Review: McFarlane Toys Debuts Star Trek Line With Impressive Kirk And Picard Figures

Since its founding in 1994, McFarlane Toys has been known for creating affordable, highly detailed figures from comics, movies, and a host of other genres. The May 2017 announcement that they had acquired the Star Trek license was met with excitement and anticipation, and a few months later at Star Trek Las Vegas 2017 we learned that their debut figures would be James T. Kirk from Star Trek: The Original Series and Jean-Luc Picard from Star Trek: The Next Generation. With their release, these two figures offer a good look at what may lie ahead.

The characters are presented in standard blister cardback packaging, giving a good sense of the figures and their accessories, which includes a display base adorned with the Starfleet delta.

The figures in their retail packaging

The figures measure 7 inches in height, putting them on par with Diamond Select’s offerings but considerably shorter than the pricier QMx figures. Both feature similar articulation, allowing flexibility in the neck, shoulders, wrists, elbows, hips, and knees, as well as interchangeable right hands. They can be set up on their display stands or on their own.

Figures on their stands

Captain James T. Kirk

The Kirk figure is shown in his standard command uniform from TOS, and McFarlane does an impressive job capturing its details. The delta and rank stripes are sculpted and not just painted on, giving the figure more dimensionality. The tunic, pants, and boots are well sculpted and nicely painted, faithfully replicating the uniform.

Kirk is a man of action with his phaser rifle

A good look at the detailing on the cuffs and hands

Toymakers have spent the past 40+ years struggling to create strong facsimiles of William Shatner’s face, with varying degrees of success. McFarlane has done a pretty solid job of capturing Shatner’s likeness, particularly on the right side.

Welcome to the bridge

A closer look at the McFarlane Kirk figure face sculpt

Kirk comes equipped with a Type II phaser, a communicator, and the phaser rifle from “Where No Man Has Gone Before.” All three feature a nice bit of detailing, particularly the rifle.

The accessories for Kirk

Captain Jean-Luc Picard

Picard is depicted in the Type B uniform he wore starting in season three of TNG, and the sculpt delivers some nice detail. The comm badge and pips are nicely rendered and painted, as are his pants and shoes.

Picard, ever the thinker

Holding the flute

There is an issue, however, with the uniform top. On the arms, it appears that the black portion of the costume has bled into the red section in some spots, making the uniform look slightly dirty. It’s not a huge problem, but it is noticeable.

Slight paint speckling on the sleeve

The sculpting of Picard’s face is very good, depicting a likeness of Patrick Stewart that is as good or better than the Kirk figure.

Engage

A closer look at the McFarlane Picard figure face sculpt

Picard comes with a Type II phaser, as well as the Ressikan flute from “The Inner Light.” Both offer good detail, especially the flute.

The accessories for Picard

So? Are They Worth The Quatloos?

Yes. Both figures offer detailed and accurate likenesses of the two Starfleet legends, and great care has been taken with getting the smaller things right. While the Picard paint issue is unfortunate, it is not enough to detract from the overall quality of the figure. Like many McFarlane products, these are technically toys but can easily pass as display pieces.

The figures are a great value at $19.99 each and are a worthy addition to any fan’s collection.

You can order the figures now at Amazon: McFarlane Toys Star Trek Captain James T. Kirk Collectible Action Figure and McFarlane Toys Star Trek Captain Jean-Luc Picard Collectible Action Figure.

Picard or Kirk?

Kirk or Picard?

Who (and what) is next for McFarlane and Star Trek?

The back of the packaging for both figures promotes three upcoming Star Trek items, listed as “coming soon”: the Discovery roleplaying phaser replica, which has been the source of some controversy, as well as figures of Michael Burnham from Discovery and Spock from Star Trek: The Original Series.

The back of the packing still shows the phaser

At San Diego Comic-Con, TrekMovie was told by a representative of McFarlane that they are also working on Star Trek: Discovery figures for Saru and L’Rell.

A 3D sculpt of L’Rell was shown in the documentary The Toys That Made Us


Keep up with all the Star Trek collectibles news and reviews in TrekMovie’s Merchandise Category.

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i like them. i think the kirk figure turned out a little better. excited for more.

The Picard figure reminds me more of the Jeff Dunham dummy than Patrick Stewart.

Kirk looks solid but Picard has a lazy eye look to him.

With as long as it took for them to get these two figures produced and on the market we’ll be lucky if we ever see anymore in this series. I don’t have much faith in McFarlane as a company to actually follow through on this line.

I don’t much care for the Picard figure. I think the likeness is poor and it’s a strange choice to go with the early season three uniform (which is the one that had the vertical tram lines on the chest) and was replaced after, I think, The Survivors, by the looser collared versions we saw up until the end of the show.

Sharp observation! I was looking at the tram lines knowing I’d seen them but not sure at which point!

I don’t think that either figure’s likeness is as close as the figures from DST… A little disappointing IMHO.

I passed on the Picard for this very reason. The version of the uniform that had the vertical seams never had the belt-like strap around the waist. And for some reason, there’s a small seam line under the collar which doesn’t exist on the actual uniform. The Picard face sculpt looks like the de-aged Professor Xavier from “X-Men: The Last Stand.” Out of the two figures, though, Kirk is a much better figure just in terms of the details.

Yup. The Kirk is ok. I’d consider getting it. But if I got the Picard figure I’d be constantly perplexed by the design issues.

I fear that MacFarlane has made the mistake of not getting in a fan who follows this sort of thing. I could have corrected them on this 25 years ago, and it was all because I hated the first season uniforms and here in the UK my 15 year old self was desperately waiting the debut of the new uniforms back in 1991/92. So when I see the tram lines I feel the figure was worked on by a non-fan.

Kirk looks great. Comes with a hand phaser and phaser rifle, very cool.
Picard looks weak. Comes with a dustbuster phaser and …flute?

Uniform choice aside, the Picard phaser is wrong because its the one from the First Contact movies onwards, only used on TV in DS9 and Voyager. It’s neither the dusbuster or the one used from Season Three onwards. Very lazy and disappointing from MacFarlane.

For some reason that phaser rifle really does look wrong and out of place with the post-pilot uniform and other devices. I don’t think we ever saw it after WNMHGB, as it really does have a much older-looking appearance compared to the sleek designs of the phasers and communicators.

But yeah, Kirk has a phaser rifle and Picard has a flute! Ha!

Detachable hairpiece?

When Kirk was in TOS he used his real hair.

@Fotoldy — I don’t think he did. From what I recall reading he was losing his hair when he did the pilot, and started using hair pieces for the series. I think it shows, particularly during the third season.

I remember reading years ago that Shatner had it written into his TOS contract that the studio provided him with very expensive French-lace toupees. That’s why, after the series was cancelled, Shatner started looking like he had a dead rat on his head by the early ‘70’s!

Good Kirk. Picard I think looks like the stunt double he had on the show. Seriously that was not a joke. It really looks like the guy who did the stunts!

I agree! I look specifically to S3 “The High Ground” where Picard tackled Finn on the bridge before getting abducted.

Both are mediocre. Shatner is a pretty handsome guy, but they always make him look odd, like they’re trying to make him look like some bit actor today. They make his head too small and long. Plus, I want the correct lime green uniform of the standard TOS tunic — even the remastered episodes are colored this way — rather than the garrish gold people assume is correct. I couldn’t care less about Picard because he never did enough to be an action figure.

Neither looks like the actor, including the picture art on the box. So much so that I was under the initial impression that the actors must have not given their permission for their likenesses to be used.

If all else fails, the mould of Kirk can be used to make Michael Myers figures!

I always liked Kirk’s caulk rifle.

Sadly, Picard looks nothing like Picard… Other than being bald.

Is there knee articulation? And, can the phasers be attached or holstered to the waist? If it’s a no to either of these, then it’s a no for me.

The obvious question that should have been touched on in this review is whether McFarlane Toys as any connection to Seth MacFarlane.

I think its owned by Todd McFarlane, the creator of Spawn.

I don’t know what the reviewer is saying, but that Picard figures face does not look like Patrick Stewarts face. It looks like a mixture of Hitman Agent 47 and Michael Stipe. The Shatner likeness is much more accurate.

Looks like Picard is younger here than at start of TNG. Perhaps this is Picard from Stargazer… but with the new uniform…

Welp thats more money spent, wont be bothering with the Burnam figure though I just didn’t like her character in season 1

I just want the Discovery Phaser toy.

I purchased both figures. I do really like the Kirk. Shatner is notorious for not being able to be rendered well. In artwork, comics, toys, whatever the medium. Looking at the majority of my Kirk figures, going back to Mego, none get him. This one I was impressed with. Perfect, no. But for a $20 toy? Pretty darn good.
The Picard though? It doesnt look anything like Stewart to me. And the weird costume mixture strikes me as something that happened due to lack of attention paid.
Another problem I have with these: the cost. I realize the figures Playmates started making in 92 had proportion issues, and some looked terrible. But in the initial release we got 10 figures, six of the crew and four aliens. And you could buy more than two without spending near $50. I was a paper boy and I had the whole crew with my own money.
I was never able to get all the Art Asylum/Diamond Select figures entirely because of cost. And if I did somehow manage to save up enough to get a couple (Odo, Kira,) I was EXTREMELY dissatisfied in knowing they wouldnt make the whole crew.
That’s my biggest concern with MacFarlane Toys releases. If I continue buying these, will I be able to get the whole crew? Or just another Kirk, Spock, Picard, and a random character or two from Discovery? Will it be worth it to invest $20 plus into these things?

Actually there are one or two who got Kirk pretty good. Perfect? No,there are no figures out there who are a perfect likeness of anyone. Unless they’re a cartonn version of themselves,lol.

Sir Patrick looks a little baked, but nice likeness of Shatner. Good prices on these.

I prefer the Mezco line, with the fabric uniforms. Those sculpts are pretty good too for the price. Bring on the Disco characters please!

Very disappointed that there is no waste pivot on the Kirk figure even though the pre-launch info they put out said there would be.