[TAO's Note: I was as skeptical as anyone when Wes started telling me how much I need to start buying Power Rangers figures. For the longest time I just thought he was some Voltron-obsessed crazy hobo, but after reading this review (and watching an episode featuring "Lily"), it's all starting to look so much clearer. If you're a doubter like me, then keep reading, because that dirty derelict named Wes might just turn out to be quite persuasive.]
Name: Jungle Master Jaguar Ranger
Line: Power Rangers Jungle Fury
Manufacturer: Bandai America
Released: 2008
Price: Retail: $6.99
Scale: 6.00 in.
Accessories: Jungle Tag (single-carded mass market release); various weapons (exclusives)
Sponsor Listings: Amazon-$11.49
No, it's not a super-detailed sculpt -- but when we're talking about a Power Ranger, that's a good thing! I mean, they're largely just regular (albeit fairly fit) folks in tight spandex outfits, and that's what you get here. Theo here (that's the Jaguar Ranger's name; please don't judge me for watching the show :P) doesn't have muscles popping out all over the place like superhero figures, but you can glimpse subtle bulges and muscle groups -- such as his sexy washboard abs -- through the "fabric" of the costume. There are also sculpted wrinkles here and there to enhance the figure's appearance.
As far as other gear goes, the Jaguar Ranger has a fairly detailed helmet with sculpted spots, ears, and "whiskers"; nifty shoulderpads; cool Tiger Battle Claws; and even the team's characteristic Jungle Fury sneakers sporting the Order of the Claw symbol. The helmet has mold lines on the sides (though you have to look closely to see them given the dark blue plastic) and the soft plastic gloves are a touch soft (or maybe the paint makes them seem so), but even with these flaws Theo looks pretty great. My only real problem here is an absent element: on the show, the Rangers have raised "jets" on their sides in Jungle Master mode, yet the figure lacks these.
Note: Since this is the single-carded mass market release of the Jaguar Ranger, he has a hole in his back designed to work with the included Jungle Tag -- the exclusive versions lack this since they come with different accessories. However, since one probably won't be displaying Theo from behind anyway, I haven't penalized him for this.
Sculpt Score: 9 / 10
Most Power Rangers figures are cast in their respective colors and feature minimal paint, but -- as a Jungle Master with upgraded strength and weapons and spiffy new costume details -- Theo sports a healthy amount of white paint that makes for an even more attractive appearance. Moreover, since most of the paint here is applied via tampograph (or at least I'm reasonably sure that's the case), almost everything is super clean and neat. The torso is particularly impressive, with crisp edges around the white and silver sections and a super-sharp Order of the Claw symbol on his chest, and the lines down the figure's arms are also especially well done. The legs aren't quite as impressive, with fuzzy edges on the shins that lead me to believe the white here was sprayed on, and the paint on the gloves and around the visor is a touch sloppy (I imagine these areas were done by hand). Still, nothing looks especially bad, and somehow the problems are more easily overlooked considering that we're talking about an unapologetic toy rather than a collector figure.
The missing points here come from details that were left off. On the show, the white sections of the Jungle Master outfit are outlined in black, yet the black lines are absent here. The jaguar helmet also sports white paint at the "whisker" ridges, yet those are left touched here as well. The biggest issue, though, is that the back is left completely unpainted! It admittedly makes a little more sense on this version, given the Jungle Tag feature and all, but even so some paint back there would have been nice. Unpainted backs belong on bootlegs, not licensed action figures from reputable companies.
Paint Score: 8 / 10
The Jaguar Ranger has a pretty good articulation model diminished by only a few lacks and shortcomings. Of course, bicep swivels and double-hinged elbows and knees would be ideal -- especially since Jungle Fury was all about crazy kung-fu action -- but I can live without them. And somehow I actually prefer the figure without a waist swivel, since it keeps his midsection looking super smooth and unbroken.
Regarding what the figure does have, the neck is a swivel -- and of course a ball joint would be ideal. Still, the head is tilted in such a way that makes the figure look especially hardcore in poses, so it's not a huge loss. The elbows have a cool range of motion, bending to an angle slightly greater than 90 degrees, which makes Theo look especially good holding his signature Jungle Tonfa (assuming you get a version that comes with them or can finagle some from somewhere).
The shoulders, however, are limited in their outward movement by the sculpted shoulderpads, and the hips are limited by their inability to move more than 45 degrees forward or at all backward. The knees can bend to 90 degrees, but you have to force them to get to that point (they're made of soft plastic, but strong enough that you're not going to break or tear anything) -- otherwise they'll stop a bit short. The hip hinges sort of make up for this, though, and their interesting construction even allows the figure to bring his legs really close together. If you have a flight stand, you can probably get some wicked cool leaping poses out of the Jaguar Ranger.
The thigh swivels and ankles are also a big help when it comes to leg poseability, but sometimes these can be a touch loose. They won't be so loose that Theo will have trouble standing in vanilla poses, but you might find him slumping over after an extended length of time in more dynamic poses. A little super glue or nail polish will fix him right up, though, and the type of plastics used in this figure's construction means that -- assuming you have any idea what you're doing with these tricks -- you're not likely to accidentally glue the joint static (unless you're using stronger stuff than mine).
Also, owing to the prevalence of paint, Theo is one of the rare Power Rangers figures with the potential for stuck joints -- namely at the knees and elbows. If that happens, just force the hinges to ultimately peel them free, as the figure is strong enough to take your abuse without breaking (though I guess you could twist a wrist off if you tried really hard). And since the paint appears to be some kind of superbonded vinyl stuff, you'll never end up with paint chips -- at best, a sliver of one part might end up stuck to the adjacent piece. In any case, because the paint apparently thickens up the pieces at those points and provides a bit of friction, the elbow and knee hinges have this "perfect" feel to them -- they move smoothly, yet stop almost as if they had ratcheting constructions.
Articulation Score: 8 / 10
I was tempted to dock the Jaguar Ranger a point owing to the possibility of loose joints, but this figure is fun enough to trounce even that limitation. Remember when you got toys as a kid and just busted them loose and started playing without fear of stuck joints that led to broken parts -- or, for that matter, when you could buy figures off the shelves without needing to scrutinize every. single. figure. there. to get the one with the best paint job? Granted, I still did that last thing with Theo here, but one wouldn't have to in order to avoid disappointment -- this really is the kind of figure you can snatch blind, rip out of the package with glee, and get right to playing with little worry that your joy will be marred by the problems that plague so many collector figures.
Anyway, the figure poses very nicely (though I generally end up posing him in variations of a theme), and the accessories also add to the fun. The version pictured here is the single-carded mass market release, which only comes with a Jungle Tag. It's a little USB-like device that gives off a jaguar roar when the button is pressed, and when it's plugged into his back it makes a transformation sound (I don't remember hearing this sound on the show, but still). This is cool enough and will augment the figure's play value for kids of all ages -- if only temporarily -- and the jaguar roar does sound pretty awesome and catty. Heck, I chose this figure over the others because that RAW-AWWR sounded so cool, and since pressing the button will cause the sound to start over you can get some wicked cool Parappa-style beats going with it. RAW-RAW-AWWR, RAW-RAW-RAW-AW-RAW-RAW-AWWR. That said, many people will prefer one of the figures that comes with weapons, since these will be more useful against Dai Shi and his nonexistent minions (whyyyyyyy won't Bandai make more villain figures?!) in combat scenarios, so your mileage may vary depending upon which Jungle Master Jaguar Ranger you acquire.
Fun Score: 10 / 10
$6.99 for a 6" figure with a sound effect or a handful of accessories is a pretty good value, but -- since these were released back when DCUC figures, which have more articulation and came with BAF pieces, were $8.99 and $9.99 each -- not a perfect or even unique one. That said, that $7 price point is something of a magic number that raises the perception of value... and then there's the fact that I didn't pay even that much for this figure since I got it on clearance for $5 at Walmart. The Disney Store clearanced them even cheaper, as I later ended up with their exclusive version for under $3. You're not likely to find the figure at those prices now, but, if you live near a Toys "R" Us that isn't especially popular, you might be able to find the figure in a Jungle Master 4-pack for $20.99. That's not only a great deal for four cool figures, but also about the only way you'll get reasonably priced Wolf and Cheetah Rangers these days (the weapons seen here come from that set). And trust me, if you watch the show, you're going to want the Cheetah Ranger. Lily's such a dish. [TAO's Note: Seconded.]
Anyway, the figure was a solid value at $7 -- and a perfect one if you can get it at that price today, or on clearance or in one of the value-priced multipacks -- but I'm not sure I can recommend it at higher prices. As nifty and fun as the Jaguar Ranger is, he's not a collector figure. That arguably makes him even more fun in my book, since he avoids many pitfalls that those figures don't, but if you're going to pay collector prices you might as well get something with a highly detailed sculpt and paint job.
Value Score: 9 / 10
9 / 10 - Simple yet effective; subtle muscles beneath outfit and wrinkles are nice touches; detailed costume elements are cool and add to appearance; raised jets are absent; note hole in back.
8 / 10 - Unlike most Power Rangers, lots of striking white paint here; tampographed elements are crisp and clean; fuzzy edges on the shins and slop at the gloves and white visor outline; missing black outline and additional white on the helmet.
8 / 10 - Decent articulation model allows for fun poses; would benefit from bicep swivels and double-hinged knees and elbows; nothing is broken or even likely to break; cool tilt of helmet, 90+ degree elbow hinges, and hip hinges deserve special note; hip forward/backward movement is limited; thigh swivels and ankle hinges might be a touch loose; elbows and knees might stick at first due to "vinyl" paint.
10 / 10 - All the fun of your sturdy childhood toys with poseability approaching that of collector figures; accessories add to fun.
9 / 10 - Solid value when it was released; perfect if you can find it for that price today; don't pay collector prices for it since it's not a collector figure.
90 / 100 - This is a Wonderful Toy
-- with special emphasis on the word toy. I'm sure many readers out there will scoff at the idea of picking up a Power Ranger, but I truly think that anyone who enjoys action figures -- whether they've got McFarlane-level sculpts and drybrushed highlights or not -- owes it to him/herself to pick up a Power Rangers figure. And while I said almost the same thing in my review of Throttle Max Ranger Gold over at Scary-Crayon with respect to the RPM offerings, that goes double for the Jungle Fury figures. If you're going to select just one, there's a strong case to be made for the Jungle Master Jaguar Ranger.
That said, I'm not sure you'll be able to find the Jungle Master Jaguar Ranger especially cheap outside of the TRU 4-pack, but you can find lots of other Jungle Fury figures discounted at places like AD sponsor Past Generation Toys -- for instance, the "regular" mode Sound Fury Jaguar Ranger goes for $3.95 there and the 12" Mega Master Jaguar Ranger (which actually has bicep swivels, double-hinged elbows and knees, and is HYOOJ) goes for only $7.95. Admittedly, the 6" Jungle Fury figures are largely the same, so -- appearances and minor differences in articulation (the regular Jaguar Ranger has a rather wide stance, but lacks the restricting shoulderpads) notwithstanding -- you can apply what I've said in this review to just about any of them. Go clear out PGT's stock, and tell 'em Articulated Discussion (and Wes) sent you!
-Wes
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