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Packaging - ***1/2
These boxes match the red velvet curtain style of The Muppet Show
packaging. Not only do they hold the busts save and sound, they also have
windows in the front that allow you to see the character in all his or her
glory.
My only problem this time around was with Fozzie - his pointing finger is
VERY close to the window. Be careful because it would be easy for the
finger to get chipped or the paint rubbed off.
Sculpting - ****
Perhaps the best series so far, every bust in this set excels in this
category. But while they are all exceptional, Fozzie really steals the
show. Fozzie fans know that's no surprise!
The big bear is just that - BIG! The amount of detail work on his fur
and other textures is just amazing. The overal facial and body pose is
perfect. It looks like he just told a terrible joke, and 'wokka wokka' is
still ringing in your eyes.
Zoot is nicely done as well, and the use of different texturing for the
muppet 'skin', hair and clothing works great here. With Zoot and Janice
now, I'm dying for an Animal, Dr. Teeth and Floyd. Thank goodness well be
getting two of the three - Animal and Dr. Teeth - in the next series, along with
the very crucial Miss Piggy.
Lew was never one of my favorite characters, but they've done an
admirable job capturing him. The shape of the head seems slightly off to
me, but I never paid that much attention to him to be an expert.
Last but surprisingly not least is Beauregard. The janitor is not a
particular favorite of mine, and I had little excitement over his
announcement. But they've done a fantastic job with him, and he ended up a
close second to Fozzie in terms of sculpting and design.
Paint - Fozzie, Beauregard ****; Zoot, Lew ***1/2
The overall paint application on these busts is top quality work. There
are a few issues on Zoot and Lew, but the Fozzie and Beauregard I got were
perfect.
The paint application highlights the extreme detail and various textures
extremely well. It works particularly good on the two figures with the
heavy nap - Beauregard and Fozzie. There's also some very realistic colors
used here for the clothing and plunger, and it makes these two my favorites of
the set.
Zoot had a few minor issues, with some of the shirt color showing up on the
hands and neck, and a little inconsistency in the color of the face. Lew
also showed a few minor inconsistencies across the red, but nothing major or
worth getting seriously bent over.
Quality/Design - ****
Here's where these busts really shine. Everyone of them is in a terrific,
appropriate pose, and they look just like you'd expect these characters to.
Fozzie and Beauregard are again standouts in this area. Being very
large busts, there's a ton of resin here, and some real heft. The facial
expresions and body poses work perfectly with the characters.
Zoot is playing his horn, natch, and Lew is aout to smack you with a
fish. Every design was carefully thought out and well chosen.
Value - **1/2
Ouch. The Muppets busts are going to hurt your pocket more than the
average mini-bust, but part of that is because they aren't mini. These are
really about twice the size of the Simpsons busts, and all that extra material
and heft means you spend more, not to mention the much more complicated
sculpting. Still, some of the superhero busts are as complex, and are
cheaper by $15 to $20, so there's still some room for improvement in this
category.
Overall - Fozzie ****; Beauregard, Lew, Zoot ***1/2
I mentioned on the recent Green Goblin review that I hadn't given any other
busts four stars this year. A loyal reader pointed out that wasn't true -
I'd given one of the series of the Muppets busts four stars. Not only was
he right, but this Fozzie certainly deserves four stars in any universe.
I just wish these weren't almost painfully expensive. I glance at the
shelf of 16 that have been produced so far, and my wallet wimpers at the $800
they represent. Still, for the avid Muppet collector, these are
centerpiece to the collection.
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