Review: Skeleflex Warriors: Skelestriker, Centoro, and Mynotorg
I've reviewed a huge number of Skeleflex sets at this point. If you're interested, you can read about Velociraptor and Fang-O-Flex, Octoattack, Skullkor, Stegosaurus, Akafly and Spinosaurus and the huge motorized T-Rex set. As is often the case, some of these are great and some of aren't, but there have been enough of the former to keep me interested.
When I first heard Wild Planet was expanding this line with fantasy skeletons, I was ecstatic. The main reason I started buying these was to put together my own dracolich. If they ever made an official one of those, I'll be interested to see how it compares with mine.
At any rate, skeletal centaurs, minotaurs, and... er... people, are certainly up my alley. Paying retail price, however, isn't. Fortunately, these didn't seem to be quite as popular with others, and the price dropped to a level I was willing to pay.
There's actually a fourth in this wave, Gorrillus. I'm not quite as interested in him as the others, but if the price drops again I might break down and pick him up.
When I first heard Wild Planet was expanding this line with fantasy skeletons, I was ecstatic. The main reason I started buying these was to put together my own dracolich. If they ever made an official one of those, I'll be interested to see how it compares with mine.
At any rate, skeletal centaurs, minotaurs, and... er... people, are certainly up my alley. Paying retail price, however, isn't. Fortunately, these didn't seem to be quite as popular with others, and the price dropped to a level I was willing to pay.
There's actually a fourth in this wave, Gorrillus. I'm not quite as interested in him as the others, but if the price drops again I might break down and pick him up.
Appearance and Construction:
Skelestriker: 3/10
Centoro: 4/10
Mynotorg: 5/10
I'm getting tired of writing this, but I think it's important to say: these are being reviewed as action figures, which means they're taking a beating in appearance and getting a lot back later in Play and Display. That's why issues that wouldn't normally apply to building sets - such as lack of paint - are fair game. Well, fair might be a stretch.
The first observation I want to make is that these are quite a bit bigger than I expected. These stand at about eight inches, so they tower over six inch action heroes. In the case of Mynotorg, that works out about right - minotaurs are typically larger than people. In the case of Skelestriker, that's kind of annoying, since it means he won't work well as a skeletal fighter to go up against Batman or Indiana Jones.
I really like the concept behind these. I'm not just talking about the general idea of making skeletal monsters: of course I like that. But I also like that all three of these are reminiscent of Ray Harryhausen's work. You can see the influence, on all of them, but it's particularly evident on Centoro.
Centoro: 4/10
Mynotorg: 5/10
I'm getting tired of writing this, but I think it's important to say: these are being reviewed as action figures, which means they're taking a beating in appearance and getting a lot back later in Play and Display. That's why issues that wouldn't normally apply to building sets - such as lack of paint - are fair game. Well, fair might be a stretch.
The first observation I want to make is that these are quite a bit bigger than I expected. These stand at about eight inches, so they tower over six inch action heroes. In the case of Mynotorg, that works out about right - minotaurs are typically larger than people. In the case of Skelestriker, that's kind of annoying, since it means he won't work well as a skeletal fighter to go up against Batman or Indiana Jones.
I really like the concept behind these. I'm not just talking about the general idea of making skeletal monsters: of course I like that. But I also like that all three of these are reminiscent of Ray Harryhausen's work. You can see the influence, on all of them, but it's particularly evident on Centoro.
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At any rate, I really like two of these. Actually, when I first assembled him, I was sure that Centoro would be my favorite. But as I posed and photographed them, Mynotorg won me over.
While Centoro has the best head - actually, that skull on his shoulders is one of the best sculpted pieces I've seen in this line - the figure overall is uneven. His highly detailed, realistic (if that word even applies here) skull clashes with his comically oversized hands and his cartoon-like hooves. The result is a tad uneven. Centoro is still a cool toy, he's just not exceptional. Mynotorg, on the other hand, is up there with Skullkor and the Velociraptor as one of my favorite figures released by Skeleflex. He actually may take the prize, though the judges are still deliberating. |
Unlike Centoro, Mynotorg is more or less consistent. Sure, he's stylized, but it works because he's stylized all over. Plus, yellow bones are far more believable than blue ones, a factor that works to his advantage. I'm not entirely sold on the mace attacked to his tail, but I'm willing to let that slide.
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The loser here is clearly Skelestriker. While I like his head, it's not on par with Centoro's. The real problem with him, though, is the proportions: his legs are way too small for his body and head, while his arms are a little too long. Take away his armor and he kind of looks like the skeleton of a monkey. In addition, this is a much brighter red than the plastic that was used for the velocoraptor, and it's far less impressive. I have not penalized him for it, but you should also be aware Skelestriker has a hole in the top of his head for his helmet to attach. All three have holes in their chests as well, in case you wanted to swap out the armor. I'm giving Mynotorg a score of five, Centoro a four, and Skelestriker an appearance of three. |
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Packaging and Extras: +2
Since there's no better place to complain about this, allow me to state the obvious: these are profoundly stupid names. Skelestriker, in particular, makes me want to pound my head against something made of metal. I mean, what's next? Skelextreme?
Anyway, these come packaged in large, plastic skeletal fists. The color of the plastic is the same color as the bones, so at least you can see what you're getting:
Anyway, these come packaged in large, plastic skeletal fists. The color of the plastic is the same color as the bones, so at least you can see what you're getting:
The back of the packaging provides something new: some back story for the entire line of Skeleflex toys. This is a wonderful addition, because I'd hate to think dinosaur bones were just dinosaur bones. Clearly, an explanation is required, preferably one styled after 1980s television. And I quote:
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The year is 2180 and Aliens have enslaved all humans. Dr. Herzog has resurrected Dino bones to battle the Aliens, but in a horrific turn of events, the bloodthirsty Dinos have begun attacking people! In this epic battle of good versus evil, vengeful Aliens and mutant Warriors join forces to battle the savage Dinos!
Well, glad we straightened that out. Also, just for the record, all capitalization and punctuation is copied from the original. "Wait," you may ask, "Why are the aliens and mutant warriors skeletons instead of just the dinosaurs? Why are the warriors fantasy creatures who are armed with swords and maces? And where the hell did the mutants come from, anyway?" All good questions; pity we can't take them up, but time's a wasting! Let's move onto the accessories. I don't think anyone's going to be too disappointed to hear that the "posters" included in previous packs have been dropped. The instructions are now on the back of the labels. I've got no complaints at all over the change, and if Wild Planet saves a few pennies, more power to them. |
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Besides, they seem to have invested that money in something a little more worthwhile. All three of these figures come with some extras, though some make out better than others.
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The least equipped of the three is Centoro, who just comes with a spear and a pair of bracers. The spear, incidentally, was bent from sitting in the package. I'm sure some hot water could fix that, but I'm not sure it's worth the trouble. He also comes with a pair of 'flex joints'. Unlike previous releases, these are now made in the same color as the character, so they won't clash. Unfortunately, they're still not worth the trouble.
Skelestriker is the best equipped of the three, appropriate, as he contains the lowest number of building pieces. He's got a loin cloth, a shield, a breastplate, a helmet, and a sword. Thanks to a sculpted skeletal grin that would give Skeletor nightmares, the shield is actually kind of cool. Of course, a little paint would dismiss the illusion that Skelestriker found it at the dollar store, but why complain? His armor and helmet are also pretty good, and his loin cloth is passable. His sword, on the other hand, just looks lame. You also get a couple of flex joints for him; red, this time. Finally, Mynotorg has some decent extras: he comes with a pair of bracers (identical to Centoro's), a mace, and two... I'm going to call them bandoliers for lack of a better word. You might also count the piece that goes on the end of his tail, sort of a back-up mace. Unlike his pals, he doesn't come with any flex joints.
I'm going to give each of these figures a bonus point for their packaging, which doubles as a carrying case or, in this case, cheap Halloween accessories (they will fit over small hands). While it seems like I should be giving Skelestriker more of a bonus than, say, Centoro, the extras armor and weapons are really there to make up for him being a simpler toy. Counting the bones and accessories together, they all have a comparable number of pieces, so I'm going to give them the same bonus. You're actually getting fairly substantial sized sets for your money, so I don't mind being a little generous. |
Play and Display:
Skelestriker: +2
Centoro: +4
Mynotorg: +3
Articulation is the one area where Skeleflex figures usually shine, and these are no exception. Nearly every joint on these figures is a ball joint. The bottom halves of the jaws are separate pieces, articulated with ball joints, for all three figures, so you can definitely get some great expressions.
For Centoro and Skelestriker, they've thrown in the usual 'flex joints,' even going so far as to cast them in the same color as the toy itself, making them significantly less useless than I'm used to. Well, slightly less anyway: I want action figures, not bobble heads.
Actually, it's worth noting that the instructions for putting these together now incorporate the flex joints. Of course, these are more recommendations than instructions, so you can ignore them. I certainly did: who wants a skeletal monster with floppy arms?
The most poseable of these figures is easily Centoro, whose four legs offer plenty of support for some crazy poses. Or, if you're willing to take a minute to find his center of gravity, he can stand on two legs well enough.
In addition, Centoro wins with quantity, as well. He's got more pieces - and therefore more joints - than the competition. He's not quite my favorite of the three overall, but he definitely takes this category; hence the +4.
Centoro: +4
Mynotorg: +3
Articulation is the one area where Skeleflex figures usually shine, and these are no exception. Nearly every joint on these figures is a ball joint. The bottom halves of the jaws are separate pieces, articulated with ball joints, for all three figures, so you can definitely get some great expressions.
For Centoro and Skelestriker, they've thrown in the usual 'flex joints,' even going so far as to cast them in the same color as the toy itself, making them significantly less useless than I'm used to. Well, slightly less anyway: I want action figures, not bobble heads.
Actually, it's worth noting that the instructions for putting these together now incorporate the flex joints. Of course, these are more recommendations than instructions, so you can ignore them. I certainly did: who wants a skeletal monster with floppy arms?
The most poseable of these figures is easily Centoro, whose four legs offer plenty of support for some crazy poses. Or, if you're willing to take a minute to find his center of gravity, he can stand on two legs well enough.
In addition, Centoro wins with quantity, as well. He's got more pieces - and therefore more joints - than the competition. He's not quite my favorite of the three overall, but he definitely takes this category; hence the +4.
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Mynotorg isn't far behind, though. With his triple-jointed legs, he's pretty cool, himself. He doesn't balance quite as well as Centoro, but he can certainly hold several poses and look great at the same time.
Unfortunately, he does have one major flaw here. Possibly to make up for the lack of a flex joint (memo to Wild Planet: these things aren't required - I've got a bag full of the damn things), they've tried to get creative with the spine. Rather than include a segmented pieces, they've created what appears to be a flex-a-spine. At least, I think that's what's going on here. It's not actually that flexible, but it's made of a rubbery substance, so I'm assuming that's what they were going for. Since it's a single unit, it severely limits his articulation. Pity. |
Finally, we come to Skelestriker, who can barely stand in most positions. You can get him to balance with some effort, but you certainly don't have the range of options you're used to. I'm only able to award him two points in this category.
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Like all Skeleflex sets, the bones are all interchangeable, so if you want a rainbow-colored undead monstrosity, you can make one. Of course, I doubt anyone wants a rainbow-colored collection of bones, so it's kind of a moot point. I really wish Wild Planet would choose a color of plastic and stick to it. And, while we're wishing, how about going with a color that looks like, oh, I don't know... maybe BONE. Sorry. I've gotten off topic. While you probably won't want to combine the bones, the accessories work fine together, so you can mix and match to your heart's content. The only exception is Skelestriker's helmet which includes a peg matching up to his head. It can rest on Centoro's head, too, though the peg means it will always be a little off. |
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In fact, there's really no reason you need to stop with these accessories: get some decent sixth-scale spears and swords, and you can really start getting these to look cool. Throw on a miniature cape as well, and these really take off. There's a lot of potential for customization with these figures.
Special Deductions:
Centoro: -1
Skelestriker: -4
There are a couple unrelated issues that are going to have an impact of the final scores. In the case of Skelestriker, it's going to be a big impact.
First, let's get Centoro out of the way. When I was putting his back together, I heard an unfortunate and familiar crack. The joints are just a tad too tight, and the plastic just a little too cheap. As a result, there's a hairline crack in one of his joints.
For the time being, this just limits his articulation (and not even in a major way), though this could easily wind up more serious. I'm going to be optimistic, though, and assume this isn't going to be another Octoattack. Otherwise, I'd need to hit him with a harsher deduction....
Skelestriker: -4
There are a couple unrelated issues that are going to have an impact of the final scores. In the case of Skelestriker, it's going to be a big impact.
First, let's get Centoro out of the way. When I was putting his back together, I heard an unfortunate and familiar crack. The joints are just a tad too tight, and the plastic just a little too cheap. As a result, there's a hairline crack in one of his joints.
For the time being, this just limits his articulation (and not even in a major way), though this could easily wind up more serious. I'm going to be optimistic, though, and assume this isn't going to be another Octoattack. Otherwise, I'd need to hit him with a harsher deduction....
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Like the one Skelestriker's facing. This is easily the strangest issue I've had with a Skeleflex figure to date, and I'm at a bit of a loss to explain it. Simply put, he's missing a joint on the end of one of the arm pieces. I've used this piece for his shield arm, since his shield snaps onto the bone. Needless to say, this severely limits his posing options. I don't know whether this was caused by a manufacturing error or if they have a defective mold or what. Likewise, I have no clue whether issue is unique to my set or if it's a common problem. The one mitigating factor is that the missing joint actually looks a lot like a bone, so there are some posing options left. Even so, I feel that this necessitates a strict penalty. |
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Price Tag and Final Analysis:
Skelestriker: 3/10
Centoro: 10/10
Mynotorg: 9/10
These started around $12 - $13, which, considering their size, actually isn't too bad, at least for Centoro and Mynotorg. As all Skeleflex sets must, these wound up dropping in price: I found them for $8 at Toys R Us, which is higher than I'm used to paying (I've seen some of the dinosaurs and aliens going for less than a buck), but certainly more than reasonable.
Again, at least for Centoro and Mynotorg.
Skelestriker, on the other hand, really isn't worth more than $4 or $5, and that's assuming you get one whose pieces all attach. While I don't hate him, he definitely looks cheaper and less impressive than the others.
But, assuming you're in the market for generic fantasy skeletal creatures (and, really, who isn't?) I can't recommend the other two enough. I'm particularly impressed with Mynotorg, who's simply awesome. If I'd known he was going to be this cool, I'd have picked him up at full price months ago.
Centoro: 10/10
Mynotorg: 9/10
These started around $12 - $13, which, considering their size, actually isn't too bad, at least for Centoro and Mynotorg. As all Skeleflex sets must, these wound up dropping in price: I found them for $8 at Toys R Us, which is higher than I'm used to paying (I've seen some of the dinosaurs and aliens going for less than a buck), but certainly more than reasonable.
Again, at least for Centoro and Mynotorg.
Skelestriker, on the other hand, really isn't worth more than $4 or $5, and that's assuming you get one whose pieces all attach. While I don't hate him, he definitely looks cheaper and less impressive than the others.
But, assuming you're in the market for generic fantasy skeletal creatures (and, really, who isn't?) I can't recommend the other two enough. I'm particularly impressed with Mynotorg, who's simply awesome. If I'd known he was going to be this cool, I'd have picked him up at full price months ago.
See? I told you these could use better accessories. Sadly, Dream will need his cloak back, but Mynotorg looks good in it.
Anyway, you know I'm here to plug something: let's just get it over with so you can proceed to look at the additional pictures below. So then: bla bla bla blog bla bla movie reviews bla bla short stories bla bla bla bla thing you can buy. There.
Here are those pictures I promised.
Anyway, you know I'm here to plug something: let's just get it over with so you can proceed to look at the additional pictures below. So then: bla bla bla blog bla bla movie reviews bla bla short stories bla bla bla bla thing you can buy. There.
Here are those pictures I promised.
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