MOVIE MANIACS V

By: SCOTT COLLURA
Review Date: Thursday, November 14, 2002

McFarlane Toys has released the fifth series of their ever-popular MOVIE MANIACS action figure line, but damned if it isn't hard to believe it's been five years! Five years since we were first treated to this group of toys that truly set McFarlane apart from the other toy manufacturers of the time, while also managing to give fanboys everywhere the sort of figures they'd only dreamt of before. In the time since that initial launch, the line has wavered a bit here or there since appropriate movie maniacs are hard to come by (and license). Still, this latest batch is all in all quite strong, offering up the usual high level of quality and detail that we've come to expect from the company.

My personal favorite of this latest group would have to be the "Lord of Darkness" from Ridley Scott's 1985 fantasy pic LEGEND. Played by Tim Curry in the film, the characterand this toyis quite striking: a red-skinned, snarling demon with black horns that are so huge that one is surprised that Darkness doesn't topple over. The sculpt on the figure is excellent, from his devilish pecs to his furry hooves, as is the paint job, which sports several dark shades on Darkness' cloak. He also comes with a cool, metallic-hued broad sword, a unicorn's horn (see the movie for further explanation) and the standard MOVIE MANIACS backdrop (with LEGEND mini-poster)... which has really grown cheesy over the years.

Getting back

to the roots of the line is the "Jason Voorhees" figure from last spring's JASON X, the latest (and funnest) installment in the FRIDAY THE 13TH series. The early MOVIE MANIACS featured takes on the modern slashers such as HALLOWEEN's Michael Myers and A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET's Freddy Krueger, not to mention the original Jason, but JASON X gave McFarlane a reason to create a whole new Jason since that's exactly what happens in the film. You will remember that Mr. Voorhees is transported to the future in X, where he winds up on a space ship (albeit one full of horny teenagers, of course). There he is almost destroyed, before being re-constructed by the ship's computer into an Uber-Jasona cybernetic version of the notorious killer that's even more indestructible than before! McFarlane's figure recaptures the details of this character redesign wellperhaps too well, as a matter of fact, since the original design was a bit lacking. Here, as in the film, the melding of Jason's metallic parts with his sinewy and disturbed flesh is too abrupt, with the cyborg portions of the character looking too much like make-up prosthetics (which of course is what they are). The best part of the doll is the space age, metallic hockey mask, and the brainy skull that lurks beneath. Like the Darkness figure, Jason here has a very nice paint job (Look at those capillaries on his chest!), but the articulation isn't as extensive as one would like. Of course, he too comes with a MM backdrop, not to mention a machete of the future!

Next we

have two more figures culled from McFarlane's T2: JUDGMENT DAY license (previously we've seen Schwarzenegger T-800 and Robert Patrick T-1000 pieces). This year it's the "T-800 Endoskeleton"sans any semblance of Arnold himselfand a "Sarah Connor" figure as well, but these two toys are indicative of what is great, and sometimes not so great, about the MOVIE MANIACS as a whole. The T-800 is just an awesome toy, the kind of thing you would have wet your pants over as a kid (well, maybe you still do). Another highly detailed figure, the T-800 is finished in metallic silver and black, giving it a real "worn" look that is appropriate to the character, with eyes that are red (and teeth that are yellowish). The figure comes with a futuristic gun, a bundle of skulls (bad humans, bad!), and that same MM backdrop, but perhaps the best aspect of this toy is the high level of articulation. Funny how the Jason toy has such little movement, and this figure has so much (everything from head and shoulders to hips, knees, elbows, and beyond), though I suppose it has something to do with the fact that this a robot and it's much easier to show points of articulation in such a figure.

The ying

to the T-800's yang is the Sarah Connor figure. Don't get me wrong: in and of itself this is another great toy. It's just that Ms. Connor just doesn't strike me as a movie maniac the way, say, Jason Voorhees does. If anything, this has been the main weakness of this line over the years: the necessity to rely on characters like this who don't quite fit the mold of what one expects. Having said that, the figure is very nicely realized, with another case of fine sculpting, painting, and articulation. The figure looks enough like actress Linda Hamilton that you never question who it's supposed to be, without actually duplicating the actress' likeness (and hence requiring royalty payments to hervery tricky, those McFarlane chaps). Sarah comes in three variations: long hair, cap with ponytail, and ponytail without cap, but all these variations are otherwise the same from what I can tell. The figure also has a host of accessories, including sunglasses, a dagger (and sheath), a pistol, a machinegun, a removable vest, and an alternate arm and hand (not to mention the T2 backdrop).

"The Tooth Fairy"

is an odd figure in that it's from a movie that no one has yet heard of (the toy packaging would seem to indicate that the film is called THE TOOTH FAIRY, but a bit of research indicates that the picture is now titled DARKNESS FALLS and is due out this January). Perhaps this speaks to my point above about McFarlane having increasing difficulty finding appropriate characters to mine for this series. Regardless, the figure is pretty creepy, a gray and violet colored creature with bat-like wings, closed mouth, and, seemingly, no eyes. She has bony studs sticking out on various parts of her body, and wears a veiny skirt to affect at least a semblance of modesty (she's topless otherwise). Once again, the figure comes with a mini-poster and backdrop, and apparently is available in an alternate toothy (appropriately enough), screaming version. Interestingly, word has it that the character is being reworked for the film now, so it could be that this figure won't even be representative of whatever winds up being seen in DARKNESS FALLS!

The last

figure in this collection is easily recognizable to horror fans: "Djinn" from 1997's WISHMASTER, which of course went on to spawn three sequels to date. The character is a sort of demonic genie who offers wishes to his victimswishes that inevitably turn bad, like something out of THE TWILIGHT ZONE or "The Monkey's Paw." This is one wish that doesn't go bad for fans though, since the figure caps off the MOVIE MANIACS V line very nicely, and is certain to be appreciated by diehard genre aficionados. Dressed in a combination of armor and cloaks, and toting a gemstone accessory, Djinn is yet another finely detailed figure from the McFarlane team. And yes, he comes with that damned backdrop and poster.

Also coming from McFarlane this season are two deluxe MMV sets: an 18-inch "Edward Scissorhands" and, most notably, an "Alien and Predator Deluxe Boxed Set." You know you're dying for that one.

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