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Be Sharp
Homer
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The first review of the new year, and some how
it's fitting that it's the latest figure from the Playmates Simpsons line -
the Be Sharps Homer.
This Homer variation is based on the episode
in which several of the boys formed a barbershop quartet. Their
singing led to fame of course, and to the inevitable crash.
We are going to get four Be Sharps figures,
and each is being offered as a special mail away. Purchase any four
Wave 10 figures (including Hank Scorpio), send in the POP's along with a
check for $5, and Playmates will send you a dapper Homer! It's that
simple, and the offer is good until the end of 2003, so you still have
plenty of time to get in on the deal.
Next up is Be Sharp Apu, who will be offered
as a mail in with wave 11. Wave 11 is just now hitting stores, and
should be everywhere by the end of the month.
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Packaging - ***1/2
Unlike Cooder and Sinclair, we get the best kind of packaging with this mail
away - the small box. This box matches up with those used for the
Toyfare exclusives of two years ago, and looks great next to them on the
shelf.
If you're an opener, but would
like to save the package, have no fear for it's completely collector
friendly. Sure, there are a few twisties, but you can always put them
back easily.
Sculpting - ****
My favorite Homer variation was Boxing Homer. Please notice the use of
the term 'was'. This figure blows the others away, and is a perfect
example of when this line is in top form.
Rather than a static figure,
with a zombie look, we get a terrific action sculpt. The legs and arms
are posed to convey a feeling of movement, as if Homer is caught
mid-melody. It's always nice to see Homer with hair too!
I've included a shot at the end
showing this Homer with a couple others, and the extra value the sculpt
provides is pretty obvious.
And here's an important note -
this is NOT the same body, legs or exact stance that Apu will have.
Let's hope that continues with the final two.
Paint - ***
While the paint ops aren't terrible, they aren't perfect either.
And many companies are really raising the bar on exceptionally detailed,
quality paint ops.
The colors of his clothing are all clean and consistent, but
there's some problems along the hair line with bleed and overspray, and
there's a couple spots on his hat and around his vest seam missing paint.
Still, this figure has more detail and color than most in
the WOS series, right down to the arm band, and they've done a decent job
with it.
Articulation - **1/2
No surprises here - neck, shoulders, waist. Of course, we don't expect
that to change during the life of this line. Fortunately, the
excellent posing helps overcome some of the shortcomings of such limited
articulation.
Accessories - ***1/2
You get two accessories here - his straw hat and his cane. Both
are brand new at this point, although we'll see them re-used with the other
Be Sharps.
The hat could have had some greater detail, but it fits on his head
nicely, and the cane fits perfectly in his right hand. Getting two new
accessories with a mail away figure - pretty much a freebie - is not bad at
all.
Value - ****
Five bucks? You can't do better than that for such a cool
figure. Sure, you had to buy four figures to get him, but weren't you
going to buy four of the wave 10 figures anyway? Yep, some of the pure
MOCer's complained, but now they have a few loose figures around to make
their collection look even better.
Overall - ***1/2
This is damn close to a four star figure, and only the slightly weak
paint ops holds him back. He's one of the coolest figures in the line,
and I love episode specific variations, particularly those that can go in
sets like this. I'm looking forward to the rest of the set, and I'm
hoping we see more about the rumored Be Sharp's Rooftop playset at Toy Fair.
Where to Buy -
There's only one way to get him, but it's awfully easy. Just go
to your local Target, Toys R Us, or other store and pick up four wave 10
figures. Take the UPC's, receipts, and the mail away form and put
them in an envelope along with a check for five bucks - you're good to
go! If you're looking for some where on-line to pick up wave 10:
- Aisle Sniper
has a number of the wave 10 figures available for $7 each plus shipping.
- Big Bad Toy Store
has a set of six wave 10 figures (which includes Scorpio) for $40 and $5
shipping. That's about $7.50 each including shipping.
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Figure from the collection of Michael Crawford. |
