Dammit,
this is another one of those figures that gets me in trouble and
starts me collecting a line that I don’t need to be collecting.
So
every time a wrestling fan walks down the toy aisle, there are a ton
of instantly recognizable, high-quality figures staring them down.
And the line is not only high quality, it seems to have the best
distribution of any line I’ve seen in the last decade. To date, I
have seen every figure that has been released since I started
following the Elite line at retail.
But
all of that isn’t the truly insidious part. That’s the fact that
Mattel puts these Flashback figures into the assortments, so no
matter how disillusioned I might be with the current product, there
are always going to be nostalgic favorites among the current
Superstars. Like Andre.
Andre
is a legendary being to me. I think I discovered the WWF around 1985.
That was when Hulk
Hogan’s Rock N’ Wrestling
debuted and I’m pretty sure that factored into my interest. It was
around the same time that I discovered Commander
USA’s Groovie Movies,
which I mention because I’ll take any opportunity I can to mention
Commander
USA’s Groovie Movies.
I
don’t have a lot of memories of Andre in a wrestling ring. I would
imagine that he was something of a special attraction and wasn’t
used on TV a whole lot. I wasn’t able to watch the actual wrestling
programs on a regular basis because my parents weren’t real big on
it and I certainly never saw any pay-per-views. When I think of
Andre, I tend to think of him in a button-down shirt and blazer more
than a singlet. Or as Fezzik in The
Princess Bride,
for that matter.
He’s
a singular individual whose character and impact on the sport will
never be equaled. He’s one of the few that transcended professional
wrestling to become something that the entire world remembers fondly,
and for that he is
a legend.
All
of that is why I had to buy this figure when I saw it on the pegs,
despite the fact that I’m not collecting wrestling figures anymore.
Okay,
well, I am now.
The
WWE figures are a little larger than twelfth scale, making them
bigger than most of the stuff in the toy aisle. Andre is, of course,
even bigger. This is a very large figure, one that could almost have
commanded a higher price if it were practical for Mattel to do charge
it as opposed to including it in a case of same-priced SKUs.
I
love that Mattel managed to incorporate two looks into the figure,
effectively making this the ultimate Andre. The only other variant I
might want would be a suited Andre. And I would totally buy that.
The
boxes for the Elite line are practical and visually pleasing. The
graphics have changed in subtle ways over the years since Mattel got
the WWE license, but they are always eye-catching and do a great job
of featuring both the Superstar and the WWE logo prominently.
Normally I would call a single figure box of this size too big, but
considering Mattel has packed everything from this hairpiece to the
Money in the Bank briefcase to tables to ladders in with these
figures, I think we can excuse it.
The
back features a great graphical depiction of the Giant, as well as an
in-ring action shot (I love Andre’s huge smile in that picture) and
a fantastic bio. Not as fantastic as Box Brown’s book,
but pretty darn good for an action figure cardback.
I
feel like they chose the right facial expression for this figure.
Some might have wanted the smile or a look of anger, but I like this
neutral, perhaps slightly unimpressed look. The details and
proportions of the features are wonderful. Even without the
gargantuan frame underneath, there’s no doubting that this is Andre
Roussimoff. The hair had a good shape with sculpted curls all over.
The paint is actually kind of remarkable. The eyes and eyebrows have
the same accuracy as most figures in this line, but the paint on the
hair is amazingly precise at the hairline. None of the black slops
over onto Andre’s face, nor does it fall short of covering the
sculpted hair.
The
figure’s body features a massive torso and huge limbs. I don’t
know if the scale is accurate to the centimeter, but Andre the Giant
is one of those people that we all just know.
The proportions look right. This is his shape.
Mattel
does an interesting thing with these figures – the skin has a very
slight bit of texture. It’s not visually apparent until you get up
close and only slightly detectable as a tactile sensation. But it’s
there and it very subtly makes the figures look a bit more “real”
than other action figures with smooth, even shiny skin. It’s an
ingenious technique and almost even distracts you from the fact that
these little men don’t have nipples.
I’ve
mentioned before that I don’t know which would be more odd –
these figures not having nipples or having them. I suppose the lack
of nipple isn’t as startling. Most people probably don’t even
consider it. But once you do, it’s bizarre.
I just don’t know if it would be more bizarre if they had them. I
bet there’s a guy out there somewhere that’s putting custom
nipples on his WWE figures. Heck, there might even be a website
selling them.
Andre’s
trunks/crotch piece look accurate are the shape works well with the
articulation. This is another thing that Mattel is clever about. They
shape the trunks into a sort of overhanging flap on the back of the
figure to conceal the hip joints and allow for a little wider range
of movement.
The
boots are tall and packed with detail – laces, soles, and folds.
I’m always impressed with the footwear on this line. I feel like
the sculptors use a lot of reference for the various boots and
whatnot.
From
its massive feet to its thick torso to the great likeness on top,
this figure is a beautiful Andre; easily the best that’s ever been
made.
Andre
comes with a hairpiece and a singlet.
The
singlet is very easy to take off and put on. It’s made from a shiny
material that resembles the spandex used for ring gear and is cut in
such a way that it completely conceals the blue trunks underneath.
The shoulder strap manages to stay up on its own, which is a minor
miracle. I thought for sure that it would slide down the shoulder
over time, but it’s been a couple of months now and the thing has
stayed put. The singlet is the right size and looks great. It’s not
too baggy or too tight. It’s easily one of the best soft goods
pieces I’ve seen at this scale.
The
hairpiece is intended to go on the figure when the singlet is not in
use, recreating Andre’s 70s look. It’s another fairly impressive
piece, as it fits securely onto the figure’s head and manages to
not look ridiculous. It really looks completely natural and like the
figure was just designed with it. It’s obviously a separate piece,
but that could easily have been a design decision. The shape and
sculpt are accurate to Andre’s impressive afro and the figure
really does have a significantly different profile in its two
different looks. Mattel probably could have gotten away with selling
this as two different figures simply by permanently attaching the
hairpiece for the 70s variant. But they didn’t, and for that I
salute them.
All
of these Elite figures are great. They’re packed full of meaningful
articulation that doesn’t detract from the profile.
Despite
being a larger figure Andre still has a great range of posability,
possibly more than the Giant himself. The figure has a fantastic
balance to it and can hold many poses unsupported thanks to this and
solid, tight joints.
This
guy stayed on my desk for a couple of months because I had fun
playing with him and having him brutalize the other toys unfortunate
enough to be within range. Not only is Andre fun to mess with, he has
the interchangeable parts that add to that play value. Plus that afro
can fit on all kinds of other figures, like my pal, Soulzilla:
I
can’t imagine a better Andre. Up until this guy came out, my
favorite Andre the Giant figure was this semi-statue that JAKKS
released years ago:
Obviously
that face sculpt is kind of insane-o, but the sheer bulk of that one
made me happy. Mattel’s Andre isn’t as big, but it looks
incredible.
5
out of 5
I’m
always recommending that toy collectors pick up one of these Elite
figures, even if they’re not wrestling fans. Just to see the detail
and quality of work. This Andre would be a great one to get, as he’s
a beloved figure beyond the ring.
I don't collect Wrestling figures either but DAMN I want this one!
ReplyDeleteFunny thing about the nipples - Mattel actually painted nipples onto their Brave and the Bold B'Wana Beast, and it's as odd as any lack of nipples is - I suppose it's a lose lose situation when it comes to male nipples:
http://toyriffic.blogspot.com/2010/09/i-bwana-rock-and-roll-all-night.html
I think B'Wana's painted nappies look okay. What I want to talk about are the massive holes in the arms and legs of those Brave and the Bold figures. Ugh. And that's not just me as a collector. My son hated them, too. The play value of the plug-in accessories didn't balance out the damage to the aesthetics on that line. The modular Batmobile was pretty awesome, though.
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