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Terminator 2: Assault Gear T-800 & SWAT Officer (TRU Exclusive)
DST hit T2 pretty hard in terms of exposure, with Toys R Us carrying the line as well as comic book stores. Two different waves went to both markets, with some packs exclusive to one. Urgh. Head hurt. At least the TRU exclusives were easy to spot, bearing the shiny silver TRU logo on the front of the box. This set gives us Arnie as the T-800 (shock!) and a SWAT Officer.
Packaging
The Terminator 2 two-pack packaging is very similar to the Marvel lines, showing off the figures nicely whilst retaining the control art at the bottom. I really miss the mini-bios that come with the Marvel packs though, and they would certainly help distinguish the different Arnies to a casual observer.
The Figures
Assault Gear T-800
It's another Arnie! He's really playing the Wolverine role for this license, being in every single 2-pack. That's how you kill a line, DST!
This version of Arnie is pretty much identical to the Biker T-800 who came with the Kyle Reese figure. The face is an undamaged Arnie without his sunglasses. That's one of the few cosmetic differences between this figure and the Biker one. Just as well it's a pretty good likeness, although it does seem a bit "cartoony", for want of a better word. He gets the same hairpiece, but as karamazov mentioned in his reviews, it does suit the character and looks close enough to the source material.
His outfit is again identical to the Biker, which again is source accurate but doesn't make for an exciting figure if you have both. The leather jacket is really nice though, with lots of sculpted detail, and a worthy re-use. This "Assault Gear" version of the T-800 gets a grenade bandolier which fits over the neck post and under the arms. Although the grenades aren't removable, it's again screen-accurate and a difference from the previous version.
Assault Gear T-800's crowning achievement, and main difference from the Biker version, is in his accessory. This pack is taken from a specific scene when the good guys have infiltrated Cyberdyne, and Arnie lugs around a mini-gun which he uses on the police cars. And that's what we get! A Minimate mini-gun! It's very large, well sculpted, with a carrying handle and a grip. It can even be held in two hands, making Arnie look evem more bad-ass!
In conclusion, it's the accessory that makes this figure stand out from the Biker Minimate. The thing is, because of DST's over-reliance of Arnie figures in a film where he didn't change his look much, it is hard to recommend both this figure and the Biker. On its own merits, this figure is a good representation from a well-known scene, but there's only really the mini-gun to distinguish it from a very similar figure. A dangerous road to go down for DST, and probably one reason for this line's eventual failure. The mini-gun is awesome, but you're paying a premium for an accessory.
MMC Score - 8 out of 10
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SWAT Officer
We don't get many no-name army builders in any Minimate license save Marvel, so this guy was an interesting idea for the first wave. The SWAT Officer is a suitable companion to the Assault Gear T-800, as they are both from the same sequence in the film. After shooting up the police cars outside, the SWAT team uses gas to try and incapacitate Arnie, not knowing what they are up against.
The SWAT Officer has a breathing-mask, with a facemask that is transparent so that you can see the face behind it. It looks pretty cool, and is a unique look in all Minimate lines. In fact, this guy could work in many of them, which is a really good bonus feature to have when you are a nondescript army builder figure. Remove the breathing mask (which is nicely detailed with the straps cutting off the hair) and you can see the guys face. He's looking a bit perturbed, probably cos he's facing down Arnie and losing badly.
The SWAT Officer's outfit is all black, for stealth purposes, except for his grey gloves. What's that all about? The main feature is a surprisingly non-bulky bulletproof vest. Detailing work is kept to a minimum, although what there is is cleanly picked out in white, including pockets all over the place. Sculpted pieces include a tactical belt piece and a holster thing on his leg. I know it's not actually a holster but I'm not sure what else to call it. It's just a little box.
The SWAT Officer is armed with a Minimate version of an MP5 sub-machine gun. It's a good likeness for this scale.
In conclusion, this guy is a bit bland yet screen accurate. Could have his uses in other lines as well as T2 but he doesn't really excite me.
MMC Score - 6 out of 10
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Review and pictures by Danny Mills
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