Donatello takes a break from doing machines long enough to take form as another highly detailed Sideshow Collectibles figure.
I don’t know about you, but I love looking at new toys. From the lowest price point, to the highest, I adore that sort of unveiling moment where you’re guided only by your instincts and it’s an inherant knee-jerk ‘wow…’ or ‘Huh. All right’, and there’s nothing you can do to take that reaction back or talk your way out of it.
That’s sort of how I felt when I saw this new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles figure from Sideshow Collectibles.
I don’t think my reaction was entirely positive, though there is no denying the artistry and mastery involved in the sculpt.
It’s not the style that’s turning me off. There is a $349 Leonardo (he leads, you know) from Sideshow in this same style. The Leonardo is available now, and is a limited edition, only 500 pieces made.
See? I think this one is cool looking. Thus, not the style that’s making me tip my head to the side. It’s got to be something else.
And I know I’m not alone.
In addition to my own surprise and physical recoil upon sight, my favorite Instagram comment comes from the user who simply typed: WTF IS THAT?!
This is not a snark piece. This is a reaction to what is ultimately a piece of art. We have to remember that toys are so important. They are art, they are vehicles for imaginative growth, they are comfort, they are…icons. And therefore, I’m not being dramatic with my surprise by a figure that I find, upon first look, relatively unattractive. I am taking that, diving deeper, and tasting the hidden corners, the smoke and thunder, and making deeper efforts to understand why.
Maybe he’s just missing his glasses from the Michael Bay movie, right?
What do you think of this new Donatello figure from Sideshow Collectibles? Thoughts or feelings? Do you love it? Tell Toy Wizards about it in the comments and get the conversation going!