WWE Elite Series 21 AJ Lee and Basic Series Best of 2013 Kaitlyn

I've decided to do something different here for a change. Instead of reviewing over one action figure I'll review two at the same time. Mostly I'll do this with the WWE Mattel figures. Since there are so many of them, rather it be basic figures or elite. Today I'm reviewing two WWE female wrestlers, or WWE Divas as they are sometimes called. Action figures of the divas AJ Lee and Kaitlyn. AJ is from the Elite series and Kaitlyn is from the Basic series. The differences between Elite and Basic figures are extremely noticeable. Not just between the female figures but all figures.For those of you whom may not be familiar with this line, I'll explain the differences between Elite and Basic right now.Elite figures have slightly more articulate parts and are more detailed visually sometimes. Elite figures also come with more accessories and feature brief bios of wrestlers on the back of the packaging, whereas Basic figures do not. Hence the lower price of Basic figures. Basic figures normally cost around 10 dollars plus whereas Elite figures may run up to 16 dollars or more. Also I think that the basic figures are aimed at lower income individuals or families. Therefor you get a lower price but also lower quality and less goodies such as accessories. Whereas the Elite figures are perfect for those of us that don't mind spending a little extra dough for action figures.
 I think that was kind of Mattel and smart for them to think of people of all income levels. Good marketing strategy on their part too. Now on to the figures themselves. First up is AJ Lee.

AJ is neatly sculpted with a new set of legs different from previous WWE female figures. If you pay close attention her upper thighs are more muscular than any female in the line so far, including both versions of Beth Phoenix. I am glad that the women figures are no longer sharing the same body parts anymore.
As for her accessories, the majority of them are removable unless you take a pair of scissors and cut them loose. AJ comes with two knee pads, two wrist bracelets and one necklace.She is nicely detailed with painted black fingernails and pink lipstick. And she looks to be ready to do battle with her open fists. Plus I love her shoes and her green checkered outfit.

As for the first pic of the front of the packaging, I had already taken AJ out of the box before I came up with the idea of taking pictures of figures while they are still in the box. Sorry about that. After I take pictures of the boxes or scan them, I usually throw most of the packaging away. Some packaging I may keep and others I may not, that's how I am as a collector when it comes to packaging. Since AJ's legs are thicker and sturdier than previous female figures, she can easily pull off lifting and holding poses.
Now on to Kaitlyn . I think the figure is pretty cool, and her hair may play tricks on your eyes, although I mean this in a good way. In dim lighting, the streaks in her blond hair look black. But once I placed her under a bright LED flashlight the streaks look dark brown instead of black. See if you can notice the differences in the following pics. The full body shot was taken without the LED flashlight but the up close pic was taken with the extra light.

I love Kaitlyn's green eyes, they just stand out at you like cat eyes. Good job Mattel on the eyes and the hair streaks. She is not as detailed as AJ Lee, no makeup at all, lipstick or nail polish. But as mentioned earlier, this may be due to the differences in quality between Elite and Basic figures.If you want this version of Kaitlyn, then you must purchase her in the series labeled Best of 2013, as shown in the pics below.

FINAL  THOUGHTS

(1) ARTICULATION - Even though Kaitlyn is packaged with the Basic line figures, she has the same articulation as Elite figures. Basically every joint is movable on both of these figures, with the exception of an ab crunch and limited up and down head movement due to the sculptured hair. 

(2) STANDABILITY - There are no balance issues with either of these figures. 

(3) WHAT DO I LIKE BEST ABOUT THESE FIGURES ? For AJ- her jewelry and brand new legs. For Kaitlyn- her hair, green eyes, and her leather and vest outfit.

(4) WHAT DO I LIKE LEAST ABOUT THESE FIGURES ? Limited head movement. No ab crunch on either figure.

(5) WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN DONE TO IMPROVE THESE FIGURES ? Softer hair for better head movement. The female figures deserve an ab crunch just like the elite male figures.

(6) GRADING SCALE - On a scale of 1-10 I give both of these figures a 9.0. Both are still cool even without the ab crunch. However with an ab crunch along with softer hair would have raised the score to a perfect 10. 

(7) FINAL  ANALYSIS - Overall I am pleased with both of these action figures of AJ Lee and Kaitlyn. Also if you look closely at Kaitlyn's arms, they just like AJ's legs seem pretty muscular. Compared to the previous WWE female figures. I even noticed what look like veins on Kaitlyn's right shoulder. Excellent attention to detail by Mattel. I definitely recommend you add these two divas to your WWE Divas collection.