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Captain Toy/Michael's Review of the Week

Review of Catwoman - Batman Returns
Exclusive Statue

Tweeterhead
Date Published: 2016-05-18
Written By: Michael Crawford
Overall Average Rating: 3.5 out of 4

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Batman Returns Catwoman Pfeiffer Statue by Tweeterhead

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Introduction

There are very few geek movie or TV show favorites that have not been immortalized in plastic or resin.  From Saturday Night Live to Lost, from Lost in Space to H.R. Pufnstuff, just about any property or license that could be made into an action figure, statue or bust has.

There are a few that remain painfully elusive for one reason or another, and every card carrying nerd has some character on his or her list of "figures I need in my collection before I die". A huge one for me is Deckard from Blade Runner, and I'm sure you have your own version of a collectibles bucket list.

One that has a decided lack of representation is the Michelle Pfeiffer Catwoman from Batman Returns. While we've had a few collectibles in different scales based on Batman and Penguin, Catwoman has been left out in the cold for the most part.  She's not completely unrepresented, but the few that have been done has been on the lower end of the scale.

Tweeterhead changes all that with their new sixth scale statue.  This limited edition comes in five variations, four of which are available only through the Tweeterhead store.  The one I'm reviewing tonight is their basic limited edition (just 175 produced) that includes a yellow 9x12 lithograph from pin-up artist Olivia De Berardinis. This version is $270, and as I said, only available from Tweeterhead direct.  They also have three additional versions, each with a second red lithograph.  The only difference is the size of the lithograph and therefore the price. You can get a 9x12 red lithograph included for $365, a 18x24 red lithograph for $465, or a huge 30x40 red lithograph for $1025. I've included a photo of the yellow lithograph, and you can see the red version on their site.

The fifth and final variation is simply the standard release that is available through all other retailers, that does not include either lithograph.  Most retailers have this for around $260, although I have some deals in my Where to Buy section.

Click on the image below for a Life Size version
Batman Returns Catwoman Pfeiffer Statue by Tweeterhead

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Packaging - ***
I like the photo work on the box, and the interior eggshell Styrofoam holds the five pieces safe and sound. The yellow lithograph is safe as well, and includes its own Certificate of Authenticity.  The edition size and number are also on the box bottom as well as the bottom of the base itself.  The number you receive on the statue will correspond to the number on the lithograph.

Batman Returns Catwoman Pfeiffer Statue by Tweeterhead

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Sculpting - ****
I use not just my memory, but movie stills as reference when I'm looking at portraits like this.  In this particular case, I focused on three - one with her mouth closed, one with her smiling (sort of), and one that's just about straight on.

Based on those shots and on my memory, rusty as it may be, I'm very impressed with the work by Trevor Grove on this likeness. When I first looked her over, I thought that the face seemed a little too thin, a little too pointed at the chin. There's those memory issues again. After doing side by side comparisons with the stills, I realized I was picking at nits that weren't there. There still seems to be something *slightly* off with the nose, but I'm very happy with the end result.

There's also the pose and expression to consider, both of which they knocked out of the park.  Too many recent statues suffer from weird, clumsy looking poses, and this is an excellent example of how to do dynamic without it looking ungainly or silly.

The statue itself comes in five pieces. The two large pieces are her overall body and the large base.  The right hand and whip come as a separate piece, as does the two pipes jutting up from the rooftop base.  These three smaller pieces are held in place with strong magnets.

The whip is not bendable or adjustable, so don't try. You'll be sorry. It's not necessary anyway, as the sculpted pose is just about perfect. They even added the taser attached to her leg, a detail I completely forgot!

Speaking of the base, I love the use of the clown face, and adding in both the pipes and the top of the stairs adds a tremendous amount of realism and visual interest. The overall stone texturing is well done, and lends a nice contrast with the smooth costume.

As I mentioned, she's sixth scale, coming in at about 11" tall with bent knees. The overall statue comes in at closer to 17 inches tall, thanks to the big base and raised whip. Slide her in with your Hot Toys Batman, and you should be good to go.

Batman Returns Catwoman Pfeiffer Statue by Tweeterhead

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Paint - ***
While I'm extremely happy with the sculpt and design, I am a little disappointed in the paint.

Clearly this is hand painted, and some of the staples are sloppier than I expect.  Of course, the prototype was amazing, and that sets up a certain expectation that is hard to live up to. Here, the staples vary in size and coverage, making their painted nature a bit too obvious.

The eyes themselves are clean and sharp, although I think they could have actually gone a bit heavier with the make up. It's a minor nit, and I'm glad they didn't go overboard, but she did have quite a bit of shadow and liner on in the film, particularly in the early scenes.

Another minor nit is around the lips, where I think the Cupid's Bow (or lip dip) is a bit too deep and pronounced. Again, a very minor nit, but hey, that's what they don't pay me for.

My bigger nits, and the ones that really hurt this score the most, are the rather sloppy edge around the mask, particularly along the bridge of the nose, and the spot on the left eye that looks like she's got a bit of 'sleep' still in there. On the nose, the black actually drips down on the right side, but even the other edges show either too much black on the face or too much face on the black. With the corner of the eye, it's less noticeable in person, but if you're looking for it you'll see it. It almost looks like they tried to add some pink in the corner to make the actual eyeball look slightly more realistic, but over did the effect.

Still, in hand most of these issues are fairly small and concealed. Even the weirdness in the corner of the eye is hard to see unless you know it's there. At $270 I have a pretty high expectation, but your mileage might vary.

Batman Returns Catwoman Pfeiffer Statue by Tweeterhead

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Accessories - ***
The regular release that is available through most retailers gets nothing here, but this Tweeterhead special comes with a really sweet lithograph by Olivia De Berardinis. She's known for her pin-up style art, and this 9x12 print is a beautiful rendition of the feline femme fatale.

It's also been signed and numbered by the artist, and this edition size and numbering matches the edition size (175) and numbering on the statue itself.  It has it's own Certificate of Authenticity, and is printed on fairly heavy stock.

It's also worth noting that with a statue, there is no expectation of 'accessories', so any score here is a big plus.

Batman Returns Catwoman Pfeiffer Statue by Tweeterhead

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Batman Returns Catwoman Pfeiffer Statue by Tweeterhead

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Value - **1/2
While $270 isn't cheap, this is an exceptional statue.  With such a low production number on this exclusive version, I'm willing to go with an average value rating, which will not negatively or positively effect my final Overall.

Things to Watch Out For -
Obviously you want to assembly the pieces carefully,and remember that the hand and pipes are held in just by magnets. Don't forget and turn it over!

Batman Returns Catwoman Pfeiffer Statue by Tweeterhead

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Overall - ***1/2
The overall sculpt and design on this statue continue the Tweeterhead tradition of quality. I love the pose, the base, the size - it's all good. Unfortunately, I have some paint issues with mine that are disappointing, but in hand these are fairly minor. Hopefully the problems aren't consistent either, but Tweeterhead needs to stay on top of their QC moving forward.

Sadly, they have not yet announced any additional Batman Returns statues.  I'd love to add Penguin and Batman of course...those are no-brainers.  But what about Max Shreck? Like cowbell, you can never have too many Christopher Walken characters. Especially since I don't have any!

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

Batman Returns Catwoman Pfeiffer Statue by Tweeterhead

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Where to Buy 
Online options include these site sponsors:

- comes in at just $245.

- comes in at $260.

- has this version for $260.

- Entertainment Earth also has her for $260.

- or you can search ebay for a deal.

Related Links -
Other Catwoman collectibles include the DST Julie Newmar version, the Tweeterhead Julie Newmar, the Sideshow more generic comics based sixth scale Catwoman, and one of my personal favorites, the Cover Girls Catwoman.

Tweeterhead has also done the terrific Batman, Robin, and Batgirl from the 1966 television show.

You should also hit the Search Reviews page, in case any other applicable reviews were done after this one was published.

Discussion:
Want to chat about this review?  Try out one of these terrific forums where I'll be discussing it!

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Batman Returns Catwoman Pfeiffer Statue by Tweeterhead

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This product was purchased for the review by the reviewer. Photos and text by Michael Crawford.

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