{"id":19930,"date":"2012-07-30T04:14:58","date_gmt":"2012-07-30T09:14:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=19930"},"modified":"2012-07-30T11:18:15","modified_gmt":"2012-07-30T16:18:15","slug":"teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles-classic-leonardo-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=19930","title":{"rendered":"Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Classic Leonardo Review"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/a>Turtle fever sure is going around in the collecting community of late. Vault was sucked in when he found the new Nickelodeon figures at TRU. I held out until I saw the Classic Turtles at my LCS and\u2026 well, I didn\u2019t buy any\u2026 the first day. I went back the next! <\/p>\n

While I do enjoy me some Ninja Turtles, I don\u2019t have as fond memories for TMNT as I do a lot of other childhood lines. I assume that it\u2019s because it came (a little) later in my youth. It\u2019s not that I was just already starting that jaded \u201chates new things\u201d collector silliness. It\u2019s just that by the time Turtles were around, I wasn\u2019t an only child anymore. All of a sudden, \u201csharing\u201d had come in to my life… <\/p>\n

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As an adult, my brother is one of my best friends, but if you have siblings, I\u2019m sure you\u2019ve got a story or two about how that wasn\u2019t always the case, especially if you\u2019re the oldest. All of a sudden you\u2019re sharing your parents, sharing your room, and, while my old toys were adamantly my own, sharing new toys. By the time my bro was old enough to enjoy an action figure, I\u2019d long been spoiled rotten with Super Powers, Joes, Transformers, all sorts of stuff. But, see, TMNT wasn\u2019t ever \u201cmy\u201d toy line. Not like those were. <\/p>\n

I hated it back then, but looking back I have to give our parents some credit. I had been an only child for a long time, I didn\u2019t really like kids my own age or younger (let alone my little brother). I preferred to play alone or with my parents or Uncles; Transformers lived and died at my whim, Joes could turn heel if I so chose, my favorite Super Powers always triumphed. Not so with TMNT.<\/p>\n

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If a \u201cstoryline\u201d called for Genghis Frog or Ace Duck, I would require \u201cassistance\u201d. There was no playing with my \u201cbro\u2019s toys\u201d unless I played with him. Ugh! Again, I tease here a bit because this is likely a strategy I will employ against my own kids some day. The fond memories of TMNT I do have almost entirely revolve around playing with my brother. Y’know, antagonizing each other, arguing, fighting all the good brotherly stuff!<\/p>\n

So TMNT was maybe something we shared moreso than something I loved dearly. And, as I’ve gotten older though, I have gotten away from TMNT. I wanted to snag the NECA Turtles, but never got around to it, for example. I didn\u2019t realize how I much I’d left it behind until these last few weeks when I started seeing these massive \u201cIt\u2019s Comparison Time\u2122\u201d pics (wait, do I have to pay Pixel Dan<\/a> like a nickel for every time I say that? Maybe I\u2019ll just buy a shirt<\/a> and he’ll call it even…)<\/em>. Some folks can line up these impressive displays, even for just one character. The old ones I know \u2013 Chief Leo, Lifeguard Leo, but there were a lot that passed me by like the Next Mutation figures, the \u201907 Movie figures, etc.. I guess I was off just not paying attention for a few years there. Musta been girls or something. Whatev, I\u2019m back now.<\/p>\n

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Anyway, my point being that I\u2019d let Turtles go. I missed a lot. I didn\u2019t make the NECA figures a priority. I\u2019d moved on. And then I\u2019m standing in this LCS starting at Ninja Turtles that are $20 a pop and finding myself halfheartedly trying to talk myself out of it while the inner part of my brain is screaming \u201cwant\u201d. <\/p>\n

The rational part of my brain says, \u201cThese have to be everywhere, right? And they\u2019ll be $15 or something. Wait.\u201d Well, that mostly works until you get to Leonardo. Leo\u2019s my man. He and I have been through a lot together because all my friends like Raph, Mikey, or Don and express confusion when I\u2019d tell them Leo was the turtle for me. I don\u2019t care what they say, or even if he is the least popular Turtle. Leo\u2019s cool. Turns out he\u2019s $5 extra cool too cause I went back the next day and snagged him. <\/p>\n

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And now here we are. Yes, I bought him with some nostalgia in mind. Yes, I bought him because he\u2019s my favorite. But, really, I bought him because he looked like a damn good action figure. We get too wrapped up in nostalgia or just wanting a totem of something else we like. I do it myself, and those factors are at play here, but once you dig into Leo. He\u2019s a great toy. Heck, he\u2019d be a great toy even if he were… uh, an alien from another planet. He\u2019s that cool. <\/p>\n

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The major part of that is the sculpt. The first thing you notice about the sculpt when you see him in person is the scale. They\u2019re HUGE! Well, I mean kinda. They\u2019re not much more than 6\u201d tall, but they are considerably bigger than previous turtle figures and their width & depth is much more accurate to their media portrayal. They\u2019re pretty big, so much so, that my turtle-loving wife almost felt they were too big. I pointed out Thundercats though\u2026 and case dismissed. Continue to Page 2…<\/a><\/p>\n

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While he does share nearly the exact same sculpt as his bros, it\u2019s well done. The body is a great blend of the old action figures and the cartoon. The sculpt was done with the articulation in mind, making sure not to bunch up or block itself at key joints. The sculpt just jumped out at me from the peg. If I wasn\u2019t trying to save money for SDCC swag and a Glyos drop, I could\u2019ve easily caved and spent $80 on the set right there. I still want to…<\/p>\n

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Leo’s primary unique piece is his head sculpt. It’s a determined face that harkens back to his original with the teeth exposed in a left side grimace. I do like, but it’s odd to photograph. Depending on the angle you get really different expressions out of him. That could be a plus or minus depending on how you look at it. It’s also odd because while these are hybrids from multiple sources, they’re very cartoonesque, but possess none of the joy that the cartoon versions exhibited. Heck, even Mikey’s ready to kick your asss. <\/p>\n

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Posing this guy is a ton of fun. If you can\u2019t tell I\u2019ve gotten really enamored with this figure the last few days. The only place that the articulation bugs me is the neck \u2013 it\u2019s the one-piece ball-joint where the head can be removed with little issue. Those usually bug me for limited range, but this figure is better than average, although the neck blocks a fair amount of down movement. From the neck down though, there\u2019s almost too much (like old ML figures that never could stand up straight!) We\u2019ve got ball-joints at the shoulders, wrists, thumbs, hips, and ankles, swivels at the bicep and thighs, double-hinged elbows and knees, single-hinged fingers and toes, and the ab crunch. 34 points in all and it shows. Did I mention he can reach back and grab his katana out of the sheath?<\/p>\n

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There are some balance issues because he\u2019s very back heavy, but there\u2019s enough articulation in the ankles to get him balanced in most poses. I am worried about the effect the weight will have on those joints over time, but for now, he\u2019s impressive. I do have to say that I\u2019m not usually a fan articulated fingers, but it the swords stay in his hands pretty well. It helps if you place them into the fingers first and then close the hand, but if the joints loosen up at all, it might get ugly. <\/p>\n

The paint on the figure is minimal, he appears to be mostly molded in the right colors and assembled. What paint here is a mix. The paint on the shell is great with a dull finish to help realize the figure’s look, but the eyes are questionable. A lot of the figures at the LCS, particularly Donatello, have googly eyes. Leo here isn\u2019t so bad, but he does look a bit off in certain pictures. Personally, I appreciate this cartoon\/figure amalgamation, but I like the no pupils look of the old toys better. The white paint might be coming out rather soon… <\/p>\n

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Leo includes a manhole stand bearing his name and his classic weapons, a pair of katanas. They\u2019re simple sculpts but they get the job done. Mine came out a little warped, but they\u2019ve straightened out okay and I don\u2019t think the soft, rubbery sheaths will deform them over time, so I think I\u2019m good to go on that front. I would like to see more accessories like the originals at some point. <\/p>\n

Since this is a new line, let me take a minute to mention the packaging. It\u2019s largely calling back to the original packaging with the figure \u2018bursting\u2019 through a brick wall, very retro. Gone is the unique packaging though, each figure features the same group art and info on the back. That\u2019s fine with me – it’s just neat trash at the end of the day. I don\u2019t need to see Playmates waste a lot of money on packaging. There are some cool touches textured into the bubble though including a manhole cover for the top of the bubble and some indented \u201cooze\u201d running down the front. <\/p>\n

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Overall, this is a great amalgamation of the classic cartoon and classic figure. I haven\u2019t been clamoring for these as long as some folks, but when a toy is done this well, I have to sit up and take notice. The fact that it\u2019s my favorite Ninja Turtle is just icing on the cake. I got some flak, as expected, from my wife and friends for picking up Leonardo first, but I don\u2019t care. He’s awesome. He has convinced me to get the rest \u2013 though I\u2019ll try and be good and hold out until they\u2019re $15 somewhere, but we\u2019ll see…<\/p>\n

And then there\u2019s the little matter of if this line continues on or not. Will Playmates expand beyond the fab four? I know it\u2019s probably too much to hope that line expands as beautifully as MOTU Classics has over the last few years. There\u2019s little chance of Chrome Dome or Mecha-Turtle, but I hope we\u2019ll see Shredder, Splinter, Casey, and I can’t help but think how cool a Rocksteady done this will would be. And the best part? They’ll all be completely mine! (Buy your own, Lil’ bro!)<\/p>\n

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For more Reviews, check out our Review Index<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/center><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Turtle fever sure is going around in the collecting community of late. Vault was sucked in when he found the new Nickelodeon figures at TRU. I held out until I saw the Classic Turtles at my LCS and\u2026 well, I didn\u2019t buy any\u2026 the first day. I went back the next!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"_themeisle_gutenberg_block_has_review":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_options":[]},"categories":[34,1580,10],"tags":[334,1610,322,1579,2594],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pObc6-5bs","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":23661,"url":"https:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=23661","url_meta":{"origin":19930,"position":0},"title":"Nickelodeon TMNT July Figs & Stop Motion Animation","date":"June 10, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"","rel":"","context":"In "News"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/HGYVspcPtdo\/0.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":19490,"url":"https:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=19490","url_meta":{"origin":19930,"position":1},"title":"Playmates’ Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Images & Info","date":"July 8, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"One toy line I\u2019m really looking forward to is the relaunch of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.\u00a0 These were some of my favorite toys when I was young and I can\u2019t wait to revisit the brand as a collector, especially after seeing Playmates\u2019 press release. \u00a0 Here\u2019s a breakdown of the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":21135,"url":"https:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=21135","url_meta":{"origin":19930,"position":2},"title":"Guest Review at TheDaytimeNinja Nick TMNT Shredder","date":"September 27, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Earlier in the week Noisy presented his guest review for TheDailyNinja.com and today's my turn for a review, and I'm bringin everyone back to the present with my Nickelodeon Shredder review.\u00a0 So check out TDN for a look at how he stacks up. \u00a0 Continue to TheDaytimeNinja.com!","rel":"","context":"In "Reviews"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":20167,"url":"https:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=20167","url_meta":{"origin":19930,"position":3},"title":"Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Classic Michelangelo Review","date":"August 9, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"After buying Leo, I was tempted to round out the crew, but didn\u2019t want to pay the $20 apiece my LCS was charging. I stayed strong. It paid off! My wonderful wife saw fit to bestow the Turtles on me for my birthday! She did well too, they were $15\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Reviews"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":20036,"url":"https:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=20036","url_meta":{"origin":19930,"position":4},"title":"Vault Review: Nickelodeon Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Leo & Raph","date":"August 3, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"My most anticipated toyline of the year has to be the Nickelodeon relaunch of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.\u00a0 And judging by the response of our toy-reviewing colleagues, I think it\u2019s safe to say that I\u2019m not alone.\u00a0 So here\u2019s my review of the Nickelodeon Leonardo and Raphael. Unlike Noisy,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Reviews"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.itsalltrue.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/lart01.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":20372,"url":"https:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=20372","url_meta":{"origin":19930,"position":5},"title":"Playmates’ Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Official Videos","date":"August 18, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"The Folks over at Playmates sent out a new press release announcing their official Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles YouTube channel.\u00a0 There's some great instructional videos that show how to assemble the playset and vehicles, while also highlighting the various features and details. Personally, I think this is an ingenious move\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/wg4U2H6spLo\/0.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19930"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/13"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=19930"}],"version-history":[{"count":17,"href":"https:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19930\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19952,"href":"https:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19930\/revisions\/19952"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=19930"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=19930"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=19930"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}