BOB SHARE

The Avengers 3.75" line has so far proven a little disappointing in the action figure department.  A lack of articulation at a high retail price is a off-putting.  Sure, the sculpts the are beautiful and the paint is pretty good.  Heck, even the packaging really pops on the pegs.  But when you get past all that, you get a figure less playable than pretty much everything out there, except some of those "new" (read: re-released) Star Wars figures with all of 5 points of articulation.


But lo!  Beneath the pegs and on the shelves, in boxes instead of cards, full of compartments and moving parts and every inch as great-looking as the 3.75" figures themselves, were the Avengers vehicles!  Theres the Quinjet, Iron Mans jet, the Assault Armours, and this, the Caps Goliath Assault Tank.  The problem is that their price points are also quite high.  And if it werent for the Rangerlord finding this in Manila for 2/3 the retail price in Singapore, I wouldve gotten this much later.  So lets see whether its as good outside the box as it looks in packaging!

Like: The squat, low design thats reminiscent of the Iron Man Rolling Battle Headquarters but smaller.  Also, it has none of that red and gold shenanigans the Iron Man base has, with a more muted red, blue, and grey colour scheme.  Also, the wheels, gun turret, cannon lip and view hole arent moulded in black but a dark, sort of shiny brown.  Its kinda...funky?

If not for the Avengers logo at the front of the vehicle, the Goliath Assault Tank could even pass off as a GI Joe assault tank as is.

Like: It can fit 3 guys, albeit snugly.  The pilots on his own, while the two at the back get to face backwards, with the one directly behind the pilot awfully close to the rear "monitor" which is an unmarked, unstickered, unpainted could-be-anything panel from a weapons targeting system to a really uncomfortable forehead rest.

Dislike: Lack of heft.  It makes the tank seem more like a cart for kids, you know, the Fred Flintstone type where leg power propels the vehicle.  Heck, even Freds stone-made car looked a lot heavier than this tank feels.  Thankfully the plastic used is solid despite its weight.

Like: The little tampographed details like "no step," "access hatch, "caution," hatch-rotate locking pin," "power core access" and the little computer console for the pilot.  They serve as a reminder to everyone that Caps super cool, especially when hes drivin down the boulevard in his sweet ride.

Dislike: Wheels dont all roll on an even surface.  Only 3 of them rolled when on a smooth table, while 4 or 5 rolled in my light box studio.  I think rubber tyres on the wheels or at least a hard rubber layer wouldve worked better, not to mention add some of that heft thats sorely missing.

Like: Swivel/hinge cannons.  Tight as the joints are, they are there, contrary to some reviews Ive heard of saying that the guns dont swivel.  The hinge involves both cannons and their perpendicular posts and is a 90 degree affair, with the cannons able to be positioned on top of the tanks or at the side equally well.  The swivels are heavily ratcheted and and can be hard to rotate.  You might wanna use two hands to initially "break" the joint and ease the stiffness.  After that, the rotation should come easier--this almost sounds like physiotherapy!

Like: The hatch.  You cant really put figures into the vehicle this way (unless you go nuts and have no regard for the condition of your toys) but its a really nice touch that allows for some great play opportunities.  It also gives one more really nice option for posing.  Its a simple hinge and hatch but yet so much fun!

Like: Running boards with pegs.  The tanks got 2 of these, one on each side just in front of the two rear wheels.  So at max capacity the vehicle can actually carry 5 figures total, unless you have the guy in the hatch stepping on a couple of crotches. :P

Dislike: The lame excuse for a Captain America figure thats included.  Its only got 5 PoAs. Five!  In this day and age!

RATINGS

Aesthetics: 8/10 - Six wheels on a tank, two different cannons, and a ton of nice little tampographs.  Cant go wrong there.  Excellent sculpt, looks great next to any version of Cap, even the lame one that comes with the tank.  However, the vehicle does look a little plastic from lack of paint, though.  But the sculpt is good enough that if you simply sprayed it all black and dry-brushed the whole thing silver, it would look superb.

Poseability: 8/10 - Though its from the Avengers movie line, the vehicle looks more comic series than movie series.  And its looks and plays great with Marvel Universe figures, which are taller than the movie figures but fit better because of their better articulation.

Fun: 8/10 - Cap would drive this into battle, leap out just before, ramming it into the major big boss bad guy, then find a way to drop the tank right onto the unsuspecting baddie.  Best part is--itll be all part of the plan right from the start.  Aww yeah.

On its own, the Goliath tank provides action figures with a really great base to work out of, whether its as a display piece or for play.  Its got a nice large top that opens up, a small hatch for that gung ho hero, two movable guns (one of which fires), and rolls along like any decent wheeled vehicle does.

Oh, and theres also that nice battering ram in front for when you want to run over villains, fences, or your pet cat/dog.

Value: 7/10 - Youre paying for the vehicle only, really, since it comes with a rubbish excuse for a Cap.  You do get two articulated cannons, and a detachable antenna.  But thats par for the course (its a tank, for cryin out loud.  It should have these things anyway.  Heh.)

On discount or clearance the Goliath Assault Tank is more than worthwhile.  I paid S$30 for it in Manila (thanks again, Rangerlord!), while it retails for S$49.90 here in Singapore!

Overall: 8/10 - Its a keeper! - Vehicles are the kings of accessories.  Good ones are worth getting if you have the figures for them.  great ones take on a life of their own.  Im gonna say the Goliath Tank falls in the latter category.  It doesnt matter if you have Cap for this vehicle.  You could have any of the other Avengers and still get maximum enjoyment out of it.  In fact, you dont even need Avengers for that.  Heck, you could even buy this for your GI Joes and it would still be awesome.

There are hardly any downsides to the Goliath tank except for maybe the dud Cap and the retail price. But those are two things we know wont matter when this goes on clearance. But I wouldnt recommend waiting too long, though.  If the CAGAT happens to make a cameo in the movie, it might just get snapped up real quick. ;)

Walmart Exclusive 6"

The 3.75" Retail Version

"Whats in the where???..." you ask?

Well, some weeks back, my ol buddy-in-arms from the Articulated Discussion days Wes Dennis scored me some Walmart Exclusives--and the box arrived this week, much to my delight! (Big shout out and thanks to Wes of Scary Crayon!)

The Avengers movie 6" Captain America was the first figure I pulled outta Wes Wonder Box of Plastic Goodness, and with 3.75" avengers Shield Launcher Captain America the only figure in that line in that scale I have on the review burner, Ive decided to make this a double-header!

Ok, ok, so I havent gotten around to Avengers 3.75" Hawkeye yet though I got him some time back now.  But I certainly couldnt help not reviewing my first 6" Avengers figure right here, what with it being a Walmart Exclusive and all.  And since Id taken individual pictures of the 3.75" Cap, I thought a comparison review would be a great idea.

So sit back, relax, and enjoy a double dose of movie Captain America goodness! ;)

From here on out, its gonna be a game of "Spot the Difference."  Are you ready?  Heres a clue: ears. ;P

Like: 3.75" Caps colours--theyre more movie accurate, with a lighter than usual blue.  The 6" has a deeper tone but having said that, I do like the white under the 6-inchers arms.  Its nice and crisp.  Also, the bolder blue and red combo pops a lot more on the shelf.  But I do think that a lighter blue wouldve had a similar effect for the the latter.


Like: The proportions of the 6" Cap.  Hes leaner around the waist compared to the smaller scale figure and has longer legs compared to the rest of his body.  His shoulders are broad and it really makes him look like hes got Chris Evans frame.  The 3.75" figure, on the other hand, looks rather stout because of the short legs and the thicker waist.  They also make him rather short compared to the other figures of the line, let alone the taller Marvel universe figs.


Like: The detailed sculpt of the 6" version. From the texture of suit, grooves in his uniform, to the separate belt piece.  If anything theres so much detail that they couldnt afford to pick out all of it in paint.  But the essentials are there--the silver rank (I think) on his shoulders and the buckles of his belt and boots, the sculpted and painted wings and the "A" on his forehead.  And of course, the silver star on his chest.  The 3.75-incher is decent in the detail department, but no where near level of the larger figure. or even some of the recently released Marvel Universe figures. 



Dislike: The poor articulation of the 3.75" Cap.  No chest/waist, no ankles, and no wrists. At least hes got double hinge knees. :/

Like: The superb articulation on the 6" figure. Hes got a great chest pivot, new hinge/swivel "shoe peg" joints in the ankles, and a ball/hinge head.  The double hinges for the elbows and knees are also simply superb!

In addition, the posts of the swivel/hinge leg ball joints are connected horizontallly to each other through the crotch instead of toward the lower abdomen.  This makes for excellent leg joints which you wont have to twist and swivel like a Rubiks cube to make sure they move how you want them to.  Instead, you can move the legs any which way you want to and theyll comply!  Its almost like telekinesis--but with your hands! :P

Four-finger push-ups? Done!

3.75" Accessorize!

6" Cap Shield

Like: That the 6-inch Cap has a shield that has adjustable straps!  You can tighten or loosen each of them by up to 3 degrees each way.  But if you want it to be secure, youll have to pull the straps all the way till its tight, then hide the excess straps behind his forearm.  So whether its in his hand, worn like a backpack, carried like a handbag or even strapped to his bum, youll get that extra secure look. ;)

The other small issue I have is that the shield is cast in a dull red in an attempt to look metallic and it doesnt come off the best.  Its not bad, but the 3.75" shield actually looks much better because its painted and hence more shiny.

Dislike: That the 3.75" Caps shield has hardened plastic handles which only allow it to be held in hand.  And while thats not too bad for the scale, I think most would still prefer the elastic band attached to the shield for that added tightness and versatility.

I like to have Cap wear his shield on his back and with elastic bands, the 3.75-incher would at least be able to do that.

Dislike: That both have rather bland expressions on their faces.  Give them a frown, a smirk, a smile--give them anything and theyll look better for sure in any one of his poses.  This is often an issue with many an action figure.  Why go plain when just about any other expression would give the figure a whole lot more character?



Like: That the 3.75-incher comes with a non-removable holster with a removable sidearm.  Its one more accessory and a place to store it when the action isnt so hot.  Trouble with this though, is that it isnt movie accurate at all.

Like: That the 6-incher gets this right--theres no holster and no sidearm.  But this also means that there are less accessories.  He may come with a nifty connectible base of hexes (from the Heroscape superhero tabletop game) and I like it quite a bit, but thats nothing compared with an extra semi-automatic rifle or two.  He does use one in the movies, after all.  A switchable unmasked head would be great, but it would also be asking a bit much, wouldnt it? ;P

RATINGS

Aesthetics:

6": 8.5/10 - Great tooled detail on the sculpt but equally, this guys proportions are right.  Hes also in scale with the rest of the Marvel movie 6" crew like Thor, Iron Man Mk VI, and Nick Fury (whos a little tall.)

Caps also got some nicely sculpted and picked out detail, making him very movie accurate.  One glance and a 3 year-old would know its movie Cap.  Heck, maybe even my 1 year-old can tell! ;)

Caps boots, face, and mid-torso are painted and are sharp, with no spills, smudges or fuzzy lines.  Its some of the best paint Ive seen in the 6" scale, though theres actually very little painted parts.

3.75": 7/10 - Hes a little stocky for my liking but hes got the right shade of blue on him.  His face is kinda neutral but the rest of him still looks nice and sharp.



Poseability:

6": 9.5/10 - His articulation is near perfect as I mentioned above and he comes with an accessory that can be strapped on to just about anywhere you want.  What sets him apart form the usual 6"action figure are his horizontally-connected legs posts, his swivel hinge head, and his hinge/swivel ankles.

While Im not sure if ML has adopted swivel/hinge heads or the "shoe" ankles in their recent "Return Of" offerings, Im pretty sure the legs are unique to the Avengers toy lines.  All the new movie 3.75" figures have them (Hawkeye, Black Widow, Ultimates Thor), so its nice to see them carry it over to Cap in this scale.

As for the ankles, if you thought they worked great in the MU 3.75" scale, well they work even better on 6" Cap.  The joint is nice and tight and rotates smoothly but also looks great--on Cap, you can hardly tell that hes got anything other than hinges on his ankles, so when you do rotate the foot, it looks pretty seamless and extremely life-like!

As far as swivel/hinge heads go, Cap is par for the course so no complaints about an excellent, well-hidden joint here!

3.75": 7/10 - Stiff.  Thats what comes to mind.  Still, with his double hinge knees and leg joints similar to the 6-incher, he can pull off a pretty pose or two.  But when it comes down to the bread and butter poses like punching, throwing, or even running, cap struggles to look the part.  I can understand that ankles might have cost a little too much to include, but wrists?  Come on, even I can add them on easily, what with my grand total of two customs under my belt.  Lol.



Fun:

6": 10/10 - Nothing beats a figure that looks good on a shelf, feels great in your hand, plays like a dream, and captures a popular character in a popular movie/show/series.  This Cap America checks all the boxes and then some.

3.75": 7/10 - Nothing is more disappointing than a figure that looks a little off (hes a shorty; not the female type), feels like a childs toy, is stiff, and yet captures one of your favourite characters in a popular movie/show/series.  Id like to say this guy checks all the boxes but that would make it sound like its a good thing, and this Cap isnt all that great.  He does have the shield launcher that he can actually hold and fire like a bazooka though.  Oh wait, thats not a good thing either.

Value:

6": 9/10 - Sure, he couldve come with a gun or two, but 6-inch Cap has all that tremendous articulation and the detailed tooling.  Throw in some careful, albeit minimal, painting and an inter-connectable figure stand/base and its very hard to say that hes not worth the S$28 (US$22.50) I paid, which includes shipping.  The fact that hes a Walmart Exclusive makes him all the more valuable--I wouldve been happy to pay up to the S$10 more I can find him for here in Singapore if Wes had not jumped in so quickly to snag Cap for me!

3.75": 7/10 - No that I think of it, Im not sure if hes worth getting at retail for the S$19.90 (US$16) I paid.  For S$10 more, I managed to get 6" Cap.  Hmm.


The thing is that hes rather hard to find in these parts.  All of the movie costume figures are.  The pegs here continue to have Sword Spike, Battle Hammer, and Shock Strike Thor, Super Shield and Rocket Grenade Cap, Heavy Artillery and Reactron Armor Iron Man. While I wouldnt say stores are loaded with these (since the line moved well at retail), they are the peg-warmers.  3.75" Cap is definitely not one of them, so I guess being movie accurate has its value to the general public and to kids as well.

Overall:

6": 9.25/10 - Maybe even as recently as a year ago I was more in favour of DC Universe 6-inchers because the line had been great.  Also, I was into the Marvel Universe 3.75" line, so to start buying into the 6" Marvel Legends line seemed a bit repetitive for me.  I was only ever going to get the movie 6-inchers, you see, because I felt they were more unique and invariably linked to the time when their movies were released.  But with the death of DCUC and if Marvel keeps making 6" figure the way theyve made their movie Caps (I have the First Avenger Movie Cap as well), Im gonna have no choice but to start an ML collection.  I say collection but I really wanna play the hell outta every Marvel 6-incher I get, just like The Avengers Cap here.  Why?  Because they are just that damn good.  AllI have to do is wait for the characters I really want, like the recently SDCC-revealed Ultimates Cap.  (Yes, I am an Ultimates freak, thank you.)  ;)

3.75": 7/10 - A straight 7 is what this guy is simply because hes just slightly better than meh.  In every category theres potential that goes unfulfilled--A good sculpt thats painted well but could be slightly more proportionate; A couple of good PoAs in the hips and the knees but no articulation whatsoever in the wrists, chest, and ankles; a good accessory in a well-painted shiny shield but no other way to use it than held in his hand via the stiff plastic straps; a "Big Friggin Gun"/shield launcher.  Really.  Keep the launcher, give us some PoAs.  So yeah, all in all not a bad figure, but hardly great either.