Red Lion
Review by JoshB
While I really enjoyed the reboot of Voltron, dubbed "Legendary Defender", nothing can replace the original. Playmates Toys understands this, and has released a "Voltron 84" collection of classic-styled, combining lions, in the same size and form as the Legendary Defender.
This review sample was provided by Playmates Toys
The toy comes packaged in a basic, but large blister card. There are a rather unnecessary amount of twist ties that need to be removed before you can free the toy from its plastic prison.
The Red Lion is surprisingly large and sturdy. Playmates Toys has taken their skill at making durable kid-friendly toys and applied it to something that appeals to the nostalgic adult collector. These toys are a great opportunity to share your love of the classic Voltron with the next generation.
The Red Lion is fully poseable, and every joint clicks when moved. The head rotates, the jaw is spring loaded, the legs move at the hips, knees and feet. The tail is flexible hard rubber.
A suitable sitting pose can be achieved, but a bit more articulation in the head would have been nice.
The Red Lion comes with a compliment of weaponry that harkens back to the original toy release. Both the laser gun (Red Laser) and missile launcher (Magma Missile) click into the holes on the sides of the legs.
The missile is a bit of an illusion. It's molded like it's three separate missiles but it's actually one. The missile fires with a good amount of force.
The blade (Red Sword) can be held in the mouth via a tab and slot system. The upper part of the lions mouth has a slot that the weapon can easily tab into.
Overall I am very happy with this modern take on the classic Voltron Red Lion, but I can't help feel like there are a few missed opportunities. I feel the design team was torn between honoring the original toy versus depicting the cartoon-accurate version of Voltron. I would have liked to have seen some additional detail, even if it was a sticker sheet with the individual lions numbers. I also would have liked to have seen the return of the firing heads, the signature action feature of the original Voltron (aside from the combination gimmick). Still, I can't complain. To get a modern, fun, durable representation of such a beloved design that also fully combines at this price point is remarkable in itself.
In addition, the Red Lion is packaged with the Blazing Sword, but we will go over that when we review the combined Voltron.
Thank you again to Playmates Toys for this review sample. Stay tuned for reviews of the other lions in the series.
Comments
2 comments postedAgreed on all points. It's not the SOC, but for the price, it's a perfectly fun & solid red lion. Hope these sell well enough to convince Playmates that a vehicle Voltron in the same style would be worth their effort.
I have the old Trendmasters box set but after 20 years it's time for an upgrade that isn't insanely expensive.
The only things missing are some labels (the numbers in particular) and the Black Lion's weapons, not just the blade but also the hip cannons and back laser. Those might show up on Shapeways eventually.