WWE MATTEL - The Hart Foundation Review !!!

Bret "the Hitman" Hart along with Jim "the Anvil" Neidhart , together along with their former manager Jimmy " Mouth of the South" Hart are known as The Hart Foundation . However all three of these guys are sold separately . This review on the other hand is about Bret and Jim . Jimmy Hart was reviewed earlier in 2016 . If you missed the review of Jimmy Hart you can go here http://actionfigureimagerytoyreviews.blogspot.com/2016/04/wwe-elite-hall-of-fame-2005-jimmy-mouth.html . I purchased the figures of both Bret and Jim at a local Walgreens for around the price of $19.99 for each one. Since Bret Hart is the most popular of the two and most well known, I will review his action figure first, then on to Jim Neidhart .

There are previous versions of Bret Hart that were released when he was a singles/individual wrestler. This is the first figure of him as a tag team wrestler. Now for a look at the figure out of the packaging .

The only thing that I do not like about this Bret Hart figure is the facial sculpt. It is because I feel that it does not look very much like him. I prefer the head sculpts of the previous WWE Mattel Bret figures than I do this one because they actually look more like the real man. I think this figure resembles Bret a little, but not a lot. Plus I'm not a fan of the smile, as I do not remember seeing Bret smile a lot. I think he should have came with the facial expression that is on the packaging. Other than this one gripe, he is EXCELLENT as in the " EXCELLENCE OF EXECUTION ", his main catch phrase as a singles wrestler . Bret's hand poses fit in well with his fighting/wrestling style, with the right hand being an open palm fist and the left being a closed fist . Since he was somewhat of a combination of a brawler mixed in with a technical collegiate style of wrestling. I love the knee and elbow pads, I'm glad that they are rubbery and can be moved or cut off if you wish.That's better than them being painted on . The sunglasses that come with Bret do not fit real well on his face. They're almost too big and may fall of sometimes. This does not bother me however because I am use to seeing Bret more without shades than with them. Speaking of accessories, the only other accessory is a tag team championship belt. By the way, both Bret and Jim come with the same belt , so an up close pic of one of the belts is only shown once. 

As always with these figures, the championship belts are gorgeous, looking like an exact copy of the real thing . Plus they shine well in bright light, just like the real belts also . Now for a look at Bret to see if his finishing maneuver ," the Sharpshooter ", can be pulled off.

After several attempts at trying to successfully achieve the "sharp shooter" pose, it is nearly an impossible move to accomplish with the WWE Mattel figures. The sitting position is easy to do, but wrapping the arms around the victim's ankles is tough to do. The victim by the way being Doink the Clown . If Bret's arms or Doink's legs could be contorted just a little more, the move could probably be successfully pulled off. I guess the above pictures could indicate that Bret is " ATTEMPTING " the sharpshooter on Doink, but not actually performing the actual finishing move. At least an attempting look at the maneuver works. Now for a look at the Jim"the Anvil" Neidhart figure.

As you can see this is Jim"the Anvil" Neidhart's "First time in the Line".  Also as you can see that both him and Bret are on each other's packaging, letting collectors know that they are meant to be together as a tag team . Now for a look at the figure out of the packaging . 

As you can see, like Bret , Jim comes with two accessories. A tag team championship belt and a pair of sunglasses. Unlike Bret though, Jim's shades fit perfectly onto his face, not sliding or slipping off. Plus his shades are smaller than Bret's . The shades are not the same but the belts are. Also I think I like the Jim Neidhart figure better than I do the Bret figure. The reason why is that I can find no flaws with the Neidhart figure. Bret on the other hand the facial sculpt and expression are the only flaws for that particular figure. Plus Jim is unique in his own way, in that no one has a sharp pointy beard like that except him. Plus his chest hair is done nicely, along with his cool looking crew cut hair cut . Now let's see if Neidhart's finishing maneuver can be successfully pulled off.

Jim Neidhart's finishing maneuver is more of a modified body slam called "The Anvil Flattener". The name of this move makes since because at the end of the move Jim ends up on top of his opponent after they are slammed to the mat . So Jim's finisher is more easier to display than Bret's . Now for a look at both of these guys pictured with their former manager, Jimmy Hart . 

Above, a look at all three original members of the Hart Foundation pictured together. Now for a side by side comparison look at the two wrestlers, Bret and Jim . 

Looking at both of these guys pictured together, it may seem there are more differences than similarities. I'm not just talking about their faces either, but their attire. Even though they both have the same cool looking blend of black and pink, the tank tops are the same but the tights are somewhat different along with the boots. Bret has knee and shoulder pads whereas Jim does not. However the main thing that they both have in common is that they are champions, literally, with those fantastic looking championship belts.

FINAL  THOUGHTS

(1) ARTICULATION - Both Bret and Jim come with the regular standard articulation that all WWE Mattel figures possess .

(2) STANDING  ABILITY - Both guys stand well with no balance issues.

(3) WHAT  I  LIKE  BEST  ABOUT  THESE  FIGURES ? - BRET - The luxury of finally having my first and only Bret Hart action figure in the collection, however this is not my favorite version of the WWE Mattel Brets he will do for now. Also love the fact that he has both a closed fist for one hand and and opened palm fist for the other. JIM - The unique coolness of his beard and haircut . Plus his shades fit perfectly onto his face. TOGETHER it is a luxury to own figures of one of the best tag teams in WWE history. Plus I love how bright and vivid the pink colors are. 

(4) WHAT  I  LIKE  LEAST  ABOUT  THESE  FIGURES ? - The  only dislike is for Bret however it is a minor dislike not major. I do not think the face sculpt looks like Bret very much, plus I'm not use to Bret with a big smile. 

(5) WHAT  COULD  HAVE  BEEN  DONE  TO  IMPROVE  THE  FIGURES ? - Give Bret one of his older head sculpts from one of his previous figures. Jim is okay.

(6) GRADING  SCALE - BRET - a 9.5. The minus is for the head sculpt not looking too much like him as mentioned earlier . Still an overall cool figure. JIM - A Perfect 10. No flaws . 

(7) FINAL  ANALYSIS - It feels great to own figures of the Hart Foundation. However if you do not like the Hart Foundation you can still purchase them for the championship belts and put them around the waist of other wrestling figures. However I love both the belts and the figures. 

STAR WARS BLACK SERIES - C-3PO Review !!!

This current C-3PO figure is one of two of him released in the 6 inch scaled Star Wars Black line. The other one has a red arm, and the one I'm reviewing here has both of his default golden arms. The last digit in his name is the letter O by the way, and not the number zero just in case for those of you whom may have been wandering . I've been wanting a six inch figure of C-3PO ever since the six inch Star Wars Black line debuted , now he's finally here . I purchased this C-3PO figure at a local Walgreens, since after all he is considered to be a Walgreen's Exclusive , for around the $ 19.99 price range .

Notice that C-3PO, unlike most other Star Wars Black figures packaging , does not have a number on the sides of the packaging . I assume because this figure is considered to be an exclusive. CP has always been one of my favorite Star Wars characters because he along with his fellow droid buddy R2-D2 provide comedy relief .Now for a look at the figure out of the packaging.

One of the most surprising things I noticed when removing CP out of the packaging is how short he is . When I was a kid watching the original Star Wars films, he always seemed tall to me. But looking at this figure, if C-3PO was real he would probably be not much taller than five foot even . A few inches over five feet, say like 5"4 or 5"6 but nothing more, because as you can see this action figure just stand a little tad over five inches tall. I love how Hasbro stays true to the character's likeness, not just in looks but features too. Just like in the movies, CP can not bend his elbows. This is not a flaw as Hasbro is trying to stay true to the actual character, and does a good job of it. I love the gold metallic finish on CP, it's as if you are looking at real painted gold metal instead of gold plastic when viewing the figure from a distance. As always you can see the wires and circuitry under his armor.  I also love how his gold armored body shines under bright light, giving the illusion of real metal being shined upon , very cool looking . C-3PO as you can see comes with no accessories.

The two outside blasters on the outside of CP's knees can rotate at a 360 degree angle. I was surprised by this because I did not know that they could move until I attempted to rotate them. This is a nice feature, perfect for multiple display options. Below is a look at C-3PO compared to some other six inch scaled Star Wars Black figures.

As you can see the previous Droid figure known as K2-SO, which I last reviewed previously, towers over C-3PO . A side by side pic with his good buddy R2-D2 in the third comparison pic. The R2 figure debuted back in 2013, so his buddy C-3PO arrives three years later in 2016 . What a long wait for joining this duo together, but it was worth it. Finally , a shot of CP with some of the other older figures that debuted earlier in the line . Every figure that you see above has been reviewed on this site already. In case you missed those reviews, for Chewbacca click here - http://actionfigureimagerytoyreviews.blogspot.com/2014/10/star-wars-black-series-series-5.html .  For a look back at the Han Solo review, click here - http://actionfigureimagerytoyreviews.blogspot.com/2014/03/star-wars-black-series-2-han-solo.html . For the Slave version of Princess Leia click here - http://actionfigureimagerytoyreviews.blogspot.com/2014/02/star-wars-black-series-series-two.html . And finally for R2-D2 click here - http://actionfigureimagerytoyreviews.blogspot.com/2013/11/star-wars-black-series-one-r2-d2.html .
                                                             FINAL   THOUGHTS  

(1) ARTICULATION - Moving elbows are hindered on purpose because the actual character himself can not bend his elbows. The only other POA ( points of articulation ) that may seem somewhat limited is the downward head movement . However the rings around his neck is what hinders the movement, not the way the toy is made.

(2) STANDING  ABILITY - C3-PO stands really well with no balance issues. Since he's very flat footed that alone supports his stance.

(3) WHAT  I  LIKE  BEST  ABOUT  THIS  FIGURE ?- Finally having CP in the collection to display with his pal R2-D2 after all these years is a luxury. I love the shiny gold metallic finish plus gold is one of my favorite colors . I love how it shines in bright light like real metal.

(4) WHAT  I  LIKE  LEAST  ABOUT  THIS  FIGURE ? - There's nothing that I dislike about this figure.

(5) WHAT  COULD  HAVE  BEEN  DONE  TO  IMPROVE  THE  FIGURE ? - Nothing needs to be done he's perfect .

(6) GRADING  SCALE - A PERFECT 10. No flaws.

(7) FINAL  ANALYSIS - Us collectors have waited almost three full years for C3-PO's arrival in this line, so I was kind of surprised he was introduced so late into the line and not earlier, since he is one of the earliest Star Wars characters to be introduced in the franchise. But as that old saying goes" better late than never " .

A look back at Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Action figure style !!!

In tribute to the Dr. King Holiday , a tribute was given showing that there is actually an action figure of this great man . In 2015 I reviewed over this figure that I still till this day do not own in my collection, but would like to someday. Here's the link to the review http://actionfigureimagerytoyreviews.blogspot.com/2015/01/action-figure-imagery-salutes-dr-martin.html .

There is also if you read the article a bobblehead of Dr. King too. HAPPY MLK DAY EVERYONE !!! GOD BLESS !!!

STAR WARS BLACK SERIES - K-2SO REVIEW !!!

Here is a review of one of the characters from the recently released Star Wars Rogue One film , known as K-2SO . For those of you wondering if the last digit in his name is the number zero or the letter o , I wandered the same thing . It is the letter o, which I found out by visiting his Wikipedia page . He is also known as Kay-Tuesso, so that's how I know it's the letter o and not the number zero. To learn more about the character, you can visit his Wikipedia page here - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K-2SO . Many of you may also remember seeing this character in the Nissan car commercial . Remember he looked down on the lady driving the car at the commercial's end. Here is a link to that commercial courtesy of Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pc8ftsMUmKc . Now on to the action figure. I purchased this figure of K-2SO at a local Walmart for around the $ 19.99 price range .

K-2SO comes with no accessories, just figure only. However he's such a cool action figure he does not need any . Now for a look at the figure out of the packaging.

As you can see K-2SO is taller than the average six inch scaled figure, right at seven inches tall. He is very tall with long arms. He is extremely detailed with external circuitry. Plus the chipped up paint is done on purpose, it is not a mistake. It's like that in the movie, to give a sense of realism, as if some of the paint has been chipped off in battle. Plus the control panel on his upper back is nicely done with the protruding antennas . I think one of the best features K-2SO possess is the articulation in his neck. You can move his head all around in all directions, and even imitate that pose from the Nissan television commercial .

Recognize the above pose ? It's the same one from the Nissan commercial, at the end when he's looking down at the woman in the car . The ball jointed neck allows his head to move in all directions. Now for a look at the length of his arms using a 12 inch ruler .

As you can see K-2SO's arms are as long as he is tall . If he was a person instead of a robot, or in Star Wars terminology , " a droid", he probably would make an excellent basketball player . He has the height and the long arms to make being a ball player possible .
                                                            FINAL  THOUGHTS 

(1) ARTICULATION - The point of articulation I think that stands out the most is the ball jointed neck. The directions and positions he can display his head in proves he's not human .

(2) STANDING  ABILITY - Kind of tricky at first, but once you make the proper stance he stands well. He can become top heavy if not balanced properly with those skinny legs, however the proper balance makes him stand like a normal figure. He seems to stand best without falling on very hard wood surfaces .

(3) WHAT  I  LIKE  BEST  ABOUT  THIS  FIGURE ? - His extremely long arms and the all around ball jointed neck articulation .

(4) WHAT  I  LIKE  LEAST  ABOUT  THIS  FIGURE ? - There is nothing I dislike about the figure.

(5) WHAT  COULD  HAVE  BEEN  DONE  TO  IMPROVE  THE  FIGURE ? - No improvements needed .

(6) GRADING  SCALE - A PERFECT 10 I could find no flaws.

(7) FINAL  ANALYSIS - K-2SO joins CP-30 , R2-D2 among other droids as a droid action figure in the Star Wars universe . Plus this figure is a perfect likeness to the movie version .

WWE Mattel -The Narcissist Lex Luger Review !!!

The first review of this new year is of a figure made last year, WWE Mattel's version of Lex Luger as his " Narcissist " gimmick / moniker . I purchased this figure of Lex at a local Walgreens for around the $ 19.99 price range.

As  you can see Lex is part of the series that includes The Dudley Boys among others. Now for a look at the figure out of the packaging . 

If you just want plain old regular Lex Luger with OUT the Narcissist attire , you can easily transform or customize him into his regular self by using scissors to remove the skirt piece and the knee pads. However there is no need to do that unless you wish to, because there are figures of Lex as his regular self.  As many of you already know, Lex wrestled in the WCW ( World Championship Wrestling ) before joining the WWE . Once he joined WWE that's when the "Narcissist " gimmick was given to him. As for accessories with the figure, if you don't count the knee pads and the skirt piece the only other accessory that comes with him is the robe that you see pictured above. 

As for the action figure itself, I like it and think it is a perfect replication of the real Lex himself. This also is my first ever action figure of Lex Luger . From now on when I review wrestling figures, I will test them out in poses to see if they can pull off their finishing maneuvers . And if you've ever seen Luger wrestle I'm sure you already know that his signature move is the " torture rack " . Also this is stated on the packaging as you can see. So below is a pic of Lex Luger putting Kalisto in the torture rack . Kalisto is another figure that I reviewed on this site late last year.

Since Kalisto is small, he can easily fit onto Lex's back as the torture rack is displayed . However you may not want to do this with bigger figures. Larger wrestlers than Kalisto may make Lex fall down due to the extra weight . The good thing is at least the maneuver can be pulled off, plus Lex having open fists allows him to grip a wrist for extra support. Too bad Lex can not grip the ankle too, as you can see that his palms are not opened wide enough for that . I wish I would have thought of displaying " signature moves" in my past wrestling figure reviews, so I will include this feature in future wrestling figure reviews, and I think Lex is a great figure to start this feature off with . 

FINAL  THOUGHTS

(1) ARTICULATION  -  The only part that seems limited is his head. It can move down a little, but just like almost all WWE Mattel figures there is limited upward head movement .

(2) STANDING  ABILITY - Lex stands extremely well with no balance issues.

(3) WHAT  I  LIKE  BEST  ABOUT  THIS  FIGURE ? - The ability to display him in his signature move pose with ease and the luxury of having an action figure of a Hall of Fame caliber wrestler in the collection. 

(4) WHAT  I  LIKE  LEAST  ABOUT  THIS  FIGURE ? - There is nothing that I dislike about this figure. 

(5) WHAT  COULD  HAVE  BEEN  DONE  TO  IMPROVE  THE  FIGURE ? - Nothing he is a fantastic figure no need for improvements. 

(6) GRADING  SCALE - A PERFECT 10!!! No flaws. 

(7) FINAL  ANALYSIS - Lex Luger now joins Sting , Ric Flair, Booker T, among others that got their wrestling start in WCW to make it as a WWE Mattel figure . Let's hope the trend continues with figures of more wrestlers that started in the WCW . 

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2017 from Action Figure Imagery !!!!

Looking ahead to 2017 from a toy perspective, so far it seems that the biggest toy-related news is that 2017 will be the year that we will officially see the brand new Masters of the Universe Classics under SUPER 7 ever since they took over the brand from Mattel.  I'm not referring to the re-released figures of He-Man, Ram-Man, Teela, Skeletor, Faker,etc. neither, but the brand new not yet seen figures by Super 7 . As for an action figure tribute for New Year's, here is a link to the 2015 tribute which has a link to the 2014 tribute - http://actionfigureimagerytoyreviews.blogspot.com/2016/01/happy-new-year-happy-2016.html .

HAPPY 2017 EVERYONE and here's looking at another year of great upcoming toys !!! GOD BLESS YOU ALL !!!