Once in a while you get a dud toy. Strike that, seems like more often than not, I, specifically, get dud toys. Usually the problems aren't too bad, easily fixable, but sometimes you get something resembling a buttered marionette. That sounds pretty tasty, eh? This figure on the otherhand, is most definitely NOT tasty.
Name: Ronin
Line: Marvel Universe
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Released: 2009
Price: Retail: $7.99-$8.99, Online; $9.99-$15.99
Scale: 3.75 in. (figure is about 4.20 in. tall)
Accessories: Sword, Nunchucks
Sponsor Listings: Past Generation Toys-$8.95, Amazon-$11.49
There's no denying this is a pretty toy, I don't even like these figures but this guy called out to me (and the 2 for $10 sale made the voice louder!). Even the articulation is almost completely hidden, but it could use some modification. Everything is sculpted neatly, no misshapen armor-plates anywhere. The arms and legs are skin-tight while the robe flows naturally and has a slight texture. The torso is all one solid chunk, but the skirt is flexible. Defined muscles adorn the biceps and thighs adding more complexity to the design. The neck is angled downwards too much, makes Ronin look hunched-over, like he's scouring the floor for loose change.
Sculpt Score: 9 / 10
Only the gold parts seem to be painted, but it's applied well. There's some overspill but it's faint. The armor bits have a silver wash or something because they're a little sparkly. The rest of the figure is cast in dark grey, looks much better than solid black because then Ronin would look like Black Panther.
Paint Score: 8 / 10
Whoa, this figure has a nifty amount of articulation, great for a ninja-type character. I think the elbows would look sleeker as swivel-hinges though.
The hinge is an unnecessary eye-sore when a more-hidden swivel-hinge would
have the same range of motion. The armor doesn't hinder any movement, but the robe's flared shoulders block moving the arms straight up. The swivel at the waist and swiveling pivot in the torso may seem redundant, but together they create more natural poses. The head can't face upwards, it's stuck looking down. What the hell? Who does he think he is, Batman?
Articulation Score: 8 / 10
It can be argued that flopping fish are a fun sight. It's even more fun to try and hold them as they try to escape your clutches you sick, sick person. Leave the fishies alone! Playing with this figure is like playing with a fish within 2 minutes of the end of its wet, tasty life. Almost every single joint is loose making any sort of pose an unimaginable feat. Ninjas have to be limber, but come on, this super-bendy action sucks. Notice all the pics of Ronin getting thrashed around, that's
his most useful pose, "The Ragdoll".
The figure also suffers from a rubbery feeling, it feels like bubble-gum sometimes. This is most likely because much of the figure is made with soft plastic, even the plates in the knee-joints. The weapons are built more solidly but they're bent from the tight packaging. Actually, only the sword is bent, the nunchuks are perfectly straight. See anything wrong with that? The SHIELD files are stil neat, anything involving Nick Fury is worth a read.
Fun Score: 7 / 10
For the 8 bucks you'll shell-out, you get a slightly larger than usual 3.75 inch scale figure with 2 useful weapons and some colorful pieces of paper. It's overlooked that the SHIELD logo in the package is a removable piece of cardboard. You can tape it to a table or vehicle to instantly transform it into SHIELD property! Think of the look on Barbie's face when she sees her pink Corvette riddled with the damned things! So point is, take advantage of the 2 for $10 sale currently running at TRU.
Value Score: 6 / 10
76 / 100 - This is a Good Toy
It stinks that the figure felt like Jell-O right out of the package, but this won't be the case with all of them. We hope.
-DrNightmare
_________
