TMNT Airborne Assault Mini Turtles review
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They say that good things come to those that wait. And after searching in vein for the Airborne Assault mini TMNT figures
at the usual assortment of discount stores, they finally showed up around here. But after the somewhat disappointing Ripped Up
mini figures, the question remains: are they actually worth the wait?
Packaging - 2/10The packaging for the Airborne Assault mini figures is pretty basic, a small bubble on an equally small card. The bubbles are just large enough to fit the figures with the parachute folded behind it. There isn't much room on the card for large graphics. So instead they have small TMNT and Airborne Assault logos along with a couple of small photos of the figures using their parachutes. Of course, the small graphics leave that much more of the older style orange background exposed. The back of the card are black and white and pretty simple. While they do have individual cards for each character, the only difference between them is which name is under the logo and which ones are listed as also available. But even if you like the graphical design of the packaging, the physical design leaves a lot to be desired. Rather than using a simple rectangular card, these cards have a rounded bottom. There are several reasons why this annoys me. To begin with, there's just no reason for it. It doesn't work into the design of the packaging in any other way so why bother? It also means that the figures can not stand up while in the packaging. They either have to be hung on a peg or supported in some way. This isn't a big issue, but why take away the option for no reason? And finally, it just seems so incredibly short sighted. They could have used the same card shape and just invert it to have a card that would match the parachuting theme of the figures. I suppose it is nice that they were willing to try something different. But different isn't always good.
Sculpting - 5/10All four Airborne Assault figures share the same sculpt. It is fairly nice, certainly better than the mini Ripped Up figures. There is some detail work on the parachute's straps and backpack. But after seeing the second and third series of mini figures, I know they can do better.
Paint - 4/10The paint work for the Airborne Assault figures is simple. But it all seems to be done quite well with no sloppiness or stray marks. The figures have a gloss finish which works fine for the parachutes but seems a bit out of place on the figure's themselves.The parachutes themselves are unique to each figure but they all share the same design. Each has a tribal style turtle in the center with images of the character along with his name repeated along the edge. And of course, each one is color coded to the character. The write up on the back of the card ends with the line, " Airborne Assault Turtles - stealth from above!" If this is their idea of stealth, they need to do some more ninja training. Personally, every time I see them I flash back to the scene in the Simpsons where Bart sees Milhouse's cheap store bought costume and comments that Radioactive Man wouldn't wear a picture of himself on his chest. Using a parachute with you likeness plastered all over it seems equally ridiculous.
Articulation - 1/10The figures have one point of articulation, a rotating neck. I suppose they were concerned that joints would be weak points and prone to breaking when the parachuting figure hit the ground. But it also means that it is stretching it to even call these action figures.
Accessories - 0/10The figures have no accessories. It would have been nice if they had included their weapons, particularly since they are pictured with them on the back of the cards. Ideally, I would have liked to see the parachutes be removable. Instead we get nothing.
Value - 2/10I was fortunate enough to get these on clearance for $0.98 each instead of the original price of $3 apiece. Even at that price, these are less than mediocre as action figures, if you can even call them that. However, they are not such a bad deal as a non-action figure toy. They are small enough that they can even be used inside without a large risk of breaking anything. And for outdoor play, these can be a lot of fun. (My personal favorite as a kid was taking parachuting toys like these and attaching them under a kite with a paper clip. Then they can be launched from the kite with a tug of the kite string.)
Happy Hunting:Originally these were shipping to discount and liquidation chains such as Family Dollar or Dollar General. But I found mine at Toys R Us when a couple of cases showed up at random a few weeks ago. If you want them, it may be worth taking a look around the next time you are at Toys R Us. Or if you do have a store like Family Dollar or Dollar General around, stop in and take a look around.
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