|
Packaging: *** 1/2
If I were awarding merit on terms of sheer scale this would demand 4
stars, if I were taking ‘Eco-Friendliness’ into account it’d struggle
to get more than one! However I’m not really taking either of these as
‘significant’ areas for concern, nope, I’m just looking at how cool it
is… and it is very cool.
Anyone selling a product will tell you how the whole retail experience
can be make or break because of the packaging, and this has a very
classy big box with its own carry handle, but it’s a box that hides its
contents. The fun starts when you start to unpackage the goodies. The
front has a large b/w image of Bruce. You lift the top flap open and
you’re welcomed by another large glossy photo with care instructions
underneath in very small print. Opposite is a full colour printed sheet
showing the various head, hair and dress options alongside images of
the accessories and diorama. Under this are a protective sheet of
cardboard and then the reverse of the wooden diorama. This lifts out to
show two brown cardboard boxes lying side by side. One contains Bruce
lovingly swaddled in both tissue and foam while the other contains a
wooden framed banner, his alternative hands, head, hair (yes… hair)
Nunchaku, alternate outfit, figure stand and certificate of
authenticity. All are held securely in place inside a vac-formed
plastic tray.
So all in all this is a handsome package with lots of flourishes to
show you where your money has gone… reassuringly expensive, as the
saying goes.
Sculpt: ****
Just what is it that they put in the water in Korea, they don’t just
routinely turn out good 1/6 sculptors, they turn out the very best 1/6
sculptors. Sculptors whose work consistently makes your draw drop.
I was hugely impressed by Arnie Kim’s work on the Game of Death Bruce,
but things have moved on significantly since that premier figure. The
subtlety of casting Mr Kim’s prototypes seems much more controlled and
the texturing of the skin adds far more realism, but other aspects of
their production have been enhanced too.
The size of both the new heads
are in far better scale than the earlier figure and the famous moving
eyes are far more positionable and realistic as well. Where as the
first figure had two fixed sets of interchangeable eyes, the new heads
have permanently attached eyes that can be moved independently (so yes
he can be as cross-eyed as Ben
Turpin should you like) You simply lift off the hair and
you’ll see two small stems/arms sticking out of the backs of the eye
balls, you simply use these to swivel the eyes to the desired position,
easy!
It’s worth mentioning here that
the heads are held on by means of magnets. One is concealed in the
underside of the hair and the other is counter sunk into the top of the
neck, these do a great job of holding the head in position and are
plenty strong enough for posing, but DON’T try and pick him up by the
head as it’s no way strong enough to do this, and you could end up with
a lot of broken limbs on your hands.
Both the heads are sublime
sculpts, one shows Bruce with a more relaxed, but still steely
expression whilst he other shows one of his familiar ‘fight’
expressions, chin
jutting forward, utterly focussed. So, two completely
different faces but both undeniably Bruce Lee down to a tee! Arnie has
spent so much time capturing Lee’s likeness over the last few years it
seems to come as second nature. Both these sculpts look unfussy but
capture the curve
of his lip, his high
cheek bones and sharp
jaw line.
The world of 1/6 collectables
has come so far in last few years it’s easy to become complacent to the
quality we have now come to expect as commonplace, but companies like
Hot Toys and Enterbay have raised the bar so much with their
exceptional work it’s important we don’t lose sight of just how much
things have improved… and I’m sure will continue to do so. Along with
the extra head I just described, we also get a third hairstyle, it’s in
the brushed straight back style we see briefly in the movie, the
relaxed head has the classic tidy left parting, the ‘fight’ face also
has the left parting but is more mussed up. So between the two heads
and three hairstyles you in effect have six ways of displaying your
figure, and when you take into account the two outfits, and if you mix
and match the outfits… well, you get the idea, I don’t want to do the
math!
But as always with the Bruce Lee
figures from Enterbay the sculpting doesn’t stop with two great head
sculpts, the other thing these figures are held in such high regard for
is the Bruce Lee body sculpt
As I said in my last review, Lee
was perhaps as famous for his physique as he was for anything else, so
to highlight this Enterbay invented the ‘BL’ body. Now available in
three individual versions, to buy as a separates. There’s the BL 2
which is for the earlier figures, then the BL 2.5 that is the same
basic body but with a neck adaptor for the later figures and lastly the
BL 3, this is the one you get with the FoF figure, the torso and neck
are more upright and straighter on this version.
If you have the inclination and
indeed the cash, I’d advise also buying a BL 2.5 when you pick this
figure up, as for an extra $30 you get all you need to have two
complete figures.
He also comes with no fewer than
7 hands. In the box he has two fists fitted, but you also have the
option of 2 extra left hands, one relaxed the other with splayed
fingers and three right hands, one relaxed, one pointing and the last
to grip the Nunchaku.
All are delicately carved and swap over very easily. A very nice
selection.
Paint: ****
Compared to the GoD figure this
is a quantum leap in terms of quality.
One of my gripes last time was
the lack of detail and feathering on the eyebrows, no such problems
this time. Look closely now and you can see every hair. The tonal work
on the skin is far more subtle as well, there’s far more variation in
the colour and the shading to intone the facial hair growth is much
more realistic. Even though ‘positionable’ the eyes are nice and glossy
and catch the light convincingly without the accursed ‘doll dot’. The
hair, like last time, lets the sculpt and glossy nature of the pliable
material used do all the work. And as it’s a genetic biological fact
that virtually (please note the use of ‘virtually’) every Chinese
person has dense black hair this is probably the best way to capture
the look.
I find it can appear very
different under various types of light, natural daylight can make it
look a little flat, which is a shame as there is a ton of work in the
sculpted detail, every strand can be picked out. Where as under
electric light I find it to be hugely convincing. So I guess he’s gonna
look a lot more realistic displayed in your Ikea Detolf in the
evening.
So to sum up it’s a great paint
job, and fans of Bruce, who like me, so far only had the GoD
figure will be very, very happy in the leap in quality!
Articualtion - ***1/2
This is on the BL 3 body as stated above. It’s a beautiful bit of
design just as, if not more concerned with the finished aesthetic as it
is with articulation. So don’t come to this expecting the same degree
of mobility as you would get from the True-Type or RAH, the two best
1/6 bodies available at the moment in terms of extreme articulation and
build quality, perhaps the Prometheus is worth a mention in despatches
but a few things still need to be ironed out before it can be
articulated shoulder to articulated shoulder with the big boys.
No, the BL doesn’t have the same
range of mobility, but it more than makes up for it in giving us a 1/6
figure that looks good bare chested and naked armed. This body expertly
shows off his muscle definition and is as seamless between the
shoulders and elbows as it can be without using a rubber suit to cover
them. I’m going to be very interested to see the body used on the up
coming Enterbay Mr Bean and 24 figures, as it will showcase yet another
1/6 body in the arena of high end collectable figures, and it’s one of
the areas I have always found most interesting, as the interpretation
of the human body and the way it can be designed and engineered is
something I have made designs on myself.
The basic functionality hasn’t
changed much since my last Enterbay review so I’d advise a re-read but I’d still be
tempted to say this body is literally crying out for a cut joint in the
lower shin, however at least the hip ball joint can now be rotated on
the new BL 3 so the feet don’t always have to be pointing straight
forward. It looked like the hip should rotate on the BL 1 but I tried,
and quite frankly I gave up for fear of breakage. But even this one
small modification on the new body makes for far more realistic posing.
So while I feel I still can’t award a full mark in this category, it
certainly deserves more than last time, and the fact it can be posed
without clothes and still look good is virtually unheard of at this
scale without a rubber muscle body!
So a breakdown of just how
poseable this figure is, the ankles can rock from side to side and
swivel to point forwards, we have double knees that can bend right back
on themselves, the hips have a good range and are a ratcheted
ball-joint. The waist can turn and depending on what direction its
pointed can bend between 5 to 10 degrees, the shoulders have a swivel
and hinged joint and after familiarising yourself with them can achieve
most positions. The elbow is a hinged joint on a ball-peg, so it can
turn freely and bend to just over 90 degrees, the wrists/forearms have
a cut/peg joint to swap over the hands and lastly the neck has no
movement at the base, but where it joins the head it can tilt and sway
by means of a post with a magnet one end that holds the head in place.
So as I said not up there with the best hi-end 1/6 base bodies in terms
of ‘extreme’ articulation, but it doesn’t claim to be, no, this body
has other fish to fry, and considering how well concealed many of the
joints are its still most impressive.
It’s worth mentioning that if
you pick up an extra BL body, you get an extra selection of hands. I
went for the BL 2.5 and got two fists fitted plus three extra gesturing
hands, one right and two left. On the extra body the ankle on the left
foot was slightly weaker, the side to side rocking mechanism is tight
enough, but the forward pointing is a little loose, he still stands
fine, and I suppose if that’s the only gripe between these two bodies
then it ain’t so bad!
Outfit - ****
Bruce comes with two expertly tailored outfits, one is the white dress
uniform which comprises of a white high collar shirt bearing tiny glued
on buttons, a white Nehru style jacket with working pockets but no
lining (this means the internal seams are exposed on the inside but the
bulk is cut down significantly) and white trousers, again with working
pockets, all of these garments are fastened with small press studs. He
also has a pair of white patent leather shoes and a pair of black
socks… I was so relieved the socks were black… the only colour socks
should ever ‘truly’ be. A gentleman NEVER wears white socks unless
partaking of sport!
Outfit two is a traditional
Chinese ‘Kung-Fu’
suit made up of white socks (I’ll live with it) Kung-Fu slippers
these were quite tough to get on, but I used a cocktail stick to lever
the back panels over the heel and they slipped on fine, then we
have trousers with a sash tie waist, and a traditional knot buttoned
top with working buttons, again these are fiddle-some to
do-up but work very well. Unsurprisingly this second outfit, though not
quite as visibly striking, is a far more iconic ‘Bruce’ look than the
white suit, and this is part of the reason for me recommending getting
a spare BL 2.5 body, as then you don’t have to choose which mode to go
for, just have both!
Accessories:
****
This is an expensive package… there is NO getting away from that fact!
But, there is also no way of
denying that this is packed to the rafters with extremely high quality
extras.
Everything is numbered, the box,
the base, the certificate and his ass! We get a wooden display base, we
get an extra outfit, we get an extra head and even an extra hairstyle,
we get 5 extra hands, we get a set of Nunchaku with a metal chain, we
get a framed banner of Chinese calligraphy saying ‘The Sick Man of
Asia’ (a derogatory term used by the Japanese to humiliate the Chinese
during the
WWII occupation), the phrase was also used in Jet
Li’s Fearless. Then lastly we get a top
class stand, this is a stand that is designed with
‘action’ in mind. It has metal parts and is designed to have an
adjustable ratcheted height mechanism and the frame that grips the
figures waist can be spun and tilted for Kung-Fu poses, a very nice
piece of kit that can again be bought as a separate, handy for all you
budding figure photographers!
That display base is also worth
an extra mention, the use of solid wood is a rare occurrence these
days, and like the pagoda style one that came with the GoD figure it
does add an element of class to the proceedings, and also like that
last one it comes laser etched on the back, and its manufacture is
faultless, showing some lovely grain in the struts and very crisp
screen printing on the large Chinese symbol.
Fun factor:
*** 1/2
The wooden diorama base makes for a most impressive backdrop but it’s
the simple addition of the spinning hip articulation that has made the
world of difference to me in the ‘fun’ I can have posing this guy. It’s
a small detail but it makes him look all the more realistic and human
for it (now we just need a well concealed cut joint in the lower shin).
There’s no denying this is an expensive item aiming itself squarely at
high-end collectors and hard-core fans of the phenomenon that was Mr
Bruce Lee, but if you find yourself ticking either box then you might
well find yourself falling in love with this figure. I know I have!
Value: **
You get quite a lot of kit for your money, but there again you are
spending A LOT of your money… so it’s only fair you should expect a lot
in return!
This figure is in an
individually numbered edition size of 5000 with a RRP of $320 when
purchased direct from the Enterbay site, however if you check out some
of their stockists in the US you’ll find it priced as high as $399…
cheez, don’t you just love the state of the economy these days! So as
nice as this package is, there is no way it could ever be considered a
bargain!
But when you buy a Rolex
‘Oyster’ or a Ferrari ‘Spider’ you don’t expect a bargain, and this is
how Enterbay seems to be marketing itself. Exclusivity is everything;
so if that’s important to you then hey, knock yourself out. If it isn’t
then search out the Enter the Dragon figures, they were far more
affordable at… ‘ahem’ $200. But keep watching the Enterbay site; I’m
sure more Brucie bonuses will be on the way soon!
Overall: ***3/4
This is such a nice overall package you will love every moment of
unwrapping it, but it’s not for those on a tight budget, in fact it’s
very, very far from it!
If the price weren’t so
extremely high we would all have one in our collection, but in trying
to keep their product a ‘luxury’ purchase, most will sadly have to be
content with ‘wanting’ instead.
However things seem to be
changing slightly at team Enterbay. The prices on the upcoming Mr Bean
and 24 figures are much more in line with Hot Toys and Medicom, so
while the ‘Bruces’ are being kept as the ‘platinum’ standard, soon the
‘gold’ will be far more available and affordable. I can’t wait to see
how they turn out.
However when it comes to quality this piece isn’t wanting in any area,
though sitting squarely in the hi-end 1/6 category, and though a far
more realistic sculpt than the earlier GoD figure, it still has a
different look and feel to Medicom, Sideshow, Hot Toys and the other
major players, which I think is important. I don’t want all my 1/6
figures to look like they come from one stable, diversity is the spice
of life and Enterbay are showing why more serious collectors will want
to have a few of their pieces in their collections. So the only area
keeping the score down is price, and only price.
SCORE RECAP:
Packaging: ***1/2
Sculpt: ****
Paint: ****
Articulation: ***1/2
Outfit - ****
Accessories -****
Fun factor: ***1/2
Value: **
Overall: ***3/4
Where to Buy -
Enterbay seem to be pretty strict on just who they’ll award a dealer
status to, I guess in their quest to keep the ‘exclusivity’ they need
to keep a tight grip on the prices the dealers and ‘grey’ market
traders are asking. You’ll find the list of approved dealers all around
the globe in this
link nonetheless if you Google them, I found another US store
advertising them, but the price was even higher, and the selection very
limited, however you can still shop around and save a few $’s if you’re
savvy enough.
One of Michael’s sponsors did
make the grade, but it’s only of use to UK buyers-
Forbidden Planet- £239.99 Pre-order
 |
