This week, retailers are shipping the "Amok Time" Kirk and Spock two pack of action figures from Diamond Select Toys. This is one the nicest sets from DST, both because of the excellent likenesses, and because of the very cool accessories included. Trekmovie.com provides you with all the pictures of this great new item. Plus we have an update on DST’s planned line of Borg figures for 2009.
Review- Kirk and Spock "Amok Time" Two Pack
After a time, you may find that having is not so pleasing a thing after all as wanting. It is not logical, but it is often true
– Spock to Stonn in "Amok Time"
Mr. Spock is wrong. At least if we apply his comment to the new Kirk and Spock six-inch action figures from DST. The two pack recreating the famous fight scene from the classic episode "Amok Time" is definitely a pleasing collectible. The action figures feature good likenesses and include very nice small details right down to the sand of Vulcan on Kirk and Spock’s boots. Everything is as it should be with Kirk’s uniform and Spock’s Vulcan wedding ceremony cummerbund.
The accessories in the set are also fun, especially the Vulcan ceremonial gong. The DST version features a puzzle like gong for fans to recreate the moment where Lirpa meets gong during Kal-if-fee battle. Both Kirk and Spock get their own Lirpa, and Spock has a ceremonial gong amulet.
The packaging is also enjoyable because it is the first DST 7" action figure set to feature the unified packaging. This kind of packaging will be easily identifiable at Toys R Us when DST items start being available at the retail toy stores this year.
The only disappointment is that the set does not include the Ahn-woon melees for the characters to complete the set. Plus, it would be very cool, although unlikely, if DST would consider a Vulcan playset based on this episode.
The "Amok Time" 2-pack is available now. And this kind of quality items bodes well for the Star Trek: The Motion Picture Kirk and Spock action figure set which is available for preorder.
Get into the Plak-tow
The Hugo nominated "Amok Time" is one of the most beloved episodes of TOS. Fans were introduced to the planet Vulcan and to the Vulcan salute. The music and the Kirk-Spock battle have been recreated in everything from the animated show Futurama to the Cable Guy feature film. And let’s not forget the band T’Pau. With the episode being such a favorite, toy collectors have been waiting anxiously for almost a year for the "Amok Time" action figures, here is the scene they will be recreating.
Fight! Fight! Fight!
The Collective Reveals The Collective – Borg Figure Update
At the 2008 Toy Fair in February, Diamond Select Toys and Art Asylum announced a line of 7" Borg action figures. This week, official photos of the first wave of four action figures in the line have been released, and there have been some changes in plans since the initial announcement. It appears resistance may not be futile.
The Borg wave will include four action figures
- Seven of Nine (Brown suit)
- Seven of Nine (Borgified)
- Borg Drone
- Half Borg (a Borgified Starfleet Officer from First Contact).
DST new Borg Figures coming in 2009
The Seven of Nine toys are the first Star Trek Voyager figures for a decade, and the first ever Voyager action figures from DST, which mean that they and Art Asylum have now offered items from every version of Star Trek (excepting the animated show). Each figure will include a section of the display that when assembled will create a Borg Alcove.
The first wave is different than originally announced in February. DST initially showed three action figures, not four, and some stores offered preorders based on when DST had shown prototypes of the characters which were a Borg Drone, Seven of Nine (Borgified) and the Borg Queen. DST has mentioned that there are plans for at least two waves of these figures and it is possible the Borg Queen will be in the second edition as she is not included in this revamped list.
More photos of the new Borg figures at Art Asylum.
Sweet! Figures look great. Might have to take up collecting again…
Very nice! Wish this had been out years ago! Would have been great if it came out 40 years ago along with the episode, but I guess that just proves Star Trek’s longevity…
Piece of crap. That figures not even resembles Shatner and Nimoy.
Great review John. Now that I know about the trick gong, frak! I might have to buy another set… for “un-packaging” of course.
Kirk appears to have been on a very considerable diet
agreeed
4 and 5,
I concur. As a Star Trek/Shatner/Nimoy fan, I’ve gone geek for many years and picked up virtually every figure of the 2 imaginable- I still love my Mego most (the beat up one I had a s a kid)- it captured a bit of Kirk’s personality even though it’s clearly a toy. I also have a fond affection for some of the Playmates line, toys as well, though they scrimped at times reusing forms and dispensing with detail.
But I do have to say, I’m getting very tired of seeing sculptural figures issued that don’t even pretend to attempt a realistic take on the characters (or a different subject for that matter). These figures, sorry, in a word, stink.
Kirk’s a bean pole, he’s the same height as Spock, looks nothing like Shatner, etc. Spock merely looks confused, and nothing like Nimoy of course.
In these pages, I’ve seen the ‘ultimate’ Kirk and Spock- hefty prices and horrible (just horrible) likenesses- various toys and busts- all not even close to Nimoy or Shatner, the latter’s Kirk always being the worst.
My wallet’s staying closed. But here’s the unfortunate part. In the quest for the holy grail of a good Kirk figure, some time ago I stumbled on prototypes of Trek figures Sci-Fi Metropolis had in the works (they of the Lost in Space figures, and attendant production problems). The Trek figures were never produced. But I’ve found the studio who did the portraits. For anyone who’s desired a perfect Trek figure for their collection, check this link out:
http://www.joyandtomstudios.com/portraits1.html
(And look at the Scotty! And there’s Kang and Pike…)
Wonder why we haven’t seen this accuracy in any figure yet. Clearly it’s possible. Now I’m trying to figure out how to get a major manufacturer to call these folks.
I’ll pass on any product until I see better.
Every time I watch it, I’m further convinced that “Amok Time” could be the single greatest, most iconic TOS episode ever. This one’s got it all.
7 Wow, the figures – faces – on that link look really great!!!
Those Borg figures looks pretty sweet — A lot more realistic than my old Playmates action figures (ah, memories).
Does anyone remember another line of Borg figurines done fairly recently (last couple of years)? There was a Klingon-Borg, and a Cardassian-Borg, etc. They were done in this sort of bulked-up style that wasn’t as realistic as these new ones, but they really looked quite terrifying, in an awesome kind of way.
No. 9
Nice handle, Bill Kirk!
I know, the face portraits are wonderful. Ah, if we could download in 3D…
#10…they were from Art Asylum…Borg Assimilation figures
and they were pretty sweet…you can still find them on eBay from time to time.
Got to agree with Warp. Utter garbage.
It’s a shame that Trek has lost its status to the point where the action figures need no longer resemble the actors who played them.
The Mego figures from the ’70s blow these away. And $30 is highway robbery.
I am a happy collector of ships, but the Trek characters just seem to always get short shrift from the action figure manufacturers. Star Wars characters, mass-produced as they are, seem to fair much better. I want my Spock doll to look like Nimoy.
I agree with Brixton. Those are good sculpts from your posted link. Though I was pretty happy with the Sideshow busts (and only the busts) from a few years back, the figures from Diamond Select don’t thrill me RE accuracy and proportion. However their prop repros and ships are generally very good!
I really like all these figures, though I have three girls and can’t afford to collect again soon.
I wish the Kirk/Spock set had some emotion to the faces. Pretty bland experessions.
The Borg are awesome! Wish the Seven in brown was the sliver outfit though.
Theodore Sturgeon was a genius.
gheyness
There is a game mod available for Star Trek Voyager: Elite Force that was made by “Chaos” and “Toonloon” where you can play as Spock and Kirk in this battle on Vulcan. Very realistic and well done. You can obtain it at SpaceStationK7.autom8on.net.
These figures look great!
7 Moe Larry the Cheese!!!
HAHAHA
Excellent work…
They should do Cawley
re: lack of resemblance … oh, I don’t know, seems to me the Seven of Nine figure bears, um, *some* likeness to Jeri Ryan….
; )
I haven’t gotten any Trek action figures since I was in middle-school, but these actually make me want to purchase something.
My adult pride is probably too much to buy toys again, although I am in no way knocking those who collect the figures. I just think I would be embarrassed to have them on my shelf because other people can be so judgmental about us Trekkies.
Unfortunately, while they are truly awesome action figures, I also think the price is too much. I remember when the Playmates toys used to be $4.99 each.
#7
I got to see the sculpts you refer to a year or two ago at a show… THe Kang and the Kelly could be the actors shrunk down… they look as if they are about to speak.
The Shatner, however, misses the target. It’s excellent sculpting, but Shatner is almost impossible to nail… it’s one of the best I have seen, but it is still not quite there.
I cut action figures some slack in comparison to those sculpts, which were meant as much higher end product. And many of the other figures in the Asylum line make up for the Kirk and Spock (which I think look a little better in person) likenesses… the Khan, Chekov, and Kang in particular rock.
@19 Falvoant
“They should do Cawley”
They did. It’s the grey one between Vincent Price & Marilyn ;-)
I think there stuff looks great, I have always thought Kirks head is a lttle off though. I do like the Borg set wish it was still the 3 alcoves like originally planned, but oh well. I wish Art Asylum or DST would make Chronos 1 in there ship line. Anyone else second that?
C’mon guys, Shatner and Nimoy were such hotties in their prime – it’s impossible to have perfect likeness…;)
Nevertheless, the figures are great. Kirk has his shirt ripped and both have their own Lirpa. Who could ask for more…:)
All I can say is, thank you DST for not making one of Spock’s hands in the Vulcan salute–he can actually grasp the lirpa, and how annoying would it be to have your hand stuck like that? ; )
The prices at Entertainment Earth are pretty crazy….www.bigbadtoystore.com has much better pricing….
If anybody’s interested, here’s a Spock sculpt I recently did. Haven’t painted him yet though.
http://img210.imageshack.us/img210/4599/copyofimg2204rz5.jpg
“15. DancesWithKlingons
The Borg are awesome! Wish the Seven in brown was the sliver outfit though.”
A little silver acrylic paint and a paint brush will grant your wish. Don’t be afraid to do some mods. It’s fun.
28. That is awesome!
The figures are pretty good, but of course the likenesses could be sharper. What I think they are going to regret is the unified packaging design. Any collector will tell you that frequently the best part of an item is the packaging/box. That’s why a mint in boxed item sells for much more than a loose piece. Now somebody has decided every box must look the same? No matter what show or movie its from. Makes for a very stunted looking collection if you display the stuff.
23 I didn’t notice that tillyou pointed him out!!!!
Yes they did!
To 28, David J.
You have talent. That’s a great bust of Spock. Better than anything I’ve seen. Make copies! Let us know when they’re ready!
Then try a Kirk! Well done, truly…
I made a cardboard Vulcan Gong like that when I was a kid!
Awesome Spock sculpture, DavidJ!
33
Thanks. Working on a Kirk right now (I’ll probably post it on TrekBBS when it’s done).
I hope Robot Chicken buys all of these & uses them.
The Kirk one should come with removal toupee of course
That fliip that Kirk gave Spock was so cool, and a very unusual martial arts move, esp. for TV at that time.
I used to re-enact this fight as a kid with a friend as we played my tape of the scene!
GOOD GRIEF, PEOPLE…
Further proof that Trekkies will complain about ANYTHING. They’re TOYS. Some figures have looked like the actors, and some haven’t. That’s just the nature of action figure production. As long as the other details are correct, I can live with the faces being a little “off.”
This isn’t Burger King. You can’t always have it your way.
35. DavidJ-
I’ll look for your work, and PS, didn’t mean to sell the compliment short by ‘demanding’ a Kirk (!). The Spock bust is really (that’s really) great- thanks for sharing…
Amen #39, Amen.
Some of the whiniest geeks known to mankind.
I think they look kinda cool! They should have a button on the back that you press where you play the fight theme.
I demand that they have a scratch and sniff patch on the back under the shirt that smells like sweaty men fighting in 110 degree heat.
If they don’t have that feature, they’re not realistic and I won’t buy them.
How about T’pau in her cool chair?
38 – I was thinking the same thing when I watched the scene again today — great hip-flip clip!
You know if they were “really” canon and real then the action figures would look like the stunt doubles……like in this fight Curly-Haired Italian Spock. And in the Space Seed fight with those two guys playing kirk and Khan….
Haha…. At least the colors are right people!
To #43 Fred – great blog, sir.
#17
Really, just shut up.
I’m with AJ. Although if you made perfect recreations of the sets for the action figures I wouldn’t mind the likenesses being “off”.
And Rasataman:
Don’t let a little thing like what other people think determine what you do with your own money. As long as it’s legal and nobody suffers from it, I say enjoy. Life is way too short to get caught up in what other people think anyway. EVERYBODY has their own little passion, and when they try to belittle me for mine it’s pretty easy for me to turn it around on them by pointing out how elitist, boorish, and snobby their attitude is. Can’t put up a valid argument about the prices, though. I can say that Art Asylum has sent me a free Khan action figure just for being a good customer, so that’s like a bonus. My only other answer is to just limit your purchases. And that I remember buying bread for a quarter. Inflation sucks.
#47,
Steve623,
Thanks for visiting the blog and for letting me know you enjoyed it! I’m having a blast digging out all the old Trek clippings and magazines to post there. Sharing them is more fun than keeping them in the scrapbook and bookcases!
For anyone interested in classic Trek history, http://www.MyStarTrekScrapbook.blogspot.com
Hmm…just went over to DStoys.com and the Amok Time is still listed as “Wish List”. No way to purchase yet.