Transformers Masterpiece MP-58 Hoist

Another new G1 mold in the Masterpiece series is always a great occasion since Takara release them so slowly these days. The previous Trailbreaker was pretty awesome, and this new Hoist is just as good. If you think the transformation is a reuse from the Trailbreaker, you'd be completely wrong! The engineers at Takara have done some incredible work to design a very similar car mode, coupled with a completely different transformation, into a bot mode that matches the cartoon aesthetic perfectly.

Click through below to watch my video review over on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel. Hope you can subscribe to stay tuned for upcoming reviews.

Box and packaging is the usual standard Masterpiece style, and the set comes with a decent array of accessories. You can recreate some of the classic scenes from the cartoon episodes, such as when they all acted on set in alien masks.

There's also the swap out bumper piece to go with the more realistic chromed look or the cartoon style matte grey finish. I love the cartoon look, but I always use that bit of chrome when provided on figures, since I think it adds that extra bit of premium style on display.

The main attraction is of course the figure itself. The car mode is awesome, with a beautiful deep green and orange paint app. The rear carriage folds down and can tow other vehicles if you hook them over the little notch at the end.

I found the wheel clearance not that great, but that was resolved after a bit of adjusting after transformation. But I tend to keep my main cast of characters in bot mode anyway, so it wouldn't have been a problem for my display.

The doors and hood open just like they did on Trailbreaker. The details are slightly different under the hood, mostly influenced by the different transformation sequences. You can fit one of the human accessories from previous figures into the car, but it's pretty tight and I didn't even bother trying.

Overall, if you're a fan of car mode, you'll love this new Hoist. I think it's a pretty faithful representation of the Hilux variants that were produced back in the day.

But I'm a bot mode fa, and Hoist does not disappoint. The transformation sequence is drammatically different to Trailbreaker's and really do bring out the chunky stature Hoist had in the cartoon. The hips and thighs are a very faithful recreation of the cartoon aesthetic, and it really makes him stand out as something different amongst the MP cast.

They include a couple of swap out face plates too. I decided to go with the look he had in the episode with Grapple and the Constructicons, with the more pronounced chin guard.

There were only a couple of trickier parts in the transformation sequence. The panel rotation and folding in the shoulder areas can be confusing, so definitely follow the official Takara transformation video to make sure you do it right.

The other trickier part was making sure the backpack pegged into the back of the waist tightly. The first time will require quite some effort, but you will hear a satisfying click as it pegs in properly. Once that is done, the figure holds together very well and looks like he just jumped out of the 80s TV screen.

Side by side with Trailbreaker, the major differences in transformation and design become obvious. I love how the Takara engineers were able to factor this between the two characters, giving them the unique style that they deserve, as opposed to reusing the mold like the classic G1 toy. I think Takara has found the perfect balance in bot mode proportions whilst maintaining that realistic licensed car mode.

Displayed with MP Grapple, these two really do look like they came straight out of the G1 cartoon episode. It just makes me wish even harder for Takara to hurry up and do a proper MP Constructicon series!

All in all, I think if you're a G1 cartoon fan, then this new Hoist is a no-brainer. I just hope Takara continues this amazing design aesthetic and give us more G1 Season 1/2 characters this year.

Tweeterhead Masters of the Universe Trap Jaw

Sideshow started this "Legends" series of MOTU statues back in 2016, and handed over the reigns to Tweeterhead that has continued the series since about 2021. And for MOTU fans, Tweeterhead have given us some of the best interpretations of these classic characters that have ever been produced.

I'm glad that Tweeterhead have taken this series to the next level. I've loved every one of their releases, and this new Trap Jaw is no exception. Click through below to watch my video review over on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel!

Thankfully there is no exclusive version for this Trap Jaw, so every release has all the swap out parts to tailor this just the way you like it. For me, I like to have that hint of the original cartoon style, mixed in with some new interpretations. So I decided to go with the classic, almost NFL-like, head sculpt as opposed to the new orc-like interpretation.

I also coupled it with the more basic hook arm that is also more reminiscent of the cartoon. Together, I think the two swap out pieces pay perfect homage to the 80s cartoon, whilst coupled with the incredibly detailed body and paint application of the rest of the statue.

Every single angle of this piece is amazing to behold. The blue of the skin texture brings that perfect burst of colour to offset the dark purples, silvers and greys, and the muted green and browns in other parts of the statue.

The dark purple of the base is almost grey or dark gun metal in hue, but it does fit in nicely with the older statues from Sideshow that have a slightly more purple tinge. The body of the statue itself is incredible, with sculpted details across the board.

I love the silver and grey metallic paint application for the boots and armour pieces. The browns for the leather sections looks great too, and matches well with the muted jade green in the thighs and belt areas. The swap out pieces are fairly easy to attach, and it all comes together beautifully.

The alternative cannon arm is very intricately detailed, and is monstrous in size. It's almost too big, but does give him a great menacing option for that more modern style. The alternate head sculpt has a nice little open mouthed growl to it, but it reminds me too much of orcs from Warcraft, so I chose the classic portrait instead.

Either of the options will still look incredible on display. The sheer size is impressive, despite some complaints that this series is only 1/5th scale, not 1/4 scale. I'm actually glad they're slightly smaller, and can fit more easily in my display cabinets.

The bad guys together from both the Sideshow and Tweeterhead simpy look amazing. As a MOTU fan from way back in the 80s, these interpretations are how I imagined them in my childhood brain to be. Tweeterhead have produced the perfect mix of adult mature aesthetics with that awesome nostalgic feel to the characters we love.

I've preordered the Beast Man exclusive from Tweeterhead, and cannot wait for that to arrive later in 2024. With teasers of Sorceress and Man-At-Arms, I hope this series continues to release characters from that awesome universe.

Hot Toys MMS616 Marty McFly and MMS617 Doc Brown

My 1/6th scale collecting has slowed down considerably the past couple of years. This is mainly due to the lack of figures being released from source material that I grew up with. But luckily Hot Toys still seems to want to release some Back to the Future characters, with the BTTF3 Doc and Marty releases.

Click the link below for my video review over on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel, and more pics if you scroll down further.

Hot Toys have done a pretty awesome job with these two, with some incredibly detailed clothing and accessories. Together they look like they jumped out of the screen into my display cabinet! I'm glad they didn't reuse Doc's head sculpt for a third time, and went with a more stoic look. Marty similarly gets a pretty straight face. I would've like more of an expression, but at least the paint application brings out the nice details and glassiness in the eyes.

Doc comes with several different layers of clothing, and two outer jackets. You can go for the look from the dance, or the early scene where he saves Marty from the hanging. I prefer that older style with the tan long coat, and it fits beautifully on the figure.

I love the little details with the watch and chain that hangs nicely in the inner coat. The material used is fantastic for each different piece of clothing, giving a real sense of authenticity to the movie. It's unfortunate that the hat is not removeable, and is only plastic, but it's a minor negative in amongst some awesome 1/6th scale tailoring.

Marty is pretty great too, and also comes with his poncho that he wears for most of the movie. But I actually prefer the traditional cowboy style that he had just before the duel. The gun strap was a pain to get sitting right arcross the waist, especially trying to get that angled look. But once set up, he looks very natural.

Again the material in the clothing is outstanding, and lays very well on the body. If you put the poncho on, you need to put some effort into getting it to lay close to the body as it does tend to balloon out which does not look natural.

I'm glad that Hot Toys decided to complete the figures from all three movies. I'm glad to finally have all three versions displayed in the collection. Across the board, I think Hot Toys have done a pretty awesome job with Marty.

They did pretty well with Doc too, although the reuse of the same head sculpt in the first two version is still disappointing. But I love the outfits that are so iconic, and the accessories just add that nice touch to the display too.

Hot Toys doesn't seem to do too many figures from classic 80s action or sci-fi anymore, but here's hoping they do more from that era.

Super7 Silverhawks

It seemed like ages waiting for Super7 to release the Silverhawks figures. Each Super7 release always appears to be accompanied by controversy either in changed sculpt, changed paint, or both. The release of the main cast of the Silverhawks team was no different, but overall I'm pretty happy to finally have them in the 80s cartoon collection.

Click the link below to watch my review over on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel! See below for more pics.

Super7 aways does a great job for collector packaging, but all of that ends up in the recycling for me. Each figure comes with a pretty good assortment of accessories, including swap out arms/wings, head sculpts, hands, weapons, and companion birds.

Sculpting and paint application overall is pretty good too. The body paint is not the chromed look that many would like, but I don't mind the more matte finish with that slight pearlescence. It matches more of the cartoon look from their other figures in my collection, so that's fine by me.

Bluegrass for me has the best accessories, with the guitar pieces. The smirk and wink on the head sculpt also gives his character some personality in the display. Steelwill looks pretty good, but I would definitely prefer if he was slightly larger in scale. The sculpt has the bulk, but overall size seems smaller than Quicksilver.

That might be mostly cartoon accurate, but the sculpts I think would just look better in proportion to each other if he was either bigger, or Quicksilver slightly smaller. Either way, they still look great as a team.

I also got Mon-Star in his transformed, larger form. As you can see below, he is a pretty massive figure, which scales nicely. Articulation is pretty limited at that size, but overall I think articulation is not great on any of the figures. Steelheart in particular limited around the torso and waist, so she's pretty much a standup statue.

Took me ages to manage to get Tally-Hawk perching nicely on Quicksilver's arm. I had to use the right arm because the left was just too loose and could not hold out horizontally with the bird on top. Now I just need a Copper Kidd to finish out the team.

As I said, overall I think these look pretty damn good on the shelf with other 80s cartoon characters. They're not the greatest figures in this scale, but definitely a nice bit of nostalgia for those that grew up watching the old show.

Figma Table Museum SP-151 The Birth of Venus

This Table Museum series of figures is just so interesting and different, that I can't resist buying more! This release from back in 2023 was my latest addition to the series. I'm not just waiting on the Mona Lisa to release later this year!

Click through the link below to watch my full review over on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel. Hope you can subscribe to stay tuned for more reviews in this series! Scroll down further for a few more pics showing how you can also have fun with these figures!

Great looking standalone display piece!

Looks great with the others in their classic forms too!

Tut trying to give David a scare! 😂

Storm Collectibles Gatchaman Ken (Battle of the Planets)

The only figures I have from Storm Collectibles are those from their Ultra Street Fighter 2 series. But being a lover of 80s cartoons as well as Street Fighter, I couldn't resist when they announced their were doing figures from Gatchaman, also known as Battle of the Planets outside of Japan. 

It was a bit of a wait, but the final result was pretty nice! Click the link below to watch my video review over on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel.

As always, Storm have included quite a few accessories with this release. The various cape options are decent, but I would have preferred a single wired fabric cape to be honest. The paint work is nice, but the red on the inside the cape rubs off excessively onto the shoulders and arms of the figure itself.

Luckily I was able to gently rub off the red marks on the figure without damaging the white paint. But it's a major problem when you can't even pose the figure without getting marks all over it. I understand that they wanted to give collectors the ability to replicate some of the iconic poses from the cartoon, but I think it could've been achieved just as well with a wired, fabric cape.

The larger capes are also far too heavy, and ride up on the neck, which causes the cape to hang in strange ways. I think they are good for the quick photo opportunity, but the default static cape is perhaps best for display in your cabinet. It looks nice too, but hides a lot of the figure's body. Again, a fabric cape would've allowed collectors to pose the cape in their own way, in a dynamic form such as flowing in the wind, without having to go over the top with an action pose on the figure.

The head sculpts are OK, with decent lining and minimal paint bleed. The details on the helmet could've been a little sharper, but I like the way they've designed it. The visor can be removed, but it should stay on for cartoon accuracy I think. The stoic head sculpt is the one I'll be going with, although the snarling face is decent for the action poses with the larger capes.

The range of hands give all the right posing options, and the little batarang is nicely done too. It fits in the belt nicely. The belt is on a flouting crotch piece that does get caught in the hip area, so you may need a little tool to pry it back out when the hips catch them. Aside from that, the articulation and range of motion of the figure itself is the usual high quality from Storm.

I heard that some collectors thought the figure was too thin, but I think the proportions are great. It really does remind me of the cartoon style, although the head sculpt likeness could be better. If you've had other Storm figures, I think you'll be very familiar with how the body moves and all the joints.

The only other Gatchaman figures I have are the older figures from Sentinel. They never completed the team, and so I am really hoping that Storm do us collectors right by releasing the rest of the team. I believe they have teased Jun the Swan (aka Princess), but there has been no formal preorder release.

At this rate, it'll be years before they get anywhere near completing the team, which is a real shame. In the end, I am glad to have another 80s cartoon character in the collection, so I'll just keep on hoping and wishing the others will come.

Bandai Star Wars Movie Realization Daimyo Boba Fett

Bandai continue to frustrate collectors with the ongoing repaints and retools in the Star Wars Movie Realization series. This Daimyo version of Boba Fett is no different, but I couldn't resist getting this since I'm such a sucker for repaints and trying to get every main figure in this series.

Click through below to watch my full video review over on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel.

Box and packaging are pretty much stock standard as with previous figures, so collectors know what they're going to get. Accessories are mostly rehashes from the previous figures, but at least they have the new Tuskan Raider gaffi stick and swap out gauntlet weapons.

The figure itself has a few points of difference in the armour, but obviously borrows a lot from the previous figures too. I do like the darker green paint on the armour, rather than the aqua green of the original. But in the end, it's really just another Boba figure, much like the various Mandalorian releases.

I find it difficult now to get excited about these figures, and probably won't be getting any more of the repaints. I really do wish they would at least release some new molds and characters in amongst the repaints. There were amazing prototypes displayed at past conventions, and concept art too, covering characters like Admiral Ackbar, Artoo, Gamorrean Guard, IG-88, and Yoda. It's extremely disappointing that they haven't released those from the original trilogy, but continue with Boba and Mandalorian repaints.

In the end, this might well be the last figure that I'll add to the Movie Realization series, unless Bandai really show something new.

Tweeterhead Masters of the Universe Mer-Man Exclusive

The Masters of the Universe 1/5th scale statue series from Sideshow and now Tweeterhead has been a fantastic series for fans. They have released some mature, detailed, and beautiful interpretations of the classic characters from the old 80s cartoon show.

This new Mer-Man from Tweeterhead is no exception, and is a gorgeous addition to the series. Click through below to watch my full review on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel! It would be great if you could give the video a like, and also subscribe to stay tuned for more video content!

The packaging follows similar styled art to previous releases, with a couple of nice shots on the front and back. The contents are fairly well protected within the foam and plastic wrap packaging. With this Exclusive version via Sideshow, the statue comes with the extra trident, which looks fantastic. Both the regular version and the Exclusive come with both head sculpts.

It seems this Mer-Man will be the last Exclusive in the series from Tweeterhead. Their upcoming Trap Jaw and Skeletor only have one version that includes all swap out parts. This is OK for me, as it's definitely cheaper to buy locally in Australia without needing to order an Exclusive version from overseas.

Once setup, this Mer-Man simply looks fantastic from every angle. The sculpted detail on this one is particularly great with all the horns and spikes across the yellow/orangey armour. The shading differences in the yellow, orange, and browns really bring out the sculpted detail, and makes the armour really pop.

From early photos, I was a little concerned that the base and the snake-like scales were too greyish, as opposed to the slight purple hue from the previous Skeletor and Evil-Lyn bases. But in person, the purplish hue does come through and is noticeable. I love the shiny hue of the acid-like fluid from which he's standing from, and the join that hides part of his left foot is nicely done.

It would've been even better if they had included some more gloss on the tentacle that also comes from the fluid. The finish is a bit too matte, and some extra gloss would give it a nice slimey appearance similar to what they did with the Teela statue. But overall I think the base is fantastic.

The body itself has a great shade of green that not too cartoonish, but quite an attractive, realistic shade. There's enough black shading in all the right places to really bring out the scales and other detail in the skin sculpting too.

It all comes together really nicely with the yellowish armour, and makes for a mature interpretation of the character that suits the aesthetic of the previous releases perfectly. I like the stance too, that conveys just enough action in a static piece to be visually appealing.

It's great that the paint application and sculpting of the swap out head sculpts matches that of the body itself. One sculpt seems to be more an homage to the original 80s toy, with the ears more flared up vertically above the eyes. The other seems to be more an homage to the original 80s cartoon version, with the ears more flared horizontally out to the sides.

I prefer the latter, since the horizontally flared sculpt has the illusion of being larger and seems to be more in proportion with the body, at least to my eyes. But both sculpts have some incredible detail in the eyes, ears, mouth and teeth, so either option looks pretty awesome.

The swap out sword or trident also gives different options for display. Neither seem to be made of metal, which is fine since the sculpted detail and paint application are top notch. Both have quite sharp tips to their horns or spikes, so be careful in not chipping any of those. For me, I love the large style of the trident.

A feature that would've been incredible would have been if they had designed the sword to sit within the armour sheath on his back. But unfortunately it's sculpted into the swap out hand, and is not removable. That would've been an amazing detail that allowed both the Exclusive trident and the sword to be displayed together. That's essentially the design that Sideshow did with the original He-Man, where the Exclusive Battle Axe could be held whilst the Power Sword was placed on He-Man's back.

Setup and displayed with the other bad guys, the series of statues really does come alive. It's fantastic that Tweeterhead have taken over the series from Sideshow, yet maintained the mature aesthetic whilst adding their own beautiful touches.

Mer-Man adds a great bit of colour to the gang, and the upcoming Trap Jaw is going to add even more awesomeness to the series. I simply cannot wait for Tweeterhead to show us a coloured or painted prototype of Beastman. The digital sculpted image of that looks incredible!

Tweeterhead are also releasing a new Skeletor and He-Man it seems, which is fine for collectors who missed the original releases. I'm just glad that they're also doing some other characters too. Sorceress seems to be on their list too, and if they announce a Man-At-Arms and Tri Klops, I may well die happy that I have my favourite core cast members in this incredible series! Here's to hoping Tweeterhead all the best to keep this series going for many years to come.

Storm Collectibles Ultra Street Fighter 2 Balrog

Storm Collectibles continues to release some pretty awesome figures across several source media, from more recent games to classic arcades, manga, and cartoons. For me, I love their Ultra Street Fighter 2 series of figures, as that's the game that I grew up playing in the 90s through high school and university.

Storm are pretty slow at releasing figures in any particular series since they seem to now be invested in so many licences. Each time an USF2 character is announced and released, it's always a great day for me. They have done another fantastic job with this new Balrog.

Click through below to watch the full review over on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel. Hope you can give the video a thumbs-up and subscribe to the channel too!

The set comes with a decent array of accessories, similar to what was included in previous USF2 figures. This time, they did include not just the swap out head sculpts, but also a complete swap out torso without the shirt.

This was actually a great way for me to become more familiar with their body design, as taking out the arms and torso revealed aspects of the internal body that I would not typically see or worry about. The joints are very tight, so I won't be swapping them much at all, and will likely just stick with his iconic torn white shirt and blue singlet style.

The topless torso has great muscle detail, and has the same functions with the butterfly joints, soft upper torso for rotation and flex, and the lower abdomen area that rotates atop a tight ball joint. Either style looks fantastic, and coupled with the awesome head sculpts, the figure simply excudes charisma and shelf presence.

The paint application is a stand out for me, with a beautiful matte finish that reallys matches the classic arcade aesthetic. There's very little shiny plastic that makes the figure look too toyish, and this looks and feels like a high end toy.

Articulation has all the great points similar to other Storm figures, and the use of softer plastic where needed makes getting into action poses quite easy. The beefy arms can come forward enough to mimic the boxer stances, and you can replicate his moves from the game very well.

The gloves have a software plastic towards the wrist area, so be careful when rotating them there where they meet the forearm in case you get any splitting or cracking. The thighs have a bit of rotation where they meet the shorts, but it's tight and minimal so it's probably best to just use the hip rotation.

I love the use of the foot toe flex to help get into more boxing action, and using the dust accessory gives some nice photo opportunities to replicate the gaming special moves. He balances well too, and does not feel like he needs a stand to remain safe on the display shelf.

I love the unique aspect of the USF2 series of characters with their loser portraits. Storm have done a great job in replicating those portrait screens from the arcade. They make for a fun photo opportunity altogether, or with other figures from Storm.

I love the figures that have been released so far, and they give an awesome burst of collection into my otherwise pretty bland collection. I smile each time I look at them, and remember the endless hours I spent playing the Street Fighter games at arcades.

The new Balrog scales well with the others, fitting in nicely between the biggest with Sagat and Zangief, and the smallest with Ken and Ryu. That pretty much matches nicely with the game from my memory.

Here's to hoping Storm announce more characters in the series soon. I think we've seen teasers for Blanka and Fei Long which would be very interesting. But I'm also still holding out hope for Chun-Li and Cammy that they've made in the Street Fighter 5 series. Having these characters in the SF2 series would be fantastic.