Of all the main characters in the live-action How to Train Your Dragon (2025) movie, I think Ruffnut is the most changed. When I watched the movie a few weeks ago, I can admit she and her brother didn't really stand out the way they did in the numerous animated incarnations preceding this film. The characters were always portrayed physically odd... super tall and hunched over with long dopey faces and limbs that seemed weighed down by fatigue or boredom. Then was their personalities... they were mischievous and conniving. They just looked like they were up to no good. I didn't get that vibe from this movie, but hopefully in the the sequel (currently filming) they'll get fleshed out more. (Full confession, I was full-out sick for all of mid-January when I watched this, so take my interpretation/memories with a huge grain of salt). The actress Bronwyn James is having a moment right now having starred in both Wicked movies and now the Dragons franchise. I'm looking forward to seeing her again.
UNITING ALL WOMEN OF PLASTIC
Showing posts with label Spin Master. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Spin Master. Show all posts
Friday, February 13, 2026
How to Train Your Dragon - RUFFNUT THORSTON!
Thursday, February 12, 2026
How to Train Your Dragon - ASTRID HOFFERSON!
I recently watched the live-action How to Train Your Dragon (2025) and kind of loved it. When the movie was announced, I had one of those reactions like "Why remake a CGI animated movie into live-action? Won't the dragons just be CGI again? And the original still holds up as a great movie." But when I started watching it a few weeks ago, I was instantly drawn in. A huge part of the success goes to the casting. Mason Thames as Hiccup was especially great (I've seen him in Incoming and other movies and quite like him). A lot of the other characters are great too, but they all seem pretty altered from the original. I was a big fan of America Ferrera's animated portrayal of Astrid, so I was planning to be critical of this lanky brunette imposter in the role, but I was impressed. Nico Parker played the part well and put her own stamp on the character. During the movie I kept thinking I had seen her before (I hadn't) and just now I discovered that she is Thandie Newton's daughter (and is the spitting image of her).
Sunday, November 23, 2025
Superman (1978) - LOIS LANE!
Two cinematic scenes from my childhood scarred me for years. The first was an episode of Benson where Haley's Comet flew overhead and all the humans were reduced to gravel (or dried beans?). For a lighthearted sitcom this caught me off-guard and terrified me. The second trauma was the earthquake scene from Superman (1978) when Lois Lane's car slipped into a wide fissure and she died while suffocating under the weight of the crushing gravel and dirt. It was horrible. And I swear this played on TV every few months throughout my childhood. Lois wears several very similar outfits throughout the movie, but the 3-piece pantsuit with blue collar is unique to this horrible scene. If you've seen the movie, you know it ends happily (in the most illogical way possible), but I'm still a bit triggered. Spin Master is making some pretty great DC retro cinematic figures. I only hope they're able to sneak out the rumored Helen Slater Supergirl before the licenses shift. Let's check out Lois Lane below!
Sunday, June 15, 2025
Superman (2025) 6" - HAWKGIRL!
I was planning on saving this post until after I see Superman (2025) in the theaters in a few weeks. I always like to give my thoughts on the movie if I can be patient enough to wait. But in this case, I failed... but it's also because I'm putting faith in McFarlane Toys giving us a belated cinematic Hawkgirl figure. This 6" line from Spin Master is new for them. They have consistently put out 12" and 3.75" figures for all their big DC movies, but for Superman (2025) we have 12", 6", and 3". The latter two being new scales for the company. These new 6" figures remind me of the older basic figure lines we saw from Mattel with Mera, Mary Marvel, Darla, and Wonder Woman. I'm really curious to see what the future of the DC license will be. There is conflicting information stating that both Spin Master and McFarlane will no longer be working with DC in 2026, but I expect there to be more information shared at SDCC. I really appreciate the Hawkgirl figures they gave us, so I hope they stick around. Let's check out Hawkgirl below!
Sunday, June 8, 2025
Superman (2025) 6" - THE ENGINEER!
I was honestly planning to skip this figure. When I first saw the assortment of Superman toys from various companies last month, I was impressed to see a second female character show up in the different assortments. My first assumption that this was Lois Lane due to the dark hair and simple outfit. It didn't exactly looks like civilian duds, but I thought perhaps she had a protective suit for part of the movie or something. But soon I saw clearer images and learned this character was actually The Engineer from Wildstorm Comic's The Authority (which is slated for a 2026 movie). Those comics were never my favorite. They were super violent and seemingly existed for shock value. But I always enjoyed The Engineer... and loved her earlier toy. But these new figures looked like a very boring version of her. In the comics, the Engineer is a scientist who replaced her blood with nanobots and often appears completely head-to-toe covered in chrome with limbs that form into crazy weapons at will.
Saturday, May 24, 2025
Superman (2025) 12" - HAWKGIRL!
I was very excited to get my first piece of merchandise for the upcoming Superman movie in the form of this 12" figure 4-pack. It wasn't certain that we would see any figures of this new cinematic Hawkgirl until a few weeks ago when three products were unveiled in quick succession: This 12" figure, a 6" Spinmaster figure, and an Imaginext. All that plus the two McFarlane non-movie figures hitting the shelves right now have me in an absolute Hawkgirl frenzy. I'm planning to post a handful of older figure reviews in my excitement. I somehow missed the news that Hawkgirl was even in the movie until relatively recently. And learning that Isabela Merced would be playing Kendra was just an added bonus. I've been a fan of Isabela since 2019 when she showed her range in both Dora and Let it Snow in the same year. She then played my favorite spider, Anya Corazon, in Madame Web and I'm currently enjoying her in The Last of Us. I'm so excited to see her in Superman. Let's check out this first figure below!
Monday, March 31, 2025
The Flash 3.75" - SUPERGIRL!
Between the new Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow movie coming next year and the seeming demise of the Spin Master DC toylines, I figured it was about time to finally post this figure. Back in 2023 when she was released, I had a very frustrating time with this Supergirl figure. Her facepaint apps were inconsistent at best, and absolutely horrendous most of the time. I ended up purchasing several before getting a decent one. I love the Sasha Calle version of Supergirl from The Flash (2023). She reminds me of Dana Dearden or Elna Kent but with a tough persona all her own. I was excited to see her get so much merchandising from a (presumably) one-and-done character. Especially from a company like Spin Master who seems to greatly under-utilize their DC license and miss opportunities to product great toys. It's amazing that this figure exists before a Gal Gadot Wonder Woman, Margot Robbie Harley, or a Michelle Pfeiffer Catwoman. But I'm glad she does. Let's check out Supergirl below!
Wednesday, June 26, 2024
Unicorn Academy - ISABEL!
Ah. I've finally reached the last post of the five Unicorn Academy action figures. I can only assume that these first five characters are just the initial release. There are at least two blatant omissions from the lineup: Rory Carmichael - the token boy of the Unicorn Riders, and Ravenzella the dark sorceress and primary antagonist of the series. As far as Rory goes, I notice that these female-centric action figure lines tend to treat male characters the same way females get treated in the boy lines - i.e. shortpacked or only included in expensive multipacks. Beast Boy from DC SuperHero Girls and Terence from Disney Fairies come to mind. But in the meantime, these first five figures are great. My favorite of the bunch is Isabel, mostly because her outfit looks the most costumey (the others look like they're wearing slightly outlandish street clothes). But Isabel is the sporty competitive member of the group so it's natural that her costume looks slightly more heroic. Let's check out Isabel and River below!
Tuesday, June 25, 2024
Unicorn Academy - AVA!
I find the character of Ava Banji to be both a joy and also disappointing. She has the most easygoing, likeable personality of the group. While characters like Layla are touted as the brainiacs of the show, it's actually Ava who teaches us the most about this secret magical world and the Academy itself. I also love that she and her unicorn steed, Leaf, have plant-based powers. It's my favorite of all elemental powers. But the disappointment is that my favorite color is green, and I wish she and Leaf were clad head-to-toe in that color. I feel like the overall palette of the Unicorn Academy characters is oddly devoid of green, and literally ever other plant-powered character I've ever heard of at least has some green. But alas, my favorite character and her unicorn are a Springy palette of yellow, pink, purple, and robin's egg blue. I hope these characters get power-ups in future season with new costumes (and toys) I would love to see them in stereotypical colors to match their powers. Let's check out Ava below!
Monday, June 24, 2024
Unicorn Academy - VALENTINA!
One trope I love about young adult storylines, especially the girl-centric ones, is the mean snobby elitist character who is initially framed as an antagonist, but eventually becomes a frenemy, and finally a true friend to the heroes. In Unicorn Academy, the super-popular CGI animated show currently on Netflix, that character is Valentina Furi, the legacy student fashionista queen bee. It makes sense that she is paired with Cinder, the unicorn with the elemental power of fire. Both Valentina and Cinder are adorned with flame patterns and red and orange color schemes. Valentina is my favorite character from the show - probably because she isn't sugary sweet and always has a slightly dubious intent. I'm always a sucker for a villainous lady (even if they soften and become nice way too quickly). Season two debuts this week and hopefully introduces new characters that Spin Master can eventually immortalize in plastic. Fingers crossed. Let's check out Valentina and Cinder below!
Sunday, June 23, 2024
Unicorn Academy - LAYLA!
One thing I love about Unicorn Academy is that most of the rider-and-unicorn pairings have elemental powers and designs. Layla is the brainy one of the bunch (she's wearing glasses, duh!) and her unicorn, Glacier, has Ice-based powers. So both Layla and Glacier are adorned with pastel colors, lots of icy blue details, and of course snowflakes. I find it amusing that Layla is not an expert equestrian like most of the students. Luckily Glacier is around to keep her balanced and confident. Season two of Unicorn Academy debuts on Netflix this week and Target is promoting that with an endcap dedicated to this new line of action figures and dolls. It's been a while since there has been a female-based action figure line in the big box stores. Between 2016-19 we saw DC SuperHero Girls, Mysticons, WWE Superstars, and Miraculous filling the shelves. But since then there has been almost nothing. I have a strong hunch that Unicorn Academy marks the resurgence of action figures in the pink aisles. Let's check out Layla below!
Saturday, June 22, 2024
Unicorn Academy - SOPHIA!
If you have any tween or adolescent girls in your life, you've undoubtedly heard of Unicorn Academy. Since its Netflix debut in November 2023, the series has become an extremely popular property. I personally didn't watch any episodes until I discovered these action figures at Target last week, but I understand the appeal. The series features a very Harry-Potter-like beginning with the main character, Sophia Mendoza, being unknowingly summoned to a secret magical school. Where the students are sorted into dorms and given a chance to bond with a unicorn. The pull of equestrian life is powerful for this young demographic, and the unicorn aspect adds the perfect amount of fantasy and wonderment. Then there is a Magical Girl aspect where the riders undergo a transformation to match their bonded steeds - ie sparkly outfits and streaks of color in their hair. The individual episodes feature magic, teamwork, fantasy, and adventure. I think Unicorn Academy will be around a while. Let's check out Sophia below!
Thursday, April 11, 2024
DreamWorks Dragons - JUN (with WU and WEI)!
DreamWorks Dragons is a very impressive franchise. Since the first movie came out in 2010, there has been a non-stop flow of continued media. In fourteen short years, there has been: two additional movies, six animated shorts, thirteen video games, comics, novels, theme parks, live stage shows, and three animated series totaling 223 episodes. (Plus there is a live-action movie coming in 2025). DreamWorks Dragons: The Nine Realms is the most recent addition - the series just ended in December 2023. The show featured five young Dragon Riders in modern times, 1300 years after the first film. Jun Wong is one of the main characters who is passion about myths and fantasy stories. She eventually becomes a love interest for the main character Tom. Her older brother Eugene also becomes a main character in Season 3 (of 8). These toys had almost no announcements and never really showed up in stores. Luckily I searched to see if Spin Master still had the license - and bingo! Let's check out Jun below.
Wednesday, April 10, 2024
DreamWorks Dragons - ALEX (and FEATHERS)!
DreamWorks Dragons: The Nine Realms is the most recent entry in the long legacy of the How To Train Your Dragon (2010) franchise. It's a CGI-animated television series that ran for eight seasons and 52 episodes (ending recently in December of 2023). The series follows five young Dragon Riders in modern times (the leader of the group, Tom, is a descendant of Hiccup and Astrid) roughly 1300 years after the events of the first movie. Alexandra "Alex" Gonzales is one of the core characters and is the token technology expert and hacker. I have owned this toy for about three years now but just got around to opening her now. I was surprised to read more about the character and learn that she was Hispanic. The blonde pigtails led me to assume she was another Nordic viking like Astrid, but I'm glad the new series branched out into a wide diverse world. As far as I know these toys never really hit mass retail but were readily available online (and still are). Let's check out Alex and Feathers below!
Wednesday, February 28, 2024
Aquaman Lost Kingdom 12" - MERA!
When I first saw blurry leaked images of this 12" Spin Master Mera from the Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom line, I thought she surely must be a custom (there's a big community for customizers of this scale). I thought she couldn't possibly be real because the 12" Mattel Mera from the the first movie (five years ago) is still on the shelves of discount stores like Big Lots and Ollies. Plus the rumors were that Mera's character would be largely cut from the movie (she wasn't). But she is indeed real, although seemingly shortpacked and more scarce than the other characters in the line. I'm surprised at how much I like this figure though. She looks very different from the 2018 version and she just really pops on my shelves. Her bodysuit has a metallic/opalescent quality that I love in person, but was murder to photograph. I ended up having to use flash photography, which I typically avoid. The sculpt and proportions are really well done too. I think this is the best Spin Master 12" female so far. Let's check her out!
Tuesday, February 27, 2024
Aquaman Lost Kingdom 3.75" - MERA!
I was unable to get to the theatres to see Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom back in December. I understand that a release date like December 22nd is considered a prime theatrical slot, but I can never swing it with holiday hoopla. Anyway, it was released streaming today on Max and I was excited to finally dive in. I didn't expect it to be mindblowing, and it wasn't, but I did enjoy it. There were reports in the last year or so that Mera's role was going to be completely edited out, but those were unfounded and she's in a decent number of scenes, although not a significant role. The Spin Master toylines still included her, but McFarlane left her out. Regardless of the public opinion of the actress, Mera herself is a very cool character and I love any toy representation of her. Although considering the social drama and the film itself, I'm surprised they didn't merchandise Atlanna and give us a new Atlantean character for our collections. Let's check out the 3.75" scale Mera from Spin Master!
Saturday, January 20, 2024
12" Spin Master - HARLEY QUINN!
Harley Quinn seems to get a totally new costume design every few years. I will always be loyal to her original bodysuit with jester hat, but there is something still unique and fun about each new version. I think Harley will always be handled by artists and writers that love and respect the character. Because of this the essential "Harley" elements will always be present. There obviously needs be a lot of black and red, and there needs to be a clear left-vs-right division of colors or patterns. Her modern trend of having pink and blue hair used to really bother me as straying too far from the original design. But a few years ago I made the realization that often when people try to home-dye their hair bold colors, they can easily end up with a much more pastel result. I now imagine this look as Harley attempting a red and black dye job with lukewarm results. This surprise 12" figure from Spin Master features Harley's new design from 2021's Future State comics. Let's check out the 12" Harley Quinn below!
Tuesday, December 19, 2023
DC Comics - WONDER WOMAN!
I find there to be something really thrilling about basic non-articulated figures in the last ten years. I theorize that the big companies with the prime character licenses realized there was an untapped market in the low-budget, low-articulation toys. In my youth, these would have been knockoffs and bootlegs. But what we end up getting today is quality sculpts and production (no sloppy paint or excessive plastic flashing), and the toy companies get to squeeze a few more bucks out of their digital sculpts. Oftentimes these basic figures have identical sculpts to their deluxe products, but they are re-scaled and simplified to give us a sort of "officially licensed bootleg." I've bought these figures from most of the big companies, but this Wonder Woman is my first basic figure from Spin Master. I found her at Kohl's last month and she was a complete surprize. I'm still not 100% sold on this 8.5"-9.5" scale. It's an in-between size that only matches other basic lines (mainly Hasbro). Let's check out Wonder Woman below!
Sunday, July 9, 2023
League of Legends - AKALI!
Yet another surprise figure from Spin Master's League of Legends Champion Collection line. Last September, a reader clued me in to the first female figure in the League of Legends 6" line, Ashe. She had shown up in a multi-figure Amazon listing at full price with three discounted shelfwarmers that we had been seeing at Target for years. And she was the hidden fourth figure that you couldn't see unless you opened the listing and selected the fourth "style option." The figure was impressive and I hoped for even more product. Then a few months ago in May I discovered the awesome Senna figure and was thrilled that this line wasn't dead as I had feared. Then to my utter surprise less than two months later a listing for this Akali figure popped up. Akali is a rogue assassin who had left the Kinkou Order and her title of Fist of the Shadow to protect her people on her own terms. I like that her design is very reminiscent of the early fighting games like Mortal Kombat and Killer Instinct. Let's check out Akali below!
Wednesday, May 3, 2023
League of Legends - SENNA!
I love a surprise figure. A few times a year I find an unexpected product hiding in the recesses of the internet. Usually these are smaller-scale figures or novelty toys, very rarely collector-grade 6-7" figures. But a few days ago I was placing the League of Legends Ashe figure on my shelves and I remembered how she was a surprise figure that just showed up in a multi-product Amazon listing last September. This line from spin Master has all but disappeared from the toy aisles, but I was curious and searched anyway. To my surprise I found this amazing figure of Senna the Redeemer in a new 2-Pack on Amazon. There were only 8 left in stock so I ordered it without hesitation. In 48 short hours I had her in hand. I don't know much about League of Legends, or any game properties really, but I've really enjoyed the figures. And Senna is my favorite. She has an amazing headsculpt and the color scheme of her outfit is both simple and dynamic. Let's check out Senna the Redeemer below!
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