Kermit the Frog has CRABS. ...Never mind--it's a Lobster. With piercings.
Written: Apr 02 '04 (Updated Apr 10 '04)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Great likeness/sculpt, fun accessories, impressive articulation for the Frog.
Cons: Polly is unarticulated, but still has a great sculpt.
The Bottom Line: Whether defending the Hispaniola or wooing Benjamina Gunn, this frog is ready for ACTION.
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An ongoing source of debate in the Muppet fan community is the “classic Muppet movies” vs. the “Post-Jim movies.” Jim Henson was of course the creator of the Muppets, and the performer for that most famous of frogs, my buddy Kermit. After Jim’s untimely death, the first two big-screen Muppet outings were both adaptations of classic literature: “A Christmas Carol” and “Treasure Island.” I happen to enjoy both flicks, but there are Muppet “fans” out there who don't like them. Why am I dragging this conflict out into my toy review? There are people who just don’t get how cool this toy is, because they don't like the Muppets playing other characters. They're missing out.
Palisades Toys just unleashed its seventh wave of Muppet action figures, and it’s headed up by a two-pack of Kermit as Captain Smollet and Polly Lobster. They’re both from “Muppet Treasure Island,” and both are a welcome addition to my collection. They were preceded almost a year ago by Sam Eagle as Samuel Arrow, and he’s been looking kind of silly in his 18th Century British Navy (OLD Navy indeed! HA!) outfit with all the other Muppets on my shelf…but now that Captain Smollet has arrived, Sam fits in beautifully.
The Kermit-as-Smollet figure is as detailed as other the Palisades Kermit figures we’ve seen, and has a few extra features that put him a step above others. His naval coat has a woven texture distinct from his waistcoat and breeches, and the paint of the gold trim is applied well, with none of the slop that some other series have had. He’s got a captain’s hat which is affixed to his head via a magnet—a trick Palisades has been pulling since the second series of figures. Kermit doesn’t have the lobotomy scar some other figures bear from this technique, since this movie was a rare instance where the frog had hair. His gray ponytailed wig covers the magnet nicely, leaving a seamless cabeza for Captain Smollet.
Something about the figure that surprised me, and I honestly didn’t notice until playing with him at work tonight (love that aspect of my job) is just how articulated he is. The first Kermit action figure didn’t have much articulation, because Naked Kermit’s spindly arms and legs don’t really allow knee and elbow joints to be put into plastic. Subsequent Kermits have built on this, culminating in the Indiana Jonesish “Adventure Kermit” I reviewed a few weeks back. The Captain Smollet figure, although he looks kinda stuffy, is ready to swashbuckle with the best of them: he’s got shoulder, bicep, elbow, wrist, neck, knee, and hip ball joints. He can be put in a number of positions, and when you throw in his accompanying sword and scabbard, he’s ready to take on the pirates.
Luckily, a small pirate is packed in with Smollet, so he’s got someone to skewer. This particular pirate is named Polly, and although with a name like that, you’d expect Polly to be a parrot…he’s a lobster. Polly Lobster. Polly’s a non-articulated figure, which would normally bug me, but the sculpt on this pirate is so detailed, and the figure is so small anyway, that I’m just happy to see him with the frog. The lobster stands on his hind legs, and wears buckled shoes, cut off shorts, and has various piercings…and even has a patch riveted to his shell. One of his pincers was lost in a shady deal of some kind (it probably involved a nice buttery sauce), and has been replaced with a silver hook. He’s a great addition to the action figure—giving you two small, piratey, strangely dressed animals for the price of one. And who doesn’t want that?
“Muppet Treasure Island” is a funny movie—my personal favorite since Jim Henson died 15 years ago, and I’m glad to see these figures released now. If you missed the Samuel Arrow figure, he’s a great companion piece to these two, and you can still find him through the magic of the internet. There will be more Muppet Treasure Island figures coming—a Gonzo and Rizzo two-pack will be out later in 2004. Grab the frog captain while you can—he’s definitely a high point in an impressive line of toys.
And if all else fails, you can play "Muppet Master and Commander" for days on end.
Where can you buy Jim Henson’s Muppets action figures? There are a lot of places, and the list is growing. These are already on the shelves at Suncoast, Sam Goody and Media Play stores, as well as EB and EBX. They’ll be rolling them out at Toys R Us within a few weeks, and if it’s more convenient, there are many online sources as well. I happened to get mine from www.boxingcow.com, and they had competitive prices and fantastic customer service.
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MORE MUPPETS!
Series One
Kermit the Frog http://www.epinions.com/content_81549233796
Miss Piggy http://www.epinions.com/content_81637707396
Dr. Teeth http://www.epinions.com/content_81569549956
Dr. Bunsen Honeydew http://www.epinions.com/content_81822191236
Series Two
Fozzie Bear http://www.epinions.com/content_85935820420
Crazy Harry http://www.epinions.com/content_98525613700
Floyd Pepper http://www.epinions.com/content_98514865796
Gonzo the Great http://www.epinions.com/content_98463813252
Series Three
Scooter http://www.epinions.com/content_91825081988
Lew Zealand http://www.epinions.com/content_91457293956
Zoot http://www.epinions.com/content_91549830788
Rowlf http://www.epinions.com/content_90764316292
Series Four
Link Hogthrob http://www.epinions.com/content_105889107588
Dr. Strangepork http://www.epinions.com/content_105892187780
Sam Eagle as Samuel Arrow http://www.epinions.com/content_105895988868
Rizzo the Rat http://www.epinions.com/content_105903591044
Series Five
Gonzo and Camilla http://www.epinions.com/content_115081186948
Janice http://www.epinions.com/content_117029899908
Pepe http://www.epinions.com/content_117043138180
Muppet Newsman http://www.epinions.com/content_117058145924
Series Six
Clifford http://www.epinions.com/content_120939515524
Bear on Patrol Fozzie http://www.epinions.com/content_120963501700
Statler http://www.epinions.com/content_120983948932
Waldorf http://www.epinions.com/content_120987487876
Series Seven
Kermit the Frog as Captain Abraham Smollet http://www.epinions.com/content_135481364100
Beauregard http://www.epinions.com/content_135557975684
Johnny Fiama http://www.epinions.com/content_135581634180
Frog Scout Robin http://www.epinions.com/content_135578947204
Playsets
Muppet Labs with Beaker http://www.epinions.com/content_81755606660
Electric Mayhem Stage with Animal http://www.epinions.com/content_98538262148
Swedish Kitchen with Swedish Chef http://www.epinions.com/content_98725432964
Pigs in Space Swinetrek Playset with First Mate Piggy http://www.epinions.com/content_134628544132
Exclusive Figures
Adventure Kermit http://www.epinions.com/content_134654889604
MINI Muppets
Wave 1 Set 1 http://www.epinions.com/content_119826517636
Wave 1 Set 2 http://www.epinions.com/content_119837462148
Wave 2 Set 1: Muppet Christmas Carol http://www.epinions.com/content_120237952644
Wave 2 Set 2: Muppet Christmas Carol http://www.epinions.com/content_120245292676
Coming Soon!
Series Eight
Sam Eagle
Marvin Suggs
Movie Usher Scooter
Dr. Phil Van Neuter
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 8.99
Type of Toy: Action Figure
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Epinions.com ID:
JediKermit
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 in Movies, Kids & Family, Books |
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Member: Quinn
Location: Salt Lake City, Utah
Reviews written: 2122
Trusted by: 597 members
About Me:
Books, Movies, and Toys. Is there more to life?
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