ReAction: First landing in early 2014 Super7 x Funko's retro line of cool characters took a little getting used to, but a year plus in they have caught on like wild fire. These 3 3/4" poseable action figures pay tribute to the long absent and classic Kenner brand of yore (even the logo is a nod). They are styled with that classic square-ish mid-torso joint and are perfectly displayed on the famed card back. For true in-box collectors these are little wonders that will be displayed perhaps with a push pin in the rack cut-out, as these are certainly adult collectibles, and not toys! What drives this home is the particular cavities of pop culture from which these emanate.
I was still a teen when the Karate Kid was released in cinemas (1984) and will never forget the enduring charm of Mr. Miyagi (portrayed by the inimitable Pat Morita) and the importance of his presence to the young Karate Kid aka Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio). I forgot that Elisabeth Shue played his friend Ali Mills in the film, this was an early flick for her, and she is still a presence on the silver screen as you know. Her ex-boyfriend Johnny Lawrence plays the bad guy who taunts and beats LaRusso, and this is where the cool twist comes in the film - if you haven't seen it, do it now! Here's our video overview of the figures we looked at in this collection:
As we celebrate our first annual Retro Week that we are calling Flashback this year, we are happy to bring you figures styled in the essence of those originals experienced in the 70's and 80's (and maybe a touch of earlier and later) by current toymakers with an edge. First thing to mention is these figures are very detailed for shorty fellas, and in the small space Funko has managed to incorporate much more than would have been possible 25+ years ago. The paint is decent across the line and the articulation is standard and boxy for most figures, not all. That said, it offers the charm and endurance of both notalgia and innovation simultaneously.
TAXI DRIVER: Never in a million and one years would I have expected to see a Travis Bickle action figure. When I first saw this in a local shop I did a literal double-take, seems almost implausible. And when I did look back I could only think of the classic toughguy-ism "You talkin' to me?". I absolutely think this is a permanent keeper, and definitely one for any cinephiles out there who might also have a penchant for oddities in the collectible world. Love the mowhawk, love the missing patch on his army jacket, love the small cheekbones/dimples, just love.
Believe it or not I've yet to see the Kurt Russell fronted cult classic Big Trouble in Little China (circa '86) so I cannot say much about the film (hey, it came out in my early college days and I was up to other things). It was not a big box office draw, but has kept a strong following after all these years and you can see it in other figures and collectibles floating inthe market, presumably because there will be a potential, gasp, remake with Dwayne Johnson no less. Hmmmm. The Karate Kid's remake came and went without notice a few years back, though other projects like the all gal Ghostbusters looks promising - so who knows! I digress. These figures are lovely, the red of Gracie's dress makes for a perfect contrast with the teal and gold headress/crown. Thunder's costumery has great detail - it's elaborate but not gaudy, now I have to get Lo Pan to mix things up a bit!
OK, so these figures come from two separate movies, but in my consciousness they are inseparable. Of course we are talking about the sci-fi/horror cult classics Alien (1979, Ridley Scott) and Predator (1986, John McTiernan) -- as opposed to (of course) Alien vs Predator (1993). These films, figures and any/everything about them have become widely collectible and exciting, release after release by several companies. These figures do not hesitate to excite, with sumptious style and design. We love the two monsters (see the video where we are showing these off). Now, Ripley (played by Sigourney Weaver in one of her most famous roles) is another story. Her figure is awkwardly stiff, even for a strong female lead I think she looks overly mannish (nothing wrong with that - but the actress, though tall and lanky is of the female form. I appreciate a character that isn't all fetale, however, here the pocket-sized version of Ripley looks like a bit more like Adrienne Barbeau than Weaver. That said, the figure, divorcing myself from the likeness, is quite nice, the jumpsuit is pure late 70s, as are the white sneakers.Her stare is trancelike, and she comes packin' - with a light blue rifle. It's cool and clunky and we're OK with that!
From one of the most long-lasting slasher franchises out there, Scream (1996), comes Ghost Face. This figure is just perfect. I should stop there....but I will add that not only is the facial/mask spot-on in miniature size, as is the pure evil black cape/cloak. For this series you may want to Collect Em All as we hope this little set of seven just grows and grows. Now, mind you, I am not a horror fan outside of the classic b-films and Universal Monsters, but these have an instant appeal. Perhaps because they are so small and though I am only 5'8" they make me feel like a giant who can commandeer there terror into a shoe box perhaps! We can only hope for Chucky, Captain Spaulding and others that Funko has licensed as well as other amazing characters we haven't seen from Carrie, Poltergeist, the Shining and the Exorcist! There are so many horror figure possibilities out there - but this one being the only one in my new collection kicks this off with a cosmic thrust.
FLASHBACK: Retro Week
All in all, though they boast articulation et al, we can't imagine for a second these coming out of the package, there is something almost fetishistic about keeping these types of figures stored safely where everyone can see them and they are safe from any potential breakage, wear and tear, etc. They are almost meant to, as we have grown up and seen how collectible lil' gems like this become - though we encourage anyone who would want to pose them in wonderful ways with cool diorama backdrops to do so. It's always exciting to see what's coming next so stay tuned....! PS: Join us on Facebook and kickstart a dialogue about these and other reto figures that you love and collect.