Packaging - ***1/2
Clamshells. I love them. Are they hard to open? Yes, but
what are you, six? They also withstand shelf and shipping abuse great, cut
way down on theft at the store, and allow for all kinds of cool insert graphics
and designs. MOCers love them because they are easy to store and hold up
great over time. I can deal with having to cut them open for the benefit
of all.
Sculpting - ****
This is definitely not the original Animal, with a much more detailed head
sculpt. The hair is finer, wilder and crazier, and the work around the
eyes and eyebrows much more closely resembles the actual puppet.
This is actually the head sculpt from the Mega
Animal, which I felt was a distinct improvement over the original.
Even shrunk down to this size, it looks great.
While the cuffs and collar are plastic, the chain hanging from his neck is
metal. It works great with the drum, and it's so stylish!
I've included a couple of photos of the original head sculpt, both open eyes
and closed eyes, for you to compare. The original had much thicker hair,
more like playdoh really. This is a much neater and cleaner sculpt, and
comes much closer to a puppet appearance.
Paint - ***1/2
Okay, so this is the tricky part - explaining the various color
differences. First though, let me say that the overall quality on all
three figures was extremely good. I saw no serious slop or over spray, and
there was NO stickiness to the paint.
Do be careful with the black eyebrows though - they can leave rub marks on
the eyeballs. I didn't have too much trouble, but I was careful, and I've
heard other folks had issues.
But which color combination to buy? Well, you could be a completist
like me and just pick up all three. What the hell! But if you're looking
to get all picky on me, then here's the basic rundown:
The omgcnfo.com version is in a red/gold combo. The drum and bongos
have these colors, with the logo on one side of the drum. Animal himself
has rather pink pants (at least they look pink to me, but I suppose they could
be red), and a red and green shirt with a white string. The cuffs and
choker are all silver, like the original. The closures on the pill bottle
are also silver. The drumsticks are red and white with black handles.
Killer Toys has a black and silver combo. Again, the drum and bongos
are done in this color, as are the drum sticks (black handles again).
Animal has a black and silver shirt with black pants, and the same silver cuffs
and choker as the original. The closures on the pill bottle are also silver.
Finally, there's the Collector Paradise version in blue and gold. At
least that's the colors of the drum and bongos, while the drum sticks are solid
black with white heads. Animal's shirt is green and yellow with a blue
string, with blue pants. His other big change is in the choker and cuffs,
which are now gold instead of silver. The closures on the pill bottle are
also gold.
So which looks best? That's a very personal decision, and I have to
admit that there are parts of each I like. I like the red and gold colors
of the drum and bongos on the omgcnfo.com version, the silver and black clothes
on the Killer Toys version (which go nicely with the tuxedo figures), and the logo on the drum of Collector's
Paradise. I'm glad I didn't try to pick just one! You might want to
consider how these would look with the repainted band members, if you'll be
displaying them together.
Articulation - ***1/2
The articulation is improved here over the original Animal. He has all the
joints that the original does - ball jointed neck and shoulders, mouth,
eyebrows, cut biceps, wrists, waist, hips and ankles - plus he adds one more
very helpful joint...the knees! By adding the knee joints to the leg
sculpt, they've really improved the posing possibilities, and made it quite a
bit easier to keep this guy standing. It also helps getting the drum
balanced on his chest just right if you go for that look.
All the joints work well, and this figure is a great example of how valuable
cut joints like those in the arms, wrists and ankles can be. The ball
jointed neck has a good range of motion, and the jointed eyebrows and jaw are
musts for a character like Animal.
Accessories - ***
Each figure comes with quite a few accessories, particularly for an
exclusive. Each has the large drum, with the logo of the on-line retailer
printed on one side. There's also a hook on top that can be used to hook
the drum to his neck chain.
Each figure also has a set of bongos, again in a matching color
combination. There's a jar of insta-grow pills, which does not open, and a
pair of drum sticks designed for the single drum.
One thing Palisades has always done well with this line is the accessories,
and this is no exception. While a couple more would have been nice, it's
really not necessary for the value, since these are long run exclusive figures.
Fun Factor - ***1/2
If you're kids love the Muppets, you know they love Animal. He just
has that, uh, animal magnetism. With the added articulation, the great
sculpt, and the nifty accessories, this figure is a lot of fun.
Value - **1/2
The next (and last full series) release is due in early November, and they
will run around $10 - $12 each, depending on the store. These are
exclusives, yet managed to stay in the usual $15 exclusive range, even with a
nice selection of accessories. For us suckers, er, completists, getting
all three is a tad expensive, but for those only looking to pick up one version
of Animal 2, $15 ain't bad.
Overall - ***1/2
Animal 2 is now my favorite version of Animal, combining some great
accessories with a much improved head sculpt and even improved
articulation. Which one of these three is my favorite? I really
can't decide. Each one has something different going for it, and picking
just one isn't going to be easy.
I also want to make a special mention that omgcnfo.com
has a second exclusive to their store only (in the U.S.), and you don't want to
miss it - it's Sweetums! Man, I can not wait for this figure to hit, as he
was one of my first favorite characters in the Muppet universe. He's huge
as well, about 10" tall, so he'll tower over the rest of the
Muppets.
SCORE RECAP:
Packaging - ***1/2
Sculpt - ****
Paint - ***1/2
Articulation - ***1/2
Accessories - ***
Fun Factor - ***1/2
Value - **1/2
Overall - ***1/2
Where to Buy -
Each of the three retailers has theirs available now:
- OMGCNFO.com has the red/gold version for
$14.95. They are also taking pre-orders for Sweetums, an exclusive to
their store!
- Killer Toys has the black and silver
version for $14.95.
- Collector's Paradise has the
blue and gold version for $14.95.
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