I only needed Atilla the Frog and Monkey Brains to be all caught up with the TMNT Playmates Toys’ line and was happy to find both of these figures in the Pittsburgh area last weekend while visiting my brother. A lot can change in a week though, as I am now three figures behind in Playmates’ line with the Robug, Dimension X April O’Neil and Dimension X Casey Jones showing up on eBay. But let’s get back to Atilla, shall we?
I heard mostly bad things about Atilla online, often being referred to as a Happy Meal toy from McDonald’s. However, I wanted to see for myself what this Punk Frog was all about.
The Good: I like the sculpt of this figure a lot. What is Atilla? A fat frog! Therefore, articulation only being found in the form of hinged swiveled shoulders is fine by me. This frog won’t be doing anything but sitting on its rump and that is a great depiction of the real character. I also feel that the figure is painted well for the most part. The eyes are two colors, yellow for the iris’ and black pupils, the belly is white that fades nicely into blue and the necklace is painted in a fitting greenish/brown color. The rubbery bird’s nest crown on Atilla’s head looks good too and is show accurate! His cape made of leaves was nicely produced as well.
I really like the gimmick that Playmates installed in Atilla. We don’t really have many gimmicked figures in the new 2k12 line. So Atilla having the “Tongue Striking Action” feature is a nice change of pace. It’s nice too because this gimmick doesn’t ruin the figure like the collapsible Feudal Shredder, Gen and Traximus figures from the 2k3 line (I’m still not thrilled with those!). This is a plain old silly feature that I can find enjoyment in. The figure is very stable too, which is a huge deal for me as I only display my loose 2k12 figures on my lair. It’s also important because if the figure wasn’t stable, the lack of articulation would make things very tricky to fix any stability issues.
The Not So Good: I have two paint complaints. I appreciate the sculpted spots on Atilla’s head/neck but they are barely noticeable due to not being painted. Additionally, the necklace wraps around the neck region but isn’t painted the same color the whole way around. Instead, the back of the necklace is the same color as the leaves.
I know that I mentioned being OK with the lack of articulation but a head/neck swivel would have went a long way with this figure as it would have allowed Atilla to look in other directions (because we know that he’s not getting off of his butt or move any other limbs). Lastly, I wish that this figure came with a spear or some sort of accessory similar to what we got with Napoleon. The figure just looks like it should be holding a staff.
The Atilla definitely could be viewed as resembling a toy you would receive from a Happy Meal and was probably very cheap to produce. But I will have some fun with this guy! If you want a highly articulated, heavy, well made interpretation of Atilla, then this probably isn’t the figure for you. However, if you want to add another Punk Frog that has a cool gimmick and one great looking pose to your collection, then for around $8 to $9, you will be satisfied with the Playmates Toys’ version of Atilla the Frog.
Thank you for reading and be on the lookout for my Monkey Brains review early next week!
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