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Captain Toy/Michael's Review of the Week

Review of Rick Grimes - Walking Dead
Sixth Scale Action Figure

Threezero
Date Published: 2016-11-02
Written By: Michael Crawford
Overall Average Rating: 3 out of 4

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Walking Dead Rick Grimes sixth scale figure by Threezero

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Introduction

I'm putting together my Captain Toy Picks top ten list for this week, and with it being Halloween and all, I thought a Top Ten Best Horror Figures theme was perfect.  I have a ton on my short list right now, and weeding it down to just 10 is mighty tough. But there's a couple disappointments, and one of those is that there aren't any Walking Dead figures that are going to make the cut.

Considering the impact and overall quality of the show, along with my own personal love of it (generally speaking), that's a pretty big surprise. But the simple reality is that no one has done the license right.

Threezero has the chance to change that. Their only release up to this point under the license has been Michonne's Pet Walkers, and holy crap, that was almost THREE YEARS AGO. We've finally gotten the next release from them, and it's a big one - Rick Grimes.  With three years between their first and second release, I'd say that qualifies as a true zombie license.

They have pre-orders up for Merle as well, and he's looking quite spiff at this point. Rick will run you around $150 - $160 depending on the retailer, well below average market pricing these days. There was no exclusive or special version this time around.

Click on the image below for a Life Size version
Walking Dead Rick Grimes sixth scale figure by Threezero

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Packaging - ***
I really like the overall presentation of this package, particularly with their use of simple but striking graphics. The wrap around lid (with magnetic closures) provides that fifth panel for additional artwork, and they use it to maximum effect.

It did lose points though for the annoying plastic wrap.  I'm not sure why they do this, since it pretty much negates the 'collector friendly' aspects of the rest of the box, and doesn't seem to serve a whole lot of purpose.

Walking Dead Rick Grimes sixth scale figure by Threezero

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Sculpting - ***
Regular Readers know how I review human portraits - I judge on three criteria.  Is it realistic, is it accurate, and is it emotive (life-like)?

This sculpt's strongest feature is its realism.  The hair is much more detailed and finely stranded than some of the past Threezero humans, especially in the Game of Thrones line. The style looks perfect, and the beard is properly matched and quite realistic. The heavy facial hair is particularly good around the mouth, where it meets with the lips in a natural way, and the top edge along the cheek has a uneven, scraggly look. The skin texture is appropriate, particularly for a Rick a few seasons in, and the wrinkling around the eyes is extremely well done.

This isn't a mannequin sculpt, either. The squinted, determined eyes give him a serious, deadly expression, and the matching forehead wrinkles and tightness in the jaw and mouth produce an overall look of stern badassery.  This is a serious man in some serious shit.

Sadly, it's the accuracy where it takes a hit.  This isn't a dead on match to Rick Grimes, but rather looks very much like a great cosplayer. It's close, and the underlying facial structure has the generally correct proportions.  But it lacks that certain something that really catches the eye and calls the character immediately to mind. Thanks to the hair, beard, and context, you'll know who it's supposed to be immediately, but that makes the lack of a solid resemblance all the more obvious to your eye. You know it's SUPPOSED to be Rick, but it's not quite Rick. This is one of those situations where in just  the right and just the right angle...bam, it's Rick. Turn it slightly, and bam...who the hell is that?

Obviously he's a sixth scale figure, and he comes in at just a hair over 12" tall.

Walking Dead Rick Grimes sixth scale figure by Threezero

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Paint - ***1/2
The paint work is extremely clean, if just a little less detailed than some of the top work in the industry. The skin tone is realistic and even, with the right shade of sunburn, and the eyes are super sharp and sparkly.

The least impressive aspect is the blood and gore. Rick has a few spots of some random walker on his face, along with a smear of blood down the right side. It's better than average work, but nothing exceptional.

What is exceptional is the hair color in the beard. There's a very light dry brushing that gives an extremely realistic look of just a touch of gray. It's not extreme, or over done, or even obvious unless you really pay attention, but it adds just the right amount of color to the otherwise brown hair.

The transition of color from face to hair is also very impressive, particularly around the top edge of the scraggly beard. Unlike most figures that have a sculpted beard, this one had to have a rough look to it, and they pulled that off beautifully with both sculpt and paint.

Walking Dead Rick Grimes sixth scale figure by Threezero

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Articulation - ****
I really like this base body, thanks to it's well designed articulation. It's quite easy to get natural, flowing poses, and the joints are tight enough to easily maintain them long term.

The neck has some of the same issues that we saw with Jesse Pinkman - it's too smooth, with little sculpt detail and a stock skin tone. But unlike Jesse, it's almost completely hidden by the sculpted beard and hair, with an assist from the jacket collar.

Some folks may find the upper body too thin, but I think it works with the layered clothing. Without the jacket, he could use a little padding. I think the overall lanky look to this base body works for this particular character.

The ankles are of particular note, since he's wearing cowboy boots. The material is soft enough to get some mobility out of the ankles, allowing them to be flat on the floor in short to mid depth stances.  It's a huge plus, and creates a much more realistic looking pose.

There is a slightly odd issue though - he's a reverse giraffe. Normally, we see sixth scale figures with necks that are simply too long and silly looking. This time, we have the reverse effect, where it appears as though his neck isn't lng enough. The big collar on the jacket doesn't help of course, but you can get it folded down and a bit out of the way with some futzing.

Walking Dead Rick Grimes sixth scale figure by Threezero

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Accessories - ***
This figure isn't on the top end of the market price range, and the area where that shows the most is Accessories. He has some key adds, but not a ton.

Of course, he has his .357, which fits neatly in the holster on the right side of his belt. It also works great with the additional gun grip hand. The cylinder can swing out, and it's fully loaded. The paint work is a little weak, but the sculpt is great.

There are 5 hands in total - the relaxed grip pair he comes wearing, the gun grip right, and a pair of tight grips that work great with the machete.  It's worth noting that the early marketing materials only mentioned 4 hands, but you actually get 5.

The machete also fits in a sheath on his holster, and has a red wrapped handle.  The sculpt is good, but the sheath itself is a little on the cheap side. Be careful when working with it to avoid damage.

He has an AK machine gun as well, with a decent sculpt, but somewhat weak paint ops. The application has an overall gloss look that takes away some of the realism of the sculpt itself.  One of the odd things about the rifle - the magazine is not removable. There's also a cloth shoulder strap that you can attach to the gun, or leave off if you prefer.

There's no display stand - that's up to you to supply. I originally thought this was it, and it's all the marketing materials mentioned. But on the belt are several pouches, and in two of these pouches are two small speed loaders!  I was pretty surprised to find them, and it's a nice touch.

Walking Dead Rick Grimes sixth scale figure by Threezero

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Walking Dead Rick Grimes sixth scale figure by Threezero

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Outfit - ***1/2
The outfit consists of his cowboy boots, jeans, belt, shirt, and coat.

One area of every costume that Threezero really, really excels at is wear, tear, and damage. With a line like the Walking Dead, they have ample opportunity to exploit this strength.

The jeans are very worn, with tears and marks everywhere. The dirty look translates to a dirty feel, and that grittiness is in the jacket as well. You can easily believe that the jacket and pants have seen a lot of hard miles.

I mentioned the boot sculpt earlier, but both it and the paint work are quite good. Even with the oddly curved sole that all cowboy boots have at the toe, he can easily stand in just about any pose without falling over, no need for a display stand. The boot material is soft enough to allow for some ankle movement as well, a big plus.

My one nit is with the shirt.  He's wearing a gray t-shirt, and obviously he just picked it up from the local Wally World, because it's clean as a whistle. No wear, no tear, no dirt - laundry fresh.  It tends to clash with the jeans, which are barely hanging in there.

Walking Dead Rick Grimes sixth scale figure by Threezero

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Fun Factor - ***1/2
This figure has all the potential for a lot of fun for fans and collectors. The highly poseable body means you can get him into any mix up with the many zombies on your shelf, and he'll look great battling them. We need a few more Walking Dead humans to make this line really stand out, but he's an iconic addition to any undead display.

Walking Dead Rick Grimes sixth scale figure by Threezero

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Value - ***
At $150 - $160, this guy is well below the $200 - $240 average that most high end sixth scale figures are running these days.  And that's a very, very good thing. We should appreciate that Threezero is trying to get us the very best quality at an affordable price.

I'm going slightly above average with this value score, which is a positive - but I would have gone even higher had the head sculpt been spot on. The quality of the paint work is well above this price point, as is the quality of the costume. The underlying body and accessories are on point, but it's the portrait that ends up holding him back slightly.

Walking Dead Rick Grimes sixth scale figure by Threezero

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Things to Watch Out For -
The sheath for the machete seems fragile, particularly the velcro wrap that is intended to hold the weapon in place. Take some care when removing or replacing the blade.

Overall - ***
This figure has a lot of good things going for it - hey, to begin with it's Rick Grimes.  The outfit is well done, the accessories are solid, and the articulation works great.  The paint work is some of Threezero's best. If they had just managed to nail the sculpt...

It is possible for them, too. The improvement in the hair sculpt does not go unnoticed by me, and I have high hopes that any Daryl or Merle we eventually see will be an improvement in the accuracy category as well.

If you have a custom head sculpt for Rick, this outfit and accessories would be ideal. I'm betting you can snag him for $150, which is a solid value considering the quality of the materials.  He's not going to wow you, but he is a solid release that sets a positive note for future releases.

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

Walking Dead Rick Grimes sixth scale figure by Threezero

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Where to Buy 
Online options include these site sponsors:

- comes in at $152.

- has him for $155.

- is at $160.

- Entertainment Earth is also at $160.

- or you can search ebay for a deal.

Related Links -
The only other release in the Walking Dead series from Threezero so far (they have several others in the works) is the two Pet Walkers that belonged to Michonne. Threezero does plenty of other cool stuff in both sixth scale - like Breaking Bad or Game of Thrones - as well as some great stuff in 1/12th scale, like VOTOMS.

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

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