A short Willow NOT played by Warrick Davis...
Written: Apr 21 '05 (Updated May 16 '05)
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Pros: Nice accessories, likeness...
Cons: Look and transforming feature not as cool as other PALz...a bit loose...
The Bottom Line: Willow Rosenberg. Why won't you return my love? Oh.
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| JediKermit's Full Review: Buffy the Vampire Slayer PALz Willow Rosenberg |
Palisades Toys recently got on the "block figure" bandwagon with it's line of PALz. Similar in design and size to Kubricks, Minimates, and LEGO Minifigures, PALz distinguish themselves by having more articulation than Kubricks and LEGO Minifigs and having more accessories than any other block figures. Plus, they're just friggin cute.
There are currently two PALz lines in stores: Buffy the Vampire Slayer and X-Files. As a fan of both shows, I'm doomed to collect them both.
Series 1 of the Buffy PALz features Buffy and five other characters from the first season of the series--PALz Series 2 will include characters from the second season. So Series 1 includes Buffy and allies Willow, Xander, and Giles, and enemies Darla and The Master.
Willow Rosenberg in the first season was pretty much comic relief, and was one of my favorite characters. This is before she was a witch, before she was a lesbian, and she was just smart, funny, geeky, and cute. Love her.
The PALz figure of Willow is less successful than Buffy and some of the others. She's meant to look like she's wearing a dress, cardigan, tights and sneakers, but the nature of block figures means that her legs are the same size as all of the other figures, making it look like she's got a pants-skirt combo, a look that's just...not good. The sweater does work well, and her hairbanded long red hair works well, even in "PALz" form. Her face looks Willowy enough, but the whole skirt-tights combo throws me off. The skirt piece also makes the torso a bit more loose than the other figures, so it tends to come apart more easily.
The Buffy PALz each have a "transforming" feature, so it's like getting two versions of each character. Because there weren't a lot of options to go with for Season 1 Willow (I really hope we eventually get a Vampire Willow from later seasons), we get an opera-singer version from a nightmare episode. The pieces are cute--an extra hairpiece, longer skirt, and sleeve pieces complete her alternate ensemble--but it's a weak variant. I would have preferred it some other way.
The accessories are solid as usual with Palisades--since Willow didn't do much fighting in the first season, she gets a backpack, computer monitor and keyboard, and a tombstone. Each Buffy PALz in Series 1 comes with a tombstone, so once you get all of them, you have a nice little cemetery on your desk or shelf or toilet tank. Makes for great dioramas or actual play. You know, if you're into playing with toys.
Although PALz in general are a great idea, and I'm loving the Buffy line, this is a weaker figure in the series--it seems like some missteps were made with Willow, making her not quite as fun as some of the others in the line. Pick her up to keep the Buffster company, but if you're just looking for one figure, you may want to get someone else.
MORE “PALz”
X-FILES
Agent Mulder http://www.epinions.com/content_182360247940
Agent Scully http://www.epinions.com/content_182373224068
Frohike http://www.epinions.com/content_183027273348
Deep Throat http://www.epinions.com/content_183107423876
Flukeman http://www.epinions.com/content_183132262020
Conundrum http://www.epinions.com/content_183138881156
Donnie Pfaster http://www.epinions.com/content_183279390340
Gray Alien http://www.epinions.com/content_183391850116
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER
Buffy http://www.epinions.com/content_180773293700
Willow http://www.epinions.com/content_180776570500
Xander http://www.epinions.com/content_180782665348
Giles http://www.epinions.com/content_180819103364
The Master http://www.epinions.com/content_180851216004
Darla http://www.epinions.com/content_180860325508
Angel http://www.epinions.com/content_180931825284
MORE BUFFY REVIEWS:
Buffy Season One http://www.epinions.com/content_148969197188
Buffy Season Two http://www.epinions.com/content_158297394820
Buffy Season Three http://www.epinions.com/content_161138445956
Buffy Season Four http://www.epinions.com/content_173637602948
Buffy Season Five http://www.epinions.com/content_178931404420
Angel Season One http://www.epinions.com/content_173638848132
Angel Season Two http://www.epinions.com/content_179964251780
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 6.99
Type of Toy: Action Figure
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JediKermit
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Member: Quinn
Location: Salt Lake City, Utah
Reviews written: 2136
Trusted by: 599 members
About Me:
Books, Movies, and Toys. Is there more to life?
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