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| "I don't think you're the sewer-dwelling green mutant-lizard I'm looking for..." |
"Mutated from
ooze and raised in the ways of Ninjutsu by their rat Sensei, Splinter, the
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are ready to venture outside their sewer lair to
fight evil everywhere!"
I had seen
pictures of the new Playmates TMNT line (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in old
money) all over the internet last year, and was immediately interested in
picking them up. It took a while for them to hit over here, but since they have
it’s been a Turtle bonanza at supermarkets and toy shops, and other than empty
shelves at Christmas, they’ve been quite easy to pick up. And it’s a nice
feeling, being able to go out to a shop and actually be able to buy something
you want (ahem, Star Wars Vintage Collection).
I was sold on the show from about halfway through the first episode I
saw, “Never Say Xever”. It was action packed and entertaining anyway, but when,
in a moment of inspired lunacy, Michelangelo proclaimed a need to get a tattoo
of his face on his face to use as a mask, visualised as his 80’s animated look,
I knew I’d found my new favourite cartoon...
Back in the 80’s and early 90’s, fearless leader Leonardo was my
favourite, and so he was a natural to pick up first.
Leonardo
Leader and King of the Katana Swords
Hardworking, honourable and respectful, Leonardo is the Turtles’
fearless leader. Driven to be the perfect hero, Leo’s inexperience and (often)
rowdy brothers sometimes get in the way of his goal.
Weapons: Niten Ryu – double katana swords
Team: Ninja Turtles
From the cardback.
"Wow, Weird Looking Dudes."
A big reason for picking up Leo first, aside from my affinity for the
character, was the aesthetics. The shade of green matches the blue of Leo’s
mask and the yellow of his under-shell beautifully, and the flashes of white on
the figure make him look really dynamic. The sculpt captures the muscles with a
rough texture that really evokes reptilian skin, and there are plenty of little
nicks and scratches, presumably battle scars, that add further texture and
complete the look beautifully. The large feet and hands are somewhat
reminiscent of late 90’s Spawn to me, and I really like the power and bulk they
bring to the figure. The belts and pads on the elbows and knees are well
sculpted, also suffering scratches and nicks. They are all painted the same shade of brown, with gold highlights on the buckles on the chest strap. The belts go
all the way around the back and incorporate the katana sheaths, so you can pose
the figure anyway without having to worry about a break in the design. The back
shell is as detailed and textured as you’d think, given the rest of the figure,
and the colour perfectly differentiates it from the rest of the body without
clashing. In terms of looks, this Leonardo is a perfect figure.
"You...are seriously twisted."
Leo has 11 points of articulation: ball jointed neck, shoulders,
elbows, thighs and knees, and swivel wrists. The ball joints are also hinged,
which allows a much greater range of movement; however the bulky sculpt of the
body of the figure gets in the way of a lot of poses. The bottom of the front shell
is flexible, allowing Leo to adopt a sitting position, which I’m sure would
come in handy for use in the Shellraiser, or other such vehicle. The bulky,
wide feet and angled big toe allow the figure a fairly decent balance, meaning
that despite not having foot articulation, Leo can be stood in quite a few
poses; however, you’d need a stand if you wanted him in a full-on action stance
– the heavy weight of the upper body makes it pretty much impossible to balance
him on one leg.
"The Class is Pain 101…"
Leonardo comes with his trusty twin katana, or Niten Ryu, as the
cardback tells me. They’re a decent size for Leo to hold, but the coolest
feature is how easily they fit into the sheath on his back. The sheath itself
is attached by a plug and is detachable, but as the swords are part of what
makes Leo Leo (visually, I mean), I prefer to keep it on.
Reminiscent of the 80’s
toyline, he does come with weapons packed in – a blister pack containing two
throwing stars, three knives, an even larger sword and what looks like a shank.
I’ve not broken these out yet; I think mainly because I’m acutely aware I could
lose them…
There’s also a pack-in flyer showing the rest of the 2012 line,
including the massive sewer playset, which finally puts the Blue Peter version
to shame. These extras with the figure should be mandatory when it costs £10,
especially the catalogue – I used to pore over these when I was a kid, mentally
marking down which figures I wanted next, and I’m sure there are kids out there
today doing the same.
"Get yourself together Captain, you're our leader, so act like
one!"
The only real negatives are the slightly restricted articulation and,
maybe, the facial sculpt. I say maybe because I’m in two minds about it. As a figure
based on the cartoon, the head fails: the eyes are missing the coloured pupils,
and his face is in a mean and slightly humorous grin – in short, he looks way
more aggressive than you would imagine TMNT Leo could get. However, as an
action figure in itself, the head sculpt works really well. It’s like the
Eastman/Laird comic versions in its attitude and ferocity, and seems more
influenced by the visual style of the NECA figures than the show itself. I’m
falling on the side of it being a win though: as much as I love the show, this
guy makes a truly kick-ass action figure, and if anyone cares that much about
show accuracy, pupils are but a blue Sharpie away…
"I am impressed, Leonardo."
In conclusion, I am seriously impressed with this figure. It looks
fantastic, with impressive articulation, it’s got weight and feels sturdy, and comes with a
decent amount of accessories. Leonardo straddles the line between child’s toy
and collectible perfectly. I’ve got Michelangelo waiting to be unboxed and reviewed
as well; hopefully it won’t be too long after that I get myself a Donny and
Raph to complete the team.
My verdict? ****1/2
