Diamond Select Toys continues its popular two-pack line with a Star Trek toy collecting first: Kirk and Spock in their Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home outfits. TrekMovie brings this early review of the figures are just showing up at stores. We also have a first look at a new Kirk & Gorn 2-pack and DST some preorder news.
REVIEW – Star Trek IV Kirk & Spock 2-pack
An irony of Star Trek movies is that the well-revered even numbered TOS-era films didn’t get the same level of merchandise as the odd numbered films. For example, it is only in the last couple of years that Star Trek II got a comic adaptation (from IDW this summer) and extensive action figure line (from Diamond Select Toys starting a few years ago). Now, DST continues this retro trend by releasing the first ever Kirk and Spock figures featuring their iconic "civilian" clothes from Star Trek IV. Believe it or not, what was until recently the most popular box office was basically ignored in the world of action figures.
The figure of Spock is the best of the two, which has a very good likeness and a very detailed costume. The bottom of Spock’s robe is made of a rubbery material which appropriately allows for some bending of the figure. The Kirk figure has a passable likeness of Shatner (long time Collective readers know that almost every licensee of Star Trek products has told us how incredibly difficult it is to get William Shatner’s likeness down for some reason because of the features of his face). The costume is very good. The figures look great together, whether displayed in the nicely designed packaging or opened for play.
Front and back of Star Trek IV Kirk and Spock figures
Included with Spock is a Vulcan saluted hand that could be changed with his regular hand, and the two-pack also has a film-era phaser and communicator (which are detailed considering how small they are). The accessories are nice, but it could have been better if the 2-pack had more STIV fun props, perhaps as a pizza box (For example, the TWOK Kirk included his glasses).
STIV 2-pack accessories
However, DST’s decision to release figures from the previous Star Trek films, especially those that were originally ignored, should be applauded and this two pack has all the details and quality of previous items from Diamond Select Toys. With Star Trek IV having such a generic appeal, this is a great gift item for any Trekkie.
Kirk and Spock face sculpts in new Star Trek IV 2-pack
The Star Trek IV Kirk and Spock is available now at Entertainment Earth, retailing for $26.79.
The Star Trek IV figures join the previously available Kirk and Spock two packs, all available now from Entertainment Earth
In the Spirit of Star Trek IV
Star Trek IV is basically a comedy, so in that spirit, we would like to make the following suggestions to DST for future Star Trek IV figures. Of course, we are kidding about these:
- Gillian Taylor (with face slapping action) and Bob (the SOB) two-pack
- George and Gracie two pack (sized to the 7" action figure line)
- The Probe (could just be a repackaged Hostess product)
- Federation President (with real battle action)
Actually, now that we think about this, we are only half kidding. Think about the possibilities!
Spock tries the hell to communicate
MORE DST STAR TREK NEWS
FIRST LOOKS – "Arena" Kirk v Gorn 2-pack + Enterprise packaging
This week, a Kirk and Gorn two pack was announced featuring a very detailed sculpt of a Trek alien favorite and battle damaged Kirk. While both Kirk and the Gorn have been released previously by Art Asylum/DST about five years ago, the two pack features new and better detailing. The set comes out in January and is just now available for pre-order, see below.
Kirk and the Gorn – together again
The Art Asylum website now has pictures of the packaging for the Mirror Universe and Remastered Editions of the USS Enterprise NCC 1701. Both ships are available for preorder from Entertainment Earth ($37.99 each, available August), see below.
Enterprise packaging
Future Releases
DST has many TOS themed products during the next months, including a new two pack of Kirk and Spock. Here is your preorder guide:
August
TOS Character Two Packs – $79.99
(Reissues of three two-packs McCoy and Sulu, Kirk and Uhura, Spock and Scotty)
 Order Star Trek Original Series Action Figure 2-Packs Set from Entertainment Earth! |
TOS ‘HD’ USS Enterprise – $37.99
TOS ‘Mirror Mirror’ ISS Enterprise – $37.99
Star Trek II Phaser ‘Mirror Mirror’ ISS Enterprise – $27.99
September
Set of 4 TOS Action Figures (new figures) – $52.99
Kirk (Green uniform), McCoy from "The Tholian Web", Rand, & Chapel
Toys R Us Exclusive TOS Kang – $13.99
Amazon Exclusive TOS "Trouble with Tribbles" Kirk & Electronic Chair – $29.99
October
TOS Salt Vampire Action Figure – October – $15.99
November
TOS "The Enterprise Incident" Romulan Kirk and Spock 2-Pack – $29.99
January 2010
Toys R Us Exclusive TOS Romulan Commander – $13.99
TOS "Arena"
Kirk & Gorn 2 Pack – $27.99
Up Next – Vandor
TrekMovie’s Collective will next review the first wave of Star Trek metal products from Vandor, and take a look at their second wave.
Vandor Star Trek products are next for the Collective
FIRST!! I love Star Trek action figures!
I have the TOS lunch box on backorder at Entertainment Earth.
The whale is wrong. =/
Imagine how awesome Free Willy would have been if Leonard Nimoy was in it.
I don’t want to know anything about Nimoy freeing willy. Just sayin’.
What about Scotty with “Hello computer” action. Or Chekov and Uhura with cop on Bike gift pack? Or Kirk and Gillian with Pizza Box 2 pack?
Photo one looks like they are about to hold hands… just saying.
Didn’t they use the Klingon phasers/communicators from the comandeered bird of prey in ST IV TVH?
Can someone out there please give us a Commodore Matt Decker figure please???
I don’t get it…why in 40+ years can’t ANY toy co. sculpting Shatner get it right? Young or old Kirk? And this new Robed Spock looks freaky! No way that’s Nimoy’s features! yechhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
Don’t need the ISS, or HD ships, except, my cage/WNMHGB/orig. ships stands have all failed! The cheap hollow well that fits the ball to pivot all have cracked and are garbage. I did buy an opener from NFC just for the stand, but now my otther 2 stands are also toast. I never play or move them, they just get a dusting once in a blue move and the plastic just seems to crack looking at them! DST droped the ball on this pathetic design BIG time! They could LEARN from PM’s new design on ther current Trek film’s Enterprrise toy…now THAT’S a GREAT designed stand!
And how many REALLY expect the Salt vampire to sctually be released in Oct?…w/o any further delays?
It still cracks me up that we see Spock walk through an entire movie in what basically looks like a BATHROBE. lol
10
To be fair, even the great Sideshow had trouble getting Shatner’s likeness right (in their busts and premium formats), so clearly it must be a hard one to get right.
The Kirk/Gorn tupac interests me. I never saw the original Gorn release. Will it come with translators, bamboo cannon, obsidian knife, I wonder.
I’d love if it came with the Cestus III grenade launcher and a box of “little jewels.”
Scott B. out.
#9 “Can someone out there please give us a Commodore Matt Decker figure please???”
YES! That would be Fantastic!
I’m looking forward to Kang, and the Salt Vampire. I wish I had known about the Gorn that was released previously. I’m not really interested in the two pack.
HD version of the Enterprise… On pre-order! Can’t wait.
Any info on new Trek Tech items we can be looking forward to, besides the TWOK phaser and communicator?
Maybe the Shatner likeness sculptors did a little too much LDS back in the sixties?
Jim Cude #7
Of course they are about to hold hands – why else do you think Mr.Spock is wearing his wedding dress.
Diamond Select never quite got Kirk’s face right. Mego and Playmates both did better!
I have that lunchbox by the by…
-cs™
Actually, figurine Spock look more like Captain Archer having a bad eyebrow day.
Spock tries the hell to communicate…lol
It’s funny how often Kirk ends up looking like Bob Picardo
I wonder if they’ll ever make a version of the Voyage Home Kirk with his leather jacket from Search for Spock. Do I smell another Toys R Us exclusive?
Just to let someone there know, the link to enlarge the Kirk/Gorn picture is wrong. Remove “stiv” from the URL to see the larger pic.
The original Mego Kirk/Shatner likeness is pretty good to me. Knickerbocker ’79 is good too. These new figures are nice.
What happened to the EMCE/Mego 8″ line??? It just stopped!??
The companies that create the figures have
the technology to scan the actors features
to make perfect replicas – IF the actors comes
into their lab for the process. Of course they
want to get paid handsomely for their time
and image being used to make money – When
the features are off a bit it usually means the
actors didn’t give them permission (like on
most action figures & that Star Trek casino
slot machine just to mention a couple).
Unfortunately that mean that us fans have
to put up with “likenessess” only.
i dont know. Do we really want a “Denny Crane” action figure? Maybe we do, but fat shatner would not make for a good 60s – 80s kirk.
Re: Shatner’s likeness. As a guy who earns his living drawing things, and as a fan who’s tried his hand at it on occasion, I can attest that Bill Shatner’s is a wicked hard face to draw. I can’t exactly explain why, but I’ve watched over the years as various artists and sculptors have crashed and burned in the attempt.
I think the great James Bama did a nice, if Bama-ized version on that iconic early Star Trek poster (the cheek and chin are a little off):
http://goodcomics.comicbookresources.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/06/B&B48.jpg
I also commend whoever did the character model sheets for Filmation’s Trek animated series. To capture the facial likenesses of the principle actors as well as they did with so few lines is truly remarkable.
Anyone remember a scene in the movie “Starman” — IIRC — where the alien lifts a 3-D version of a head out of a 2-D photo and rotates it around? It seems like with current computer technology, one could input a variety of shots of an actor from different angles and build an darn accurate 3-D template from which to sculpt that actor — even Shatner! — at any age.
Scott B. out.
you know, the old Mego face sculpts are still the closest likenesses I’ve ever seen in a Trek toy. These don’t impress me much.
I like the TOS I.S.S. Enterprise…I’ll be ordering one of them soon…
26:
I was wondering how long it would be until Shatner himself was blamed for toy companies not getting his likeness down….
Lets hope these two Enterprises’ aren’t delayed 13 months the 1701-D’s where…..
Mid and end of August. Hmmmm we shall see.
What exactly is the difference between the HD Enterprise and the Classic TOS Enterprise? I thought they were supposed to be identical.
What’s next the HD “Cage”, HD “WNMHGB” & HD ISS Enterprises? I don’t get it.
#33.
I believe you will find your answers here:
http://ex-astris-scientia.org/articles/tos_ships.htm
why are the phaser/communicator accessories with the ST4 figures Starfleet? the crew were using Klingon equivalents in ST4
#35.
I’m going to have to check IV out again. I thought Klingon weapons had no stun settings?
Chekov would have wounded or killed his interrogators?
Also Klingons had Type I and Type II phasers? Because I clearly recall Chekov’s was a Type I.
Maybe they adapted the Klingon/Romulan tech? Clearly there was a lot of that going on on Vulcan with regards to the ship itself. Although it seems odd that they couldn’t pick up Federation weapons/hand-gear on a Federation world? Maybe they were already personas non gratas due to the impending court marshal?
For that matter it was odd that Spock “misplaced” his ability to replicate…err..”find” his uniform.
#34 – Thanks for the link … but it doesn’t really clear up the differences between the Regular Series Enterprise and the HD Enterprise.
I already knew the differences between the pilots and series (and Mirror), but I fail to get how the HD version differs from the classic seres version. The only thing in that article are glowing red impulse engines. Aside from that, shouldn’t the ships otherwise be identical from TOS to TOS-R?
#37.
I just seems “HD” is just marketing newspeak for: this figure is now based on the “remastered” CGI “model” version of the ship which supposedly has greater closeup detail as opposed to the original physical mock-ups.
No whip antennae on the nacelles and the TOS would seem to indicate it is Kirk’s Enterprise after WNMHGB to the end of the series.
Am I skeptical that the CGI closeup detail is duplicated on the merchandise? Yeah, but I’m willing to entertain that they’ve increased the detail with respect to their previous editions.
#4 Agreed. There’s still time however… Free Willy 4: Landlubber Paradise coming soon to DVD….until then we have only Shatner and the dolphin: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=doa10ldL_aU
#4 – Or imagine how cool STIV would have been w/ Free Willy in it.
Hi,there, this is my first time . and my request is why this toy company have n’t done mr. Scott in his engineer uniform from star trek ( twok )? They could make him in a two pack with his nephew cadet peter preston with removable pieces to change the cadet in burn victim form. please , think there are others fan who are thinking the same.