SDCC 2018: BLITZWAY 1/6th scale Zorro, Keanu Reeves as Ted, Marlon Brando as Vito Corleone, Jack Black as Dewey Finn, and more

Blitzway showed off some of their upcoming movie-related licensed figures for SDCC2018. They included Antonio Banderas as Alejandro Murrieta / Zorro from the 1998 swashbuckler film "The Mask of Zorro", Keanu Reeves as Ted "Theodore" Logan from the 1989 science fiction comedy film "Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure", Jack Black as Dewey Finn (lead singer, guitar) from the 2003 comedy film "School of Rock", Marlon Brando as Vito Corleone from the 1972 crime film "The Godfather", Audrey Hepburn as Princess Ann (Anya "Smitty" Smith) from the 1953 romantic comedy film "Roman Holiday", and Geena Davis as Morgan Adams from the 1995 romantic comedy adventure film "Cutthroat Island".

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Check out TBLeague Phicen 1/6th scale Arhian Pirate 12-inch Female Action Figure pictures

In the years after the third Arkhorian War, hordes of pirates, and mercenaries roamed the savage seas, their swords serving no cause but themselves or the highest bidder. Across these bloodstained waters rode Arhian and her lover, Captain Ras, a proud and fierce pirate couple, their guile and wit as cutting as their blades. Storming through an age without heroes, she claimed it for hers and cleaved her way into legend.

TBLeague Phicen PL2018-114 1/6th Scale Arhian Pirate Action Figure Packing List: head sculpt, TB League female seamless body with metal skeleton, 3 pairs x interchangeable hands, armlets, forearm armor, shoes shafts, shoes with feet, sword with sheath, dagger with sheath, abdomen armor, headscarf, necklace, one-piece dress, belt, display base

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SH Figuarts Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales 1/12th scale Captain Jack Sparrow

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (also known as Pirates of the Caribbean: Salazar's Revenge) is a 2017 American fantasy swashbuckler film, and the fifth installment in the Pirates of the Caribbean film series. Thrust into an all-new adventure, a down-on-his-luck Captain Jack Sparrow feels the winds of ill-fortune blowing even more strongly when deadly ghost sailors led by his old nemesis, the evil Captain Salazar, escape from the Devil's Triangle. Jack's only hope of survival lies in seeking out the legendary Trident of Poseidon, but to find it, he must forge an uneasy alliance with a brilliant and beautiful astronomer and a headstrong young man in the British navy.

Bandai has used their high tech face printing technology to great effect here and managed to capture Johnny Depp's likeness very well as Captain Jack Sparrow. Although I suspect the protoype pictures will look a lot better than the actual / final product. This was evident with the S.H. Figuarts Game of Death Bruce Lee (Yellow Track Suit) 14cm Tall Action Figure which was reviewed on my toy blog HERE and HERE. The articulation looks great as it allows collectors to pose Jack in his signature poses.

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Hot Toys MMS DX15 Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales 1/6th scale Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow 12" Collectible Figure

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“The dead have taken command of the sea. They're searching for Sparrow!”

Coming up, another legendary Disney production, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales is just around the corner. After 6 years, the highly anticipated blockbuster will finally be released later this month. Cursed by Captain Jack Sparrow into the Devil's Triangle, the terrifying Captain Salazar is resurrected and made a dead set at taking out all pirates at sea, particularly seeking out Jack Sparrow at all cost for his revenge. It’s been a long voyage since the Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides in 2011.

Hot Toys is very excited to bring an all-new Captain Jack Sparrow 1/6th scale collectible figure on board from Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales as the latest addition to fans beloved DX Series. Made with meticulous craftsmanship, the remarkable head sculpt features 2 interchangeable faces with patented Interchangeable Faces Technique and separate rolling eyeballs, highly intricate and brand new tailored costumes based on Jack Sparrow’s iconic outfit. A large assortment of weapons and accessories are also included to recreate the authentic likeness of this legendary pirate in the film. Along with the figure, it also comes with a surprisingly elaborated diorama figure stand inspired by his sailing adventures. Set sail with Captain Jack Sparrow!

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"Shiver me timbers" – XD TOYS 1/6th Scale Captain of Octopus Action Figure is Davy Jones

Pre-order XD TOYS XD001 1/6th Scale Captain of Octopus Action Figure from KGHobby Toys HERE

Davy Jones is a fictional villain character in the Pirates of the Caribbean feature film series, who first appears in the second film, Dead Man's Chest and returns in the series' third instalment, At World's End. He is the captain of the Flying Dutchman (based on the feared ghost ship of the same name featured in nautical lore), roaming the seas in search of souls to serve upon his vessel for a century.

The character is based on the legendary devil of the seas with the same name, according to superstition among sailors in the 18th and 19th centuries. In contrast to the historical legends, the film's Jones is a tragic villain. However, even though starting off from a sympathetic backstory, his portrayal in the films is cruel and ruthless, with actor Bill Nighy's performance a subject of critical praise as well.

The computer-generated imagery used to complete Jones was highly praised, with Entertainment Weekly naming him as the second most convincing computer generated film character in film history, only behind King Kong from the 2005 film adaptation. The work on Davy Jones by Industrial Light and Magic earned them the 2006 Academy Award for Visual Effects for Dead Man's Chest.

Hot Toys had released a Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End 1/6th scale Davy Jones Collectible Figure many years ago and I had posted an action figure review of the limited edition figure on my toy blog HERE but this is a new release by a different company, XD Toys.

Pre-order XD TOYS XD001 1/6th Scale Captain of Octopus Action Figure from KGHobby Toys HERE

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3 shots, 3 kills – A Captain's Duty: Somali Pirates, Navy SEALs, & Dangerous Days at Sea

I had posted this on my toy blog on August 4, 2009 (and it has already garnered 19,700 page views) but with the release and screening of the recent film "Captain Phillips", I think it's worth to bring it up again :) "Captain Phillips" is a 2013 American action thriller film directed by Paul Greengrass and starring Tom Hanks and Barkhad Abdi. The film tells how merchant mariner Captain Richard Phillips was taken hostage by Somali pirates in the Indian Ocean during the Maersk Alabama hijacking in 2009 led by Abduwali Muse. The screenplay by Billy Ray is based upon the book, A Captain's Duty: Somali Pirates, Navy SEALs, and Dangerous Days at Sea (2010), by Richard Phillips with Stephan Talty.

The film covers more on the events that occur before the SEAL Team's arrival while my toy blog post was more centered on the men who had only one chance to get everything right the first time.

As published on August 4, 2009:
Reported in The Straits Times today: A five-day hostage drama involving US ship captain Richard Phillips ended on Sunday when US Navy SEALs shot dead three of the four Somali pirates. In a surprise night-time assault on Easter Sunday, US Navy SEAL snipers shot and killed the three pirates holding US cargo ship Captain Richard Phillips (the fourth pirate only survived because he wasn't on the boat), effectively ending a five-day hostage drama.

The US operation, personally approved by US President Barack Obama, had been carried out after negotiations with the three gunmen became heated. On Sunday evening, a split-second decision was taken for the snipers to shoot down the pirates. Vice-Adm Gortney said one of the pirates had pointed an AK-47 at the back of Capt Phillips, who was tied up and in imminent danger of being killed.

According to CNN, the navy SEAL snipers were brought in earlier by chopper and dropped into the ocean behind the USS Bainbridge warship, which had rushed to the hostages' rescue. Capt Phillips had surrendered himself to the pirates to safeguard his 19 crew members when the pirates hijacked his ship, the Maersk Alabama, last Wednesday.

From NavySEALs.com site, I found out that there are three types of sniper rifles the USN SEALs use. They might not have used all three for the kills but here are the three types of sniper rifles SEALs prefer, in 1/6 scale of course :) Scroll down to see the pictures

Disney Infinity "Pirates of the Caribbean" Hector Barbosa 4" / 10cm Animated Marquette Figure

continued from previous post...

Disney Infinity is an action-adventure game with physical toys, open world creation and story-driven gameplay. Characters, play-sets and other features are brought into the game using figurines and discs with the included Infinity Base.

Three figures were released for "Pirates of the Caribbean": Captain Jack Sparrow only came with the Starter Pack while Davy Jones and Barbosa were Single Character Pack / Villains Pack and Single Character Pack / Sidekicks Pack respectively.

I like the styling of these figures because they are very similar to the Gentle Giant animated maquettes of Star Wars, Lord of the Rings and "Pirates of the Carribbean: At World's End" that have been released recently. While the Gentle Giant animated maquettes were too costly for my liking, these were well within my price range. Scroll down to see the pictures

Disney Infinity "Pirates of the Caribbean" Davy Jones 4-inch 10 cm Animated Marquette Figure

Disney Infinity is an action-adventure game with physical toys, open world creation and story-driven gameplay. Characters, play-sets and other features are brought into the game using figurines and discs with the included Infinity Base.

Three figures were released for "Pirates of the Caribbean": Captain Jack Sparrow only came with the Starter Pack while Davy Jones and Barbosa were Single Character Pack / Villains Pack and Single Character Pack / Sidekicks Pack respectively.

I like the styling of these figures because they are very similar to the Gentle Giant animated maquettes of Star Wars, Lord of the Rings and "Pirates of the Carribbean: At World's End" that have been released recently. While the Gentle Giant animated maquettes were too costly for my liking, these were well within my price range. And since I already have Hot Toys 1/6 scale "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" Davy Jones fully pose-able 12-inch action figure (see my toy blog post HERE), I just felt that this would be a nice addition to the PIRATES collection :)

Incoming: Hot Toys 1/6 scale Captain Harlock 12-inch Collectible Figure with Throne of Arcadia

Space Pirate Captain Harlock was a classic manga comics created by the legendary Leiji Matsumoto in the 1970s. The story follows Harlock, an outcast, who has turned into a Space Pirate and led a crew aboard his starship Arcadia to rebel against Earth's oppressors. Its popularity has led to the creation of an animation series in the 1980s, and this year the story has been remade as an epic CG film and is hitting the theaters / cinemas.

Hot Toys is excited to present the new 1/6th scale Captain Harlock Collectible Figure with his majestic Throne of Arcadia from the Space Pirate Captain Harlock CG movie. The movie-accurate collectible is finely crafted and features a newly developed head sculpt, stylish costume, a meticulously sculpted Throne of Arcadia, weapons and Captain Harlock’s avian friend – Mr. Bird.

Have you seen Cosplay 1/6 scale Pirate Hunter Zoro 12-inch figure from "One Piece" manga

Roronoa Zoro, nicknamed "Pirate Hunter" Zoro, is a fictional character in the One Piece manga franchise created by Eiichiro Oda. He is one of the two swordsmen of the Straw Hat Pirates, the other being Brook. In the story, Zoro is the first to join Monkey D. Luffy after he is saved from being executed at the Marine Base. As a native to East Blue, he came from the town known as Shimotsuki where he trained in a dojo. He is an expert swordsman who uses three swords for his Santoryū (Three Sword Style), but is also capable of the one and two-sword styles.

Newcomer toy company Cosplay has recreated a really cool figure incarnation of Zoro. He comes outfitted in a green robe / coat with green pants, boots, red sash, and black headwrap. He is armed with three unique metal Samurai style swords with sheaths. Three sets of hands are included so you can pick and choose how you want Zoro to look.

Cosplay 1/6 scale Pirate Hunter Zoro 12-inch figure Features: Robe, Pants, Sash, Boots, Metal earrings x 3, Scabbard x 3, Sword x 3 (metal), Belt, headscarf, 1/6 scale Head Sculpt, 12-inch Muscle body, Hands (3 pairs). Scroll down to see more pictures

Hot Toys "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" 1/6th Penélope Cruz as Angelica Figure

Hot Toys is proud to present the Angelica Collectible Figure from the "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" movie as the 2012 Toy Fairs Exclusive item. The movie-accurate collectible is specially crafted based on the image of Penélope Cruz as Angelica in the movie, highlighting the newly developed head sculpt, highly detailed costume, weapons and accessories.

Following the good response of our female collectible figures, this Angelica figure is a must-have for Pirates fans! Shiver me timbers, that's one FINE looking woman ;p

"Ahoy, me mateys!" A look at Hot Toys Pirates of the Caribbean 12-inch collectible figures

Having seen three of the Hot Toys Captain Jack Sparrow heads in the previous post, it's time to look at the other 1/6 scale pirate figures that Hot Toys has put out and released over the years. Pirates of the Caribbean is a series of fantasy-adventure films directed by Gore Verbinski (1–3) and Rob Marshall (4), written by Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer. The films started with their first release on the big screen in 2003 with Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. After the success of the first film, Walt Disney Pictures revealed that a trilogy was in the works. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest was released three years later in 2006. The sequel proved successful, breaking records worldwide the day of its premiere. In the end, it earned $1,066,179,725 at the worldwide box office, becoming the fourth and fastest film (at the time) to reach this amount.

C'mere, me beauties. Let's take a good look at ya!

The third film in the series, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, was released in 2007. Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, released on May 20, 2011. It succeeded in grossing more than $1 billion, becoming the eighth and fourth-fastest film to achieve this. So far, the film franchise has grossed $3.72 billion worldwide and it is the only franchise with two films that reached $1 billion worldwide. In July 2011, Johnny Depp confirmed he was closing in on a deal for a fifth installment and that the franchise wouldn't be going ahead without Depp's participation. [source: wiki]

Comparing Hot Toys DX06 Captain Jack Sparrow head sculpt with the other earlier released heads

This is the latest released Hot Toys MMS DX06 "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" Captain Jack Sparrow (the ever brilliant Johnny Depp) 1/6 scale head sculpt :) From what I've seen and read, the DX06 Captain Jack Sparrow is SHORT i.e. he's a much smaller figure than all the other 1/6 scale figures which are about 12 inches tall. DX06 Jack is only slightly taller than Medicom's puny Jack Sparrow action figure :( and wouldn't be able to stand beside the rest of the other Hot Toys "Pirates of the Caribbean" figures because he is almost a dwarf and would fit better with the hobbits from the Lord of the Rings or the Jawas from Star Wars. SIGH! I don't like when that happens. If there's already a scale established, stick to it. It's better for the figures to look good together than to have one figure stand way shorter than the rest when he's not supposed to. Hot Toys DX06 Jack Sparrow figure is supposedly based on Johnny Depp's actual height of 5'9" and the original version would have put him at 6'4" but the problem with being that accurate is: DX Jack is now SHORTER than the rest :(

So I only got the DX06 Johnny Depp as Jack Sparrow 1/6 scale head sculpt in order to plonk it onto the original Hot Toys released Jack Sparrow figure instead. Don't really care much for the other items in the DX06 box set, just wanted the Jack Sparrow head. So the picture you see above is the 2007 released Hot Toys "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007)" 1/6 scale Jack Sparrow (more pictures HERE) with 2012 released DX06 Jack Sparrow head. Not a bad fit IMHO Scroll down to see the other Hot Toys Jack Sparrow head sculpts for comparison.

Playmobil 4804 Giant Crab with Ghost Pirate

Aw CRAB!! Just kidding ;p

This is the Playmobil 4804 set consisting of a Giant Crab with Ghost Pirate. The Playmobil giant crab comes with functional pincers / adjustable claws. And the Ghost Pirate glows in the dark. The Playmobil Giant Crab has ridges on its back to allow the Ghost Pirate to ride on it.

True crabs are decapod crustaceans of the infraorder Brachyura, which typically have a very short projecting "tail", or where the reduced abdomen is entirely hidden under the thorax. Many other animals with similar names – such as hermit crabs, king crabs, porcelain crabs, horseshoe crabs and crab lice – are not true crabs.

Playmobil 4801 Stingray Bareback Rider

I've always been fascinated with the Manta Ray. They look so majestic as they gracefully swim under the sea. Manta rays are the largest rays and are closely related to sharks. These harmless rays have a short tail and no stinging spine. They are very acrobatic and have been known to leap up from the water. Manta rays have a distinctive body shape with triangular pectoral ‘wings’ and paddle-like lobes extending in front of their mouths.

I couldn't resist not getting this Playmobil Manta Ray when it was on sale recently. I do find Playmobil boxed set prices quite high as I feel that they shouldn't cost that much but when they are going at half their usual price, I jump right in :) hook, line and sinker! Click on the pictures for a bigger and better view ;p

Click on the picture for a bigger and better view :)

Mantas have a variety of common names, including Atlantic manta, Pacific manta, devilfish, and just manta. The term manta derives from the Spanish word manta, meaning cloak or blanket. This term originated from a type of trap traditionally used to catch rays that has a form resembling a blanket.

Hot Toys MMS DX-06 POTC OST Captain Jack Sparrow Preview

The highly anticipated 3D adventure fantasy "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" movie presented by Walt Disney Pictures will be globally launched in May this year.

To keep in line with the movie launch, Hot Toys is proud to present the 1/6th scale Captain Jack Sparrow from the "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" movie from their DX series, highlighting the highly detailed head sculpt with two interchangeable faces with different gestures, sophisticated costume and the movie-accurate rudder as accessory.

Shiver me timbers, it's Hot Toys POTC4 Jack Sparrow DX Figure

Hot Toys "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" DX (DeluXe) Jack Sparrow 12-inch collectible figure sneak peeks

Captain Harlock's pet bird "Tori-San"

Tori-San or ‘Mister Bird’ as he is called, while being attached firmly to Harlock’s side, is generally Tochirō’s pet (Tochirō, Captain Harlock's best mate, single-handedly constructed the Arcadia and most of the devices on it. He and Harlock form a lasting partnership in all their incarnations) although he did belong to both Tochirō and Harlock in Hunt for Young Harlock, and to Zoru's family in My Youth in Arcadia. He remains loyal to Harlock and Harlock has a soft and tender spot for this bird.

This is Medicom's 1/6 scale "Tori-San" that accompanies Space Pirate Captain Harlock from Galaxy Express 999 (see previous post). It has bendable neck and movable legs so that they can rotate and grip on Harlock's shoulders.






Pirates usually prefer parrots, even the dead ones like Pirate Jack (see my post here) from "James and the Giant Peach"

Medicom RAH Captain Harlock version 2.0

Captain Harlock (キャプテンハーロック Kyaputen Hārokku) is a space pirate created by manga artist Leiji Matsumoto. He was introduced in Adventures of a Honeybee (1953), but only made his debut as lead character in 1978's Space Pirate Captain Harlock. He would appear in many of Leiji Matsumoto's other works such as Arcadia of My Youth, Galaxy Express 999, Queen Emeraldas, Harlock Saga, Space Pirate Captain Herlock: The Endless Odyssey, DNA Sights 999.9, Galaxy Express 999: Eternal Fantasy, Cosmo Warrior Zero and Gun Frontier. In all incarnations Harlock oozes the essence of kakkō-ii — good looking and cool. He is a solitary and unpredictable beast, lean-limbed, melancholy, morose, self-destructive, sombre and distanced.

Medicom had released an earlier 1/6 version of Space Pirate Captain Harlock in the 1990s (see my post here).

After more than ten years since the first release, this is Medicom's 1/6 scale RAH (Real Action Heroes) Captain Harlock (version 2.0) from Galaxy Express 999 ("999" in the title is pronounced "Three-Nine", as opposed to "Nine-Nine-Nine" or "Nine hundred ninety nine") which explains the slightly different attire (most notably the pants). The box is wider and larger than usual.

The inside flap highlights the many positive aspects of this new Captain Harlock, including the newly developed ABS skinny body type which is much taller at 310 mm or 31 cm.

Accessories include: three extra gloved hands, his weapons - the Cosmo Dragoon and Gravity Saber, and "Tori-San" ("Mister Bird"), his faithful companion (quite ugly in my opinion and will be covered in more detail in the next post)

Medicom Space Pirate Captain Harlock's Cosmo Dragoon, his sidearm and space pistol, its outward appearance inspired by the 6 shooters of the old west (the weapon is modeled after the Colt model 78 revolver). Medicom certainly improved on their earlier released version which lacked detail and paintwork.

Captain Harlock's Gravity Saber - a combination sword/laser rifle carried by Captain Harlock and Emeraldas.


Medicom RAH 1/6 Captain Harlock from Galaxy Express 999 without his removable cape (mantle). This is to show off the new RAH ABS skinny body (Hot Toys did it with their Michael Jackson, Sideshow did it for their armored bodies and Medicom had to do it too!). This new body is much taller too (comparative pictures of old Harlock and new Harlock in my post here).

Captain Harlock's signature hair, eye patch and scar faithfully realized by Medicom. The outfit is pretty nice too - I'm glad they didn't make a skin tight rubber suit like before but one of cloth. Love the iconic "skull and crossbones" symbol plus the little details added for authenticity.

Check out his boots - one of a kind!

Side view of Medicom's RAH Galaxy Express 999 Captain Harlock - he's really skinny but that's being faithful to the manga/anime character.

The hair sculpt has also improved from the previous version

Captain Harlock's Gravity Saber in its holster (perhaps it should be called a scabbard since it's a saber, not sure since the weapon is both sword and laser rifle - minor details, overall mighty fine)

Back view of the new RAH ABS skinny body

Captain Harlock's Cosmo Dragoon has a number 3 on it as it is the serial number of his weapon. In the Leiji-verse there are 4 of these guns produced, each with it’s own “serial number” and owner. They are Serial #1: Owned by Oyama Tochiro; Serial #2: Owned by Tochiro’s mother, later given to Tetsuro Hoshino on Titan; Serial #3: Owned by Captain Harlock and Serial #4: Owned by Pirate Emeraldas.

Harlock's pistol fits nicely in its holster, even has the "skull and crossbones" on the pistol grip - nice detail

Harlock's really skinny like Jack Skellington, not Jack Sparrow (the other notorious pirate)

Close-up of his belts and cool "skull and crossbones" buckles

Captain Harlock's mantle (cape) has wire running along the edges for posing purposes

Medicom's RAH Galaxy Express 999 Captain Harlock with his cape/mantle on - a much nicer Captain Harlock than the one previously released more than ten years ago.

The mantle/cape comes with a very nice "skull and crossbones" button. It is not silk-screened but an actual 'button'.

Up next: "Tori-San" (Mister Bird)