Hot Toys Jake Sully *and* Neytiri (new pix Nov. 17 -- welcome Neytiri!)

[Alliecat]

Finally sorted my photo backlog (at least of dolls) so here are some more pix of Jake.
This unplanned acquisition is actually Kanrabat's fault.  With the ongoing acclamation of the glories of Mandarake, I've had a peek a few times out of curiosity, and though I never saw any dolls that struck me as great bargains, having recently re-watched Avatar  for the (lost-count)th time, I did a search for this figure that I saw ages ago and never thought I would ever get.  Since the movie came out, I've occasionally had a look on eBay or Amazon, and the prices are just utterly stupid.  So, have a look, just for fun... and they had one... for a little over half what he usually sells for.     I got soaked on the shipping, but it's still way less than I've ever seen him for, except for a broken one.  And Revenue Canada financed him, with a tax refund
His arrival was quite the event for the PTFCo crew.

He comes with an extra pair of hands, his knife, belt of grenades and a great big gun that he & Daesani have already stalked that smug Flickr panda with.







Also a stand that lights up -- it's actually fairly dim; the long ex.posure makes it look a lot brighter.






Right out of the box, he had some Groove-worthy QC issues.  As skimpy as his outfit is, 2 things came apart right away.  I got the feathers back into the armband, but the waistband velcro (not "sewn on" per the leaflet) did not stick, so that's loose.
Making integrated velcro-teeth on the back of his knife sheath seemed like a great idea -- until it became apparent that they aren't big enough and don't stick.  I added more velcro -- no joy.  Photographing him is an exercise in extreme mindfulness: don't lose the knife ...which I already have once outside.

I couldn't wait to take some pix in my lovely mossy back woodlot.  It's not quite Pandoran-looking; it needs to be more tropical, and less... spiky. 
Anyway, here he is ex-ploring.





He stands pretty well on his own, but did need a branch here.



His range of motion is surprisingly limited -- much less than a T4 Pullip.  You have to be creative.
Also, his right hip wants to pop out of the softer pelvis All The Time.
He fell off this log.  I thought he was fairly sturdy -- his joints are very stiff -- but after this shoot I saw 3 different reviews mentioning that the arms broke, and a terrifying photo of a dissected one, in which the owner had to cut the body open to repair the little plastic piece holding the arms on, which he said was only 3mm thick.  
Now I'm kinda scared to do much with him!! 


Pity, cos he looks so good ...!



Surveying his new territory.
Not too many figures look as good from behind as the front






Climbing down into the mossy valley...






I rarely take 'sad' photos of my crew.  I prefer to make them look like they're having fun.  But this idea struck me fairly early in the shoot.  If you saw the movie, you'll get it.  Nobody here is like him.
Hot Toys really, REALLY needs to make a Neytiri.



Can't end on that note.  Have a flower.



Waiting for adventures.

Overall, the detail is fantastic -- they really nailed it, glass eyes, lettering on his RDA accessories, right down to little veins in his ears; although as other reviewers have noted, at certain angles his ex-pression can be a little too "...huh?"  Given his disappointing fragility I definitely wouldn't recommend paying the average price (although, like Pullips, I guess these figures are intended to be displayed and not toted all over the outdoors on strenuous location shoots).  But if you're an Avatar fan he's a great addition to a collection.

Thanks for looking

[Elfy]

He’s great and I’m sure the girls love their big new blue friend.

[Lejays17]

The whole shoot is amazing. A pity about the fragility of him won't lend to a lot of outside adventures. The one of him looking sad is very touching, and I hope that he (you) find a Neytiri one day.

[neon_jellyfish]

Photoshoot extraordinaire! The poses are so natural. Here's hoping they really do make Neytiri!

[werepuppy]

He's amazing! I never knew Hot Toys had made Avatar figures. Your pictures really do him justice, and the backgrounds help to make his blue-ness so bright

[PollyPut the KettleOn]

Terrific photo shoot. You do a great job with his eression and make it work from so many angles. And you’re right, he does have a picturesque back!

[Alliecat]

Thank you very much, everybody!   He's a very bright blue, and, unlike pale Pullips, he doesn't wash out in sunlit photos, haha.  I want to take him on more photoshoots but now I'm scared of breaking him

Well, a few closeups then.





Being a bit silly with the flower I'd just posed him with.



Must be waiting for Toruk.
...yeah, now I need one of those, too...

[davidd]

"Photographing him is an exercise in extreme mindfulness: don't lose the knife ...which I already have once outside."

Ha ha! I can relate to that, having carted tiny Pinky Street figures and their even tinier accessories all over the place. Losing bits and pieces is a constant worry with dolls outdoors. And Jake's accessories are definitely far too cool to lose! A grenade belt, how awesome!

Your "Waiting for Adventures" photo is genuinely epic!

That's too bad about the fragility of the figure. He certainly doesn't appear fragile in the photos. And his ex˚pression looks versatile; you avoided the Huh effect!

Jake will make a great display figure, but I suspect you will not be able to resist taking him on further outdoor adventures.

And I really like your "spiky" and mossy temperate rain forest woodlot setting! With his slightly Native American / First Nations appearance, Jake fits right in to that setting.

[Cornflower Blue]

He sure looks amazing in every photo you've posted of him.

[Elfy]

He even looks fierce with the flower tucked behind his ear.

[neon_jellyfish]

Aww, the flower behind his ear is such a nice little touch! Excellent photos, as always.

[Alliecat]

Thank you, everybody, again
Yes, I've thought of a couple more places I'd like to take him... we'll see... maybe once the blackflies are gone?

Your "Waiting for Adventures" photo is genuinely epic!

Hehe, thank you!!  Funny, I didn't like any of the photos from this shoot initially.  The 'good' light was gone, and my dramatic backlit looking-into-the-sky idea didn't work.  This one was fairly dark, but, yay for Photoshop salvage; I'm glad I didn't just delete the whole batch
I think I can safely pose him, just standing...

He even looks fierce with the flower tucked behind his ear.

He does, doesn't he!  

[Alliecat]

A few more pix of Jake under the stars.





His "campfire" is the hot end of the mosquito coil that I didn't realize was in the frame

[davidd]

These photos are quite spectacular!

Did you use a flashlight for a quick "light painting" on the figure during a longer eosure to capture the stars?

[dargosmydaddy]

Gorgeous! Love the silhouettes of the trees. These look like they could be movie stills.