Post by Micro on Jul 27, 2012 1:36:17 GMT -8
Just before San Diego Comic Con, Mattel dropped the news that they were making a new playset, the Hell in a Cell! Apparently, it was expected for Fall but it turns out that this new TRU exclusive just came out. Big thanks goes to Chewdeezy for letting us know about this and providing the SKU number. I was able to call my local TRU and confirm that they had this new item in the back!
By the time I got to TRU, they had put out fresh stock of these playsets. It's hard to miss these, too...The box is huge! It's about as tall as normal playsets, like the Elimination Chamber or the Wrestlemania ring, but it's the widest box they've made yet. Standing on its side, it comes up to my waist!
Once you open the box, it doesn't seem like much, just a lot of panels to assemble. Keep in mind that this playset is scaled for a Basic ring and, like all other playsets, comes with yet another one. It's the same pro-tension Basic ring, like always, with the PPV specific sticker that simply says "The Cell". That's right, the official name of this structure is condensed down to "The Cell". I guess mentioning "Hell" wasn't PG enough for a kids toy. I have so many Basic rings now that I'm not even assembling them anymore so, for the remainder of this review, I'll be using an old Raw ring!
If you're familiar with Jakks' old RSR Hell in a Cell, this one is assembled in the same manner. You attach corner pieces to the ring and build up the walls on it!
Once assembled, you have a 20x20x15" structure of doom. The chain-link details on the panels are nicely done, similar to the earlier Steel Cage playset!
So how do you play with this? Each side on the Cell has two small latches, on the top and bottom, that holds the structure together. Unhook them and you can open up the cage for easy access. All four sides can be opened, so you can reach in from any angle!
Along each wall panel are a set of holes that can be used to make your figures climb up to the top of the Cell. It's a small thing but a nice touch, I felt!
Of course, no Cell is complete without a collapsible ceiling panel and this one comes with two of them. This is necessary to chokeslam, suplex, or powerbomb a hapless victim into the abyss!
Another quick feature is a swinging door, in case your wrestler just wants to walk away from the carnage!
One extra little accessory that I thought was cool is a chain with padlock. You can use this to lock the Cell door and making sure that your wrestlers settle things inside. It's nice little details like this that I enjoy about Mattel's accessories!
Ok, so it's time for the $70 question: Is the Cell compatible with the Elite Scale Ring? Well, sorta. Sadly, the cage walls aren't large enough to surround the ESR for a true Steel Cage. It might be possible to tie down the walls to the corner posts with some firm wires but that requires extra work. What is feasible is to fit the cage inside the ESR. It's a tight fit but I discovered that it works best if you remove the turnbuckles. It's not ideal but it's the closest we'll get to a cage structure for the ESR!
Overall, The Cell is another cool playset that provides the last type of cage match that was missing. Some may be disappointed that it's scaled for Basic rings but it's a large, sturdy structure that still takes up a lot of space. Like the Elimination Chamber, a fully scaled version would be simply too big, IMO. Visually, it's not as exciting as the Steel Cage, Colossal Crashdown Arena, or the Elimination Chamber but it still offers lots of playability and display potential. The only real downside that I can see is the $70 price tag. If this came with a referee figure, it'd be perfect. If the price is an issue, I recommend using TRU rewards coupons or picking this up during a sale. Playsets at this larger scale are getting rarer, so it's nice to see Mattel making them for WWE figures!
By the time I got to TRU, they had put out fresh stock of these playsets. It's hard to miss these, too...The box is huge! It's about as tall as normal playsets, like the Elimination Chamber or the Wrestlemania ring, but it's the widest box they've made yet. Standing on its side, it comes up to my waist!
Once you open the box, it doesn't seem like much, just a lot of panels to assemble. Keep in mind that this playset is scaled for a Basic ring and, like all other playsets, comes with yet another one. It's the same pro-tension Basic ring, like always, with the PPV specific sticker that simply says "The Cell". That's right, the official name of this structure is condensed down to "The Cell". I guess mentioning "Hell" wasn't PG enough for a kids toy. I have so many Basic rings now that I'm not even assembling them anymore so, for the remainder of this review, I'll be using an old Raw ring!
If you're familiar with Jakks' old RSR Hell in a Cell, this one is assembled in the same manner. You attach corner pieces to the ring and build up the walls on it!
Once assembled, you have a 20x20x15" structure of doom. The chain-link details on the panels are nicely done, similar to the earlier Steel Cage playset!
So how do you play with this? Each side on the Cell has two small latches, on the top and bottom, that holds the structure together. Unhook them and you can open up the cage for easy access. All four sides can be opened, so you can reach in from any angle!
Along each wall panel are a set of holes that can be used to make your figures climb up to the top of the Cell. It's a small thing but a nice touch, I felt!
Of course, no Cell is complete without a collapsible ceiling panel and this one comes with two of them. This is necessary to chokeslam, suplex, or powerbomb a hapless victim into the abyss!
Another quick feature is a swinging door, in case your wrestler just wants to walk away from the carnage!
One extra little accessory that I thought was cool is a chain with padlock. You can use this to lock the Cell door and making sure that your wrestlers settle things inside. It's nice little details like this that I enjoy about Mattel's accessories!
Ok, so it's time for the $70 question: Is the Cell compatible with the Elite Scale Ring? Well, sorta. Sadly, the cage walls aren't large enough to surround the ESR for a true Steel Cage. It might be possible to tie down the walls to the corner posts with some firm wires but that requires extra work. What is feasible is to fit the cage inside the ESR. It's a tight fit but I discovered that it works best if you remove the turnbuckles. It's not ideal but it's the closest we'll get to a cage structure for the ESR!
Overall, The Cell is another cool playset that provides the last type of cage match that was missing. Some may be disappointed that it's scaled for Basic rings but it's a large, sturdy structure that still takes up a lot of space. Like the Elimination Chamber, a fully scaled version would be simply too big, IMO. Visually, it's not as exciting as the Steel Cage, Colossal Crashdown Arena, or the Elimination Chamber but it still offers lots of playability and display potential. The only real downside that I can see is the $70 price tag. If this came with a referee figure, it'd be perfect. If the price is an issue, I recommend using TRU rewards coupons or picking this up during a sale. Playsets at this larger scale are getting rarer, so it's nice to see Mattel making them for WWE figures!