"For a guy with feathers in his pants, Sam seemed awfully angry."
Written: Jul 12 '03 (Updated Jul 12 '03)
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Pros: Excellent sculpt--especially his facial expression; good for disciplining your other toys.
Cons: I wonder if they could have crammed a boat into that little package?
The Bottom Line: Whether you know him as Mr. Samuel Arrow or Sam Eagle, you'll love this stick in the mud.
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| JediKermit's Full Review: Jim Henson's Muppets Mr. Samuel Arrow Action Figur... |
Something I love about the Muppets, whether you’re talking Sesame Street, Fraggle Rock, or The Muppet Show, is the grouches. Sesame Street got the most famous of course in Oscar the Grouch; Fraggle Rock had their resident pessimist, Boober; and The Muppet Show, in need of more than the other productions, got the triple threat of Statler, Waldorf, and Sam Eagle. The first two are of course The Old Men In The Balcony, and Sam Eagle is the keeper of good taste, morals, dignity, and virtue. And arrogance. Kinda like William Bennett, but without that little gambling problem.
Sam Eagle, unlike some of the other “second stringers,” even made his way onto the big screen in memorable roles like First Mate Samuel Arrow in “Muppet Treasure Island,” a plum role for our blue feathered friend, where he got to enforce shipboard discipline, put a damper on any partying, and even eventually let loose with swordplay that would put Master Yoda to shame.
Palisades Toys gave us three waves of “Muppet Show” action figures, and then expanded their scope and changed the name of the line to “Jim Henson’s Muppets.” This means that the characters can now come from the more recent movies and television productions, and they’re making the most of it, giving us an elaborate version of Sam Eagle as Mr. Samuel Arrow. When I first heard news of this figure, I was disappointed. I wanted the “real” Sam Eagle—the iconic blue-feathered pompous bully who would pontificate about the horrors of nudity…not quite realizing that he himself is stark naked underneath all those feathers. I even thought “this will be the one figure I pass up.” For SHAME.
Samuel Arrow is the largest of the Palisades figures so far—just a tad larger than Fozzie Bear and Captain Link Hogthrob. And that’s big. His expression and sculpt are flawless. He has this piercing glare that even right this minute is making me feel inferior and somewhat guilty…and I’m not even sure what I did! I need to master that look for my job as a junior high school teacher next year. His “skin” has the “Muppety Texture” that I love so much—you may remember me sticking my Bunsen Honeydew figure in my mouth. Luckily that didn’t result in an emergency room visit. His mouth (beak?) is open just a tad, in mid utterance of disgust. He’s got bags under his eyes, and a stern unibrow above them. His bald head is fringed by pale blue feathers, and (what may be my favorite detail) he has TINY little feathers poking out of his collar. His hands are also feathered (making it difficult to hold his accessories, but they look fantastic), and he’s got a blue tail poking out of his trousers. The most fascinating thing, and most off-putting, are his bright yellow taloned feet. It’s sometimes jarring to see a Muppet’s feet, and even though his feet are seen in the movie, they’re still funny to see poking out. We all know these creatures HAVE feet. Seeing them is another story.
Sam’s costume is taken right from the movie, and no detail is overlooked. His red and white striped shirt (neatly painted, with no mess) is tucked into his white sailor’s pants, and his navy blue overcoat also has red and white detailing near the gold buttons. It took me some time to figure out that it was fitting for Sam, the ultimate American patriot, to be dressed in red, white and blue. He’s topped off by a tricorner hat with a gold ribbon; it, like most of these action figures’ hats, is magnetic, so it’s removeable but won’t get lost when you play with it.
The accessories that come with Sam really complete the character; he’s got a telescope that folds down, and you can actually look through; he also comes with a gold key and a large bible which folds open to reveal the treasure map that propels the story of “Treasure Island.”
This is the largest of the Muppet figures (so far), and it’s honestly one of the best. I thought he’d be really out of place in his “Treasure Island” costume, but with a group as diverse as the Muppets are, it’s only fitting. Rumor has it there are more “Muppet Treasure Island” figures on the way, so he won’t be alone on the high seas for long. And while he’s waiting, he can take the rest of the Muppets on a guilt trip.
You’ll find Jim Henson’s Muppets at Media Play, Suncoast, Electronics Boutique, ToysRUs.com, and beginning in Late July, Target Stores will be carrying the line. You can also find them at many specialty stores and comic book shops—search around, you’ll be glad you did!
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
Rizzo the Rat http://www.epinions.com/content_105903591044
Playsets
Muppet Labs with Beaker http://www.epinions.com/content_81755606660
Electric Mayhem Stage with Animal http://www.epinions.com/content_98538262148
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 8.99
Type of Toy: Action Figure
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Epinions.com ID:
JediKermit
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Member: Quinn
Location: Salt Lake City, Utah
Reviews written: 2134
Trusted by: 599 members
About Me:
Books, Movies, and Toys. Is there more to life?
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