My Friend, My Brother, My Comrade, My...Whatever?
Written: May 07 '03 (Updated May 07 '03)
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Pros: That enormous cannon, playability, bright colors, very distinctive.
Cons: Sculpt is a little cartoony, not necessarily the "classic" version of Gonzo
The Bottom Line: I love Gonzo more than I love most Muppets, and he's worthy of ten action figures. Why they started with this one, I'm not sure.
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| JediKermit's Full Review: Palisades The Muppet Show - Series #2: Gonzo the G... |
Palisades Toys has done an excellent job with their Muppet Show line of action figures. And after collecting them all and looking around for the newly released Swedish Kitchen like the madman I am, I thought now would be a fitting time to wrap up some loose threads by finishing my reviews of the Muppets already released, which you can still find on the shelf in many stores. This particular review is for that strangest of Muppets, and one of my best friends, Gonzo.
Whether you know him as The Great Gonzo or Gonzo the Great, or just that bug-eyed weirdo with the nose, you probably love this guy. He's a masochistic genius who will do anything for applause, even if it hurts. ESPECIALLY if it hurts. And if he loves anything more than poultry (his girlfriend Camilla is a chicken), it's the look on his friends' faces when he tells them his latest stunt. He's tapdanced in oatmeal, he's eaten a tire, he's launched his motorcycle into Statler and Waldorf's balcony...and he's done it all with a sort of grace that only Gonzo can manage. He truly is great. Although Kermit is the Muppet I aspire to be like, Gonzo is the one I'm really most like--a poor, misunderstood artist who finally found his place with his friends, and isn't going to go back to that wretched plumbing business. I've even got a piece of Gonzo's fur on my fridge— a set worker on "Muppets From Space" sent it to me after reading some of my pieces on MuppetCentral.com .
Palisades Toys' action figure of Gonzo has some great things going for it itself, but does have a few weaknesses that keep him from being a full five-star review; especially considering his peers in the line and what's coming down the road. The first thing you'll notice about Gonzo when you see him in the store is the size of his package (not a surprise considering what they say about big noses...). I mean, the packaging he comes in. It will probably be one of the biggest things on that shelf, because along with Gonzo comes an enormous cannon! No, this isn't Civil War reenactment Gonzo, this is Daredevil Gonzo. And, better than anything from Ben Affleck's latest superhero flick, you can load Gonzo into his cannon, and shoot him out of it! Now, due to U.S. safety regulations, Gonzo will only fly about a foot before crashing, but that seems to be about on a par with Gonzo's success on The Muppet Show, eh? The cannon is detailed with red white and blue stars and stripes, and they've even included burn marks on the cannon for all of Gonzo's many attempts at glory. Palisades has even gone the extra mile and included the "stops"...blocks that you place behind the wheels of the cannon to stop its roll when you fire it. The wheels and blocks both have wood grain detailing sculpted in, not just painted brown--adding more detail to an excellent accessory.
What about the figure itself? Well, many Muppet fans, including myself, were disappointed to see that Daredevil Gonzo would be coming out before a "classic" purple-tux version, which you'll be able to find later this year. Daredevil Gonzo has grown on me since I picked him up, and now I'm glad he's a part of my collection first. He's dressed in a little yellow and unitard, with red shorts over white tights; red high-top sneakers and a sparkly red and white cape complete his ensemble quite nicely. He doesn't look quite like the Gonzo you may remember from The Muppet Show; he seems to be a bit more cartoony than that odd creature. He doesn't commit the criminal offense of having the sky blue nose and face that other Gonzo toys have had; Palisades' paint people have done a good job of shading him from a light blue to purple to pink. Gonzo's face is basically the color of a bruise, which is apt. They've even included his sprig of hair directly behind his eyes, and all in all he has a nice effect.
There's also a variant of Gonzo available exclusively at Electronics Boutique; he's in different colors, and has a crash helmet cemented directly to his head--a very nice look, especially with the aviator-style helmet and goggles they chose to give him. So if you're looking for something a little different, check him out.
My only real beef with the Gonzo figure is that already (I've had him for several months now) his very skinny legs are starting to bend; it may be because I have him proudly displayed standing up, but his legs (like the Kermit figure's) are just too skinny to support the weight of his body. They LOOK great, but aren't very functional. A part of that may also be that his legs have to be in a specific position to be loaded into and fly out of the cannon; I just wish their osteoporotic decay would stop so my weirdo could join our upright friends.
Despite this flaw, and the inevitable comparison with the Series 5 Gonzo due this fall which I've already seen and am already in love with (Gonzo and Camilla in one tasty package), this is still an excellent toy, and one that your kids might enjoy more than some of the other Muppet figures. He's instantly recognizable, and that cannon makes for a nice conversation starter in the office or on that first date when you need an icebreaker. "Uh, you know...I've got a big fat cannon that..."
You can still find Gonzo at Toys R Us, Electronics Boutique, Media Play, Suncoast, and other retailers of toys and collectibles--find him before it's too late! Because you know you love this guy.
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MORE Muppet Action Figures? You BET!
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
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
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$): 5.99
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: 2137
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About Me:
Books, Movies, and Toys. Is there more to life?
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