Toy Review: McFarlane WB 100 Movie Maniacs Series 1
If McFarlane Toys didn't dub this Toyline Movie Maniacs , the company could have avoided a lot of the early complaints from longtime collectors. In fact, they're nothing like the original Movie Maniacs line, which paved the way for 7-inch scale action figures of modern horror icons like Freddy and Jason. New moviegoers don't all come from movies, in fact, they are not freaks or action figures. However, the available collectible trading cards from the history of Warner Bros. (and its acquisitions over the years) are impressive. Forget what you think should be based on their name and judge them whenever possible.
So, what's the problem?
This line would be more accurately called the WB 100 mini bust line with 6 inch scale markings. Series 1 featured Harry Potter from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, the Wicked Witch of the West from The Wizard of Oz, Ted Lasso from the broadcast show of the same name and Bugs Bunny as Superman from Looney Tunes. MacFarlane, in particular, had made an obvious Harry Potter that was obviously going to start off the mainline, but it didn't last.
MacFarlane Toys Movie Maniacs Wave 1 store on Amazon
Each image is limited edition, although the edition varies greatly for each image, as shown below:
Supposedly each came with an individually numbered card, but the cards McFarlane provided for review were left blank. Could this mean that some additions were made for the reviewers, so the ones that aren't numbered are more or less valuable? Who knows.
Discover
Note to casual readers: The difference between "image" and "image" is that "image" cannot be placed in the same place. generally In this case, Bugs Bunny actually has two points of articulation. One on the left shoulder and one on the left wrist, where the carrot hand can bounce and switch to a non-carrot hand. What to do, doctor?
Each statue comes with a shiny silver COA card/trading card/logo holder, a cardboard stand with plastic supports on top and bottom to keep it bent and upright (easy to fall over when moving, so find a place for the bottom and leave it there) and a secret. .item. Spoilers about what the mystery object is in the next paragraph…
Healthy For Harry, Bugs, and Ted, the mystery item is the sticker. For The Witch, it's a folding poster featuring classic images of Oz and the actors from the MGM films.
Your entire foundation is stuck
The figures appear to be permanently attached to their bases, most of which display their respective movie or show logos. Bugs is the exception, not in any particular show, though the carrot and poop description is basically more detailed than that. Customizers looking to create a diorama can separate the figures from the base, but the casual collector won't be able to. Note if you will that they look decent next to the 6" action figure, but they are small compared to other McFarlane action figures.
Of course it depends on how big or small you think Bugs Bunny is.
At $24.99 each, that seems pretty reasonable. Compared to other 6" action figures, they may be underwhelming, but are equipped with better display components than most. The Witch seems to be a better seller, perhaps because she is a more mainstream "movie maniac".
In terms of resemblance, Margaret Hamilton's sinister green look is instantly recognizable. Bugs Bunny was based on the older model, he was slightly taller and older, and probably not what we think of as a regular bug today. But that makes it more interesting.
Glasses care
The Harry Potter glasses are clunky and could be done better at this scale - Hasbro has done great things with the Baroness glasses in their GI Joe line. He looks pretty good as Daniel Radcliffe. On the other hand, Ted Lasso's specs are impressive. Shadows can easily be painted black and become part of a statue, but if you look closely, it becomes clear that they are detached (but not removable), transparent, and have drawn eyes underneath. This level of detail is so over the top that it almost made us forgive Ted Lasso for appearing in the film's plot. The statues in general are some of the best we've come to expect from this company
Assuming you have the shelf space, they look great on a shelf. Understandably, older collectors may prefer a piece of integrated diorama over separate backgrounds, card holders, and mats. However, informed estimates suggest that such a thing would be more expensive. Diorama pieces are often expensive, which means they are more expensive than they appear.
The package includes tons of Warner Bros. titles.' History, and I'm probably too optimistic to imagine that this is a short list of future collections (long term for whatever our Mad Max is). The second series has been reduced to three characters: Gandalf, Sloth and Alan from The Hangover. It doesn't always signify a long line. However, they look great as a classic moment. Forget regarding them as idols and you better agree.
Check out the awesome set of images below for a closer look.
