Review of Tygra - Thundercats Mega-Scale action figure

Introduction

Last summer, Mattel showed off their plans for a 'classics' style line of Thundercats figures, and fans were pleased.  The classic cartoon has never gotten a ton of merchandise, although there have been a few figures here and there over the years.  While Mattel was stealing the thunder, Mezco added another character to their series of 'mega-scale' Thundercats - Tygra.  They've already done Lion-O, Cheetara, Panthro, and Mumm-ra, with a special two pack of Lion-O that include Snarf, as well as a special two pack of Mumm-ra that included his shriveled up version.  BTW, if you're looking to get rid of that latter set, please let me know. I occasionally screw up and skip a figure that I later regret - the Mumm-ra two pack is one of those.

The name Mega-Scale refers to their larger size of course, with the average height around 14" tall. A character like beefy Mumm-ra is larger, and someone like Tygra is smaller (coming in at about 13 1/2" tall with bent knees), but the overall line is scaled nicely to each other.

Expect to pay around $35 for this guy, which is a damn good price on today's market.  He just started shipping, and if you still have an active FYE in your area (there's still a few left, right?) or a Hastings, you may see them pop up there.

Packaging - ***
The large window box works well for showing off the figure on the shelf.  The personalized graphics and text are a nice touch, but don't expect anything to be too 'collector friendly'. While I'm sure that if you really tried you could remove the figure and the accessory without any serious damage, it's still a nightmare carefully undoing all those twist ties and replacing them later. Instead, I recommend following my example, and going wild with the wire snips. 

Sculpting - ***1/2
The wild mane and deadly expression translate well into this larger format. While you could argue for more detailing and texture in the fur, it's not particularly appropriate for an animated character, or for the overall style of this series.

The detail work on the teeth is particularly clean and impressive, and the sculpted muscle definition and edging on the suit adds depth.

As I mentioned, with bent knees he stands about 13 1/2" tall, very similar to the earlier Panthro.  He'll fit in pretty well with the others, and the dynamic stance works with the overall design of the rest of the line.

The sculpted stance is important of course, since the limited articulation isn't going to alter it much.  I did find that it wasn't always easy to keep the feet flat on the ground, but even when they weren't, he had no trouble staying upright.

The left hand is sculpted to hold the included whip, while the left is in a fist. While an extra hand or two would have been nice, these work with the important poses.

Paint - ***1/2
In this larger format, any slop or errors are much easier to see, even in hand. That's not an issue with this character, thanks to great quality control.

Important areas, like the black striping on the head, the eyes, and the teeth look extremely good, with clean edges and consistent coverage.  The colors are nice and bright, and the overall finish is also consistent and even. The best, cleanest work is on the face, which leaves an overall impression of quality.

There's the occasional missed edge, or minor stray mark.  There might be a spot or two of dirt in the broader body paint, but all of these issues are extremely minor and rare. Overall, it's a very sharp paint application, and will stand out with the others on the shelf.

Articulation - **1/2
These figures are rotocast, which means they are largely hollow. Mezco pioneered adding decent articulation to rotocast figures, and they've come a long way from when I was a kid.

Here you get a very good ball jointed neck, rotating hinge shoulders, cut elbows, cut calves, and ball hips. The range of movement is reasonable, and the neck works the best. That's a good thing, since even minor changes in the position and tilt of the head can lend major changes to basic poses.

Accessories - **1/2
He doesn't have as many extras as some of the other figures in the line, but they went the extra mile with the one they did include.

He has his cat o' nine tails, or more specifically, cat of three tails. The entire length of the whip, from the end of the handle to the branch of the three 'tails', is a thick, heavy wire, perfect for posing the weapon. From laying on the floor at his feet, to coiled around his body, to flying above his head, the sturdy wire can take any pose and maintain it without wilting.

Fun Factor - ***
There's not a lot of posing and re-posing with these figures, but with a larger number on the shelf, you'll enjoy finding just the right set up.

Value - ***1/2
Currently, 6 - 7" 'collector' figures are selling for $20 - $25, and that's at mass market retailers. Matty is likely to sell their Thundercats, a 7" series, for around $28 each, maybe more when you consider shipping. This is a 14" figure, more than twice the size of those little wimpy guys, and can be had for $35 at most retailers. That is what I call a great value, and considering that this is the same price they charged for Panthro...4 years ago...I'd say he's well worth it.

Things to Watch Out For -
It's a little tricky getting the whip handle into the hard plastic right hand, so take care not to damage the paint. Otherwise, you should be good to go!

Overall - ***1/2
This is definitely a series that has required some patience. There are now technically 7 different figures (if you count Snarf and the smaller Mumm-ra), but it's taken 4 years to get us here. Hopefully with the renewed interest in the original cartoon, we'll see them produce a few more.

Tygra is an excellent addition, and a big plus here is the cost. How they've maintained the same price point and not allowed the paint quality to slip is beyond me, but they did back off slightly on the accessories.  Still, this is a great figure, well worth the price, and makes for a terrific addition to the line up.

Score Recap (out of ****):
Packaging - ***
Sculpting - ***1/2
Paint - ***1/2
Articulation - **1/2
Accessories - **1/2
Fun Factor - ***
Value - ***1/2
Overall - ***1/2

Where to Buy 
Online options include these site sponsors:

- Entertainment Earth is also at $35.

- or you can search ebay for a deal.

Related Links -
I've covered a number of the Mega Scale figures, including Panthro, Lion-O and the Mumm-Ra in this scale, also from Mezco.

And if you're looking for something smaller, check out the 6" Classic Lion-O, the smaller classic Mumm-ra, as well as the large 8" classic Lion-0, modern 6" Lion-O, and modern 6" Tygra.

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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