Toys / Toy Collecting

Jakks WWE

By Hervé St-Louis
November 16, 2003 - 13:28

WWE Ruthless Aggression Series 5: Tajiri, WWE Ruthless Aggression Series 5: John Cena, WWE Ruthless Aggression # 5: Billy Kidman, WWE Ruthless Aggression Series 4: The Rock

Jakks' WWE Rock, Tajiri, John Cena and Billy Kidman wrestling action figures prove that although they are a genre within themselves, they are mature products that fans of other toy line can appreciate. I haven't watched wrestling since the early 1990s. Before I wrote this review, I had to get a thorough briefing by my brother to understand all the changes that happened in wrestling since the last time I watched.

Billy Kidman

For super hero action figure collectors, wrestling figures usually serve a very important function. We use them as fodder for customized characters. Wrestling action figures are perfect for that. Wrestlers are usually dress with skin tight gear, they have fit bodies, like super heroes, they have expressive faces, they have multiple points of articulations and the best part, they are cheap, dirt cheap.

 Likeness

The main gimmick about wrestling action figures, is that they look like their live equivalents. There's no point for them not too. Usually the faces are dead on. The bodies are unsatisfactory. Here, The Rock, Cena and Kidman's faces are all replicas of the wrestlers. They even have the asymmetrical facial features. Tajiri's face is not as chubby as the live wrestler, although very similar.

Sculpt

The figures don't have real poses. They're all ready to fight. Jakks favours a streamlined approach to sculpts. They reuse 85% of their figure's bodies. There are a few models and everything else is a mix and match of parts. Cena and the Rock have updated and more bulkier moulds, while Tajiri and Kidman got last year's crops. The arms, pants, legs and feet are all reused parts from other models.

 Paint

Tajiri

The paint jobs by Jakks are clean. The Rock has a very detailed tattoo on his left arm. John Cena's jeans have painted textures. Tajiri has extensive designs on his pants. Billy Kidman's mouth has many details. The painted beard on Tajiri is cheap but the highlights in Cena's hair are fine. It's really a hit and miss.

Scale

The figures are between six and seven inches tall. However, the mis and match construction of their bodies doesn't give them a consistent scale. The line, taken by itself works. However, head and bodies don't always fit. Tajiri's head is too small for his body's bulk. Billy Kidman would have looked better with a body as tall as the Rock. Another problem is that the character's bulk is different from the real guys.

Stability

Each of these figures is very stable. They will not fall. This is good, since they do not have peg holes in their feet. Jakks should add that feature. I don't know how collectors and kids play with these figures, but dedicated action figure collectors like me like peg holes in their figures. It helps when creating dioramas. Of note, all figures have the exact foot sculpt, so you're always assured that they will stand.

Articulation

The Rock

Latter Jakks action figures have 18 points of articulations at the neck, the biceps, the elbows, the wrists, the palms, the waist, the hips, the knees and the ankles. The shoulders are ball-jointed. Most of the articulations are tight, although I predict that those of my figures will loosen by next year. As a collector who favours sculpts and collects Jakks figures for custom creations, I don't like the biceps' articulations.

Plastic

The plastic of the figures is sturdy. It's meant to resist rough play by kids. The arms and heads are in softer plastics, while the chests are thin hollow stock.

Props

Jakks action figures often come with props. This version of the Rock comes with a guitar and a rubber jacket. Tajiri comes with a hammer. John Cena has a foldable chair. Billy Kidman has a ladder. The props are quite useful for dioramas and other six inch figures. For example Tajiri's hammer is perfect as a Thor base. Cena's chair, while a bit large, can be used in many settings. The props are solid.

Packaging

John Cena

Each figure comes in a blister card. Jakks doesn't do much to add individualized material on the back cover. One could exchange the cards for any of the figures. That's not good. They don't even highlight properly the current line from which they are. Large pictures of the figures and some stats would be welcomed.

Cost

The price of these figures varies. Online stores sell these anywhere from a few dollars to $20 per figures. Since these all reuse the same moulds, I don't understand the price discrepancies. Offline, large retailers sell the figures with more streamlined and standardized prices. These are considered children's toys, so custom action figures creators should enjoy that.

 Availability

John Cena

The availability of these figures is troublesome. I'm used to far more professional vendors in the super hero action figure market. Specialized news Web sites are as disorganized. As a new wrestling action figure collector, the information available on Jakks' outdated and buggy Web site doesn't impress. As for online merchants, they are rude and less than cooperative. For now, one's best bet are large retailers.

John Cena

John Cena

Billy Kidman

Billy Kidman

Billy Kidman

Tajiri

Tajiri

The Rock

The Rock

Last Updated: August 31, 2023 - 08:12