Oh snap! Snapping turtle! Continuing the #NECA action figure review of the TMNT toys from Gamestop! On to the genius of the group, Donatello! Let's get on with the review!
Again, no front cover image. Let's move on with that because it's exactly what one can picture it: a mint figure covered with plastic with the box design surrounding it. Makes me wonder how GameStop is doing with the controversy of the preorders of these two decade long gems? Regardless, glad GameStop did me right and put mine aside and release it to me as it was supposed to be done. I heard some nightmares everywhere!
The accessories is no big surprise with me (as of this date) have reviewed two other Ninja Turtles prior to Don. Two alternate hands, two headband ends, a slice of pizza, and his signature weapon. Though the unfortunate thing about Donatello is that I got a broken peg from one of the open hands (forgot which side). I was able to get a photo or two before that happened but it was just a bummer. The remedy for that is that all I can swap out the other Turtles' hands with each other so no big deal. The major (using that term loosely) flaw I got from Donatello is the place holder for his Bo-staff. The strings eventually came undone and my attempts to retie those things depleted all of my patience to the point where I gave up and just took it off completely. Luckily I was able to rectify that annoyance by just simply sliding his weapon through his belt, which works just fine. It does strain the material of his belt a bit but Don will be holding his weapon for the majority of the time he is in my collection. It's not a major deal breaker but it did stack on top of the broken peg on one of his hand. Moving on though!
The Ninja Turtles aren't exactly the most diverse characters in regards to how they look. In the cartoons, they are all generally the same color of skin, same head shape, same height, same shells, etc. The biggest way to differentiate them through their looks are the colors they were wearing, the letter on their belt, and of course, their signature weapons. The movie did something different by taking away their colorful arm and leg bands, leaving only their headbands with the color. There are no belt buckles indicating what letter Donatello starts with. But the movies did give them more personality aesthetically; Donatello's face has more of an overbite compared to Mikey and Raph. His colors also differs from his brothers, though it may not be as big of a difference to point out. His belt is also a big change compared to the previous turtles that I reviewed; Don has a strap going over his right shoulder, which is, more or less, to help him support his bo-staff. Now that w'ere talking about his weapon, I personally like Donatello because his weapon has the longest range (he was very useful in the classic Ninja Turtle game especially when fighting against Rocksteady to save April... if you want to save April, that is). Aside from his long range weapon, Don is also the genius of the group. He created the gadgets (pretty hi-tech for that time), the Turtle Blimp, the Turtle Van, and a bunch of other gizmos that a Turtle like him shouldn't be able to do. So, suffice to say, he is pretty useful, though his choice fo color is not exactly a favorite of mine.
Even if one has to look close in order to get the amazing effort that NECA placed on making sure there are differences with each Turtle's sculpting, I'm glad they are there. And if one is an avid collector, it's not that hard to spot. There are differences even if the molds are all the same.
And again, impressive on the paint detail. Don has a bit more green on his shell compared to the last two from what I can tell. Great touch! NECA continues to impress with this release.
There's nothing new to talk about his articulation. Donatello is good enough to pose just like his brothers and the broken hand didn't hinder me at all.
He can even hold his staff properly too though getting the exact hand positioning might require more tinkering. But if one isn't exactly keen on how to hold/use a staff for "self-defense" application, then it shouldn't be a big deal. Just know that Donatello can hold his just fine.
Donatello is my second favorite Ninja Turtle. I didn't mention that in the section above, but he is.
Despite the defect of one hand and the bo-staff holder breaking, I still think Donatello is a wonderful addition to my collection. The Ninja Turtles as a whole is turning up to be a wonderful addition. I highly recommend NECA's TMNT action figures to anyone who is remotely a fan of the Ninja Turtles and collects action figures!
Until Next Time!
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