Toyfair Has Plenty of Action (Figures)

Toyfair Has Plenty of Action (Figures)



NBC5.com


February 16, 2007



by Tim Lammers



Like the doll category, a heavy focus was placed on Hollywood licenses from several toymakers.

Hasbro, one of the biggest distributors of "Star Wars" toys, not only unveiled more action figures from "a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away," it debuted multiple items from its new Marvel line. The blockbuster licensing deal, sealed last year, enables the company to produce action figures based on a multitude of Marvel Comics characters, a license previously held by Toy Biz.

Among the high-profile Marvel items introduced were action figures and role-playing items from the upcoming "Spider-Man 3" movie, featuring 5-inch-tall renderings of such characters as Spider-Man (in the traditional red and black outfits), Venom and Sandman. For the younger fans, the Marvel Superhero Squad has preschool-age figures of Spider-Man as well as several other characters from the Marvel universe, and, in a take-off of the popular Mr. Potato Head Darth Tater a couple years back, Spider Spud will attempt to get you caught up in its web of fun.

Other movie licenses from Hasbro include action figures and vehicles from the summer release "Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer," and figures, role-playing masks and accessories in conjunction with this summer's "Transformers" movie. The irony is that the movie is based on the action figures the company produced long ago.

Some of the company's popular Marvel Legends were on display as well, which includes characters from both the comic book and movie universe including Thor, Planet Hulk, Emma Frost and Beast from "X-Men: The Last Stand." Non-movie displays included figures and playsets from company's iconic GI Joe lines.

On the flipside, Mattel was soaring up, up and away with action figures from the DC Comics universe, with several new versions of the comic book versions of Superman and Batman and their foes, as well as figures of the Justice League Unlimited.

Specialty companies introduced a bevy of movie and television action figure brands. McFarlane Toys unveiled three of four figures from the second series of "Lost," including Sawyer, Mr. Eko and Sun. Also on display from the company was a Jack Bauer figure from "24."

But not to be outdone by McFarlane, Diamond Select Toys displayed its "24" Minimates, which includes block-like figures of several of the show's characters, including Bauer, agents Tony Almeida and Michelle Dessler, Counter Terrorist Unit mole and former Bauer girlfriend Nina Myers, and President David Palmer. DST also plans 12-inch dolls from the show as well.

Kiefer Sutherland, who plays Bauer on "24," gets the action figure treatment from NECA, too, as his character David from "The Lost Boys." NECA also displayed figures from directors Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez's "Grindhouse," and figures and life-sized prop replicas from the big-screen version of Frank Miller's "300."

Among the action figures from "300" is King Leonidas, played by "The Phantom of the Opera" star Gerard Butler. While Butler wasn't at the Toy Fair, he said in an @ The Movies interview by phone from Los Angeles that he's seen pictures of the figure online.

"I can't wait to see the real thing," said Butler.

The company also unveiled its line of action figures from the "Harry Potter" movie line, which will include figures from the summer release of "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" and the characters as they appeared in the earlier films.

Other NECA products on display included the second Hannibal Lecter figure from the Oscar-winning film "The Silence of the Lambs," the colorful characters from Tarantino's "Reservoir Dogs," and Jack Sparrow and his band of mateys were also on-hand as figures from this summer's "Pirates of the Caribbean" sequel, "At Worlds End."

Setting sail with "Pirates" for the mass market again is Zizzle, which will produce 4-inch-scale action figures and play sets for "At Worlds End." This is Zizzle's second foray into "Caribbean" territory, having launched a line for "Dead Man's Chest" last year.

Mezco Toyz also featured new products from its film line, including "Scarface" and "King Kong" figures, and television-based figures, including "Family Guy."

Sideshow Collectibles, which aims for the high-end collector, unveiled some 12-inch figures and premium format (18-inch polystone figures) pieces at Toy Fair. Among the products displayed were "Aliens" and "Spider-Man 3," which they will distribute for Medicom Toys.

Also shown were James Bond and Elvis Presley premium format figures, and polystone dioramas from such films as "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" and "Star Wars: Episode III -- Revenge of the Sith."

Making its debut from Sideshow was a life-sized bust of Frankenstein's monster as played by Boris Karloff, and several items from their "Star Wars" and Marvel comic book line.

Other "Star Wars" highlights included a Darth Maul premium format figure from "Episode I: The Phantom Menace."

Not to be outshadowed by the big figures were products from the block-makers, including "Harry Potter," "Spongebob, Squarepants" and "Star Wars" products from Lego, and "Pirates of the Caribbean" from MegaBloks.




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