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Captain Miller - Saving Private Ryan
Dragons in Dream
"The
following is a guest review. The review
and photos do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Michael Crawford
or Michael's Review of the Week, and are the opinion and work of the
guest author."
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Don Bledsoe checks in tonight
with a look at one of the newer DiD figures - Captain Miller!
I'll be checking out several of the newer DiD figures in the
coming weeks as well. Take it away, Don!
Hello everyone. First off I want to thank Michael for giving
this fanboy a chance to do another figure review for his
site.
Much appreciated. I am known as ragacin on several forum
sites
like Sideshow freaks, OSW, and Rebelscum. Of late there has
been
a lot of product in the military and historical lines coming out from
DiD, Dragon, Hot Toys, Soldier and a few smaller companies.
The
details on this new age of figures are outstanding. These
guys
really set the bar in the stratosphere with what can be done with 1/6
right out of the box. These are not your daddy’s GI
Joe’s.
Tonight I am looking at Dragon in Dream’s release of Captain Millers
from their growing WWII line. It should be plainly obvious
that
this is more a film figure than a historical one as it clearly
represents Tom Hanks as Captain Miller in Saving Private
Ryan.
The name of the figure on the box is Captain Millers, so don’t think
that I made a typo when you see that. This figure is a dream
come
true for many a customizer as the subject matter is a highly popular
one. Does it stand up to the many custom versions people have
made?
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Packaging
-
**1/2
Spoiled
I am by the magnetic closures of the Sideshow Star Wars and Hot Toys
figures. The box, like most, has the standard Velcro
closures. The box is a double flap with some accessories on
the
flap and the figure inside the box. The box that holds the
figure
has a nice plastic tray that holds and protects the figure
well.
There are a few twisties to remove, but nothing crazy. The
box is
fairly collector friendly as the figure can be returned to the box
without much fuss.
Sculpting
-
****
The
sculpture is beyond perfect. It demonstrates just
what can
be achieved today in 1/6. The face is very realistic looking
and
is a dead on portrait of Mr. Hanks. This sculpt beats the top
contender of the customizers, which in my opinion was the Longbow
Studios version. While that sculpt was phenomenal, it was $35
for
the unpainted head, and then it had to be painted by you or have a pro
do it, which could be very costly. Plus the head itself was a
bit
on the small side. So for a custom head, it could cost you in
the
neighborhood of $100.00 or more, with the head and a professional paint
job. This whole figure retails for $89.99, no brainer
here.
The hands are very well done also, and are painted and lightly
weathered.
Paint
-
****
The paint
applications are done very, very well, as I expect from DiD.
No
slop or runs. Nice blending of skin tones. These
paint apps
have hit a new plateau for what can be achieved in a production
figure. I have seen VERY FEW professional paint jobs this
good. The tones and colors are highly realistic and gives the
head a very lifelike appearance. The paint, along with the
sculpting make this more a miniature person than a “doll”.
And
just to crank it up a notch, DiD has a lightly flocked 5 o’clock shadow
on Tom’s face to make it much more realistic than paint. The
flocked stubble actually looks more like the real thing than paint
could ever achieve. This well crafted paint app alone is
worth
the price of the figure. My only MINOR pick at the paint is
the
eyes. The way they have the eyes painted make Tom look
horrified,
which may be quite intentional. I would have preferred a more
neutral sense in the eyes, but I can see why the look of horror would
work just as well.
Articulation
- ***
The DiD
body is one of the more articulated ones out there with double hinge
elbows and knees, multi-ranged shoulder joints, ball jointed neck, and
toe articulation. The torso also has a total of three
articulation points which is incredible. Not quite
up to
Hot Toys True Type standards yet but very close.
Outfit
– ****
This outfit
is a perfect match for its film counterpart in 1/1 scale. Now
I
am not into the minutiae of some military enthusiasts out there (and
you know who you are) and say that this fabric or color is wrong for
this battle/year/etc, but I can say that it matches Tom’s outfit in
Saving Private Ryan. Historically accurate, I don’t know, but
to
me, this figure is loosely historical and leans more towards a movie
figure than a true military one. Again, the ranger vest and
other
items were very hard to come by in 1/6 scale for the customizers making
their own Captain Miller, and ended up being costly. Once
again,
this figure completes that need and has a rational price point
too. The boots are well done and are leather with real laces.
Accessories
- ****
The
figure is decked out with many accessories. The Thompson
machine
gun is actually made of metal and has a wood stock and grip.
The
bolt action works on the gun as well. The helmet and knife
are
also made of metal.
Fun
Factor - ***
As
Michael has said a few times in his reviews, these figures are a little
costly for kids to play with, but that does not detract from the fun an
adult can have! Captain Millers is a great figure, worthy of
a
museum showcase.
Value - ***
This
is a moderately high end figure with a MSRP of $89.99, but considering
the amount of detail in this miniature, it is well worth the cost if
you can pony it up.
Things
to Watch Out For -
Not a thing.
Overall
- ***1/2
This
is one of the most outstanding figures I own. It is
unbeatable in
the level of detail and the intricacy of design. I cannot
imagine
that anyone in the future could do a better and more true to life
representation of Captain Miller from the seminal film, Saving Private
Ryan.
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This product was purchased for the review by the reviewer.
Photos and text by Don Bledsoe
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