Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Playmates Spotlight- Captain James T. Kirk
In Space Suit
(Star Trek: Generations)



Figure Name: Captain James T. Kirk In Space Suit
Manufacturer: Playmates Toys



Space-diving Kirk was released by Playmates as part of it's "Star Trek: Generations" line.



The Rundown: Playmates' "Generations" line was filled with oddities when it first hit store shelves. I was really confused by the whole line. The uniforms on the TNG crew figures were totally new, but weren't actually seen in the movie (I'd find out later that the figures were based on early design concepts for the uniforms that didn't actually make it into the film). Then there was this Kirk. When I saw the figure I was like "wow cool, Kirk is going to be wearing some kind of crazy space suit in this one!". Then I saw the movie...and no space suit. Again, I'd find out later that the scene didn't make it into the final film. Guess Playmates really got caught with their pants down on this one...



Of course, now that there are dvds and youtube and everything else, we've probably all seen the orbital skydiving scene that this figure is based on. The sculpt is good and matches the costume pretty well. The waffling pattern on the suit is especially nice. Playmates did a pretty nice job on the paint too, with nice clean lines throughout.



The head is the same one used on all of the "older" Kirks. It's a pretty decent older Shatner likeness, but it's better suited for the TMP figure. Shatner was a bit thicker by the time Generations was filmed, and this figure doesn't really reflect that. Then again, that could have something to do with what Shatner was willing to approve...



Sadly, the figure falls flat in the articulation department. Like the other Generations figures, Kirk isn't as well articulated as your standard Playmates figure. He only has 5 points: hips, shoulders, and neck. There's not many poses you can get out of this one.



Accessories: Kirk comes with a display stand (not pictured), a light, a bottle of champagne (to presumably throw at the Enterprise B), a couple of engineering tools, and a pretty nifty little removable helmet. Wish he would have come with a parachute...

Box Bio:



The bio is bizarre (thanks to Kyle for pointing this out!). The ending seems to say that Soran and Kirk (outfitted in this attire) encounter the ribbon together?!?! Maybe this was Playmates way of trying to explain the suit since the scene was cut?



This one you can probably skip. The lack of articulation, and the fact that he's scene-specific to a scene that's not actually in the movie make him pretty much unnecessary to a Playmates Classic Trek display. The suit and helmet are kinda neat, but not enough to put him on a "must-buy" list.

-James

3 comments:

  1. Totally cool!
    I wasn't aware of this scene! Is this omitted scene what the space-dive in the New ST movie is based on, or has space-diving always had a presence in Star Trek?

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  2. Not sure if JJ based it on that or not, but it would be nice to think he did. ;)

    I think the only other time it's mentioned is with Torres on the holodeck if I'm not mistaken.

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  3. I own this reject, near mint in box. email me if you wish to buy it. daltonmania @ yahoo.com

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