Post by Micro on Mar 3, 2012 5:09:20 GMT -8
Andre the Giant. Legends.
One may argue whether a wrestler deserves the title of “Legend” but it cannot be denied that the gentle giant from Grenoble, France sets the standard for greatness in professional wrestling. Known across the world, Andre captivated audiences with his immense size, strength, and, most notably, his heart. Most wrestling fans remember him for his legendary match with Hulk Hogan at Wrestlemania III as a slower giant nearing the end of his career. However, Andre in his prime was a great force to be reckoned with, towering over everyone and being able to perform athletic moves, like dropkicks! His legacy remains a permanent part of wrestling history and it is appropriate that he was the very first inductee into the WWE Hall of Fame!
Now, Mattel’s Legend series pays tribute to the Eight Wonder of the World by presenting him as the first Matty Collector’s exclusive of 2012! Originally scheduled to be included in a Legends styled ESR that got canceled, Andre was moved over to the Legends Series 7 lineup before the line was pulled from retail release. It almost seemed like he wouldn’t be produced but thankfully, Mattel still found an outlet for him and I was excited to order Andre for my Legends collection. As with other Matty exclusives, the new Legends figures come inside a white mailer box. Once opened, you’ll find the familiar Legends packaging!
Andre comes in iconic attire with a black singlet. It looks like the classic Andre that you see in WWE video flashbacks!
The singlet is made of cloth and removable, leaving him in traditional black trunks underneath. A molded singlet would’ve been nice but I don’t mind the cloth one so much. It gives him an old-school feel and it actually fits him nice and snug. I wish Mattel had done the same thing as with MOTU Classics and offered an alternate “afro” head because removing the singlet almost gives you a classic Andre from the 70’s!
The headsculpt that they used for Andre is amazing, though! It truly captures his look from his heel turn when he betrayed his best friend, Hogan, and went after the World Championship. His head is accurately massive and the beard stubble is one of the best paint applications that I’ve seen. They should use this technique for all future figures that have beard stubble!
Aside from the cloth singlet, Andre comes with another accessory; The WWF World Heavyweight Championship. This one is similar to the shiny version that came with DM Bret Hart. The globe still isn’t painted blue but otherwise, the detailing on the plates sculpt is well done and it’s a nice belt!
Scale-wise, Andre is pretty good but not perfect. As others have noted, his hands should’ve been a bit bigger. Andre was practically able to engulf a man’s skull with his hands! Also, I kinda expected him to be the biggest Mattel figure of all but the Great Khali is still a bit taller. At least Andre is bulkier and looks huge against everyone else, especially the smaller wrestlers like Rey Mysterio!
Overall, Andre the Giant is a great figure and a welcome addition to my Legends collection. I know the topics of Legends and Matty Collector can be touchy at times but I’m glad that Andre made it out of prototype limbo and was easy to get. Figures like this are the reason that Mattel needs to keep the Legends/Heritage/Flashbacks lines going!
One may argue whether a wrestler deserves the title of “Legend” but it cannot be denied that the gentle giant from Grenoble, France sets the standard for greatness in professional wrestling. Known across the world, Andre captivated audiences with his immense size, strength, and, most notably, his heart. Most wrestling fans remember him for his legendary match with Hulk Hogan at Wrestlemania III as a slower giant nearing the end of his career. However, Andre in his prime was a great force to be reckoned with, towering over everyone and being able to perform athletic moves, like dropkicks! His legacy remains a permanent part of wrestling history and it is appropriate that he was the very first inductee into the WWE Hall of Fame!
Now, Mattel’s Legend series pays tribute to the Eight Wonder of the World by presenting him as the first Matty Collector’s exclusive of 2012! Originally scheduled to be included in a Legends styled ESR that got canceled, Andre was moved over to the Legends Series 7 lineup before the line was pulled from retail release. It almost seemed like he wouldn’t be produced but thankfully, Mattel still found an outlet for him and I was excited to order Andre for my Legends collection. As with other Matty exclusives, the new Legends figures come inside a white mailer box. Once opened, you’ll find the familiar Legends packaging!
Andre comes in iconic attire with a black singlet. It looks like the classic Andre that you see in WWE video flashbacks!
The singlet is made of cloth and removable, leaving him in traditional black trunks underneath. A molded singlet would’ve been nice but I don’t mind the cloth one so much. It gives him an old-school feel and it actually fits him nice and snug. I wish Mattel had done the same thing as with MOTU Classics and offered an alternate “afro” head because removing the singlet almost gives you a classic Andre from the 70’s!
The headsculpt that they used for Andre is amazing, though! It truly captures his look from his heel turn when he betrayed his best friend, Hogan, and went after the World Championship. His head is accurately massive and the beard stubble is one of the best paint applications that I’ve seen. They should use this technique for all future figures that have beard stubble!
Aside from the cloth singlet, Andre comes with another accessory; The WWF World Heavyweight Championship. This one is similar to the shiny version that came with DM Bret Hart. The globe still isn’t painted blue but otherwise, the detailing on the plates sculpt is well done and it’s a nice belt!
Scale-wise, Andre is pretty good but not perfect. As others have noted, his hands should’ve been a bit bigger. Andre was practically able to engulf a man’s skull with his hands! Also, I kinda expected him to be the biggest Mattel figure of all but the Great Khali is still a bit taller. At least Andre is bulkier and looks huge against everyone else, especially the smaller wrestlers like Rey Mysterio!
Overall, Andre the Giant is a great figure and a welcome addition to my Legends collection. I know the topics of Legends and Matty Collector can be touchy at times but I’m glad that Andre made it out of prototype limbo and was easy to get. Figures like this are the reason that Mattel needs to keep the Legends/Heritage/Flashbacks lines going!