To say that The Marvels was a poorly received movie is putting it politely. From what I can see, people either disliked it, or outright loathed the movie. I didn't see it in the theatre or anything, but I did watch it and thought it was a dumb movie, so pretty average overall. Not really worth the hatred, but this IS another Brie Larson movie.
I guess Bandai probably saw the writing on the wall to begin with, and as such, only ever solicited a Captain Marvel and not Monica or Ms. Marvel. I ordered the Captain, which was recently received. Most collectors would be fuming that they started a line with the expectation that the rest of the main cast would be release. Not me... I'm OK with just getting the one.
I think this figure retailed for around 10,000 Yen, which sadly is MSRP these days for a Marvel Figuarts, albeit one with a few more parts than normal:
1 x Main Figure
2 x Head Sculpts (Normal, Binary Mode)
8 x Posing Hands
2 x Small Energy Effects
2 x Large Energy Effects w/Stand
1 x Jones
You know things are going really well when just a month after release, stores like Amiami already have her for 30% off.
So before I continue, you should probably know that there's really nothing I can say that would actually convince you to buy one of these. You either wanted one to begin with, or you avoided the merch like the plague. With that said, lets continue.
Here she is, right out of the box. Like most Figuarts, this really doesn't do much to flatter the physique of Brie Larson. Of course, neither did the actual suit in the movie. So basically, it's pretty typical Figuarts, so I'd call that neither a pro nor a con. You were never going to get a busty or curvy figure. At most you might get thicker thighs or an average bust size.
Here she is compared to her earlier releases and as I mentioned, she's always had a pretty lacklustre body shape. More importantly is the face sculpt and I think it's pretty obvious that it's never looked accurate, but this latest version happens to be the worst. As someone pointed out, the forehead is gigantic. The only 1/12 that has looked remotely accurate to the actor is the Mafex version, which I have but was too lazy to photograph. The twist, however, is that this new version has the most accurate hair of the three.
In the defense of the figure, I was never promised anything that actually looked better.
The Binary head isn't a whole lot better, but I will say that the slightly swaying hair in the translucent plastic is a nice touch. This is also a good time to point all all the Energy effects work with the closed fists.
Jones is a nicely sculpted cat. No points of articulation so he's more of a tiny statue, Detailing on the fur and face are adequate. Not much else to say on this aspect.
In terms of Articulation, I have to say this is a very standard Figuarts body. It doesn't have the fancy joints of the Fighting Body, or even something as basic as pull down hips. It just benefits from the lack of dangly bits interfering with operation of the joints. This is, however, a clear example of how even the standard body is capable of more than your typical Marvel Legends or Mezco release. The knees are double jointed, which helps with kneeling poses. It certainly isn't perfect, having rather restricted shoulder and neck articulation, but for most people it would be more than enough. I just like to find ways of pushing the figure to its absolute limits.
Paint Application wise, it's a strange step down from the previous editions. While the face doesn't look as good, the amount of paint is about the same. Fleshy components are also painted. So is the Red and Gold. But, for the other figures, the entire body suit is painted whereas for this figure, the Blue is not painted, just given a top coat. I have to say this is somewhat of a let down, as the paint on the other versions gave the figure a Pearlesque finish giving the impression of shimmering.
Build Quality is also another area that is pretty standard, which in this case isn't a bad thing. It means like with most Figuarts, there really isn't anything wrong. Parts fit, joints hold, and there are no poorly finished parts for me to grumble about. Energy effects connect well with the fist. Overall, things are relatively simple, and it's nice to see that meant that you get the finished product you were expecting.
Like I said at the beginning, there's really nothing here that will sell you on the figure. You either love Captain Marvel enough to buy one, or you wait for a fire sale to pick this one up. In terms of the actual product itself, it's pretty solid, if not quite on target for the likeness. I believe that in terms of play value, this new version does offer more play value than the others, as this has the large Energy effects and Jones to fiddle around with. But ultimately, I'm not foolish enough to believe that competence of product is enough to sell this figure.
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