Tag Archives: Mattel

Cool movie toys for holidays: What’s new this holiday season?

Christmas is less than a week out and you’re in panic mode, wracking your brains over what to get family members and friends. But if you think for a minute and realize the people you love are big movie fans, then there are plenty of reel cool ideas, so to speak, right within your reach.

That’s because Christmastime is about toys, and when you combine the passion of moviegoing with the inner child of said moviegoers, there are plenty of cool movie toys that shoppers can find. There’s plenty to pick from out there, whether they’re based on classic characters with cult followings that appeal to adult collectors or those with a broader appeal appropriate for all ages.

Photo: NECASo, as you prepare your last-minute lists, here are a few options for the movie lover in your life:

Simply put, specialty toy and collectibles company NECA is a movie lovers dream, producing action figures of characters you never thought were possible. Being a fan of horror films and fantasy, the company this year finished up their Guillermo del Toro Signature Series (more, please?), which produced 6- to 7-inch characters from the Oscar-winning filmmakers’ most acclaimed works. This year’s offerings include Amphibian Man from the director’s best picture Academy Award-winning film “The Shape of Water,” and the Faun from his Oscar-nominated film “Pan’s Labyrinth.”

NECA

On the horror film side, the company produced figures this year from the classic “Halloween” films and 40 years-in-the-making sequel (including a butt-kicking Jamie Lee Curtis’ Laurie Strode figure) and more figures based on Stephen King’s “IT” and “IT: Chapter Two”; and from the Conjuring Universe, the title character from “The Nun” and most recently, the Crooked Man from “The Conjuring 2.”

Also, the company has taken the creative route and given several iconic horror characters with their Toony Terrors line with animated, stylized versions of Freddy Kruger from “A Nightmare on Elm Street,” Jason from Friday the 13th and the 1990 and 2017 versions of Pennywise the Dancing Clown from “IT.” The second wave includes Pinhead from “Hellraiser,” Michael Myers from “Halloween,” Chucky and Tiffany from the “Child’s Play” films and Leatherface from “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.”

On the sci-fi side, NECA has just released new versions of the Terminator (Arnold Schwarzenegger) and Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) based on their appearances in the latest film in the series, “Terminator: Dark Fate” and more aliens and Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) from “Alien: Resurrection.”

According to “Alien” movie legend, “in space, no one can hear you scream,” but that hasn’t prevented Hasbro from making big noise with its “Star Wars” line as the final film in the Skywalker saga, “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker,” makes it hotly anticipated debut in theaters Friday.

New in the company’s Black Series line (collector-friendly 6-inch scale action figures) from the film are Rey (Daisy Ridley), Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) and a Sith Trooper (a red version of a Stormtrooper) and Jet Trooper; as well as figures from the hit new Disney+ series “The Mandalorian” including the title character (Pablo Pascal) and Cara Dune (Gina Carano). Sorry, kids, no Baby Yoda figures and toys are available until spring.

The company also has new versions of the film’s iconic lightsaber and motorized versions of the droid D-O, which makes its debut in “The Rise of Skywalker.” Also, on the kid-friendly side, Hasbro has its Galaxy of Adventures line, which includes droids and characters from all films in the saga presented in a stylized, animated form. And speaking of animation, you can’t browse a toy aisle for too long before finding Anna, Elsa, Olaf, Kristoff and other characters from “Frozen II.”

Photo: Hasbro

If dinosaurs are your thing, Mattel has you covered with its “Jurassic Park” and “Jurassic World” line, featuring characters and dinosaurs from the classic trilogy and new films. The company’s latest offering is a 6-inch figure of Dr. Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum) from his appearance in the original films.

Lastly, Mego, which made a splash in the 1970s for its stylized, 8-inch doll line, continues its renaissance with new several new releases based on Universal Monsters characters, “Star Trek” movie greats and characters from Peter Jackson’s “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy.

Tim Lammers reviews movies weekly for “The KQ92 Morning Show” on KQRS-FM,  “Paul and Jordana” on WCCO Radio, “It Matters with Kelly Cordes on WJON-AM, KLZZ-FM, “The Tom Barnard Podcast” and “The BS Show” with Bob Sansevere, and reviews streaming programming on WCCO Radio’s “Paul and Jordana” as well. On TV, Tim has made hundreds of guest appearances on “KARE 11 News at 11” (NBC).

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Cool Movie Toys: San Diego Comic-Con 2019 exclusives

The 50th annual San Diego Comic-Con is finally here, beginning with a preview night Wednesday before it kicks into high gear Thursday. The bigger it becomes (it’s already massive, with a reported average of 130,000 fans from all over the world), the more stars it seems to attract, particularly from the superhero, sci-fi and horror movie realms.

And while throngs of fans descend upon the San Diego Convention Center’s famed Hall H to see panels of stars from upcoming films and perhaps some teaser footage not available anywhere else, there’s a large contingent of fans also attending the annual gathering to get some exclusives: toys and collectibles not available to the general public.

This year’s offerings features a gaggle of new and cool movie playthings, including action figures of actors being produced for the first time, including NECA’s retro eight-inch action figure of the villainous “Karate Kid” coach Kreese (Martin Kove), which comes on the heels of releases of eight-inch figures of Daniel (Ralph Macchio), his coach, Mr. Miyagi (the late Pat Morita) and Daniel’s chief rival, Johnny (William Zabka), as seen in the 1984 film.

Fans who purchase the Kreese figure will also get another special opportunity: to meet Kove, who will be on-hand at NECA’s booth to sign packages of the miniature version of himself. In addition to the Kove figure, NECA’s SDCC exclusive offerings include a special “etched” seven-inch version of Pennywise the Dancing Clown (Bill Skarsgard), just in time for the release of “IT: Chapter 2” in September; and a seven-inch scale figure of the young version of John Connor (Edward Furlong) and his motorcycle from the 1991 blockbuster “Terminator 2: Judgment Day.”

As NECA’s offerings prove, there’s a big enough market for action figures from classic films to justify the release of action figures of them, even if only in limited quantities.

Continuing its “Jurassic Park” legacy line of three and three-quarter-inch figures in the past year, figures of paleontologists Alan Grant (Sam Neill) and Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern), as well as mathematician Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum) have already been released, Mattel is about to debut a figure as a SDCC exclusive: Jurassic Park founder John Hammond (the late Richard Attenborough). Hammond’s figure not only features packaging that looks like the gateway to Jurassic Park, it includes a stand that holds a cracked open egg with a baby dinosaur.

Images: Hasbro, Mattel

While some toy and collectibles companies are concentrating on releasing exclusive products of vintage movies, others are concentrating on more modern fare. Among them are Hasbro, which is selling an exclusive “Star Wars” Black Series six-inch figure of a Sith Trooper (think of Stormtrooper’s armor, but molded in red), the first new character being revealed for the December film “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.”

Also being offered by Hasbro are pair of six-inch figures from the Marvel Cinematic Universe: The Collector (Benicio Del Toro) from “Guardians of the Galaxy” and Grandmaster (Jeff Goldblum) from “Thor: Ragnarok.” While the exclusive figures are packaged separately (with their respective movie title treatment), they are being sold as a set. Per Marvel lore, the Collector and Grandmaster are brothers, after all.

The San Diego Comic-Con runs through Sunday.

Copyright 2019 DirectConversations.com

Tim Burton Book 2
Click book cover for info on how to buy!