Action Man 1/6 Lunar Rover or Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV)

The Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV) or lunar rover was a type of surface exploration rover used on the Moon during the Apollo program. It is also known by its popular nickname of "moon buggy". Three of the Apollo missions took LRVs to the Moon.

The rover was first used on July 31, 1971, during the Apollo 15 mission. This greatly expanded the range of the lunar explorers. Previous teams of astronauts were restricted to short walking distances around the landing site due to the bulky space suit equipment required to sustain life in the lunar environment. The rovers had a top speed of about 8 mph (13 km/h). [source: wiki]

The FIRST Lunar Rover / moon buggy of Apollo 15 covered a total distance of 17.25 miles (27.76 km) on the moon surface, traversing once per day over the three day course of each mission.

And here's an Action Man 1/6 scale Lunar Roving Vehicle from 1997 (Had posted much earlier but thought this was a timely entry, being the 40th anniversary of the moon landing - post HERE)

It's made up of mostly plastic parts (touted as "ultra lightweight construction") with satellite missile launcher and came with the Action Man Astronaut with reflective silver chrome finish visor


It cannot be compared with the Batpod of course but for its price and as a child's toy, it's pretty decent.









Lego Lunar Rover / Moon Buggy

Sideshow Darth Vader with Sideshow Stormtroopers

Having seen comparative pictures of the various Darth Vaders released in the previous post, now let's see how Sideshow 1/6 scale 14-inch Star Wars ANH Darth Vader compares when placed with Sideshow Imperial Stormtroopers. Like the famous saying: "A picture says a thousand words" - here then are a few thousand words

Close-up of right-handed Stormtrooper beside Darth Vader


And left-handed Stormtrooper


A side view of Darth Vader with the two Stormtroopers. The contrast of black and white really works very well for visual impact. Forget about camouflage for an instant. The Imperial Empire was so confident of its powers that it feared no army - and that is why they fail!!



And here they are, standing proudly in my Star Wars display cabinet :) Is Sideshow Darth Vader really too tall? The debate goes on.

Here's a post of my earlier review of the Sideshow Imperial Stormtrooper

And then there's the post of Sideshow Imperial Stormtroopers with the other Darth Vaders, aside from Sideshow Darth Vader.

Comparing Sideshow with Medicom and Hasbro

I'm BACK!!

And now let's take a look at the different 1/6 scale Darth Vaders out there - the usual suspects: from left, Hasbro Ultimate Villain Darth Vader (Episode III), Sideshow ANH Darth Vader (Star Wars Episode IV - his first appearance), Hasbro Electronic Darth Vader from Episode VI and Medicom RAH Episode VI Darth Vader. I've excluded the original Hasbro 12" Darth Vader which was released in August 1996.

Another look at all four of them

Zooming in to Medicom RAH Darth Vader right in front

And here's the drastic height difference between Sideshow Darth Vader and Medicom RAH Darth Vader. I don't know how some collectors can say they don't mind the height difference as long as the product is good. Medicom RAH Darth Vader is very well produced, for sure BUT the height difference is really disturbing for me. Most of my figures are in 1/6 scale and I cannot place Medicom RAH Darth Vader near any of the other 1/6 Star Wars figures because he looks puny next to them, instead of being imposing. Even when lined up with the other Medicom RAH Star Wars figures, he's still puny!!

Sideshow Darth to Medicom Vader: "Whatcha lookin at, boy? You aching for a beating, short stuff!"

Medicom Vader: "When I grow up, I'm gonna be big and tall and strong like you."

And here's Sideshow Darth Vader standing side by side with Hasbro Darth Vader - a case of SLIM vs FAT

So for me, even if Sideshow Darth Vader is considered by some to be a little too tall, I say better to be TALL than small and short.

Full reviews of the various Darth Vader figures can be seen at the following posts:
Sideshow Star Wars Darth Vader Review Part I and Part II
Anakin Skywalker, Ultimate Villain - Hasbro Episode III Darth Vader with unmasked pictures

Hasbro Electronic Darth Vader from Episode VI

Medicom RAH Darth Vader

Next post: Sideshow Darth Vader with Sideshow Storm Troopers (will the height difference be really that telling?)

Unable to post!!!

Seems like there's something wrong with the blog because I am unable to post anything :( All the tabs are missing - no edit html or compose or option to paste pictures, do a link or anything. SUCKS!!

Sideshow KOTCS Indiana Jones Coming Soon

The next Indiana Jones 1/6 scale 12-inch figure to be released by Sideshow will be Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones from "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull". Talk about milking it - it looks like same old Indy from the previous release except for a head sculpt change!



"Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)" is the fourth film in the Indiana Jones franchise, created by George Lucas and directed by Steven Spielberg. Released nineteen years after the previous film, the film acknowledges its star Harrison Ford's age by setting itself in 1957. It pays tribute to the science fiction B-movies of the era, pitting Indiana Jones against Soviet agents – led by Irina Spalko (Cate Blanchett) – for a psychic alien crystal skull. Indiana is aided by his former lover Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen) and their son Mutt Williams (Shia LaBeouf). [source: wiki]

The movie opened with Indiana Jones being kidnapped by a group of Soviet agents led by the psychic Colonel Dr Irina Spalko. He manages to escape into the desert, where he stumbles upon a nuclear test town and survives a nuclear explosion by hiding in a lead-lined refrigerator.

What Sideshow is showing us is a picture of Indy sitting on the fridge with a crystal skull by his side. Wonder if Indy can fit inside the fridge?



Sideshow Collectibles' previously released 1/6 scale 12-inch Indiana Jones from "Raiders of the Lost Ark" was well produced (see my post HERE) but we don't expect to pay good money for a duplicate copy with a different head sculpt. Sideshow should just release the head sculpt and fridge and crystal skull as an accessory set so that we can accessorise the Indy we already have!

More keen on Sideshow Collectibles Sean Connery as Henry Jones Sr (previewed here)

Other Indiana Jones: Medicom Indiana Jones, Toys McCoy Indy, Whipping Indy, Talking Indy and Kenner's and Kubrick Indy

Sir Sean Connery as Henry Jones Sr by Medicom

Shia LaBeouf as Mutt Williams, Indy's son (post here)

Sideshow Darth Vader vs Sideshow Obi-Wan Kenobi

I've already covered Sideshow Collectibles 1/6 scale 14-inch Darth Vader from "Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope" in not one but two posts (links here and here). But I just couldn't resist posting pictures of the final duel between Darth Vader and Obi-Wan Kenobi on the Death Star in Episode IV.

If you remember, old Ben (Obi-Wan Kenobi) manages to disengage the tractor beam that is preventing the Millennium Falcon from leaving the Death Star and is on his way back to the hangar when he is confronted by his old pupil, Darth Vader.



"I've been waiting for you, Obi-Wan. We meet again, at last. The circle is now complete. When I left you I was but the learner; now I am the master!"



"Only a master of evil, Darth!"













"Your powers are weak, old man."









"You can't win, Darth. If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you could possibly imagine."



"You should not have come back."





Vader thinks he has killed Kenobi, but only succeeds in turning him into a spirit in the Force.



Another memorable scene from "Star Wars" would be Han Solo and Chewbacca's Death Star Escape (1/6 pictures of the pair HERE)

We'll look at the various 1/6 scale Star Wars Darth Vaders HERE + Sideshow Darth Vader stands side by side with Sideshow Stormtroopers (pictures HERE)

Hot Toys Hugh Jackman Wolverine 2nd Cut

Pictures have surfaced of Hot Toys MMS line 1/6 scale Hugh Jackman as Logan / Wolverine from the movie "X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)" (first posted HERE). The head sculpt with Hugh Jackman's likeness is certainly getting better. Love the outfit and dog tags!!

















Wolverine's origin is revealed to us in the movie and it goes all the way back to 1845!! Wolverine is James Howlett but later takes his biological father's name Logan. Victor Creed (played by Liev Schreiber) who later becomes Sabretooth, is his brother. Liev Schreiber plays second fiddle to Hugh Jackman here as he does in "Defiance (2008)" beside Daniel Craig (for pictures of 1/6 Daniel Craig as Tuvia Bielski, click HERE. For a 1/6 head sculpt with the likeness of Liev Schreiber, check out my post HERE)

For Medicom's version of Hugh Jackman as Wolverine from the "X-Men" movies, follow this link. In an earlier post (link HERE), I took pictures of the other Wolverines I've collected over the years.