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For A Few Dollars More Boxset
DST have been churning out a lot of film and TV-related Minimates recently. From "24" and "Battlestar Galactica" to "Back To The Future" and Rocky", these sets have met with differing levels of acclaim and sales. But here we have something pretty special, surely - Minimate cowboys! Here's Lobsterman from the MMMV forums with the full scoop on this set:
"For A Few Dollars More" Boxset; released March 2008
Full disclosure: I'm going to blow my credibility right off the bat with the pathetic admission that no, I've never actually seen the movie. I'm not intimately familiar with Clint's each and every grizzled scowl, or the way the light plays off the detailing on his pistol's handle in the scene where etc, etc. I've read about it on Wikipedia -- and that's like knowing stuff about things, right?
What I do know, however, is a good Minimate when I see one. And these are four fantastic Minimates. It's a wonderfully partsy set (thanks, Timbo), but that's not all there is to it. There are old schoolers of the opinion that these damn kids with their detailed accessories and sculpted costumes are ruining the franchise. If you're one of them, and dislike Minimates with ten extra pieces, you can leave this set right on the shelf. But it will be a sad, sad sacrifice, because, as great as the extra guns and doodads are, these really shine with how well DST has captured the likenesses of the actors. Really, they're some of the finest, most expressive character designs I'd seen on Minimates yet.
Packaging
This style of card has been used for "Back To The Future" and "Rocky" before. It's a great size to hold all the Minimates and their accessories and you can see them all very clearly in the package. A very nice Western scenery shot - all harsh blue sky and sprawling desert - is used as a background.
The Figures
The Man With No Name
Here's Clint as The Man With No Name in all of his bad-assed-ness. I gave him two pistols to enhance that, but, now that I think about it, it's probably wrong, and I just killed more credibility. Dammit, I know nothing about wild west cowboy bounty hunters. My apologies, purists.
I think this is from the scene where he blows a sucker away after beating him at poker. Like I said before, I think they did a really nice job capturing Clint's trademark squint, as it translates to a flat cylinder. Minor crit: for some reason he looks a little older here than he does in the actual movie (I mean, the pictures I've seen of the actual movie. There, that sounded like I know what I'm talking about, right?).
The Man With No Name's Minimate has simple tampos, but they go a long way. Nice detail on the shirt cuffs.
The Man With No Name comes with a slicked-back hairstyle, a fashionable lambskin vest (is that what wild west cowboy bounty hunters wear? Help me out guys), a pistol and a gunbelt. And, compared with other guys in the set, this is skimping on parts.
You're probably curious about the new boot-feet. The sculpts are all the same, only the paint apps change. They're pretty cool, especially if you have plans to build an army of cowboys. Or cowboy robots.
I wanted to take a minute to show off the level of detail on the pistols. They are awesome. Is that a cobra on his gun? I certainly wouldn't mess with a Minimate with a cobra on his gun. The other pistols don't have this little touch, so kudos to DST for going the extra mile on attention to detail.
MMC Score - 8 out of 10
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The Man In Black
Lee Van Cleef created a new standard for the anti-hero with his compelling turn as... okay, you know what, I'm sorry. I'll stop. He's a guy with a black duster and a rifle. And if you went to high school in the 90's, you already know how cool black dusters are.
And, in case you want Mortimer (the Man In Black) to, I don't know, work at a bank or something instead of riding around shooting people, he also comes with a fancy little morning coat. Again, nice work on the tampo detailing. There's a subtle gray pattern/texture on the vest.
Mortimer comes with a duster, a morning coat, a handbag, a hat, a pistol, another pistol with some kind of stock on it, a gunbelt, and a rifle. Good gravy that's a lot of parts. Spoiled bastard.
A sidenote: One of the challenges with some of these accessories is a Minimate's inability to correctly hold things that aren't shaped like baseball bats or lead pipes. The pistol isn't terrible - the Mini-claw grips it a little far back on the handle, and you have to position the arm low to get the gun pointing forward. Based on my entirely specious knowledge of How Wild West Cowboy Bounty Hunters Do Things, I think this is kosher. Guys draw their pistol quick and low in shootouts for optimal...uh...shooting.
But the rifle is almost entirely useless, except possibly as a walking stick. There is no way to get a Minimate to hold the rifle in a firing position - and as someone who has mutilated Green Arrow's arms trying to get him to hold a bow and arrow right, believe me, I tried. At any rate, it's still a nice-looking part.
MMC Score - 9 out of 10
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El Indio
The packaging notes that El Indio is the bad guy of the boxset, Wikipedia tells me he's a psychopath with a watch.
I enjoyed the level of expression and detail on El Indio's face as much as Clint's. Pretty intense. His pants boggled me, though. Are those denim chaps? Do they actually make those?
He comes with a pistol, an alternate hand with his signature pocketwatch, and a shoulder-slung gun belt.
And, to be frank, my vote for Minimate Hairpiece Of The Year. The sculpt detail, the highlighting - this is a masterwork of Mini-coiffage. You know who's getting a custom with this hairpiece? You're damn right.
MMC Score - 8 out of 10
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Showdown Monco
!!SPOILER ALERT!! The Man With No Name's name is Monco, apparently.
Slight differences from the The Man With No Name tampos: This one is smoking a cigar, and he has his sleeves rolled up. So there you go, formal shootout or laid-back shootout, your choice.
I remember a long, long time ago, when people spoke in whispers about an X-men movie, but years before it was actually made, people fantasized about Clint Eastwood playing Wolverine. This head would be perfect for your dream custom of that, if you were one such dreamer.
Monco comes with a pancho, a saddlebag for his loot, a pistol, a gunbelt, and a hat that is, in reality, slightly less brobdingagian than early photos lead us to believe. I actually like the hat. I wish it were just a smidge smaller, but it's a nice-looking hat. It's not like I've lain awake at night thinking about cutting off the top at the hatband, shaving off maybe 1/32 of an inch, gluing it back on, and touching up the paint. Because it's really not worth that much trouble, right? Right?
MMC Score - 6 out of 10
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Overall Thoughts
I hate giving things numerical scores (Danny made me do it!), because I think how you'll like the figures really depends on why you buy Minimates. The bottom line is this: If you like to collect mainly superhero Minimates, you can (and probably already have) given this set a pass. However, if you like to collect Minimates for their excellence as a toy form, this set is a must-buy. As I've repeatedly shown, I know nothing about the subject matter, and I still love these 'mates. This could have just as easily been pitched as a "Kick Ass Cowboys" army builder set. There are a ton of great parts for customs, and they look fantastic on the shelf in their own right.
I really respect what DST is doing, trying to build the Minimates brand into the "super-specialty-collectables-about-semi-obscure-entertainment-licenses" niche. I don't know if it will work, and I'm a little concerned the novelty will wear off for some people by the third set (see also, "24"), but god bless them for trying. I'll buy all of them.
Review and pictures by Lobsterman
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