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Packaging - **1/2
The boxes haven't changed, but I really would like to see some text with
these villains. Guessing about who or what they are leaves something
to be desired. I suspect 21st Century is terrified of saying
anything that might cause controversy after all the news they received
over the first villain and his resemblance to the Columbine killers.
Still, some basic info on just why Boris is such a nefarious character
would be nice.
Accessories - ***
For Boris, his accessories are his strongest point. But exceptional
accessories are getting to be the norm.
His handgun is nice, but die cast is getting pretty common and this type
of basic plastic is being seen in the lower end figures with increasing
quality. His knife and sheath are nice, as is his baton. There
is also a pouch and a pair of clips that are molded as part of their
pouch. Neither of these are all that exciting. But the nicest
accessory of this set is by far his briefcase. It has actual snaps
on top, just like the real thing. It holds his automatic weapon
inside, with a trigger on the outside of the case, and a contraption on
the interior that is intended to appear as though he can fire it
covertly. There's even a small hole in the case where the barrel
would line up. This is an excellent accessory, and over shadows the
rest of the figure.
Sculpt - ***
The head sculpt here isn't bad, but it's nothing particularly
exciting. He can pass for Russian, and there's no goofy evil grin,
just a serious expression. Outfit - **
This is where I'm most disappointed. The hat is the highlight - the
sculpt is great and it fits fantastic. Unfortunately, Dragon has
produced hats similar to this in cloth and shown that it can be done, so a
plastic version doesn't excite me. And that's the highlight of the
outfit. The black turtle neck and pants are very basic, as are the
boots. The long jacket is not bad as far as quality goes - the
stitching is good, and the fit is great - but I hate the color. This
light brown is just too wussy. What, is this from the villains
spring collection?
Articulation - **1/2
The 21st Century body is just as articulated as always.
Unfortunately, as time goes by the bar keeps being raised by other
companies. Companies like bbi and Dragon are producing better
articulated and tighter bodies than 21st Century, and that hurts them in a
category that just last year they were tops in.
My Boris has a tough time standing on his own. His hips are very
loose, and I could barely keep him up long enough to shoot photos. Value -
**
Last week, I bought the F-15 pilot from bbi for $30. I saw
the Kenneth figure at KB Toys for $25 from Dragon. And 21st Century
is charging $30 for Boris? He only has a handful of accessories,
albeit the very cool suitcase is one of them, and his outfit is fairly
plain. Sorry, but here's another area that the bar has been raised.
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