Green Movie Blues

I love last year's Incredible Hulk movie. I love the actors, I love the CGI, I love that it had more action than Ang Lee's version.


But I didn't at all like the toys.

Just off the shelves, they had ok looking sculpts, ok to sub-par paint, ok looking articulation. And they weren't all that cheap right after all the hype of the summer blockbuster.


Er, ok Hulk. I do like the toys. Or at least I picked up the 6" range Mega Kick Hulk and Hulkbuster pack on clearance. More than a year after the movie, I found this gem on sale for S$5 (about US$3.30 right now).

The thing about some of the lines of toys I tend to pick up is that most times I decide not to go into them for a variety of reasons--bad reviews, price, doesn't look too good on the shelf. So when I do eventually see them on sale and get them for bargain basement, I'm usually pleasantly surprised. But I can't really say the same for these guys.

I'm...I'm sorry Hulk. I have to admit I got you only for the Hulkbuster... He looked like he would fit in nicely with my GI Joes from Rise of the Cobra. I only wanted to use him as fodder.















Yeah, uh, Hulk. Kinda like that. But the first pic's not even movie you. It's Marvel Universe Hulk.

Ok, you win, Hulk. At least you guys from the movie do look a lot better than I thought out of package. Maybe it was the way they posed you in the package.

Since this Hulk was the Mega Kick version, he's got a spring loaded waist. Trouble is that when I got him out of he package he'd been twisted to the side. So I had to twist him back. A click or two to the left and he was normal again. Now I was ready to give these guys a thorough lookover.

Aesthetics: 9/10 - Proportion-wise, Hulk pretty movie accurate. And I'm impressed by the detail on his sculpt: especially the attention they paid to his veins and muscles. A couple of thing though: his chest is a tad too thick and the part of the pants on his abdomen looks like a nappy--It's way too wide between his legs.

Paint-wise he's also better than I first thought. He's slightly cross-eyed, but only at certain angles. I am though, disappointed by the facial expression. Hulk looks mean and just mean, not angry (or at least about to get angry).

The Hulkbuster is actually painted pretty well and can fit right in with the movie Joes. He's got the Hulkbuster badge on his right arm but it's not painted well enough to see clearly. Oh, and his helmet dost not cometh off. Bummer.

Poseability: 7/10 -
Hulk only has swivel joints at the leg/hips! No wrists, no ab-crunch. Buster is more disappointing. Hasbro definitely used old, old Joe parts for this dude. No wrists, no ankles, so he can't hold his BFG right, and he can't balance all that well when doing so either.

So ok, I understand if Hasbro decides the Buster is not a priority for this set, but only swivel leg joints??? On a MEGA KICK Hulk? Come on! And the swivels make his pant-middle look too wide. No wide sideways stances for you, movie Hulk.

I do like the swivel/hinge head joint for Hulk, though. He's got the best range of head motion of all the Hulks I own (which is not many. And I haven't opened them all.)

Oh, and for some reason his shoulder joints are ratcheted and really sturdy. I like them.

Fun: 7/10 - I guess that's the problem with wanting to be surprised all the time--you never get surprised anymore. Maybe it's not their fault that these 2 figures turned out worse than I expected. But then again I like to pose and shoot figures. These guys were obviously made to play-act out Hulk's kick on Blonsky before the latter went all abominable. So in that respect, they do a fine job. Stand Hulk Buster. Kick Hulk Buster.

The spring loaded waist is actually better suited for punching than kicking, since rotates at the waist. And if you hold on to Hulk's legs and rapidly twist him in short bursts, you get Mad Punching Hulk! Now that's fun! :P

But Hulkbuster was a little less fun when I realized I he couldn't hold on to the one weapon he came with properly.

Value: 8.5/10 - At retail price these guys wouldn't be worth it. At S$5 he's worth a shot. And I wasn't disappointed. But I'm not wowed for sure either.

Overall: 7.9/10 - Well, Buster goes with my Joes as a photography extra, while Hulk can be part of my Hulk collection and be the one movie Hulk that I got. Just like I expected. :)