Post by AdamBomb on Sept 8, 2010 14:36:39 GMT -5
Mattel's second offering of Dolph Ziggler is upon us - and it's a MUCH STRONGER one than the Basic Series 4 figure.
One of my best experiences from seeing a WWE SmackDown! house show was being able to see this guy take on Kofi Kingston live. Both men have all the talent in the world, and didn't disappoint at all. - Unless you've been living under a rock, currently they are embroiled in a feud over the Intercontinental Championship, putting on tremendous matches over and over again.
How I only WISH Mattel would have a current (figure-sized) representation of the I.C. title released already, this figure just looks incomplete without it, and the JAKKS counterpart is just flat out awful looking.
That said, let's get into the figure itself.
The detail here is gorgeous and just stunning, he comes with a removable vest with his DZ logo on the back, matching logos on the front of his trunks, two-toned boots, and his leopard print wraps to complete his ring gear - not to even mention the eye of detail Mattel had to paint on a zipper.
The details come through on this figure VERY strong, Hell, I'd say Mattel practically outdid themselves there.
The DZ logos on the trunks (both front, and back) are outlined with blue and white, then filled with gray and feature the accommodating animal print with that. For the size and scale of the figure, that is awfully impressive - especially on the two front designs being incredibly small.
The vest surprised me, it's a faux leather on the outside, and actually has a cloth inside to it... sorta feels like a mirco-fiber cloth to me. Very nicely done!
My gripes here? Not many.
-Firstly, the headscan (I think) is off a bit. Not TOO much, but I think the Basic counterpart bears a much better likeness to the real deal.
-Secondly, the vest is a bit large - but I DO understand why. It can be a little tricky getting it removed at first, but for the most part, it's not difficult at all.
-Third and lastly, the legs. I understand the backs of trucks get hot, and the plastic can warp slightly in shipping... and with Mattel figures, the legs are notorious with this problem. Not to go off on a tangent here, but when I was seeing people post images online of this figure, more often than not... it looked to me like the legs were bowed outward at the knees. When I got my figure, I quickly realized this was the case, yet again. About thirty seconds with a hair dryer later, I was able to correct the issue, and cool it down to set the legs perfectly.
On the UPSIDE, both Basic 5 figures I own (Knox and Helms) and the Elite 5 figures (Ziggler and Chavo) had pretty tight joints straight out of the box. Being that I display my figures, and rarely touch them, I really don't want them falling over, and these hold their stance very well. Kudos to Mattel on that.
All in all, I'd have to say this figure was a MUST have for me, and I'd recommend you picking it up as well regardless if you have the Basic version.
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Big thanks to Gawd6sic6 for picking up this figure, and Dolph Ziggler from the same set for me!
One of, if not the MOST underrated (not to mention misused) wrestlers in the WWE has hit Mattel's Elite Series!
"Chavito Heat" is a former WCW and WWE Cruiserweight Champion, former ECW (WWE) Champion, Tag Team Champion with his late uncle Eddie Guerrero, and one of the most skilled wrestlers in the business today.
Wrestling is in the man's blood, aside from his link to Eddie, Chavo Jr. is also the son of the famous Chavo Sr. and grandson of Gory Guerrero. With the skillset and family lineage he has, I can't understand why this guy hasn't been a champion in years. It makes no sense to me, but I digress.
Mattel once again went to the ballpark, grabbed a bat, and swung for the fences. When the dust settled, it was a REAL big shocker...
...would you believe another home run? You better. The detail is ridiculous here, from the poncho, to the bandana, to the boots, to the tights. DAMN - definitive Chavo figure.
Now, I do have a couple of minor things to gripe about.
-Firstly, this torso ALMOST works for Chavo, but it's still a little bit off.
-Secondly, the word, "WARRIOR" is missing from the front of his tights. That bugs me.
Those two things kept this home run, from being a grand slam in my opinion. It's still a good figure though, and one you SHOULD own, if in fact my reviews do have any influence on you at all.
I really do hope with the next Elite Chavo, Mattel DOES include the word missing from the front of his attire (maybe even give him the matching "WARRIOR" poncho), and instead of the gold flames on his boots, opt for the red flames. I'd be okay with that!
I really, REALLY have to commend the makers for the extremely small detail work on the removable bandana, that just sets the figure off SO well with the headscan. Hopefully some day soon we get an Eddie figure to go right along side this guy. I know I'd like to have "Los Guerreros" on my shelf!
My verdict? This is THE gem of Elite Series 5, as impressed by Dolph's figure as I am, I have to hand it to Chavo.