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Name: Kubros Ripley
Brand: Mega Construx
Model: DXB85
Pcs: 168
In case you've come in late, I'm looking at as many buildable figure sets as I can that are clearly trying to cash in on the deformed collectable figure craze. I already featured Kubros, so you can go visit that review to catch up. Go ahead. I'll wait.
...Oh wait, this isn't done in real time, so by the time you've read this, the whole review will have already been done. PHEW! Thought I was going to have to waste time waiting around! ...And I'm already doing that waiting for images to upload when I make these reviews...
During the final sale days of Toys R Us' death throes last week, I found and picked up ANOTHER Kubros set, which was released during the death throes of THAT line! This is probably the last Kubros set I'll ever find at a major retailer(which, considering how good they are, is a shame.) ...And, since I don't want to feature these buildable "vinyl" figures again for a LONG time, if ever, I figure we might as well take a look at this one before we move on.
The box design is mostly the same as the previous Kubros sets we've looked at, with pictures of the figure at different angles, and a still of a character from the franchise Photoshopped to look sketchy and gray. The only difference is that this was released during the beginning of the Mega Construx phase of Mega Bloks that we have today, so everything's been given a slight tinge of orange. ...It oddly matches the gray-black of the rest of the box, so I'm not complaining.
The back of the box is also much less cramped, with fewer walls of text, and a larger, clearer look at the final few sets in this line. ...And I only now notice that one of the sets is the actual Alien from Alien, and I could have gotten that to complement Ripley here! ...Oh well. As with any good action hero, Ripley still stands on her own.
On the top, I notice that they not only removed the "resealable" option, but the awesome brick stud pattern on top. Therefore, I automatically award this set 0/5 and declare it the worst brick set EVAR!
Though they did still include the figure's face staring up at me as I open the box... Ok, SECOND worst brick set EVAR!
And they even updated the blueprint-like pattern on the inside of the box with figure images from the newest releases! ...Alright, I'll reconsider its spot on my worst list until I need something else to unfairly compare and contrast. ...Shouldn't take long.
Alright, we got the standard pieces and instructions. Let's build.
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And here she is! Ripley in her iconic Power Loader Exosuit from the second movie! ...And, seeing as how I've only seen the first movie, I can't really comment on how accurate it looks... Still, if I haven't seen the movie and still recognize the character and the makeshift armor she was wearing during a certain scene, this set is doing SOMETHING right!
Being a Kubros, the figure of course has the arm and head articulation that I praised the other figures for, and, considering how the figure is technically decked out in bulky armor, to still have head and arm movement is REALLY nice!
The visor is even hinged! These are features you'd need to buy a $50 Collectors Edition figure for, and here they are for a set under $10! Mega Construx may have their flaws, but NOBODY can say they don't know how to build every kind of figure!
I admit I'm not too crazy about the face. ...Though probably unfairly so. I guess after the unique, creative head molds we saw with The Terminator, Worf, and Hellboy, having a standard "human" face just seems boring in comparison. ...Still, the expression looks just as pumped and badass as the other figures, so she's still earned a spot next to the other action heroes in this line! ...And seeing as how her movie came out long before any of the others, she's the ORIGINAL badass! She'll school the others like Finals Week in PE!
The design they went with for her "mammary glands" I actually find funny. I know they wanted to keep the cube-theme, and they didn't want to sexualize an actor famous for characters that didn't fall into the standard "siren woman" archetype most female actors unfortunately fall into, but I just find it odd the way her rack is pushed out so far, and how it's sloped on the top and flat on the bottom!
It legitimately looks like the original Lara Croft, doesn't it? ...I'm not complaining. It really adds to the style, and it's unintentionally hilarious.
The feet are also a little strange. I know they went with this design to make it fit with other Kubros figures and their sloped, square feet, but seeing as how this is a human character in an exosuit, it looks like she has little stick legs crammed inside big yellow boots!
Take her out of the boots, and it looks like she has short, stubby "grandma feet", doesn't it? ...How can those even support HER weight, let alone her inside the suit?
Speaking of which, I LOVE how they built the suit around her! Obviously, designing and including pieces for an entire suit for the character to fit in would be too cumbersome and expensive, but I think they got the important bits in, and it still LOOKS like a suit!
...Except maybe the back. It looks like she's wearing boots, and they superglued a big yellow plank onto her back. ...It kind of looks like a cosplayer outfit from this angle, made with cardboard and big yellow rain boots. ...I'd wear it.
The claws look GREAT! They look like how they do in the movie, they're well-designed with a number of unique pieces, and they fit well on the figure's arms, which is a little more than I can say for some of the accessories that came with the other Kubros! I guess I could complain that they're not articulated, but considering how they apparently worked in the movie(again, having only seen a few scattered clips), that might have made them too flimsy. Besides, I wasn't expecting that in this set, anyway, so I'm not disappointed.
The top of the headpiece looks a little goofy, with the pipes, antennae, and lights, but the suit's normally used for construction and loading/unloading, so cosmetics aren't as important as mechanics. ...In fact, if you really think about it, Ripley's basically taking down the Xenomorphs with the future equivalent of a forklift...
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| She tried to kill me with a Power Loader. Hurrah! |
I also really love how they connected the claws to the headpiece using these "hydraulic" rubber tubes! Even if there's not much of an exoskeleton on the back, this is all that's needed to give the illusion it's all one suit!
In fact, here are all the pieces of the suit, reconstructed as best as I can without Ripley as a foundation.
And here's Ripley without the suit. ...And even without the Power Loader, she looks capable of tearing the Xenomorphs apart with her bare hands!
Not even death can stop her! Heck, it just pissed her off and made her even MORE badass!
The fact they dared continue the Alien franchise without her is the reason why the newer movies suck! THAT is the power of the Ripley!
And that's all I have to say about this set. It's just as good as the other figures we've looked at, with some great creative choices, a unique style, and features, like articulation, that actually make them like FIGURES! The stuff I like, I REALLY like, and the stuff that doesn't quite work, I can still joke about! It works so well with the other Kubros, that I'm not going to bother with my usual ratings. The ones I gave in the other Kubros review all apply to this one. I'm glad I have it in my collection, and, after having to deal with Lego's BrickHeadz, I'm glad there exist quality buildable figures that outshine the POP! figures they're trying to compete with!
Now if you'll excuse Ripley, she's engaged in her climatic battle with the Ender Dragon! ... Mostly because I don't have a Xenomorph figure for her to fight...
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