#138: Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides - Jack Sparrow

After I got the other two Pirates of Caribbean figures, I wanted to get a Jack Sparrow too, since I don't already have one. Ultimately, I was just too cheap to get one and figured I could wait until they went on clearance. Target is apparently eager to get a jump on the post-Christmas clearance season, so they recently marked their PotC figures. The first series didn't sell very well, so the second series only showed up when they put it on one of the clearance end caps. I opted for the second series version of Jack, which has the overcoat. Like all the other figures in the line, he has that black light gimmick, and Jack's light is a ring. He comes with two pistols and a sword, and can hold or store all of them at the same time. Nice! Also, the hat is removable. It's not the greatest likeness, but it's obvious who this is.

Johnny Depp has had many different action figures made based on his characters, so I'm kind of surprised that this is my first. Off the top of my head, there's been Edward Scissorhands, Ichabod Crane, Willy Wonka, whats-his-face from Corpse Bride, the Mad Hatter, and of course Jack Sparrow. Probably more that I'm forgetting.

#60: Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides - Angelica

At the same time I got Blackbeard, I picked up the figure for his daughter Angelica. Yeah, the Penelope Cruz figure. The likeness could be better, but the resemblance is there. While there were multiples of the other figures on the pegs, there was only one of these, so I decided to pick it up then rather than wait and possibly miss my chance later. As a figure, she has the same articulation as Blackbeard and essentially the same accessories. The flintlock pistol is exactly the same, and she has her own versions of sword, hat, and black light accessory. The black light is a ring (I'm not sure if it's meant to be one that she wears, or one that Jack Sparrow wears) which is too small to wear. Well, I did manage to slip it on my little finger, but then it got stuck and pulling it off wasn't exactly fun. Her legs are a bit skewed, so the lesser articulation is particularly a bummer in this case. At least she is capable of standing.

#59: Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides - Blackbeard

Last week, I watched the new Pirates of the Caribbean movie. If you enjoyed the previous Pirates movies, you ought to enjoy this one. As a bonus, its plot is less needlessly convoluted. Also, I'll take Penelope Cruz over Keira Kneightley any day. Anyway, the day before I saw the movie, I decided to pick up a couple of the figures from the movie. Naturally, I went with Blackbeard because he's based on an actual historical figure, one of the most well known pirates of the time.

The gimmick for this line is that each figure includes a little blacklight that reveals some sort of skeletal features on each figure. I'm assuming it's a callback to the first film, because it makes no sense in the context of the new film. It's not that exciting of a gimmick after the first couple of seconds, and I think it would have been a good idea to have left it out, possibly keeping the price lower at the same time. The good thing is that the extra paint is entirely unnoticeable in normal light. Blackbeard's light is a ship in a bottle which does make sense for him, but you'll have to watch the movie to find out why.

The figure itself is pretty cool. It looks good, although the articulation could definitely be improved. The shoulders are merely swivels, and the elbows are hinges. Ball shoulders would have been good for more fighting poses. The legs are somewhat hindered by the coats, but he stands easily enough. The joints seem a little on the loose side. The flintlock pistol he comes with doesn't exactly have a holster, but it does tuck into a hole in his coat, so that works. His sword has a scabbard, so all his weapons have a place if you want him empty handed. Unfortunately, he can't hold both at the same time as the left hand isn't sculpted to hold anything. Also, the hat is removable. It is a slightly loose fit, but his head manages to look good with it on or off.

I don't think these are the best figures, but neither are they the worst. But they are, like all figures in the scale these days, a bit pricy. So how you feel about pirates in general, or the movies and characters specifically, will help you decide whether they're worth it for you.