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Packaging - **1/2
Big box, basic colors, access to press his button. The colors follow
the standard, and what was somewhat dull on a 7" figure is downright
boring for one this large. Still, it's sturdy, and it does proclaim
"Over 12 Sayings!".
Sculpting - ***
Now I'm pretty sure this figure is nothing more, sculpt-wise, than a blow
up of the Stewie from series 1. And yet I gave that sculpt only **,
while this one gets ***. What happened in between?
Actually, the problems I had at the smaller scale seem less of an issue at
this size. I'm not sure why, since that's not normally the case -
usually, as the figure gets bigger, the issues become more obvious to the eye.
But not this time. The oddly shaped head seems closer to the show,
and while I'm still not thrilled with the frown, it works pretty well with
this particular position of the eyebrows and eyes. The expression also
works well with the majority of the sayings that he spouts when you push the
button.
He still does have the neck issue, that I detailed in the review of series
1. Unlike the cartoon, where his chin drops down below his body, in 3D it
must stay above, and that throws off his appearance slightly.
Stewie stands about 12" tall - just under it - and will be a tad big
next to Peter. But from what I saw of the two together at SDCC,
it will still work just fine.
Paint - ***1/2
No issues major issues here. When dealing with such a large figure and
so few colors, consistency in each color itself is the most important
thing. The red stays red across his body, with no lighter or darker
areas, or weird changes in texture or finish. Likewise with the yellow
of his shirt and his skin tone. The few details are clean and neat, and
overall the paint ops are solid.
Articulation - ***
Stewie isn't meant to be super poseable, but he still has a few joints.
There's his neck, shoulders, top of his legs, waist and wrists. Like I
said, not a lot, but it's more than the small version of Stewie had, and just
about as much as you could possible get into a character design like
this. A ball jointed neck would be the only thing that could boost the
score much more.
Accessories - ***
Stewie comes with his faithful bear, Rupert. There are no hidden
weapons in Rupert, which is a good thing since at this scale you'd end up
detained at the airport for a very long time if you tried taking this toy on
board.
Rupert is a plush bear, just like he should be, although the plushiness
throws off his appearance slightly. Stewie can't actually hold him
either, which is too bad, but he comes with a couple rubber bands to keep him
close.
Talking Feature - ***1/2
The box proclaims "over 12 sayings", and here's what I can find:
- "Oh, I'm going to crap double for you tonight!"
- "When the world is mine, your death will be quick and painless."
- "I say, am I to spend the entire day wallowing around in my own
feces!"
- "You must continue to sanitize my crevasse and be damn grateful for the
opportunity!"
- "Why don't you burn in hell!"
- "Hmmm, the ruptured capillaries in your nose belie the clarity of your
wisdom."
- "Oh Mother, I come bearing a gift. I'll give you a hint - it's in
my diaper, and it's not a toaster."
- "Oh, blast, you and your estrogenically treachery!"
- "What the hell do you think you're doing?"
- "Evidently madam, you and I differ greatly in our conception of
beauty."
- "I offer you the opportunity to join me in glorious battle."
- "Gah - there I've gone and soiled myself. Are you happy
now!"
- "Oh, that is a vile and odious lie!"
Since that's 13, I'm betting that's it. Sort of a baker's dozen of
humorous quotes! They are all good quotes, although I'm sure every fan
will be able to spout at least 12 more that are equally as good.
The speaker is actually on his back, facing out, so hearing him from the
front is a little difficult. He could use a little more volume, but the
button is easy to get to, and you can turn him off easy enough if your kids
(or co-workers) start to drive you nuts.
Fun Factor - ***
Most kids who would actually play with this probably shouldn't be watching the
show. But he's still very fun, and I'm betting that if you take him in
to work - which is my plan - folks won't be able to ignore his presence.
Value - **
Stewie is pushing the price boundary at close to $40. That's some
serious cash for a 12" figure, even if he does talk. He's cool to
have, but you'll need to think about this particular category more than usual
in this case, since how willing you are to part with that kind of green can be
a very personal situation.
Things to Watch Out for -
Dead batteries. Be sure to push the button and check him out at the
store, just in case the pimple faced stock boy has spent most of last night
making him talk.
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