Michelangelo

Rounding out my recent Playmates collections is Michelangelo from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. At the time these were first released I was really unimpressed because I had seen the animated series first and these figures were a very poor match to it. Only later on did I start to think about them on their own merits.

Here is what the toy looks like:

Here is how he looked on the show:

There is certainly a big difference. In part my reevaluation was triggered by the re-release of the original toys for the 25th anniversary of the line. They actually looked pretty appealing on the display racks and the retro charm certainly factored in. After getting them out of their packaging I have to admit they are well sculpted and articulated. This discovery also spurred me on to get the first volume of the show on DVD, Now all I have to do is get on ebay and find a Krang.

Starbuck

This is something of an oddity nowdays. Its a figure of Starbuck from '70s Battlestar Galactica produced by Mattel. It is in 3-3/4" scale and frankly not a terribly good sculpt. I do have a soft spot for the older goofeyer BSG as opposed to the modern gritty series.

Tasha Yar

Before Playmates came on to the scene Galoob produced a small line of Star Trek The Next Generation in around 3-3/4" scale which is a scale I have much fondness for. One negative is the sculpted on phaser and sculpted fist which precludes holding any accessories. The knee joints are nice however and it is a decent sculpt.

TMP Sulu

Continuing in the Playmates Star Trek Movies line we have Mr Sulu as he appeared in Star Trek The Motion Picture. Once again the uniform crys out '70s which adds to its appeal to me.

Tetrap

Here we have another member of th Dapol Doctor Who line. The Tetrap as seen in Time and the Rani. He is something of an odd choice to immortalize in plastic as he only ever appeared in this one story and it probably isn't one of the high points of the Sylvester McCoy years. The figure however is pretty nice with some good articulation and leathery wings.

Star Trek Generations Worf

Here is an odd beast. This is Worf from the Star Trek Generations line. It seems there were a number of issues with this line. First off he has reduced articulation, having only 6 points. Also he is depicted in a Uniform that isn't actually depicted in the film. Apparently this uniform was going to be used but was changed at the last minute an the toys did not reflect this change.

On Red Dwarf

A couple of posts ago I mentioned the unfavorable comparisons made between Hyperdrive and Red Dwarf. Red Dwarf is another show I have loved a great deal. Nothing unusual there. It is generally very well regarded in nerd circles. My favorite season is the first one which is not so usual. My reason for this is pretty simple. The first series really captured the feeling of desperate loneliness experienced by the characters whereas later series played it just for laughs. I recommend taking another look at these early episodes and see what you think.