DSC_8615
On the other side of the NYC turf war, we have none other that Oroku Saki, aka The Shredder - specifically the 6 inch scale movie iteration from NECA.
Up until this point in my life (the 90s) the only TMNT line I was familiar with was the 80s cartoon. Voiced by Uncle Phil himself, while exceptionally skilled and wily, the cartoon Shredder would occasionally win rounds against the Turtles usually by sheer luck, or more accurately, the stupidity of his henchmen Bebop and Rocksteady. Well, the live action movie version wasn't quite as deadly as his comic counterpart, but it did convey one thing - Oroku Saki was capable of besting and killing our teenage heroes. In fact, he is so deadly in this movie, it was only by his own rage that Saki met defeat, as he easily beat down all of our heroes (I can't remember if Casey made it to the last fight on the roof), even Splinter.
Unlike Splinter, Shredder comes packed with a more sensible package. There's the figure (with removable face mask to replicate very last battle in the movie), a dagger and sheath, this double ended lance, three pairs of hands total (closed fist, weapon gripping, open palm) and his cape.
Lets talk about the elephant in the room - Shredder looks like a doofus. I mean.. damn. I know it was the 90s and all but when the cartoon version has a more kickass ensemble than you do, it's kind of embarrassing. Early 30s Japanese dude wearing sparkly pajamas, undersized blades, oversized cosplay helmet, and shower curtains. No amount of shadow and ambiance made this look good to me. Well, bless their hearts, NECA replicated this incredibly well. The suit has the sparkles and the metal parts have their metal weave. He's still got that god awful cape, and of course, Shredder has that battle scarred visage of his from a previous encounter with the still animal Splinter. Like with most toy capes, the standard one is alright, but ultimately isn't that great so you might as well just ditch it - Shredder did in the movie when he was beating down the good guys anyway.
With the cape out of the way, you have access to the full range of Shredder's articulation. It isn't bad, but not quite as good as the animated figures. Shredder has ankles, double jointed knees, ships, waist, shoulders, double jointed elbows with swivel at the upper arm joint, wrists, and neck. The "sleeves" of the body extend out over the shoulder, which interferes with overhead arm poses. I've also not a fan of the fact they sculpted him with his head slightly forward, so it looks Shredder is kind of slouching from the side.
Paint is, again, exceptionally well done for a NECA product. There is some great work on the figure, with crisp masking and detailing work. Some of the silver paint apps are a bit on the thick side, most notable being the blades, but my is, and always will be, the application of flesh tones on the figure, both the face and the hands. Part of it is of course the underlying sculpting isn't as refined as Figuarts or what not, which is understandable. I suspect a bigger culprit is the colour of plastic they use, and it probably requires that much more paint to cover it up. Bless NECA, mind you, for actually trying as I suppose they could have just half assed it - then again, there is some tough competition in the $20 USD price point. Even with this thicker than desire paint application, however, there's much to appeal to the eye.
Finally, there's the usual NECA QC and build quality to deal with, which again means stiff joints that require a bit of massaging to get to work. challenges aligning the limbs, and softer than optimal plastics used in the joints. Otherwise, honestly, he's not bad for the $20 USD and definitely is a more satisfactory buy than the Marvel Legends stuff.
So there you have at - the big bad of the movie TMNT world.. until you get to the third movie and the greatest enemies are pirates and crappy animatronics. Overall, with the exception of the shoulder limitations and average stock cape, pretty much what I was expecting. More importantly, Shredder is a pretty fun toy to mess around with and pose, and is definitely superior to Splinter IMHO as a figure release.
Is the Movie TMNT line done for me? Well. .not quite. Nothing has been announced, I don't think. It would be nice to have an April or Casey Jones, but.. believe or not.. I want a freaking Tojo. Yes.. the bald headed Japanese dude who is the main lackey to Saki. I want him to be made into a figure.
Consider the gauntlet thrown, NECA.
DSC_8615
On the other side of the NYC turf war, we have none other that Oroku Saki, aka The Shredder - specifically the 6 inch scale movie iteration from NECA.
Up until this point in my life (the 90s) the only TMNT line I was familiar with was the 80s cartoon. Voiced by Uncle Phil himself, while exceptionally skilled and wily, the cartoon Shredder would occasionally win rounds against the Turtles usually by sheer luck, or more accurately, the stupidity of his henchmen Bebop and Rocksteady. Well, the live action movie version wasn't quite as deadly as his comic counterpart, but it did convey one thing - Oroku Saki was capable of besting and killing our teenage heroes. In fact, he is so deadly in this movie, it was only by his own rage that Saki met defeat, as he easily beat down all of our heroes (I can't remember if Casey made it to the last fight on the roof), even Splinter.
Unlike Splinter, Shredder comes packed with a more sensible package. There's the figure (with removable face mask to replicate very last battle in the movie), a dagger and sheath, this double ended lance, three pairs of hands total (closed fist, weapon gripping, open palm) and his cape.
Lets talk about the elephant in the room - Shredder looks like a doofus. I mean.. damn. I know it was the 90s and all but when the cartoon version has a more kickass ensemble than you do, it's kind of embarrassing. Early 30s Japanese dude wearing sparkly pajamas, undersized blades, oversized cosplay helmet, and shower curtains. No amount of shadow and ambiance made this look good to me. Well, bless their hearts, NECA replicated this incredibly well. The suit has the sparkles and the metal parts have their metal weave. He's still got that god awful cape, and of course, Shredder has that battle scarred visage of his from a previous encounter with the still animal Splinter. Like with most toy capes, the standard one is alright, but ultimately isn't that great so you might as well just ditch it - Shredder did in the movie when he was beating down the good guys anyway.
With the cape out of the way, you have access to the full range of Shredder's articulation. It isn't bad, but not quite as good as the animated figures. Shredder has ankles, double jointed knees, ships, waist, shoulders, double jointed elbows with swivel at the upper arm joint, wrists, and neck. The "sleeves" of the body extend out over the shoulder, which interferes with overhead arm poses. I've also not a fan of the fact they sculpted him with his head slightly forward, so it looks Shredder is kind of slouching from the side.
Paint is, again, exceptionally well done for a NECA product. There is some great work on the figure, with crisp masking and detailing work. Some of the silver paint apps are a bit on the thick side, most notable being the blades, but my is, and always will be, the application of flesh tones on the figure, both the face and the hands. Part of it is of course the underlying sculpting isn't as refined as Figuarts or what not, which is understandable. I suspect a bigger culprit is the colour of plastic they use, and it probably requires that much more paint to cover it up. Bless NECA, mind you, for actually trying as I suppose they could have just half assed it - then again, there is some tough competition in the $20 USD price point. Even with this thicker than desire paint application, however, there's much to appeal to the eye.
Finally, there's the usual NECA QC and build quality to deal with, which again means stiff joints that require a bit of massaging to get to work. challenges aligning the limbs, and softer than optimal plastics used in the joints. Otherwise, honestly, he's not bad for the $20 USD and definitely is a more satisfactory buy than the Marvel Legends stuff.
So there you have at - the big bad of the movie TMNT world.. until you get to the third movie and the greatest enemies are pirates and crappy animatronics. Overall, with the exception of the shoulder limitations and average stock cape, pretty much what I was expecting. More importantly, Shredder is a pretty fun toy to mess around with and pose, and is definitely superior to Splinter IMHO as a figure release.
Is the Movie TMNT line done for me? Well. .not quite. Nothing has been announced, I don't think. It would be nice to have an April or Casey Jones, but.. believe or not.. I want a freaking Tojo. Yes.. the bald headed Japanese dude who is the main lackey to Saki. I want him to be made into a figure.
Consider the gauntlet thrown, NECA.