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Introduction
Every fan of Star Trek has an opinion on the very first movie, appropriately named Star Trek the Motion Picture. Released in 1979, those of us who grew up watching Star Trek The Original Series were ecstatic to be getting a movie with our favorite crew, but the outcome didn't live up to the expectations. The film is overly long, with a thin plot and a lot of time spent on some lingering, drawn out scenes that are more about effect than affect.
Still, it was Trek, and as we all know, bad Trek is still good. It jumped started the films, and gave fans the chance to see a few more adventures with the original crew. And it gave us some very, very interesting costumes.
We have already gotten the Kirk and Spock based on this film, wearing the outfits we see them in early on. It only makes sense that we get Dr. McCoy, now shipping from EXO-6, in his similar leisure time outfit. When he first arrives he is sporting a big beard and a white jump suit, forever referred to as 'disco McCoy'.
There's only one version of this figure, and he'll run you around $200 depeding on the retailer.
Packaging - ****
They are now using the sturdy shippers for all the releases, and
these protect the art box extremely well. The art box itself uses
the movie poster design as the backdrop, and is very attractive and
well made. It has the lid wrap around, rather than the cheaper shoe
box design. Inside are foam, rather than plastic, trays holding the
figure and accessories. It's all collector friendly, and should get
your Doctor to you safe and sound.
Sculpting - ****
Another beautiful sculpt, this time of a rather unique appearance.
The beard and hair have a ton of detail, with very fine stranding,
and the older skin is textured, wrinkled and tough.
While the hair and beard might be a give away as to who this is, it's the trademark eyebrows that really sell it. He also has a very McCoy expression, serious but not angry. It's an excellent likeness, and quite realistic, especially at this price point.
Perhaps the most important piece of additional sculpting is his luxurious chest hair. Ah, the 70's. Tom Selleck would be proud of McCoy's flowing chesties.
The hands could be a little more aged, but it's worth noting that they have both rings sculpted on them, right from the film.
Scale-wise, he'll fit in perfectly with your other TMP figures. I've included shots with Kirk and Spock at the end of the review.
Paint - ***1/2
The paint work is clean and sharp, and highlights some key features
of the sculpt.
The hairline looks great, and the edge work around the beard and eyebrows is excellent. In fact, the shaping of the eyebrows is largely accomplished thanks to the excellent paint work, and really creates a true 'McCoy look'.
The eyes are glassy, giving them a wet appearance, and they can reflect natural catchlights. The skin tone is realistic, but it is the one area where I have a nit to pick. It seems just a little too dark to me - your mileage may vary.
Small details on areas like the jewelry are neat and clean, and have a realistic finish.
And it's worth finishing on those lovely chest hairs again, carefully painted to create the perfect 70's stud puppy appearance. The man was a player.
Articulation - ***1/2
The underlying body has all the usual articulation, so if you want
to get him into some fighting poses, you can. It's just not really
going to fit with this particular character.
The neck is a bit restricted because this time we have a different approach. Normally the head and neck are a one piece sculpt that attach into the torso on a ball joint. This time the torso and neck are one smooth piece, necessary for that open V neck look to work. That leaves the joint only at the jawline, which doesn't give you quite as much mobility.
All the other joints - shoulders, elbows, wrists, hips, torso, knees, ankles - work as you'd expect and have a great range of movement. It's worth calling out the ankles in particular. I expected the high top boots to restrict the movement in the ankles, but they do not, and you can easily get both feet flat on the ground even in deeper stances.
Accessories - **
Here's where this release is much lighter than some others. He is
not a heavily accessorized character, which makes sense with both
the look on screen, and the low production run you know he'll end up
with.
He does have two extra hands. There's an open grip set he comes wearing, and a second set with a slightly different sculpt. These have the rings permanently sculpted as mentioned earlier. They swap easily, and remain in place while posing.
He also has his groovy necklace. It really is a must have - the jump suit would look silly without it. And yes, that's sarcasm.
And finally, there's the usual transporter style base with crotch support rod. Yep, that's very light, but I'm betting this will be one of their lowest run figures.
Outfit - ****
The outfit is simple, but elegant. It's a white jumpsuit, with tan
boots and a belt.
While that might seem simple, it's still necessary to get it right. The tailoring is excellent, and the pant legs balloon around the boot tops perfectly. The boots themselves look great, and don't restrict the ankle articulation. The belt is all sorts of funky, and it all creates a natural look that matches the thinner, older McCoy.
Fun Factor - ****
This is a category that depends pretty heavily on whether you've
picked up the other two TMP figures. I'm going to assume you did -
why else would you get this McCoy unless you were going for the
trifecta?
And when you have all three, you have lots of different display
options. This actually makes up a bit for the lack of accessories,
because you can create interesting poses with the other two members
of the crew.
Value - **
He'll run you around $200, and that's pretty cheap in today's sixth
scale market. When I consider how much of a niche figure this
particular version is, I'm pretty shocked we got him at all, let
alone with this high quality outfit. To get the price point in a
reasonable range they had to go light on the extras, but I'm
absolutely fine with that, now that I can complete the three
characters on the shelf.
Things to Watch Out For -
Not a thing. Obviously you'll want to avoid handling the figure
after eating barbecue, but other than that you should be good to go.
Overall - ***1/2
This figure is only going to appeal to a select number of Trek fans.
You'll have to be a big STTOS fan of course, but you'll also have to
love the kitchy outfits of the original movie, especially this disco
costume McCoy was wearing when he first beams aboard.
While EXO-6 has been producing an amazing number of figures over the last 12 months, this is always the time of year (Chinese New Year!) when things slow down. As a completist with the line, my wallet will be happy for the break. As a fan of the line, I'll be itching for the next release to get here as soon as possible!
Score Recap (out of ****):
Packaging - ****
Sculpting - ****
Paint - ***1/2
Articulation - ***1/2
Accessories - **
Outfit - ****
Fun Factor - ****
Value - **
Overall - ***1/2
Where to Buy
The pre-order for the figure has ended, but once
he starts shipping en masse, they'll do an immediate purchase at
their website. Online options include these site sponsors:
- Entertainment Earth has the pre-order at $200. Once he's in stock, use my link and get an additional 10% off, plus free shipping!
- or you can search ebay for a deal.
Related Links -
Recent EXO-6 Star Trek releases include Captain Picard, Lt. Saavik, and Commander Kruge.
You should also hit the Search Reviews page, in case any other applicable reviews were done after this one was published.
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This product was purchased for the review by the reviewer. Photos and
text by Michael Crawford.