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Brosnan James Bond
Die Another Day


Today's guest review is from a regular, Mark D.  On to the review!

This is Sideshow Toys' second James Bond in the Bond figure series. The first was the original (and best!) Bond, Sean Connery, which was previously reviewed at this site. This figure is of Pierce Brosnan, the current Bond. This figure represents Brosnan as he appears in the current Bond release of "Die Another Day."

The Rater: Mark D is an avid action figure collector old enough to have gotten vintage GI Joes for Christmas as a kid, but still young enough to play with his toys. He collects mostly vintage AT GI Joe stuff but still likes to grab the cool stuff that comes out now, especially law enforcement figures and accessories. He's been a regular at The Sandbox (alt.toys.gi-joe) since he first came on line about five years ago. He's always looking to swap with other Joe-head and assist them in finding the hard to find stuff. You can contact him at mmdals1@aol.com or visit his site at www.the-precinct.com



Packaging - ***
If you've ever read my reviews before, you know that boxes are nothing more than functional transportation vessels to me. I immediately rip them apart to get at the goodies inside. However, this box does feature great graphics and photos, and a flap style box that allows full viewing of the contents. For those collectors that like to keep the boxes, this figure and accessories are easily removed and could be easily returned.

Sculpting - ****
The head sculpt is great. It has a really nice likeness of Brosnan. In my opinion, Sideshow is doing the finest sculpts in the industry today and this figure follows the trend. Mat Falls can take the credit for another great sculpt. There is no doubt of who this figure is supposed to be.

Paint - ***1/2
The head is the only thing is the only thing that is really painted. Sideshow did an overall nice job on the head. The edges are crisp and the blending is smooth. The only reason why I didn't give him four stars is because the skin tone appears too dark. It appears that old 007 just got back from an extended vacation in Cancun. Brosnan usually has a more pasty skin tone. They missed a bit on the eyes also. They're kind of bloodshot and look like James had one too many vodka martinis (shaken not stirred of course).

Articulation - ***1/2
Sideshow has articulation that is comparable to the other top figures on the market. About the only thing I don't care for on their figures are the hands. They seem to always use the same sculpts. Although realistic looking, the "gnarled" style fits the soldier figures they produce, but not necessarily the elegant British spy. Overall it is a very posable yet stable figure.

Accessories - ***
Bond comes with a pistol and shoulder holster and AK47 with a folding stock. They are decent looking, but pretty generic looking when compared to the other weapons on the market today. James also comes with a bottle of Finlandia brand vodka and a martini glass. He also comes with a very sturdy display base. Not bad stuff, but nothing extraordinary.

Outfits - ****
The figure is clad in a great tuxedo, which is Bond's signature attire. It is finely tailored for the figure and looks great. The tux alone would cost you $25 from 1/6 tailor and they'd have a hard time matching this quality.

Play Value - **1/2
I always rank the figures on this category because after all, it is supposed to be a toy. This figure is more suited to striking a pose on a collector's shelf than it is riding an avalanche down a back yard log pile in a child's adventure. The Sideshow figures are overall pretty sturdy, especially when compared to some of the other high-end figures but they are obviously meant to be displayed and not played with.

Value - ***
I got him on line for $25 from an associate who occasionally dabbles in mass quantity buys and is not a regular "dealer". At this price he was a great buy. Most online dealers are selling him in the $30 to $35 range, which is also a pretty good buy.

Overall - ***1/2
This figure is a great addition to my collection. I am a huge Bond fan and will probably be getting several figures in this line. I already have an order in for the George Lazenby Bond and his nemesis, Blofeld as portrayed by Telly Savales. Roger Moore and Timothy Dalton Bonds are also scheduled as are several enemy figures.

Where to Buy - 
Sideshow is selling them direct, and many sixth scale retailers will be carrying them.  I'm betting they turn up at specialty stores like Media Play as well.  On-line:

- Sideshow Toy has them available direct for $40 each.

- Aisle Sniper has them available for $32 each plus shipping, and has them currently ready to ship

- Big Bad Toy Store had the set listed at $85 for pre-order, with a flat $5 shipping.

- Entertainment Earth has the set available for $99 plus shipping.


Figure from the collection of Mark D.

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