling scary stories, and watching horror films. Celebrated primarily but not exclusively in English speaking countries, it is popular among both children and adults alike. Much of its appeal comes from its inclusive, secular nature and as well as the creativity and freedom of expression it promotes.

Since it's Halloween today, I guess it's appropriate to revisit a post published earlier on April 20, 2009 :)


This is Hot Toys MMS-82 Movie Masterpiece Series 1/6 scale fully poseable action figure of Johnny Depp as Edward Scissorhands from the movie of the same name, directed by none other than Tim Burton, most famous for his dark and often quirky films, such as Beetle Juice, The Nightmare Before Christmas, his reinvention of Batman and the sequel Batman Returns, Mars Attacks, Sleepy Hollow, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Corpse Bride and most recently, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. Johnny Depp is in seven of his films and Burton's wife Helena Bonham Carter has been in his last six films.

Sunday, October 30, 2011

Sideshow Collectibles Star Wars 1/6 scale Holiday Yoda Preview

Checking his list, he is!

From Lucasfilm's 1981 greeting card design by Ralph McQuarrie, Holiday Yoda is a must-have for Yoda fans during this year's holiday season!


The Sideshow Collectibles Star Wars 1/6 scale Holiday Yoda Figure features: Fully Articulated Body, Highly Detailed and Hand Painted Portrait, Sculpted Hat, Fabric Jacket, Fabric Pants, Belt, Cane, Ball, Sculpted Alphabet Block, Detailed Stack of Toys with Fabric Drawstring Sack

Saturday, October 29, 2011

Sideshow Collectibles Star Wars Utapau Shadow Trooper Preview

The brainchild of Armand Isard, Director of Republic Intelligence and Director-General of the Senate Bureau of Intelligence, the shadow trooper division was created mainly as a reconnaissance tool. Designed to augment the dwindling number of ARC troopers, shadow troopers operate singly or in pairs. They operate covertly, yet still in armor, posing as mercenaries of bounty hunters to slip quietly in and out of locations while quietly gathering intelligence.


Shadow trooper armor is based on standard Phase II clone armor. Strategically placed magseals allow the attachment of deceptive plating that alters the appearance of a shadow trooper. Different styles allow the shadow trooper to appear to be Hutt-hired mercenaries, Black Sun operatives, or independent bounty hunters. The plating is primarily cosmetic; it does disguise a clone trooper's sensor signature against detection devices. The plating also alters regular movement, preventing observers from recognizing the characteristic "clone gait."

Friday, October 28, 2011

Pre-order Revoltech Pixar Figure Collection 002 – WALL-E

This is just too cute :) WALL•E, is a 2008 American computer-animated science fiction film produced by Pixar Animation Studios and directed by Andrew Stanton. The story follows a robot named WALL-E, who is designed to clean up a waste-covered Earth far in the future. He falls in love with another robot named EVE, who also has a programmed task, and follows her into outer space on an adventure that changes the destiny of both his kind and humanity. Both robots exhibit an appearance of free will and emotions similar to humans, which develop further as the film progresses.

WALL-E has been met with overwhelmingly positive reviews among critics, scoring an approval rating of 96% on the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes. It grossed $521.3 million worldwide, won the 2008 Golden Globe Award for Best Animated Feature Film, the 2009 Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form, the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature as well as being nominated for five other Academy Awards at the 81st Academy Awards. WALL-E ranks first in TIME's "Best Movies of the Decade"!


And now Kaiyodo Revoltech is bringing to us this exceptional WALL.E robot toy figure as part of their Pixar Figure Collection. WALL.E Revoltechs up very nicely, too! Fully pose-able, with a gaggle of accessories, he's ready to recreate scenes from the Pixar movie or follow your own script. I think this is one of the BEST WALL.E robot toy figures I've come across :)

Pre-order Revoltech Finding Nemo Pixar Figure Collection 001

Finding Nemo is a 2003 American computer-animated comedy family drama film written by Andrew Stanton, directed by Andrew Stanton and Lee Unkrich and produced by Pixar. It tells the story of the overly protective clownfish Marlin (Albert Brooks) who, along with a regal tang called Dory (Ellen DeGeneres), searches for his abducted son Nemo (Alexander Gould). Along the way, Marlin learns to take risks and to let Nemo take care of himself.

The film received overwhelmingly positive reviews and won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. It was the 2nd highest-grossing film of 2003, behind The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, earning a total of $868 million worldwide.


And now Pixar's Finding Nemo star Nemo himself is getting the Revoltech treatment as a fully pose-able figure. Yup, you heard it right – Fully pose-able fish! Includes different faces, and dizzy Dory as an accessory! Even his "special fin" is faithfully reproduced! Comes with two types of different facial expressions and the face can be removed so that you can easily change the look.

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Review II: Kaustic Plastik's 1/6 scale "Celadus" Roman gladiator armor, equipment & weapon

We've seen the Kaustic Plastik Thraex 1/6 scale "Celadus" Roman gladiator 12-inch figure in the previous post and the boxed packaging before that, now let's look at the crazy details that are found with this boxed figure. All the Roman gladiator figures by Kaustic Plastik are completelly designed in Italy (Kaustic Plastik is based in Rome, home of the gladiators) with just the final prodution done in China. Kaustic Plastik is an Italian company and this gives them the opportunity to make a "direct" research on the archelogical places, where the Ancient Roman lived.

All the armor is made from die-cast metal and are based on the original models discovered in Pompeii. This gives the figure an added weight and also a nice feel to it because it is now heavier. Kaustic Plastik has taken note of this and has made the "LEGS stronger then EVERYBODY ELSE's (i.e. competitor's) in the market" so that the figure can take the full weight of his armor and equipment. Kudos to Kaustic Plastik for thinking of all these and coming up with solutions for collectors :)


This is the 1/6 scale Thraex Gladiator Helmet made of die-cast metal. All the metal parts of Kaustic Plastik gladiator releases (including the metal blades, weapons, pieces of armour and helmet are TOTALLY MADE of METAL! - how's that for authenticity!!) Even better, they are not the classic "white metal" often used in die cast productions but the "right kind" of metal for each piece. So the bronze parts are made in a league of Metal mixed with real bronze to get it as close to the real thing as possible. For this reason, the "look" of the armours as you can see it's totally realistic!!

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Review 1: Kaustic Plastik 1/6 "Celadus" 12-inch Roman Gladiator Figure

MORE pictures of Kaustic Plastik's 1/6 scale "Celadus" Roman gladiator 12-inch figure. Having shown pictures of the box packaging in an earlier post HERE plus a brief introduction of the company that makes these exceptional figures, let's now zoom in on the figure itself.

This is the Kaustic Plastik Thraex "Celadus" Roman gladiator 1/6 head sculpt which was inspired by UFC Fighting Champion Randy Couture. The actual final product headsculpt is a VAST improvement from their earlier prototype preview pictures.


This is a totally new 12-inch body type designed, produced and released by Kaustic Plastik. Their body comes with 35+ points of articulation. The NECK and SHOULDER have internal mechanism hidden by the PVC Torso. This give a lot of flexibility to NECK and shoulder as well.

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Milk Magazine 10th Anniversary Hot Toys Iron Man 2 1/6 War Machine Special Version Preview

Here are some pictures of the very limited Hot Toys and Milk Magazine collaboration for Milk magazine's 10th Anniversary: a special edition Hot Toys Iron Man 2 1/6 scale War Machine collectible figure. This is the classic color scheme as seen in the Marvel comics. Celebrating Milk Magazine’s 10th Anniversary, Milk X Hot Toys proudly presents the upcoming Iron Man 2 War Machine 1:6 scale action figure.


Now you can officially say that Hot Toys is really MILKing it :D haha. Hot Toys has done so many different variants of Iron Man that I've lost count altogether and now they have even gone and made variants of War Machine when all they did is repaints on the same molds and then sell them for a handsome profit. And there are people who will go out and pay the exorbitant price for this limited edition Iron Man 2: War Machine figure because they want one of everything that Hot Toys has to offer, thus proving once again to Hot Toys that as long as they dare to price it, there will be people who will be foolish enough to buy it!

Monday, October 24, 2011

Review III: Hot Toys Milla Jovovich as "Resident Evil: Afterlife" Alice

And here's Hot Toys Movie Masterpiece Series MMS139 1/6 scale Milla Jovovich as "Resident Evil: Afterlife" Alice 12-inch collectible figure with her edged weapons / knives. Knives were used as a last ditch effort to kill a zombie when there isn't any ammo remaining. However in the hands of an expert, the knife can be utilized as a very effective tool as can be seen in the film when they are in the hands of Alice (Milla Jovovich). Having already seen how Hot Toys Alice handles her guns in the previous post HERE, now we see her with the knives that are included with this Hot Toys "Resident Evil: Afterlife" Alice 12-inch Collectible Figure.


When Alice runs out of bullets for her guns (in "Resident Evil: Afterlife" Alice first used the MP5K, before reaching for her pair of 5" barreled Smith & Wesson Model 460V revolvers and a pair of Sawed-Off 12-Gauge Double Barreled Shotguns), she unsheathes her straight-bladed odachi (a term given to any sword that is larger than a katana that is handled by two hands) japanese sword.

Sunday, October 23, 2011

Pre-order ThreeA World War Robot Heavy Bramble @ TFH

World War Robot is a graphic novel illustrated by artist Ashley Wood and written by both Ashley Wood and TP Louise. The picture book combines an unconventional use of pairing painted images and essays to tell small parts of a larger story. The prose include excerpts from various diaries, journals and transcripts based around the humans involved in a fictional war in the 1980-1990s known as the Great War.


The Great War takes place between multiple different factions; the most obvious are the Martians, humans who have left Earth and settled on Mars seeking refuge, and the Terrans those who remain on Earth and seek to subdue the Martians to their fanatic religious ideals with violent means. Both sides utilize warbots in their ongoing conflict. Most of these are manufactured by Darwin Rothchild, but there has also been mention of Hobson and Dolch, a competitor of Rothchild (Corporation). Further factions within the war include N.O.M. and M.O.D.. Due to the storytelling format that Ashley Wood and TP Louise have closen, many plot details are left open to the imagination of fans as the story and universe is explored in greater depth with each book release. [source: threeawiki]

Saturday, October 22, 2011

Review II: "Resident Evil: Afterlife" Alice 12-inch Collectible Figure by Hot Toys

As promised, here are more pictures of the exceptional female action figure (NOT Barbie doll or dollie!) that is Hot Toys Movie Masterpiece Series MMS139 movie-accurate 1/6 scale Milla Jovovich as "Resident Evil: Afterlife" Alice 12-inch collectible figure. This figure is specially crafted based on the image of Milla Jovovich in the latest "Resident Evil: Afterlife" movie, highlighting the newly sculpted head, detailed costume and weapons.


Having reviewed the box packaging and contents in my earlier post HERE, with close-up pictures of the realistic 1/6 scale head sculpt of Milla Jovovich as "Resident Evil: Afterlife" Alice including detailed costume and weapons, this blog post is all about Alice armed with her weapons and she certainly looks good wielding them. Milla is totally believable as an action woman as she takes on the Umbrella Corporation and all the baddies, as well as the undead / zombies. And she looks good doing it as well Hubba Hubba!

Friday, October 21, 2011

Just IN: Kaustic Plastik 1/6 "Celadus" and "Astacius" Roman gladiators

Look what the FedEx man brought from China yesterday :) The package should have arrived a day earlier but I just missed the delivery the day before. I am so excited to share this that I decided to post these pictures first! I dare say that these are probably the FIRST actual product pictures of Kaustic Plastik's soon-to-be-released 1/6 scale "Celadus" and "Astacius" Roman gladiator 12-inch figures.

Kaustic Plastik CELADUS box packaging - Front

My earliest exposure to the Roman gladiators was from watching Kirk Douglas play the part of Spartacus from the film of the same name, which was released in 1960. Fast forward to the year 2000 and the epic "Gladiator" where Russell Crowe is Maximus Decimus Meridius, a Roman general who is a favorite of the dying emperor Marcus Aurelius (Richard Harris) before running afoul of Aurelius’ murderous, almost-disenfranchised son Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix). Escaping an order of execution, Maximus is unable to save his wife and young son from the same fate. Now taken into slavery, Maximus is trained as a gladiator by Proximo (Oliver Reed), where he seeks his revenge in the Roman Colosseum. The sheer savagery of gladiatorial combat comes alive in "Gladiator", which earned 12 Oscar nominations, winning for Best Picture, Best Actor (Crowe), Best Sound, Best Costume Design and Best Visual Effects.

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Avengers Assemble!

The title says it all :) With the recent release of Marvel Studios' official "The Avengers" trailer and the film set for full release in May 2012, everyone is EXCITED! I would never have dreamt that I would live to see the day when "The Avengers" movie would be made and yet, here it is, coming to a theatre near you! What makes it even more exciting is knowing that Hot Toys would most likely be producing 1/6 scale "The Avengers" figures and that will break the bank for many collectors. Let's hope it'll be worth it. There have been some quality issues with Hot Toys releases lately :(


In the meantime, while waiting for the figures to show up, I could not resist taking pictures of these ToyBiz Famous Covers 9-inch figures who are part of the new Avengers line-up :) The Avengers 2012 film is based upon the Marvel Comics superhero team of the same name. It is part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which crosses over several Marvel superhero films including Iron Man (2008), The Incredible Hulk (2008), Iron Man 2 (2010), Thor (2011) and Captain America: The First Avenger (2011).

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Review 1: Hot Toys "Resident Evil: Afterlife" 1/6 Alice Collectible Figure

This figure has been a long time coming. I've waited a long time for a 1/6 scale Milla Jovovich 12-inch female action figure since she appeared in the 1997 French / American science fiction film "The Fifth Element" directed, co-written, and based on a story by Luc Besson and also starring Bruce Willis and Gary Oldman.

So it has been a more than ten years wait for this 1/6 scale Milla Jovovich female action figure (femfig) and Hot Toys does not disappoint. Hot Toys has certainly delivered the goods with their recently released Movie Masterpiece Series MMS139 movie-accurate Milla Jovovich as "Resident Evil: Afterlife" Alice 12-inch collectible figure. She is specially crafted based on the image of Milla Jovovich in the movie, highlighting the newly sculpted head, detailed costume and weapons.


"Resident Evil: Afterlife" is the latest (fourth) installment in the Resident Evil film series, which is based on the Capcom survival horror series Resident Evil. The film follows Alice (Milla Jovovich) searching and rescuing the remaining survivors in Los Angeles after the T-virus outbreak, and team up against Albert Wesker, the head of the Umbrella Corporation. Chris Redfield (played by Wentworth Miller), a primary character from the video games was featured for the first time in the film franchise. Other characters from the games and films who returned are: Claire Redfield (Ali Larter), Albert Wesker and Jill Valentine.

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Not Hot Toys Indiana Jones but Toys McCoy Indy!

Pictures of Hot Toys DX05 1/6 scale Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones 12-inch figure have surfaced on the internet and in forums and the verdict is: it's NOT looking good! Hot Toys has done some amazing head sculpts and most of them have been stunning BUT they have failed in trying to capture Harrison Ford's likeness. Aside from the high quality outfit and accessories, they couldn't do the one thing that was most important of all and that is, to capture Harrison Ford's likeness. The figure looks amazing as an adventurer / tomb raider figure but falls short of being Indiana Jones.

IMHO I think the classic Toys McCoy Indiana Jones 12-inch figure from 1999 has come closest to capturing Harrison Ford's likeness as Indiana Jones and that is talking about a figure that was made more than TEN years ago. Scroll down to see the pictures for yourself and you be the judge.


I had posted pictures of this exceptional Toys McCoy 1/6 scale Indiana Jones 12-inch figure in my earlier posts HERE (the box packaging and contents) and HERE but I guess the time is right to revisit this figure again after seeing the awful Indy head sculpt that Hot Toys has released. Everyone's taking pictures left, right and center and posting them to try and justify that the Hot Toys Indy is acceptable when it is obvious that it does not resemble Harrison Ford at all.

Monday, October 17, 2011

Enterbay 1/6 Jean Reno as Léon PREVIEW

Originally published: July 14, 2011
Now available at BBTS (bigbadtoystore) - order HERE

These are the pre-release / prototype pictures of the Enterbay 1/6 scale Jean Reno as Léon 12-inch action figure from the movie "Léon" (also known as "The Professional" and "Léon: The Professional"). From what I can gather from the forums, we'll have to wait until the actual figure is released before deciding whether to buy it or not. Many people have been burned by Enterbay and are now very cautious and weary of their products, preferring to adopt a wait-and-see attitude. Most are not really jumping out of their seats for this because they have experienced premature ecstasy when it comes to Enterbay. They got all excited and wait eagerly for the product only to be disappointed with the final outCOME. If this was a Hot Toys pre-order product / figure, people will be snapping up orders without hesitation but since this is Enterbay, everyone's holding back.


For those who are too young to know, "Léon" is a 1994 thriller film written and directed by French director Luc Besson. It stars Jean Reno as a mob hitman, Gary Oldman as corrupt DEA agent Norman "Stan" Stansfield, and a young Natalie Portman, in her feature film debut, as 12-year-old girl Mathilda Lando who is taken in by the hitman (or "cleaner," as he refers to himself) after her family is murdered by corrupt police agents. [source: wiki]

Very Hot 2nd Infantry Division Gunner Uniform Set PREVIEW

As of late, a lot of the 1:6 scale manufacturers have been releasing sets based on the Special Forces branch of the US Armed Forces. Being that these groups generally get the newest and neatest gear and such first, it would only make sense that the toy companies would follow suit. Thus we 1:6 scale military figure collectors actually get to see what's being used out there on the battlefield. However, that doesn't mean that there isn't demand for the basic Infantryman / Grunt or Marine out there in the field.


Fortunately, Very Hot is aware of this and will be releasing a US Army 2nd Infantry Gunner's Uniform Set come November. Since the Army has made the transition to MultiCam, this soldier's uniform and equipment is made in that pattern, from top to bottom, from the ACU cut fatigue shirt and pants to the IOTV body armor.  The Squad Automatic Weapon is nice too - with removable short and long barrels.

Sunday, October 16, 2011

Review III: FoxBox Studio "God Complex: Hermes" 1/6 Figure

My third and final post (for now) of this awesome FoxBox Studio "God Complex: Hermes" 1/6 Figure :) What I like about it? Everything - from the unique design of the head (one-of-a-kind) to the outfit he wears (rather fashionable designer togs) and those ultra cool looking boots that "shoot out" flames! Most of the time we get special forces 12-inch military figures and then MORE special forces figures, WWII era figures, ninjas, movie-related characters (crazy cops, beat-up cops, bad cops, good cops, future cops, robot cops, space cops) including comic-to-movie superheroes (how many Iron Man does one man need? or batsuits, for that matter. okay, enough clowning around - I count five Hot Toys Heath Ledger Joker figures inside my display shelf - let's get serious ;p) so it's quite a refreshing change to see something different once in a while.


This 12-inch figure by FoxBox Studio called "God Complex: Hermes" is certainly different from the rest of the crop and that's why he stands out! It's a case where design plays a BIG part in the appeal of a product. No anime, comic, manga or movie to promote or sell this figure, just purely good design that works!

Saturday, October 15, 2011

Sideshow Collectibles Star Wars 1:6 Clone Commander Bacara PREVIEW

Commander Bacara, also known by the numerical designation 1138, was a clone commander who worked alongside General Ki-Adi-Mundi against Separatist droid armies on the Outer Rim planet Mygeeto. Though he fought alongside the Jedi in numerous battles, Bacara's ultimate loyalty was to the Republic and its Supreme Chancellor. When Palpatine contacted him personally and executed Order 66, Bacara carried out the command without question. He and his fellow Galactic Marines opened fire on Ki-Adi-Mundi, killing their general.


Sideshow Collectibles will be releasing this 1/6 scale Clone Commander Bacara 12-inch figure as part of their Militaries of Star Wars line. Sideshow Collectibles has been most successful in releasing the armored troopers from the Star Wars films. No other 1/6 manufacturer / company has been able to consistently put out these 1/6 scale Star Wars figures except Sideshow and kudos must be given to the company for being able to stay focused and keep collectors and fans happy with their constant release of these figures. Very soon, we'll be able to form a platoon out of all these Sideshow clone troopers which is more than what Hot Toys has done. Hot Toys has not been able to release the "Platoon" 12-inch figures even though they had teased collectors about it. It seems the platoon is MIA (Missing In Action) in Vietnam! Isn't that where Hot Toys fakes had been spotted? But that's for another post.

Friday, October 14, 2011

Review II: FoxBox Studio "God Complex: Hermes" 1/6 Figure

Here are more pictures taken of FoxBox Studio "God Complex: Hermes" 1/6 Figure (see the earlier post HERE for box and packaging pictures plus initial shots of the figure). In this post, we'll see how FoxBox Studio intend to make Hermes fly with the additional accessories included with the package.


Under the main figure tray is a second tray containing Hermes' accessories: extra pair of hands, sling bag and flames. The flames are for attaching to his boots to simulate flight. I'm assuming that the sling bag is for Hermes to carry his messages since Hermes (Greek Ἑρμῆς) is the great messenger of the gods and a guide to the Underworld in Greek mythology.

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Grand Theft Auto III 10th Year Anniversary Limited Edition Claude Action Figure PREVIEW

10 years ago, this month, the revolutionary open-world epic Grand Theft Auto III was released to the world – a game that set players loose as a small-time criminal at the bottom of the food chain in Liberty City, a sprawling metropolis where anything can happen – and probably will.

Rockstar Games has announced that they will be releasing a limited-edition 12-inch action figure of lead character Claude, created by renowned collectible manufacturer Sideshow. It will be available for pre-order in limited quantities at the Rockstar Warehouse.


This fully articulated 1:6 scale action figure of Claude comes dressed in his original attire of cargo pants and a bomber jacket, but can also sport his iconic Liberty City Prison-issued jumpsuit (supplied) and comes equipped with an arsenal of classic weapons from Grand Theft Auto III including a bat, knife, grenades, pistol, sniper rifle, and assault rifle.

Soldier Story U.S. Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit 11 PREVIEW

This will be another upcoming release by Soldier Story: it is supposed to be a 1/6 scale U.S. Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit 11 personnel. As with all of Soldier Story's releases, their 12-inch figures come with a ton of stuff and all the stuff don't come on the figure. You have to be patient in putting all the items together to make the figure complete. It's pretty much how you would have to put on all the gear yourself as if you are the one going into battle, except everything is much smaller i.e. 1/6 scale and you should have fun doing it.


The problem I have with this figure is that they call it the U.S. Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit 11 or EODMU-11 for short but he looks nothing like a guy about to dismantle a bomb. If you have watched the 2009 American war film "The Hurt Locker" about a three-man United States Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team during the Iraq War, you'll realize that bombsuits are part and parcel of the job! That's what they do, disarm IEDs (improvised explosive device) etc. So where is this guy's bombsuit?

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

FoxBox Studio "God Complex: Hermes" 1/6 Figure REVIEW 1

I was pleased as Punch when I received this package last week :) Having seen the preview pictures of the FoxBox Studio "God Complex: Hermes" 1/6 Scale Collectible Figure earlier (posted HERE), I couldn't wait to see how the final product would look like. Well, I wasn't disappointed at all.


In Greek mythology, Hermes (Greek Ἑρμῆς) is the great messenger of the gods and a guide to the Underworld. Hermes is the son of Zeus and the nymph Maia, daughter of Atlas and one of the Pleiades. Hermes is the god of shepherds, land travel, merchants, weights and measures, oratory, literature, athletics and thieves, and known for his cunning and shrewdness. Most importantly, he is the messenger of the gods.

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Medicom Kubrick Real Steel mini figures PREVIEW

Real Steel is a 2011 American science-fiction action film starring Hugh Jackman and directed by Shawn Levy. Set in the near future, where robot boxing is a top sport, a struggling promoter (that would be Jackman) feels he's found a champion in a discarded robot. During his hopeful rise to the top, he discovers he has an 11-year-old son who wants to get to know his father. Hugh Jackman stars as Charlie Kenton and Dakota Goyo plays his son Max Kenton.

Medicom will be releasing these KUBRICK Atom & Max 2-packs


Part 3: Seen @ Penang Toy Museum: Star Wars

A toy museum is not complete without Star Wars toys. In a revolutionary approach to Hollywood film-making and merchandising, George Lucas had wisely accepted only $175,000 as his writer's / director's fee in return for the much more lucrative forty percent of merchandising rights for his Star Wars Corporation. The first six "Star Wars" films grossed about $1.9 billion (domestic) and about $4.2 billion (worldwide) at the box office, while taking in at least double that amount from merchandise sales. Merchandising associated with the films encouraged an entire marketing industry of Star Wars-related items (i.e. toys, video games, novelty items at fast food restaurants, etc.)

With the success of the Star Wars films and its merchandising efforts, Star Wars toys have made a huge impact on the toy scene and many toy collectors have amassed lots of Star Wars movie merchandise over the years. The Penang Toy Museum, billed as the "World's Largest Toy Museum" was no exception. There were shelves upon shelves upon shelves of Star Wars toys and I've decided to post the pictures here so that you don't have to visit the museum to see what's there. I'm bringing the museum to you and this is my third part coverage of what's to see at the Penang Toy Museum and this post is dedicated entirely to Star Wars, of which I'm a big fan as well :) So sit back, relax and scroll down to see the pictures (there are almost 40 pictures in all!)


Check out the Yoda statue as he was seen in Star Wars Episodes I to III, when he was still young and active. Small but dynamite, like chilli padi :) From the picture above, you can tell how the racks at the Penang Toy Museum are constructed. Very basic structures and not really museum style displays. The front of the racks are covered by a large one-piece acrylic / perspex which is held to the shelves via screws at the sides. It doesn't really seal properly and dust (lots of it) has gathered over the years and marred what would have been a rather pleasant display.

Monday, October 10, 2011

REVIEW II: STGCC 2011 Soldier Story Exclusive USMC 2nd MEB Marine aka USMC SSgt. Nantz

Having reviewed the box packaging and its contents earlier HERE, now we see the fully decked out STGCC 2011 Soldier Story Exclusive: USMC 2nd MEB Marine 12-inch military figure (with Hot Toys 1/6 scale Aaron Eckhart as District Attorney Harvey Dent head sculpt from "The Dark Knight (2008)") also known as 1/6 scale USMC Staff Sergeant Michael Nantz 12-inch figure from "World Invasion: Battle Los Angeles".


Officially, this Soldier Story USMC 2nd MEB (Marine Expeditionary Brigade) Marine is based in Afghanistan Helmand province but unofficially, he was seen in Los Angeles when the aliens attacked Earth. This is a much better looking SSgt. Michael Nantz than the one I tried to kitbash earlier (see my post HERE) because of the more accurate USMC kit (gear and accessories).

Sunday, October 9, 2011

Penang Toy Museum "World's Largest Toy Museum" Part II – 1/6 Figures and Larger than Life Statues

Continued from previous post...

This is the second part review of my visit to the "World's Largest Toy Museum" – the Penang Toy Museum which houses over 100,000 toys, dolls and others fun collectibles. This museum does not have any tin toys (which I'm happy about since tin toys are something I don't have a liking for) but a whole lot of plastic action figures. What's a toy museum without 1/6 figures right? There are 12-inch Barbie dolls and military figures and larger than life models. Scroll down to see them if you like :)

For a start, here are some pictures of the 1/6 scale 12-inch military figures displayed in this museum. Not a whole lot but some, and rather old ones too. They are mostly Dragon Models and Hasbro 12-inch military figures from way back then (late 1990s and before year 2000, I think).


The Ultimate Soldier 1/6 scale M5 Light Tank and AH-6 Little Bird looks impressive together, along with the 1/6 scale modern era M2 Bradley Fighting Vehicle. It's a mix of vehicles both old and new and a whole clone army of Dragon Models Limited (DML) Lt. Colonel Hal Moore 12-inch figures manning the guns, talking on the radio and what have you. Everything's off in terms of time period of vehicles and figures but does look impressive to a visitor who has no knowledge of what's going on.

Saturday, October 8, 2011

A visit to the Penang Toy Museum "World's Largest Toy Museum" Part 1

Claiming to be "The World's Largest Toy Museum", the Penang Toy Museum houses over 100,000 toys, dolls and others fun collectibles. It has entered Malaysia Book of Records as the first toy museum in the country and it has the largest toy and figurine collection. The Penang Toy Museum is located at Jalan Tanjung Bungah, Penang, Malaysia in front of Copthorne Orchid Hotel. Pretty easy to find if you just follow the road leading to Batu Ferringhi.

I've just visited the Penang Toy Museum yesterday. I think the building originally was designed and used as a nightclub / bar with an Egyptian theme because there were Mummy statues, Egyptian hieroglyphs and other icons related to ancient Egypt. Even the toilets have an Egyptian theme. Why do I say that it used to be a bar / nightclub? There are the existing structures like bar counters and high and narrow table tops for putting your drinks all facing inwards and surrounding the now non-existing dance floor. The bar stools and counters have all been removed and replaced by metal racks that house the toy figures. A thick perpex / acrylic cover is secured to the front of the racks and acts as a protecting screen between the toys and visitors.


The Penang Toy Museum is full of plastic action figures / toys! I've never seen so many toy figures in my life (it's MASSIVE) and it is truly an eye opener and made for a most memorable and interesting visit. The sad thing is, the owner had neglected to care for and maintain the toy displays and layers of dust have accumulated over time and some of the displays are even covered by dust. No effort has been made to clean the displays even though visitors pay a fee (RM20 per adult) to view the exhibits. Some of the figures have fallen over and toppled onto other figures displayed and they have been left there as they are. It's a pity because it would have been a more pleasurable experience if the owner had bothered to pick them up and re-pose them and clean the shelves of the dust. It's almost like a toy GRAVEYARD than a museum because of the sad state of the toys and displays. The place also stank because of the stale air and poorly maintained condition including smelly toilets. If the owner was a true collector, he would have taken more care of his toys and the place instead of just collecting money and not doing anything about the slowly decaying conditions :(

Friday, October 7, 2011

Sideshow Collectibles 1/6 Crimson Guard 12-inch Figure PREVIEW

Sideshow Toys teased us last week with a single image of the upcoming Crimson Guard figure coming out under their G.I. Joe: Real American Hero line. Well, this week, they have released the rest of the Prototype /Preview images.


A pleasant new neighbor. A local auto mechanic. A respected school teacher. To most citizens, these are conventional roles found in every community. To COBRA COMMANDER, they serve as the perfect guise for his CRIMSON GUARD. CRIMSON GUARD soldiers are the most elite of all of COBRA COMMANDER's legion of VIPER solders.

Thursday, October 6, 2011

RIP Steve Jobs - Kitbash 1/6 Steve Jobs 12-inch Figure

UPDATED October 6, 2011: Steve Jobs, the Apple founder and former CEO who invented and masterfully marketed ever-sleeker gadgets that transformed everyday technology, from the personal computer to the iPod and iPhone, has died. He was 56. Rest In Peace, Steve Jobs!

Last published on August 26, 2011:
Steve Jobs "iQuit" therefore iJob-less 12-inch Figure

We've all heard the news - Apple's legendary co-founder and top ideas man Steve Jobs resigned as chief executive on Wednesday in a move long expected after he began a dramatic fight with cancer. No reason was given for Job's resignation, but his health problems, including a lengthy medical leave for a liver transplant in 2009 and his gaunt appearances at public events, fueled speculation he would have to give up the everyday running of the company he co-founded in 1976.


Jobs is seen as the heart and soul of Apple, with analysts and investors repeatedly expressing concern over how the Cupertino, California-based company will fare without the figure seen as its driving force. "Steve's extraordinary vision and leadership saved Apple and guided it to its position as the world's most innovative and valuable technology company," board member Art Levinson said in a statement.

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

1:6 Tom Hanks as Forrest Gump

This is a re-post of an old entry dated April 24, 2010.

"Stupid is as stupid does"

Forrest Gump is a 1994 American comedy-drama film based on the 1986 novel of the same name by Winston Groom. The film stars Tom Hanks as an adult Forrest Gump and the story depicts several decades in the life of Forrest Gump, a simple Alabama man who travels across the world, sometimes meeting historical figures, influencing popular culture, and experiencing firsthand historic events of the late 20th century.


This 1:6 scale 12-inch figure was produced and released recently (that was April 24, 2010). It is not clear which company made this "Toms Forrest" (obviously referring to Tom Hanks' Forrest Gump portrayal) figure but I must say this figure is quite well done. The packaging is pretty simple and straightforward. The amazing thing is, there's supposed to be the bench Forrest Gump sits on inside the package as well.

Monday, October 3, 2011

Latest: Hot Toys to re-release Iron Man Mark I

Good news for Iron Man fans!


We are pleased to announce that we will be relaunching the Iron Man – Mark I Limited Edition Collectible Figurine, bringing to fans with more movie-accurate and newly developed head sculpt with our latest sculpting and painting technique, as well as more value-added accessories!

STGCC 2011 Soldier Story Exclusive: USMC 2nd MEB Marine REVIEW

This was the Soldier Story Exclusive at STGCC 2011 (Singapore Toy, Game & Comic Convention): USMC 2nd MEB (Marine Expeditionary Brigade) Marine in Afghanistan Helmand province. I was keen to get the figure partly because it was based on the 2011 American military science fiction war film Battle: Los Angeles (also known as Battle: LA and World Invasion: Battle Los Angeles) which was about a United States Marine Corps Staff Sergeant (played by Aaron Eckhart) who has just had his retirement approved but has to go back into the line of duty in order to assist a young 2nd Lieutenant and his platoon as they fight to reclaim the city of Los Angeles from alien invaders.


As far as I can tell, the Marines in the movie were wearing the correct attire and gear, as in current and not outdated, and it's always nice to have a properly kitted out Marine / jarhead. Soldier Story has been producing some of the best 1/6 scale military figures of late and so made this EXCLUSIVE release a no-brainer for me, especially since they've added in some extras because this is a convention / toy fair exclusive :) The regular yet-to-be released version 1.0 was previewed earlier HERE

Saturday, October 1, 2011

September Haul

Just some of the stuff I managed to get in September :) Number ONE on the list: Hot Toys 1/6 scale Movie Masterpiece Series MMS139 - "Resident Evil: Afterlife" - Alice 12-inch figure. This one has been a long time coming. I've been wanting a Milla Jovovich female action figure since watching "Fifth Element" and now finally that has been realized with this Milla Jovovich as Alice 1/6 femfig from the movie "Resident Evil: Afterlife".


The Hot Toys 1/6 scale Movie Masterpiece Series MMS139 - "Resident Evil: Afterlife" - Alice 12-inch figure comes with quite a bit of stuff (I think more than Black Widow, Thor and Odin combined) and I really like it. More on that in later posts ;p