Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Captain America The First Avenger 3.75" Captain Britain

 **Hey all! Just wanted to slip in a quick reminder to enter the contest from earlier this week if you wanna win free stuff!  See previous post for the details! ;)**

I've wanted a Captain Britain since his initial Marvel Universe release.  I wanted him bad just so I could complete my United Nations of Super Heroes.  You know, Captain America and U.S. Agent for the USA, Sunfire representing Japan, Guardian for Canada, Union Jack and Captain Britain for...You guessed it, Great Britain!

Jack of many and master of all? Wot?
Though I saw the first MU single carded release on the pegs in September last year and the Captain Brit pics from the 2-pack with Spiderman that turned out to be the old school costume, I wanted neither.  Funky as the latter and classic as the former was, I wanted a modern Captain Britain, dammit!  All it took was a movie to be made.  And it isn't even about the good ol' British Super Soldier himself--it's about duh, Captain America, of course!

But just to get you guys who are not from "across the pond" or are not from a country that's been a British colony before in the mood for some right ol' jolly good toy reviewing, we'll sing the world's most recognized national anthem, God Save the Queen!

Feel free to belt it out along with the video:

God save our gracious Queen,
Long live our noble Queen,
God save the Queen!
Send her victorious,
Happy and Glorious,
Long to reign over us;
God save the Queen!

Yes, right chaps!  Now that we're all in the mood, did you know that the most recognized flag in the world is the Union Jack?  Cor Blimey!  It's a wonder that Captain Britain isn't the most recognizable character in the world!  Maybe after this review he'll become the most recognizable action figure in the world.  Load of codswallop?  We'll just have to take a look, shall we?

 

Like: I'm completely chuffed with he modern design!  Compared to the 1st version from MU, the old school one with Spidey in a Comic 2-pack and another old costume from the Captain America 3-pack with Red Guardian, this one has a very nice helmet/visor combo and those lovely pouches.

Like: The awesome swivel/hinge ankles.  Similar to those found in SDCC 2010 Captain America, Doctor Strange,  and Modular Armor Iron Man just to name a few, the feet have got posts that attach the hinge joint towards front of foot.  The beauty of this new and improved ankle is that it mimics real ankle movement!

Whatever foot position you want can be achieved--fully pointed toes, inwards and outwards rotation, rotating while pointing or pivoting (which even human feet can't fully do).

Now if that doesn't make you pleased as Punch then I don't know what does! ;P
 
Like: The paint's the bee's knees, it is.  There's so much of it, so detailed, so shiny, so...precious...And nothing says modern costume more than shiny!  I'm even really impressed with the non-metallic colors like the white they've molded most of him in.  Perhaps because most of him is shiny, the plastic looking white looks great on him.

I have to say that finding one with good paint wasn't too difficult,  His eyes are generally well done, with white painted pretty deeply into his helmet on a dark wash.  In terms of areas to watch out for, you'll want to make sure the red of his helmet doesn't spill excessively onto the part of his face that's revealed.  You also might want to watch out for the white edges on the red parts of his costume--those tend to be neat but can be slightly pink like in the one I got.

Dislike: The paint. I know, I know.  You don't have to throw a wobbly just because I both like and dislike his paint.  There's benefits and drawbacks, you see, old chums.  With the amount of articulation he has, the paint tends to come off easily after twisting and turning the guy a bit, especially around the joints.  Case in point: the top portions of his legs that attach to his lower torso via swivels.  Yes, I learned my lesson the hard way a had a huge chunk chip off on me.

Weird torso, chipped paint and awesome pouch!
But keep your pecker up because since I've taken care to watch out for over swiveling, no extra paint has come off.

Like: The new hip/leg articulation.  Like all the other figures I've reviewed from the Cap movie line so far, Captain Britain has to same great leg articulation at the hips/legs.  You can check out a picture "tutorial," so to speak, in the Ultimate Cap and Movie Cap figure reviews. :)

Like: Excalibur!  I always like me a good sword.  It makes me chortle that when almost every other figure in the line comes with a shield and guns, Captain Britain comes with a sword and a brobdingnagian (Click it. I dare you! :P) monstrosity of an arm blaster-cannon-missile-shooter.  Excalibur is a great contrast of old and new with Brian Braddock's modern costume.  It nicely ties his powers back to the mystical roots of Merlin, the Knights of the Round Table, and the land itself.  It's also a great touch because Cap Britain has been part of the UK mutant super hero group Excalibur since the beginning till it was disbanded a few years back.


Dislike: The mismatched upper torso to mid-torso at the chest pivot.  It looks as queer as a nine bob note but is saved by the scrumptious utility belt, a fact which I'm sure those cheeky buggers at Hasbro were banking on!  Unlike the other figures from this line, this bloke's chest pivot is practically swivel-only.  It's down to how they sculpted the upper torso that restricts movement over the lower torso.

Like:  The pouches!  It's a remarkably detailed and separate piece with eight compartments molded in a matte black.  They've also picked out the buttons and buckle in silver.  It's actually a very nice touch in an already popping figure and adds that little bit of extra that toy fans always look for.  Well, what can I say?  I'm either a huge fan of pouches or was a kangaroo in my past life.  Perhaps even both. ;P



RATINGS

Aesthetics: 9.5/10 - Simply delightful.  The best of the Captains Britain!  The perfect shine for the perfect pop.  Throw in a nifty utility belt and Bob's your uncle, a magnificent specimen of 3.75" British glory!

The only issue I have with him is the mismatched chest joint.  It's one of those things that you wouldn't notice until you looked closely, then it'll be at the back of your mind gnawing at it.  Thank the Queen for the distraction of the utility belt!

Poseability: 9/10 - Ankles, thigh cuts and the new Captain America line hip/leg assembly already make this a standout of this line.  But throw in his wrist swivels, which not all the figures have, and you've got yourself an excellent model of articulation that's wonderfully poseable.

And let's not forget the awesome accessory in Excalibur that makes this guy stand out from your average gun-toting superhuman.  Captain Britain also has two gripping hands so he can be, how do you American say it, "pimped out" with two swords or a sword and a shield!  Heck, if you like, you can even make him a cackhander!

Fun: 9/10 - What makes this figure truly fun is the inclusion of Excalibur for the posers like me and the gigantic arm blaster and missile for the kids/people who like to shoot stuff at the eyes of their friends.  For the latter, the BFG is quite powerful, probably the most powerful I've seen so far.  For fellow sword-lovers like myself, 3.75" scale swords are always a joy because while there are tons of guns and even katanas in this scale, but there's probably only a handful of western blades.



The only other swords I have is from the Grail Knight of the Indian Jones line.  There are also a couple of rapiers from Fandral (Thor movie line) and Mutt Williams (Indy Jones again) but none have been, well, Excalibur. :)

Value: 8/10 - Two accessories, but one's a giant arm cannon.  Still I'm chuffed because there's some great paint apps and tooling that feels like I got bang for my buck.

Overall: 8.9/10 - It's very much a keeper!  By Jove, calling Captain Britain "rather lovely" would be understating it.  He's by far the best Captain Britain out there in 3.75" scale right now and you'd be off your trolley not to think so.  And it'll be yonks before Hasbro will come up with a Cap Britain that can trump this one!

44 comments:

  1. Whoa -- I didn't know this figure had the new ankles! If I ever see one with pure white stripes (as opposed to the pink ones I always see), it shall be mine. :D

    That does suck about the paint rub at the hip, though. I probably would have cast them in blue to minimize the visual impact of paint rub, even if it did result in a slightly inaccurate costume.

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  2. I kind of want the sword for Taskmaster, so I've been considering it.

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  3. I have bought 3 figures from this line and of the 3 two of them have paint issues which am trying to be understanding about but now when i go to the store i find myself looking over every figure from the line to see if it has a good paint job or not. Am going to give the line one more chance and if it fails then i won't buy any more am sad to say.

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  4. I love the design of this figure, but have yet to see one with paint applications that make him worth the purchase. Nevertheless, the sculpt and articulation still make me very interested.

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  5. he looks really nice- GREAT pictures! very poseable indeed, and who DOESN'T like a firing projectile?? :D

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  6. So gonna give its excalibur to the new single pack doctor doom!!! to recreate that comic..?

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  7. @Wes - Yeah , that does suck. But it's mainly my own fault for gleefully twisty his groin his way an that. :P

    Love that you're sold on the figure! ;)

    @Ridureyu - Excalibur for Taskmaster!?! Wot?!? ;P

    @jboypacman - Sorry to hear about your 3 figures. Yes, It does seem the movie line is more "rushed" just to get the stuff out to us quickly and in greater quantities. Marvel Universe seems to have corrected most of their paint issues, but those aren't so marketed to the masses as these movie figures are. Give and take I guess. :/

    @clark - Yes, there's plenty of him on the shelves i these parts. Waiting for the perfect to come wouldn't be too bad of an idea. ;)

    @SDTB - Thanks! I'm gonna say the guy who's getting the projectile fired in his eye. :P

    @TPS - Haven't read that story! But come on! Ecalibur for Doom? You guys... Lol.

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  8. Well, Taskmaster's sword is way too small, and Excalibur would be the right size...

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  9. But...But, but...Taskmaster is evil!

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  10. Well at lest my Crossbones figure looks great so am please with him at lest and the other are not bad it just frustrating to me to have to worry about paints when i feel i should not have to.

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  11. The Comic where Iron Man Mk 8 and Doom with the Excalibur, Iron Man: Legacy Of Doom!

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  12. But the excalibur look unbelievebly good on doctor doom !!

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  13. http://i.annihil.us/u/prod/marvel/i/mg/f/70/4bcfe41f078bf/detail.jpg

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  14. @jboypacman - Yeah I know what you mean...But even then I realize now I always check for paint anyway. Never know when you might miss that giant paint smudge or worse yet, missing parts! 8(

    @TPS - Oh wow, look at that! Now I'll have to at least go google it or buy the book! ;)

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  15. Another great review! I really want this guy, but it's unbelievably hard to find one with good paint. Also, any thoughts on the new figures revealed at SDCC this year?

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  16. Thanks! Yeah, I see plenty of them but none of them 100% perfect. I got lucky with mine but when bad paint happens, I usually go for the one with the least flaws and the best face. :/

    As for thoughts on SDCC stuff, yeah I do! I'm probably gonna do a post about it but for now, let's just say I'm excited! :D

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  17. Taskmaster isn't aaaaalways evil!

    Anyway, I had a good haul these last few days - Red Hulk, Ultimate Iron Man, HYDRA Soldier, Iron Patriot, the Thing/Bulldozer pack, and a loose Piledriver (now to find that wrecking ball dude). Still no Dr. Strange, though!

    But I may have to organize the Marvel shelf somehow.

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  18. Haha, I wasn't sure at all. But I gather a dude who walk around with a skull mask has got to be evil so I was just taking a stab at it. ;P

    Great Haul! That Ultimate Iron Man is excellent! reviewed him a while back but he's dropped out of my "top 10 most viewed" list. Loose wrecking ball dude = Thunderball, who comes with Spiderman--the most unspectacular of the Secret Wars 2-packs.

    I'm sure you'll find Strange soon! And then that shelf will magically re-organize itself. ;)

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  19. Thanks! I know which secret wars pack it was, I just forgot Thunderball's name.

    And yeah, Taskmaster is evil about 90% of the time, but he's also a mercenary, so he'll do what you pay him to do. And he predates Skeletor!

    The rest of the haul included some MUSCLEs (WOOT), some very random Japanese monster figures, and some of the old Waterworld stuff. Why Waterworld? For the little rubber sea monsters that came with them - if the figures are cheap enough, then it works.

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  20. Yeah, crazy name, crazier costume. Lol.

    Ok, 90% of the time is practically always. But not always ALWAYS. Haha.

    Doncha just love it when you buy a really cheap figure for the accessories rather than for the figure itself? I always find that ironic but awesome, since the other stuff goes towards boosting some other figure/display. :)

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  21. yep! And hey, this reminds me:

    Remember how some of the MLs came with bases? Out of those, some of them looked like post-apocalyptic wreckage? (examples: Captain America, Hulk, Juggernaut). I'm looking for bases and backdrops with that kind of aesthetic in 6" scale, though 5" or so would be okay, too. I'm just not sure where to look to find them.

    For the Fist of the North Star shelf!

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  22. There's a guy at the local Sunday flea market who sells bases for as little as S$2 a pop. Maybe if you swing by Singapore sometime, I could show you. ;)

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  23. I wonder if it's better to swap this Captain Britain's legs with the three-pack Captain Britain's legs or just repaint this one below the waist (except for the boots) altogether?

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  24. I'm not sure what look your gunning for but I think painting them might just be easier because the legs are sculpted in white. :)

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  25. Were it not for the torso, the three-pack Captain Britain would make a nice body for a custom-made Union Jack.

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  26. Man, there's a thought! The torso's too bulky, you think?

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  27. It's not the bulk, Sir. It's the way the torso was divided. It's rather off, as you pointed out yourself. Hasbro should've just used the same torso cut with Captain Britain as they did with the Captain America figures. CB and U.S. Agent look about the same size but Agent's got a torso that can move better than CB's.

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  28. Ah, I see. Yeah, weird that there's more space between upper and lower torsos in Captain Britain but he can move the joint less than US Agent can. Go figure! ;)

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  29. The more I look at Captain Britain and Union Jack standing side-by-side, I keep thinking, "Come on, Hasbro--you already have CB in Jack's colors...make us happy and make a Union Jack for this toy line."

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  30. Actually, that would be a good thing. Sure we've already got the Marvel Universe version but variety is the spice of life, no? ;)

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  31. Should I get Captain Britain or Odin?

    Odin: http://www.amazon.com/Thor-Action-Figure-Shield-Marvels/dp/B005EN2B1O/ref=sr_1_1?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1335848064&sr=1-1

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    Replies
    1. Not for US$20!!! Lol. Captain Britain I can vouch for being a great figure, but Odin, not yet. I do own the figure but haven't gotten round to opening him yet. I will though, because I just saw The Avengers and will see it as much as I can. Plus, I'm really stoked to review all the Marvel movie figures I have, dating back to IM 2. :)

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    2. I really need your advice. :))

      Well, I went to the toy store to look for the available figures there. I am choosing from these figures (All of the pre-Avengers figures are on clearance sale): Odin, Heimdall, Loki,and Iron Man Silver Centurion. What should I get? (I'm already decided on Captain Britain :D)

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    3. I have reviews of Silver Centurion and Heimdall here and of the two, I'd say Silver Cent IM. Heimdall lacks lots of PoAs.

      If you've got the Thor line Loki available, I'd say get him! He's pretty hard to come by and has all the articulation that the Loki of the Avengers line doesn't have. Odin is good, but the one they released in later waves (wave 3?) has better colours ad paint.

      So I guess you should get 'em all except Heimdall!!! ;P

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    4. Oh and whereabouts do you live? Stateside? :)

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    5. I live in Pampanga, Philippines. Just an hour drive from Manila. :))

      Loki? Ok. :D Thanks!

      Sorry if I'm annoying you with my questions, but I need help from an expert. I'll go to the toy store I've visited yesterday again tomorrow. They don't have Silver Centurion anymore. :(( So I looked at the IM figures. I bought IM Fusion Armor (Just a repaint of Mark III). I really want to get Mark VI (without the press the head thing), but I already have Advanced Armor comic series, and they kind of looked like the same. Should I get Mark VI still? Or are they any other Thor/IM figures you can recommend. Thanks :))

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    6. Not at all! I'm just glad I can help. :-)

      Iron Man 2 figures are always well worth getting and though they seem the same, the Mk VI and Advanced Armours are quite different sculpt-wise. I'm a big fan of the movie design so I say get the Mk VI! ;-)

      As for other recommendations from IM2, Ultimate Iron Man is outstanding and many like the Hulkbuster IM. Iron Monger is great too, both comic and movie series figs. Oh yes, any of the War Machines will also be great to get.

      Thor-wise, the Warriors Three (Fandral, Volstagg n Hogun) will line up nicely with Thor and Odin. All the best for the hunt! :-)

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    7. Wow, Thanks for the advice! I did see Volstagg in the store, and he has awesome weapons! (Just like Odin). But I'm buying Mark VI and Captain America Battlefield first. Thanks again! :))

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    8. You're welcome! And great choices on the figures by the way! If you wanna see what Battlefield Cap is capable of, I did a review on the original figure right here!

      http://chasevariant.blogspot.com/2010/08/marvel-universe-375-sdcc-exclusive-wwii.html

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    9. Hello again! I went to the mall and I'm considering these figures: Thor Thunder Crusader, Iron Man Mark V, Iron Man Ultimate Armor, and Volstagg. But I'm having second thoughts on Volstagg because if I'm getting him, I want to have Sif and the other warriors too which are unavailable. Even though you discouraged me from getting Heimdall, I'm still considering him because Odin ran out of stock. I'm also thinking about getting MU Guardian but it's more expensive. But I'll get him if you think it's better than the ones I mentioned above. What do you think? :))

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    10. Hi Kimoz,

      Oh al of those are great to get. Thunder Crusader is a repaint and has that nice, charged up hammer. Volstagg yes, he would need Fandral and Hogun (no Sif in the line :( ), both of which are hard to find. Heimdall may have less articulation but is also pretty rare.

      As for the Iron Man stuff, Mark V is so-so looking, while Ultimate Armor is a repaint of the Mk III I think. It is the rarer of the two though. :)

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    11. Thanks again, I just got back from the different toy stores I've visited. I bought IM Ultimate Armor and Heimdall. I was supposed to get Mark V too as planned but I only saw one remaining stock and the paint was very bad, so I decided to pass. I am thinking of getting a Destroyer... Good Idea? If yes, which one: the Fire Blast or Inferno? Thanks again! :))

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    12. MU Guardian is not bad but it's an old buck and useful if you wanna do a United Nations then yeah, he's pretty good to get. :)

      As for Mark V, yup, the paint can get pretty sloppy. Good move not getting it. Ya know what? As luck would have it, the next review I'll be posting up here will be Fireblast Destroyer! Based on my figure and the pics/vids I've seen on Inferno D, I think Fireblast looks better--it's got its entire body painted. Inferno's molded black with the eyes just painted, so if that's your thing,go for it! :)

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  32. Yeah, I was planning on building the UN of Heroes but I only got Captain America and Captain Britain so far. :( Wow, thanks I just got Fire Blast Destroyer and Thor Thunder Crusader. I'm waiting for later waves or until you recommend a figure in the Amazing Spiderman Movie Series. :))

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