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REVIEW: Enterbay 1:6 MEN IN BLACK 3 Action Figures
Agent's J and K Are Here To Save The World (And Your Toy Collection)...
Enterbay's Men In Black 3 figures are available for pre-order directly through Enterbay, as well as through several of our fine sponsors, including BigBadToyStore.com and ToyWiz.com.
Quote:
Here come the Men in Black (Men in Blaaaaack)
Galaxy defenders (oahhaooohh ohhhhh)
Here come the Men in Black (Men in Blaaaaack)
They won't let you remember
Uh uh, uh uh
You know the song. Heck, it plays in my head every time I pick up one of these incredibly life-like 1:6th scale Men In Black 3 action figures from Enterbay. As a fellow figure collector, I'm sure you can relate. Catchy theme songs, explosive sound effects, popular movie quotes... they all go with the territory of "playing" with your toys. Fortunately for me, I REALLY like the Men In Black movies and the tune. And these new Enterbay action figures? Out of this world.
Released last month to those that placed advanced pre-orders - with a second batch shipping later this year - Enterbay's Men In Black 3 figures include Agent J as played by Will Smith, and Agent K as portrayed by Tommy Lee Jones. Enterbay's "Passion For Perfection" comes at a premium price, the individual MIB3 figures retailing for around $225 each or $376 for the pair. Getting them both together is obviously the better deal, and to be honest, I don't foresee many fans buying just one character anyways.
When collectors purchase a high-end action figure like this, they expect all the bells and whistles. Enterbay doesn't disappoint, kicking things off with a very sophisticated packaging presentation. Each MIB character comes in a large (15" tall, 6 1/2" wide and 5 inches deep) black box that resembles a foot locker. You know who is who by the silver "J" and "K" name plate at the top, while "MIB: Men In Black" proudly proclaims the license. Behind all this, and adding some depth to the design, is an embossed locker grill. The sides of the packaging feature "MIB3" repeated over and over again in a nice reflective metallic font. I'm forever thankful Enterbay didn't use this side art - the same nausea-inducing optical art used on the teaser movie posters - on the front panel. I'd have a headache before I even opened the box. The back of the box is rather Plain Jane, featuring the movie logo and a bunch of legal mumbo jumbo, most if it in Chinese.
Speaking of which, opening the packaging is a snap: simply swing the magnetically shut outer flap back. The box then splits in half; one side containing all the figure's accessories, the other protectively storing the actual figure in a bed of form-fitting foam. I should note that the gear is also well protected; the storage tray comes covered in a resealable cling wrap-like plastic. It's something I haven't seen before, standard tape or twist ties usually being the storage method of choice.
Slick packaging aside, the thing that is really going to blow collectors away is the head sculpts on these two figures. The life-like portraits of Agent's J and K are, in my humble opinion, some of the finest realistic sculpts I've seen, and I do own my fair share of high-end 1:6th scale action figures. Will Smith's head in particular is dead-on accurate, the sense of realism bordering on creepy. I mean that in a good way, but yeah, it's kind of unnerving playing around with a collectible so real.
Tommy Lee Jones' head sculpt is equally good, although it appears to me slightly more like a caricature of Tommy Lee. I'm not quite sure what it is about his sculpt, but it's not negative... you instantly know who this is, no doubt about it. It's not like some sculpts where you look at it and sort of see the person it is suppose to be. This is Tommy Lee Jones 100%, well, with the caricature aspect of it, more like 105%. Regardless, both head sculpts are damn good, Enterbay sculptor's SCUDERIA (on Will Smith) and GALLARDO (Tommy Lee) both talents to be reckoned with. I can't wait to see what these two artists sculpt next.
That said, it's almost a shame to place their iconic sunglasses on. But boy do they look sharp with those shades on.
On the subject of accessories, each figure includes a substantial amount. Agent J includes a standard issue neuralyzer in both active and deactivated modes, previously mentioned sunglasses that slide right onto the figure's head, the time jump device seen in MIB3 and the alien orb, four pairs of interchangeable hands and what could almost be considered a third character: Frank the Pug (complete with stogie and removable shades).
I'm not a huge fan of Frank, but his addition here should please some. I personally would have rather seen the "Worm Guys" thrown in, their comedy relief more to my liking. Another small complaint is that Frank the Pug's shades don't attach very well. Like Agent K's shades, they feature arms that are cut in half so that they appear to be going behind his ears. Unfortunately, there are no slots on Frank's head to place these cut arms in, so they just sort of rest there unsecured and prone to falling off if bumped.
Agent K gets his shades as well, though the arms, as mentioned, are cut in half. Like Frank, this allows them to appear as if they are resting under his hair. It really scared me at first... I thought they were broken. K also receives four pairs of interchangeable hands and a full arsenal of weapons including a Shark Gun (large trumpet-like rifle), a 2012 Standard Issue (pistol), a shotgun and an itty bitty Noisy Cricket (It's sooo cute!). Because I received the set of two figures, my Agent K included a plastic baggy packing an extra 2012 Standard Issue and shotgun, I am assuming so you can equip Agent J... or arm Agent K John Woo style! The weapons are all very nice sculpts and the "chrome" lends them a shiny real metal vibe. However, the plastic construction on the guns feels a little light weight and "toy like". A minor criticism, as they do look great once in the figure's hands, though I do wish they were cast of a better material (Real metal? One can dream, right?).
Lastly, each figure receives Enterbay's FS-201 figure stand. This is my first experience with the unusual display stand and I'm not quite sold on its design. Unlike the newer crotch-clutching stands from Hot Toys, Enterbay's stand uses a waist clamp system. It works well enough, but it's a bit finicky trying to get it positioned underneath the figure's close fitting suit jackets. In other words: distracting if clamped on the outside. The rest of the stand I do like a lot, the base opens up to double the display space the figure stands on. Construction is also nice, the adjustable rod and vice clamps being cast in metal. The folding base itself is plastic.
Another critical element for Enterbay to get right on these figures was their trademark black suits. They aren't called the Men In Black for nothing. To get the job done right, Enterbay enlisted the design work of famous Korean figurine tailor ADDBLUE (Like the Men In Black, Enterbay's staff loves their mysterious aliases!). Agent's J and K come dressed in a black suit (jacket, trousers and white shirt), a black belt with buckle, a black tie, a pair of socks and a pair of black faux-leather shoes. To this collector, their clothing fits perfectly; the jackets very form fitting and snug. Almost too snug, as posing the figures can be a bit restricted due to their tight outfits.
This brings me to a problem I encountered while posing my Agent K's right arm: It popped out of socket at the elbow. The elbow joints are rather tight on these figures and I was having a devil of a time trying to bend Agent K's right arm without breaking it. Instead it dislocated. Luckily it is a peg system and the arm can be reattached. Unfortunately, I couldn't see how it reattached, Agent K's shirt (Agent J's as well) being sewn so close to the underlying body that there is no way to remove it without tearing the stitching. Fumbling around blindly I finally got K back together and was able to pin point his elbow joint for a correct bend. Pain in the butt? You bet and something I do hope Enterbay addresses in the second batch of figures. Other than that, the articulation on my figures is great: their heads have a great range of movement and my leg joints were nice and firm allowing the figures to stand without their display base (though I recommend the base for prolonged display - just to be safe). For the record, Enterbay is using the newly developed RM-6 body for their Men In Black figures. I'm not a 1:6th scale body expert, but aside from Agent K's right arm fiasco, the body works fine for me.
In closing, Enterbay's Men In Black 3 action figures do extreme justice to the popular sci-fi franchise. These 1:6th scale reproductions of Agent's J and K are simply the best collectibles of the duo on the market. Not that there is a whole lot of Men In Black merchandise, but that's what makes these two figures even more appealing. Everything Enterbay releases, they pour their heart into, from Bruce Lee and Tony Montana, to these new Men In Black figures. From their sophisticated packaging, insanely realistic head sculpts, finely tailored outfits and wealth of accessories, Enterbay's Men In Black figures exhibit Enterbay's "Passion For Perfection". Are there some things that could be a little better? Sure, but no product is perfect.
That said, are these worth $225 each? While there is no doubt that the price of high-end one-sixth scale collectibles has risen over the years, $225 per figure is pushing it. At $376 for the pair (about $188 each), things come down to Earth, or at least the realistic pricing realm of 12-inch collectibles these days. While the overall package for these collectibles is top notch, ultimately fans are purchasing these figures for their eerily life-like head sculpts, iconic outfits and accessories. For Will Smith in a suit, $150 would be more to my liking. However, beggars can't be choosers and for those wanting the best (and only) 1:6th scale Men In Black figures money can buy, Enterbay is where it's at. Enterbay's Men In Black 3 figures are an investment that may not save your wallet, but they'll sure make your collection out of this world.
Review and Photos by Jeff Saylor
Review Samples Courtesy of Enterbay
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