Review: Prince Dastan with Aksh
If you're a "glass-is-half-empty" person and you see a movie like Prince of Persia, you're probably going to walk out the theater shrugging and complaining about it being a mediocre movie at best. If, on the other hand, you're an optimist, you might think, "Hey, I'll bet the toys will be clearanced in no time!"
And you'd be right. When a movie is expected to be a major theatrical event but instead falls flat, the massive numbers of figures produced are going to be unloaded at a huge discount.
That brings us to Prince Dastan and Aksh here. McFarlane Toys put out a number of figures in different scales, but the only one I've seen that really spoke to me was this pack. And, frankly, I didn't care much about Dastan: I wanted the horse.
The video game this is based on is actually one of the few I've played in the last decade. It's surprisingly intelligent and well structured. Unlike the movie.
And you'd be right. When a movie is expected to be a major theatrical event but instead falls flat, the massive numbers of figures produced are going to be unloaded at a huge discount.
That brings us to Prince Dastan and Aksh here. McFarlane Toys put out a number of figures in different scales, but the only one I've seen that really spoke to me was this pack. And, frankly, I didn't care much about Dastan: I wanted the horse.
The video game this is based on is actually one of the few I've played in the last decade. It's surprisingly intelligent and well structured. Unlike the movie.
Appearance and Construction: 8/10
Overall, these are a great pair of figures. Although I wasn't really all that interested in Dastan, I have to admit McFarlane did a fantastic job capturing Gyllenhaal's likeness. The boots, tunic, and belt are likewise great. The straps on his left arm are painted rather than sculpted, which is a minor disappointment, though nothing major.
The figure is packaged holding the Dagger of Time, and time takes its toll. When I pulled him out, the dagger had more or less fused with the figure. When I finally yanked it out of his grip, the figure lost a bit of skin, so to speak: a patch of paint stayed with the dagger. It's no huge loss, but it is worth mentioning.
My only substantial issue is with the cape. The cloth, while opening some play options, just looks out of place on the otherwise realistic figure. If it weren't for this, I'd have gone with a nine.
The horse is also very good. While I think the animal itself could have benefited from some paint, it wasn't essential. Further, the decorative blanket looks excellent. I'm very happy with how these figures look.
The figure is packaged holding the Dagger of Time, and time takes its toll. When I pulled him out, the dagger had more or less fused with the figure. When I finally yanked it out of his grip, the figure lost a bit of skin, so to speak: a patch of paint stayed with the dagger. It's no huge loss, but it is worth mentioning.
My only substantial issue is with the cape. The cloth, while opening some play options, just looks out of place on the otherwise realistic figure. If it weren't for this, I'd have gone with a nine.
The horse is also very good. While I think the animal itself could have benefited from some paint, it wasn't essential. Further, the decorative blanket looks excellent. I'm very happy with how these figures look.
Packaging and Extras: +1
This comes in a box with a large window displaying the toys. Nothing special about any of this, but nothing wrong, either:
The back shows off the other figures and playsets available. Those are all cheap now, too, by the way. Dastan comes with a couple accessories: a sword and the Dagger of Time, both of which are fairly well detailed given their size. The bonus point isn't for these, though: I expect a few weapons these days. Instead, the point is for the set. The horse and rider together seem like a little more than I generally expect at this price point, even before they were marked down.
Play and Display: -2
Dastan's articulation is pretty standard for this scale. He has ball-jointed shoulders, head, and hips, double-pin elbows and knees, pin ankles, and cuts on his wrists and waist. The head feels a bit limited, but it still works fairly well. The hips, however, are deeply problematic: they keep popping off. In fact, it's difficult to pose his legs without one or both dropping off his body.
The issue is actually less serious for collectors than for kids. Sure, it's annoying, but eventually you can get them where you want them and they'll stay. But this is a fairly big deal to anyone trying to play with the figure. Unless, of course, you want to pretend it's an action feature.
The horse has a pin joint at the top of each leg, along with another at each ankle. The hind legs move in a "V", which gives you a few options. What's missing here are knee joints, and the figure really could have used them. The biggest issue here is balance: you don't have a lot of poses that are stable.
There's also a cut joint at the base of the neck along with what looks like a ball and pin between the neck and head. This is limited by the sculpt, but it works well and gives you some good options. Lastly, the tail is attached with a joint, so you can move that a bit. The reins are elastic, which actually works fairly well and look good in use.
I'm deducting one point for Dastan's legs and another for the horse's missing knee joints and lack of stability.
The issue is actually less serious for collectors than for kids. Sure, it's annoying, but eventually you can get them where you want them and they'll stay. But this is a fairly big deal to anyone trying to play with the figure. Unless, of course, you want to pretend it's an action feature.
The horse has a pin joint at the top of each leg, along with another at each ankle. The hind legs move in a "V", which gives you a few options. What's missing here are knee joints, and the figure really could have used them. The biggest issue here is balance: you don't have a lot of poses that are stable.
There's also a cut joint at the base of the neck along with what looks like a ball and pin between the neck and head. This is limited by the sculpt, but it works well and gives you some good options. Lastly, the tail is attached with a joint, so you can move that a bit. The reins are elastic, which actually works fairly well and look good in use.
I'm deducting one point for Dastan's legs and another for the horse's missing knee joints and lack of stability.
Price Tag and Final Analysis: 7/10
Originally, these were priced around $13, if memory serves, though I got this for $6.73. Even at retail price, this isn't a bad deal, especially considering a Marvel figure in this scale can run you seven to nine dollars, and that's without the horse.
That said, the hip problems on Dastan and the lack of articulation on the horse are worth considering. Nevertheless, if you're in the market for a decent horse for your 3 3/4 inch figures, seven bucks is a pretty good deal. I bought this at Toys R Us, but I suspect you'll be able to find similar deals at other retailers, as well.
That said, the hip problems on Dastan and the lack of articulation on the horse are worth considering. Nevertheless, if you're in the market for a decent horse for your 3 3/4 inch figures, seven bucks is a pretty good deal. I bought this at Toys R Us, but I suspect you'll be able to find similar deals at other retailers, as well.
Looking for more to read? Check out my blog, for movie reviews and the like. Or, if you'd rather some fiction, I can accommodate that request, too. In fact, if short stories aren't enough, you could always pick up my self-published novel, on sale through Amazon.com.
