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Elvis Presley - Jailhouse Rock

If you don't know who Elvis is, well, you have bigger issues than I can help you with in the next couple paragraphs.

Elvis had more than just amazing music, he had many looks.  Thanks to his movies, along with his stage shows, there's plenty of material for Mcfarlane Toys to mine when looking for Elvis figures to produce.

They've just released the fifth version, called 'Jailhouse Rock' Elvis.  Prior to this one, we've had 68 Comeback Elvis, Early Sixties Rockabilly Elvis, Las Vegas Elvis, and Rock and Roll (gold suit) Elvis.  There's been a couple 12" versions as well, and the next one in the series will be Aloha Elvis.

Jailhouse Elvis is based on the film Jailhouse Rock, from 1957.  Considered one of the better Elvis films, it chronicles the life of Vince Everett, a man sent to prison for manslaughter that just happens to end up cell mates with a former country singer.  Once out of the big house, he forms his own label and becomes a superstar.  Ah, those were the days.

Expect to pay around $12 - $13 for Elvis depending on where you find him.  You may even get lucky and find him as cheap as $10 at some brick and mortar retailers.  This is an early review - he should hit stores in the next couple weeks.

 





Packaging -  ***
The interior art is interesting, since they went with sort of a 1950's art deco kind of style.  Proof that will a little creativity, you can come up with some interesting ideas for package art and still get the point across.

It's a clamshell as well of course, and it's worth noting that I haven't opened a toy that smelled this strong in a long time.  Perhaps it's the black paint...

Sculpting - ****
Sculpting Elvis isn't easy, but at least he's a man with a lot of 'personality' to his face.  When you've captured it, you know it.  Just as with the other figures in this series, McToys has done a superb job nailing his appearance.

Naturally, the face sculpt is critical.  Here we see him in mid-song, mouth open, eyes closed, with lots of emotion.  The hair has a wild tussled look, with just the right amount of fine detail to make it look realistic but not harsh.

The body is clothed in the jailhouse garb, which was mighty stylin' for a con.  The body is in a tremendously dynamic, yet signature pose, straight from the performance in the film.  The coat flows naturally with the movement, and the creases and wrinkles in the pants, shirt and jacket match the dynamic flow of the body.

They've used steel pegs in each foot to ensure a strong, solid fit in the base.  It's unlikely the hard plastic legs will ever wilt, and this is a figure that should maintain this pose, painful as it is, for a very long time.

Paint - ***1/2
The paint is damn nice, although not quite perfect.  The hair and face are well done, with an even skin tone and perfect color for the lips and tongue.

Most of the stripes and small details on the suit are good, although I had a few stray marks and spots here and there.  They eyebrows are a little thin and oddly placed, but it doesn't detract too much from the overall quality.

Articulation - **
If you're looking for super articulated karate Elvis, this ain't it.  This is a little plastic statue, intended to look great but in one pose.

He does have cut shoulders, and a cut neck.  However, the neck doesn't have much range of movement, and the arms look best one way.

Accessories - ***
The accessory is his base, designed to capture the look of the film.  There's a couple sections of bars, with a "Jailhouse Rock" placard to one side.  The round base has the imprint of a record album, but it actually calls this an 'action figure'.  Amusing since this Elvis isn't seeing much action.

Value - **1/2
At around $12, he's coming in at a standard rate for today's market.  I'm not particularly happy about it, but hey, we're going to be wishing for these days in the not too distant future.

You may find him as cheap as $10 or $11 at some stores.  I believe the previous Elvis figures were in that range at Toys R Us and Meijers.

Fun Factor - *1/2
This isn't a toy, and really won't be much fun.  The dynamic pose won't suit a play situation, and there's not a whole lot of kids looking to play with Elvis anyway.  There may be some adults, but I really don't want to go there.

Things to watch out for - 
On the bottom of the base, there is a small plastic bag with an even smaller peg.  This peg is easy to overlook, but it connects the placard to the section of jail at the top.

Overall -  ***1/2
I'm not a huge fan of most Mcfarlane music figures, since they tend to lack the kind of dynamic style that the Elvis series has.  This was a man that liked to move, and his fans certainly loved him for it.  Big fans of the King are sure to enjoy this, and more than one mobile home is going to be sporting the entire set on the knick knack shelf.

SCORE RECAP:
Packaging - ***
Sculpt - ****
Paint - ***1/2
Articulation - **
Accessories - ***
Fun Factor - *1/2
Value - **1/2
Overall -  ***1/2

Where to Buy -
Online options are your best bet right now, but some brick and mortar stores should be getting these as well:

- CornerStoreComics has this one for just $12.50.

- Amazing Toyz has this version for $13, as well as the Rockabilly version for just $10.

- Killer Toys has Jailhouse Elvis for $13.

- Circle Red doesn't have the Jailhouse version listed, but they still have the Rockabilly version for $13.

- Clark Toys has him listed for $13.

- Yikes Comics doesn't have this one listed yet, but they have several of the previous versions for $16 each.

Related Links:
I've only reviewed one of the other Elvis' - the 68 Comeback version.  He was mighty well done though!


Figure from the collection of Michael Crawford.

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