Power Rangers Lightning Collection S.P.D. Green Ranger Figure

By Hervé St-Louis
September 29, 2021 - 20:48

When the original Space patrol Delta (SPD) A Squad were lost in space and came back as villains, it was up to the B-Squad maned by cadets to stop the more experienced Squad. This is how cadet Bridge Carson was promoted to the B-Squad as its Green Ranger., Possessing the power to perceive auras and latent telepathic abilities, Bridge Carson was promoted twice within this Squad, taking over the Blue and Red Rangers positions subsequently.

Bridge Carson, played by Canadian actor Matthew Austin Sadowski (Matt Austin) was produced as an action figure in the past by Japanese toymaker Bandai. However, the Lightning Collection is Hasbro’s six inches (1:12) line for the Power Rangers franchise which it bought in 2019 from Saban Brands. This is the only Hasbro Bridge Carson action figure thus far.

Likeness

The suits worn by the Power Ranger actors and stuntmen are not as tightfitting as the action figures would have you believe. They really feel like they are wearing spandex! However, the detailing and colours appear just right. What is really groovy is the likeness of the extra head to actor Matt Austin. Because most Power Rangers use the same base sculpt, they have the same scale which may not fit the Japanese nor the North American actor. The action figure represents a 6-foot man. Austin is about 5 foot 8.

Sculpt

Hasbro being the expert in reusing sculpt, of course reuses most of the sculpt for this figure with just a few original parts such as the character’s heads. The belt and even the weapon is the same from the other SPD Rangers already released by Hasbro. There are a few folds on the character’s suit. The boots’ details are very good too. I dislike that the neck is not a separate piece from the body.

I don’t like that the arms do not fall straight because the chest is too wide under the armpits. I find that the arms are a bit too short. It is a clean action figure presenting a clean slate that would make a great build for a custom action figure. I got this one because it would be a great base for a G.I. Joe Classified Sci-Fi.

Paint

The paint is very good, especially with the numbering continuing through the articulations on the torso and abdomen. The paint application is clean, although you may find that the silver areas could use a few extra layers. The hair colour is badly applied on Carson’s head. It bleeds.

Scale

This figure is about six inch tall. It is shorter than most Marvel Legends action figures, but it fits perfectly well with G.I. Joe Classified line.

Stability

The Green Ranger is stable enough but if you shake the surface, you put him on, he will fall. His feet are wide enough to support his slight top-heavy build.

Articulations

I find that the articulations are too stiff to properly pose a figure that should be so flexible. Most joints like ankles and the knees are very stiff. The lack of articulation at the neck is a problem and limits the Spider-man-like poses we should be able to achieve with this character. Because he has no waist swivel, he is severely limited.

The heads are on a ball joint and are flexible enough to bob. He has great butterfly articulations that allow him to hold his weapons with two hands. However, not all of his hands can take advantage of this as they have side-to-side hand articulations instead of trigger-happy hands. His shoulders can rotate and raise them at 90 degrees. He has bicep curls and double elbow articulations.

He has two abdominal articulations and none at the waist. Thus, his waist cannot twist but the top-most abdominal crunch can twist. His second abdominal articulation is stiff and I would have preferred a regular waist curl instead.He has hip articulations allowing his to raise his legs at 80 degrees frontward and not much backward. Sideways, he can do the split at about 45 degrees which I find too little for an acrobatic character.

He has thigh curls, double knee articulations and shin curls. His ankles can bend and pivot. I find that his articulations are not great for such a character. Given that the body is reused by Hasbro for almost all their Power Rangers Lightning male figures.

Plastic

The plastic on the Green Ranger is quite good and probably PVC. The toy feels tough enough.

Props

The SPD Green Ranger comes with a Delta Morpher, a small box that allows him to scan and arrest villains. It’s a small white box with some paint… Then there are two Deltamax Striker weapon. One is long. One is short. It attaches into pistol frame. Both weapons attach to the figure’s belt. He also comes with an extra set of hands. One is a karate chop, the other one is a grabbing hand to hold the Delta Morpher.

Packaging

The Green Ranger came in a nice box with abstract design. The lightning bolt is missing on the left side, when compared to the other figure from this generation of Power Ranger.

Cost

The S.P.D. Green Ranger Figure retails for about $22.99 USD or $34.99CAD.

Availability

This figure was released over the summer 2021 in many places although at this point, some stores still have not received their orders. You can find it at online stores, specialized stores like GameStop, EBGames, Amazon, Walmart, and Toys R US. The character of Bridge Carson is very popular, and Hasbro produces a lot of Power Ranger Lightning Series action figures.

It's a great action figure with a great body mould and alternate heads that can be used as a great base if you are a customizer. If you are a Power Ranger fan, well, it’s probably the best Bridge Carson action figure available. It seems that after years with Bandai, that Power Rangers are in good hands.

Rating: 9 /10

Last Updated: August 31, 2023 - 08:12

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