Action Figure Review: Two-Face (Batman Forever) from DC Multiverse by McFarlane Toys

I still have quite a few McFarlane DC Multiverse figures I'm wanting to review but today I'm looking at the last figure I plan to review from the Batman Forever subset: Two-Face, as played by Tommy Lee Jones. The Batman franchise has always attracted big names to it, from the celebrity mainstays and guests of the classic Batman TV Series to today's trend of villains like the Joker, Penguin, Catwoman, and Harley Quinn getting their own spinoffs, both movies and TV shows. When Batman Forever came out in 1995 the casting for the movie was definitely pretty heavily talked about with Jim Carrey as the Riddler and Jones as Two-Face. Go and read others who were considered for the main villains (Robin Williams, Michael Jackson, Kelsey Grammar, and John Malkovich for the Riddler; Al Pacino, Martin Sheen and Robert DeNiro) and you can see that these roles had some crazy serious competition. I loved Batman Forever as a kid but over the years I've come to dislike it quite a bit. There are parts I still like, but now watching it I'm disappointed at how silly and non-threatening the villains are in the film. Despite the fact that Jones apparently told co-star Carrey at one point, "I don't like you. I hate you, and I cannot sanction your buffoonery," Jones cackles and yuks his way through this film, almost being as big of a goof as the Riddler himself. Two-Face has an amazing look, but looking back I wish Billy Dee Williams had gotten the chance to play the character. Let's take a look at the figure after the break and see how it turned out...

The Facts:

Height: 7 1/4ths inches

Articulation: Hinged toes, double swivel hinged ankles, double hinged knees, swivel/hinge hips, balljointed waist, balljointed mid torso, swivel/hinge shoulders w/ ballsockets, bicep swivels, double hinged elbows, double swivel/ hinge wrists, and a barbell jointed head.

 

Accessories: Collector card, display stand, four swappable hands, and right wing of the Nightmare Bat Collect-to-Build figure.

 

Non-Scalper Price: $25 dollars

The Positives:

* I've always liked the Batman Forever costume design for Two-Face. While many future projects toned Two-Face down quite a bit, Batman Forever did deliver a very visually striking look for the character that did seem to embrace the over the top look of the comic character. Two-Face's suit isn't burned here, like in some interpretations; instead it's a well designed suit with two symmetrical halves that are colored wildly different. The pink and black zebra striping is crazy, gaudy, and eye-catching, as is the animal print tie and shirt. It's a great visual look in the film and McFarlane pulled it off nicely with some pretty clean printing and a good assortment of colors. There does seem to be some reuse here since it's just a suit, but nothing that seems incorrect to me. 

* The portrait is really good here. I think the headsculpts have been pretty strong on this series and the Batman & Robin series, too. Two-Face gets a portrait divided and the Harvey Dent side looks quite a bit like Tommy Lee Jones. I think it's quite more accurate than many other movie likeness figures McFarlane has put out in the past few years. The hair, the wrinkles, and the eyes look dead on. Cover the damaged side and you can see the Jones likeness quite well (though I also feel like it has a bit of a resemblance to Bela Lugosi for some reason). 

* The damaged side of Two-Face's mug is pretty wicked looking. I love the bright fuchsia and magenta and the crazy hair. It's a neat and clean divide, but it sure looks like the comics. There's some really gruesome detail here and the missing ear is just crazy. This guy does give me a nostalgia hit for the vintage Kenner figure from 1995. You know, the one with the pistol molded in his hand, the rotating launcher, and the prop-replica damaged coin.

* Here's a closeup of Two-Face's jacket again. It is a separate piece over an inner torso that does have the regular balljointed mid-torso and waist. The print wraps the whole way around two, which you'd expect, though sometimes some companies cheap out on paint applications on the rear of figures.

* Two-Face's articulation is pretty good. Yeah, he's a dude in a suit, but he's a flamboyant dude in a suit so he needs to be able to express himself He's got a great range of motion and all of his joints work perfectly. You'll definitely need to gear him up with some weapons from one of the McFarlane weapons packs.  Give him a gun or two and you'll be really satisfied with his action poses.

* Two-Face comes with four swappable hands, three of which are pretty standard (Two-Face is wearing a leather glove on his left hand, so that's why the hands vary). There's a left handed fist and a pair of trigger hands. You'll have to supply the guns, though it's nice that McFarlane did include them.

* The fourth hand is a coin flipping hand and it's really neat. The coin is actually made from what looks like three separate coins to give it the illusion of motion. DC Direct/ DC Collectibles and Mezco have done similar tricks in the past, so it's not exactly new, but it's still not a common feature you see, especially on a mass market figure.

* Like the rest of the figures in this set, you get a disc stand with the DC logo and a collectible card with an image of the Two-Face from the movie poster. 

* These Batman movie based sets have included build-a-figures and Batman Forever's is definitely the strangest. The Dark Knight Trilogy series got Bane, the Batman & Robin series got Mr. Freeze, and this series gets... the Nightmare Bat? Yup. From a deleted scene where Val Kilmer's Bruce encounters a giant bat vision. It's a cool deleted scene and would have added some needed depth to the film, but it is a weird BAF. I would have rather had Bane from Batman & Robin, or Dr. Chase Meridian, or Sugar, or Spice. Harvey comes with the right wing. This thing is pretty big; larger than your average real life bat, I think. 

   How's Two-Face? He's actually pretty darn Epic and should please fans of the film and folks wanting a stand-in comic Two-Face (though we'll surely get one at some point, right? You know, purple and orange suit, green skin, slicked back black and white hair, eating sloppy steaks at Truffoni's). This guy is really good. Yeah, I'm not wild about the BAF, but I love the portrait here, the suit, the coin, and when you add in your own guns from one of the McFarlane weapons packs this guy is absolutely lit. I thought Robin was my favorite figure from this series, but dang if Two-Face doesn't edge him out just a bit...




  I've reviewed a number of toys of Harvey Dent/ Two-Face on the site: The DC Multiverse Two-Face (The Dark Knight Trilogy) and Two-Face as Batman (Batman: Reborn), "Dual Destruction" Two-Face from Mattel's Batman: Power Attack line, the Pirate Batman and Pirate Two-Face two-pack from Kenner's Legends of Batman line, the McFarlane Batman '66 Two-Face, the Nano Metalfigs Two-Face DC29 from the 10 Pack Figure Collector's Set and Two-Face DC107, and the Rebirth Two-Face from Mattel's DC Comics Multiverse line.

For more DC Multiverse reviews check out the following:

Aquaman (Flashpoint)
Arsenal (Titans)
Bane
Bane (The Dark Knight Trilogy)
Bane (Trench Coat) (The Dark Knight Rises)
Batcycle (The Flash)
Batgirl (Batman: Three Jokers) Jokerized

Batgirl Cassandra Cain (Batgirls)
Batman & Spawn
Batman (Batman: The Dark Knight Returns) Jokerized
Batman (The Dark Knight Rises) Jokerized
Batman (DC vs Vampires)
Batman (The Flash)-- Keaton
Batman (Hush)
Batman (Knightfall)
Batman Duke Thomas (Tales from the Dark Multiverse)
The Batman Who Laughs with Sky Tyrant Wings (Dark Knights: Metal)
Batwing (Batman Inc.)
Batwoman Unmasked (Batman Beyond)
Beast Boy (Teen Titans)
Beast Boy (Titans)
Catman (Villains United)
Catwoman (Batman: Knightfall)
Catwoman (The Dark Knight Rises)
Clock King

Deadman (DC Rebirth)
Donna Troy (Titans)
Earth-2 Batman (Batman: Arkham Knight)
The Flash (DC Rebirth) Black & White Accent Edition
The Flash (Flashpoint)
The Flash Jay Garrick (Jay Garrick: The Flash Age)
Fulcum Abominus (Dark Knights: Metal)
Gladiator Batman (Dark Knights: Metal)
Grifter (Infinite Frontier)

Harley Quinn (The Suicide Squad)
Impulse (Flash War)
The Joker- Bank Robber (The Dark Knight)
The Joker (The Dark Knight Rises) Jokerized
The Joker (Infinite Frontier)
The Joker- Sonar Vision (The Dark Knight)
Justice Buster (Batman: Endgame)
Kalibak (The Darkseid War)
Man-Bat (DC Rebirth)
Mister Freeze (Victor Fries)

Mister Zsasz
Nekron (Blackest Night)
Nightwing (Batman: Knightfall)
Nightwing (Titans)
The Penguin (DC Classic)
Project Superman (Flashpoint)
Raven (Titans)
The Riddler (Arkham City)
The Riddler (Batman Forever)
The Riddler (DC Classic)
Robin (Batman Forever)
Robin (DC vs. Vampires)
Robin- Tim Drake (Robin: Reborn)
Scarecrow (The Dark Knight Rises) Jokerized
Scarecrow (The Dark Knight Trilogy)
The Signal Duke Thomas
Sportsmaster (DC Classic)

Starfire (McFarlane Collector Edition)
Superman (Black Adam) Black & White Accent Edition
Superman (Superman: Lois and Clark)
Superman Vs. Doomsday
Two-Face (The Dark Knight Trilogy)
Two-Face as Batman (Batman: Reborn)

Happy Franksgiving! Charlie Franken-Brown from Peanuts by Just Play

 

   I had so much fun with this year's 31 Days of Toy Terror Takes the Universe and such a great response that I wanted to continue. I'm still making my way through the Universal Studios classic horror films and decided I'd try to keep up the theme of Universal Monsters for November for no other reason than that I'm enjoying it. Today I'm looking at a little 3-inch figure of Charlie Franken-Brown, which is Charlie Brown dressed up as Frankenstein. I received him for my birthday a month or two ago and tried to work him into the countdown but it just didn't happen. He's from Five Below and was available as a single packed figure along with Snoopy as a Jack O'Lantern and Lucy as a cowgirl. I've also seen a pack of the three figures in one container online, but I don't know where that available from. It was released in 2022. This figure seems to have been released previously in resin with better paint applications, too. Being a big fan of Peanuts and the Universal Monsters, I thought this was a big win and a nice surprise for my birthday. I have the Super7 Franken Snoopy, too, so he'll go nice with that figure. Let's check out Charlie Franken-Brown after the break...

Action Figure Review: No.77 from Frontline Chaos by JoyToy

 

   Most of the time my toy collecting is rather predictable. If you stop by here often you know I collect and review stuff like Marvel Legends, G.I.Joe: The Classified Series, Action Force, most Masters of the Universe stuff, McFarlane's DC Multiverse figures, Universal Monsters and NECA horror figures. Every now and then, though, I jump in and grab something random that I've seen online, perhaps in phots that someone has taken. Today I'm looking at a very unusual figure: No.77 from Joy Toy. Joy Toy is pretty popular right now because of their Warhammer action figures but they also have their own line of random characters called Frontline Chaos. Frontline Chaos is an eclectic mix of 1/12 scaled characters with little to no backstory and soft goods outfits. I saw this nurse figure (No.77 legitimately seems to be her name rather than a release number or anything as the other figures in Frontline Chaos have legit names and such) and though she looked pretty cool and just a bit creepy. I mean, she's attractive, yeah, but there's also something off about her, too. Initially I thought she'd make a good assistant to the Joker. For some reason she puts me in the mind of the "Love That Joker!" spoke model from 1989's Batman. The more I have her in hand, the more versatile I think she'll be. There's a lot of fluctuation in the pricing of this figure as I've seen her from from $65 dollars to over $100 retail. Depending on how much you pay might determine how much you like her. Ready for a visit from No.77? Then turn your head, cough, and join me after the break...

Happy Franksgiving! Frankenstein's Creature from Figura Obscura by Four Horsemen Studios

 

   Wait? What's this? Hasn't October's 31 Days of Toy Terror Takes the Universe ended? Yes, it did. So welcome to Happy Franksgiving, a month long celebration of the Frankenstein Monster and the Bride of Frankenstein. How did this come about? Well, for one there are some pretty good Frankenstein action figures that came out a little too late for me to get them lined up for October. Also, not only have I finished watching through Universal's Frankenstein series of films as part of my classic Universal Horror watch through but I've also recently finished Mary Shelley's 1818 novel Frankenstein. To kick off Franksgiving I'm first checking out Frankenstein's Creature from the Four Horsemen Studios' Figure Obscura line. We've received some excellent figures from classic horror literature in this line such as the Headless Horseman, the Masque of the Red Death, and the Ghost of Jacob Marley, and Frankenstein is a fine addition to the collection. It's pretty cool to have a version of the Creature based on the book's description rather than based on or inspired by Boris Karloff's iconic portrayal. This set went up for sale in late September and did arrive to me in early October, but I decided to hold back on it a bit. Not only does the set come with an excellent figure of Victor Frankenstein's Creature (or the Monster, or Adam Frankenstein, or call him Frankenstein, too, as that's perfectly acceptable, too) but you get a bunch of Victor's lab equipment. Ready for a look at the complex and complicated Creature from Mary Shelley original Victorian masterpiece? Then join me after the break...

31 Days of Toy Terror Takes the Universe: Bride of Frankenstein #1631 from POP! Movies: Universal Monsters by Funko

 

   

   Happy Halloween! Today's the day to go out and enjoy lots of spooky fun, so don't just sit around online all day; make the most of this Halloween! Today I've got a rather brief review of the new Bride of Frankenstein POP! vinyl from Funko. This is a fairly new release and while it's not the first version of the Bride that Fynko has released, it certainly is the most colorful. On Funko's website they call this variant Bride of Frankenstein (Deco), which I assume is how they're referring to this cool colorscheme that reminds me of 1970s comic book art. Despite the Bride only being in The Bride of Frankenstein for under 4 minutes (and appearing in no other films) her unique appearance and the creepy mannerisms Elsa Lanchester gave her have still made her one of the most recognizable and iconic monsters in the world of horror. James Whale's  original cut of film would have been 87 minutes long but Carl Laemmle Jr. wanted it cut down, so the only version we have today is only 75 minutes. The film is excellent and top tier Universal Horror, but wouldn't you have liked to have seen that original director's cut? Let's celebrate the Bride of Frankenstein by checking out this cool, colorful POP! after the break...

31 Days of Toy Terror Takes the Universe: Wolf Man from Universal Monsters by NECA

 

   It's Werewolf Wednesday once again at Action Figure Barbecue's 31 Days of Toy Terror Takes the Universe and today I'm checking out an incredible figure of Lon Chaney, Jr. as Larry Talbot, the all time greatest Wolf Man of them all! Lon Chaney Jr. was in well over a dozen Universal classic horror films and played some of the main Universal Monsters including Dracula (in Son of Dracula), Kharis the mummy (in three Mummy films), Frankenstein's Monster (in The Ghost of Frankenstein), and, of course, Larry Talbot, the Wolf Man. While Chaney played roles made famous by other actors, he was the only person to play the Wolf Man during Universal's classic horror era. NECA released this figure in black and white in 2022 with this full color version following in 2023. I'm not sure a better, more accurate figure of the Wolf Man has ever been released. Ready for a definitive figure of my favorite of the Universal Monsters? Then join me after the break...

Action Figure Review: Sgt. Slaughter (Mad Marauders) from G.I. Joe: Classified Series by Hasbro

 

   Sgt. Slaughter was a huge part of the G.I. Joe: A Real American hero franchise in the 1980s and he had four different figures available during the decade. He also had a few groups of his own that he was the commander of. In the 1987 G.I. Joe animated movie Sgt. Slaughter led the Renegades (Mercer, Taurus, and Red Dog), released as a three pack of action figures, while in 1989 Sarge received his own subset: Slaughter's Marauders. In the Classified Series the name has been changed to The Mad Marauders. This version of Sgt. Slaughter is largely a Mad Marauders/ Slaughter's Marauders repaint of the first version with blue, green, and brown, though he does come with quite a few more accessories than the first release, making him a much better deal. While I'm nuts about Tiger Force and Night Force, the Mad Marauders figures don't appeal to me in quite the same way, though I do own the three already released (Barbecue, Spirit, and Low-Light). Ready to check out this Mad Marauders take on Sgt. Slaughter? Then join me after the break...