Paint - ***
The paint ops on this figure are extremely basic, and the best work is
on the accessories. But the gray of his face and hands is consistent,
and the darker wash does a decent job of bringing out the detail.
The highlight is the ring on his hand, which is very cleanly
painted, and looks terrific against the drabber color of the hands.
Outfit - **
The design of the Mummy himself makes this type of 'action' figure a problem
right from the start. The poor guy is wrapped head to toe, tightly, in
ancient bandages, making it tough for him to move and walk. That's
another reason it didn't require Olympic level skills to avoid this
character. It also means that the figure ends up with some inherent
problems.
The tightly wrapped bandages on the figure means that the
joints at the shoulders, waist and hips all become quite obvious. It
hurts the overall appearance, and causes another major issue.
I don't know if every figure has this problem, but mine has
serious issues with the right arm. It's not uncommon with any sixth
scale figure to have the figure dressed and the arms at odd angles.
I've opened lots of figures where under the shirt and jacket the arms were
in the opposite direction, and had to be moved around to get the
articulation to work properly.
That's what has happened here. The right arm was
backwards, with the elbow bending forward and the bicep turned inward, when
he was dressed. Normally, it's no big deal, since you can take off a
jacket or shirt and rearrange things. Unfortunately, that's not
possible here. Because of the tight wrapping, the arm hangs at an odd
angle and nothing can be done.
Articulation - **
It may be the fault of the outfit, but he takes a major hit on the
articulation as well. This is the usual Sideshow body, which is one of
my favorites in terms of articulation. But the tight wrapping makes
him almost a statue.
The neck, shoulders and wrists are still pretty useful, but just about
every other joint is immovable. The knees, elbows and ankles are
particularly restricted. While I realize the outfit makes this the
case, I think that using some sort of material that was more stretch - like
an ACE bandage is - would have helped.
Accessories - ***1/2
The accessories are always excellent on Sideshow figures. There may
not always be enough, but they are always excellent.
This time, we get several very high quality items. There's a great
little box right out of his tomb, with various hieroglyphics and great
sculpting around the base. The top fits perfectly, and it really looks
excellent.
There's also a large 'papyrus' scroll, which can be rolled up and tied
with a black ribbon, right from the film. The scroll is fairly thick
paper, and the writing is clean and neat.
There's no display stand this time, which surprised me. I wonder if
they are going to stop including them with future figures?
Value - **1/2
This depends on where you're shopping. At an SRP of forty bucks, he's
too expensive, considering the other figures on the market in that
range. But with most stores selling these in the $30-$35 range, you
have some other options. Add a half star if you get it for $5 or more
cheaper, and if you can find it for under $30, that's extremely good.
Overall - **1/2
Of the 12" Universal Monsters produced so far by Sideshow, the
Mummy is my least favorite. He's not terrible by any means, and he's
certainly better than that God awful version Hasbro gave us a few years ago,
but he's not at the same level as Murder
Legendre or Mask of the Red Death.
If you're looking for the major players in sixth scale format though, I
doubt you'll ever see a better Mummy produced simply because of the issues
inherent in the costume.
Where to Buy:
Your best bets are on-line:
- Sideshow
sells them directly of course. They are $40 each, but I believe
there's a MARCH coupon code right now that will get you 10% off in stock
merchandise.
- Aisle Sniper has
them in stock as well. That's where I got mine, and he's just $33
there.
- Big Bad Toy Store
has them in stock for $35, plus a flat $5 for shipping.