Review of Cyclops - Seventh Voyage of Sinbad
Ray Harryhausen Vinyl Statue

Introduction

The great Ray Harryhausen was responsible for some of the coolest dinosaurs on screen, all thanks to his exceptional claymation work. But for me, it was his monsters - creatures not of this natural world - that I really loved. My two favorites were Ymir and tonight's review, the Cyclops from The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad.

Star Ace has added the Cyclops to their line up of vinyl and resin statues based on Harryhausen's work. There's a regular release, that includes his club, but not any additional extras, and runs around $200. There's also the deluxe, which is what we're looking at tonight. This version includes a resin base, with two armed figures: Sinbad, and a second sailor. This one will run you around $260 or so, depending on the retailer.

There's also a third version I believe, a vinyl kit of this figure that you assemble and paint. I believe it's due out next year, and is much cheaper, around $125.

Packaging - ***
The large box is sturdy, and everything is contained in a single plastic tray. It's all collector friendly, and the basic text and graphics work fine.

Sculpting - ****
The large statue - he stands about 12 1/4" tall at the tip of his horn - is really impressive. The detail work on the skin, with the wrinkles and craggy rock-like texture, looks fantastic. The internal scale between the head, arms, chest, etc. is excellent as well, and he looks like he stepped right off the screen.

They also did a terrific job differentiating between the various surfaces with the unique textures. Bone, skin, and fur are all easily identified.

A key feature with a vinyl statue like this is his ability to simply stand. You'd think that would be Statue 101, but sadly, there are plenty who have issues remaining upright, especially on their own. No problems here, and his flat feet are properly positioned to keep him upright, even when he's holding the club.

Paint - ***1/2
The paint job looks great at first glance. Key details like the eye are clean and sharp, while the skin has various wash and dry brush effects. The nails on his hands are of particular note, and stand out nicely.

However, there's a bit of slop on some of the details like the teeth. True, they shouldn't be clean and sparkly - I doubt he brushes properly. But they can be nasty, and still realistic. Just check out the terrific job Star Ace did on the Lord Joker I reviewed earlier this week.

There's also a problem that's harder to correct, and one I can't really give a recommendation on the best way to fix. I'm sure expert custom painters out there will have their own ideas.

The problem is that even with the washes and effects, the brown is pretty flat. Part of the issue is simply with the color - brown is a pretty dull look, and this clay brown doesn't have much pop. But some of the detail, especially on the fur, gets lost in the sameness. I'm not sure there's any way for them to overcome it, so I'm not docking them a lot for it.

Articulation - ***
If this were an 'action' figure, the points of articulation they've provided would only get a ** at best. But this is a statue, normally un-articulated, so any added joints is a big plus.

And the two areas they give you are great. First, he has an articulated jaw. You can go from closed to wide open, or any spot in between. It's a great way to add some personalization to your display.

Then there's the eyeball. Yep, it's articulated! Like the PERS system, there's a rod attached to the eye, and you can move it up, down, left, and right. I didn't mess with it much, because the eye was nicely centered right out of the box, and I preferred it that way. But if you'd like to have him giving old Sinbad the side eye, you can thanks to this addition. Btw, you reach the control by removing the lower section of the face around the mouth.

Accessories - ***1/2
This is another big add for the figure. Normally statues don't have accessories, but you get several here.

Remember, I'm reviewing the deluxe - the regular release only has one extra, the club. This fits neatly in his right hand.

The deluxe adds in a resin display base. It's a sculpted beach scene with rocky outcroppings, just big enough for him to stand on. His name is also sculpted in the sand.

But what's the Cyclops without Sinbad to fight, and another sailor to eat? There's a sword and spear for them to wield as well. The sculpting and paint work on these is nice, pretty much in line with what you see with most vinyl kits. The figures stand about 3 1/2" tall.

Fun Factor - ***
I'm starting to sound like a broken record, but statues normally don't get a 'fun factor' score. There's little you can do with them once you put them on the shelf.

But with the adjustable eye, jaw, and extra figures, you can come up with some interesting looks, and change them over time, adding to the 'fun'.

Value - **
At $260, this is an expensive vinyl statue. But it's also large, and extremely attractive, from a highly desired license. If the price is scaring you off, check out the regular release without the figures or base. Neither are absolutely necessary to get that Cyclops love.

In the photo below, you'll see the one of the figures from the Cyclops with the differently scale figures from other Harryhausen releases.

Things to Watch Out For -
Take a little care inserting the weapons, especially the spear, into the tight grips of the figures. Otherwise, you'll be good to go.

Overall - ***1/2
The regular statue by itself, with the articulated jaw and movable eye, is a fantastic release. Adding in the smaller figures and base was just icing on the cake for me.

Fans of the Harryhausen creatures should be extremely happy with the work Star Ace is doing on the license. Their spouses and accountants might be less pleased, but that's the life of a collector.

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

Where to Buy 
Online options include these site sponsors:

- Entertainment Earth has a preorder for the kit, which you have to assemble and paint...but it's just $124.

- or you can search ebay for a deal.

Related Links -
I've covered several of the Star Ace Harryhausen vinyl and resin statues, including Ceratosaurus, Triceratops, and  Allosaurus.

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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