![](http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g220/sallah4life/octoberblogpics/1014kirkmain.jpg)
Figure Name: Captain James T. Kirk
Manufacturer: Sideshow Collectibles
![](http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g220/sallah4life/octoberblogpics/1014kirkbox.jpg)
Sideshow produced this Kirk in 2005 (I think) at a limited edition of only 1000 pieces.
![](http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g220/sallah4life/octoberblogpics/1014kirkside.jpg)
The Rundown: For those unfamiliar with Sideshow's Premium Format line, the figures are basically 1/4 scale statues. They are usually composed of mixed media (polystone, plastic, cloth, etc) and aren't really articulated. Kirk (& Spock) were released pretty early in the Premium Format line, so like most of the early PF's they do have some movement in the arms due to a wire aperture built inside.
![](http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g220/sallah4life/octoberblogpics/1014kirkprofile.jpg)
When I first saw pics of these back when they were first solicited, I passed. At $200 a piece, I felt the quality just wasn't there. The heads looked really large in the promotional material, and the likenesses weren't all that impressive. A pretty big disappointment since I thought Sideshow was going to do great things with the license. Instead, we just got some busts and a few Premium format figures.
![](http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g220/sallah4life/octoberblogpics/1014kirktorso.jpg)
Eventually, my desire for nice, large display pieces for my collection won out, and I picked up both Kirk and Spock. I actually like them much more in person than I thought I would. That's not to say they are flawless, but they are much better than Sideshow's photography makes them out to be.
![](http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g220/sallah4life/octoberblogpics/1014kirkclose.jpg)
It isn't the best Shatner likeness around, but the head actually looks much better in person than I thought it would. Shatner's a tough face to capture, and Sideshow didn't exactly nail it, but from certain angles it's pretty strong. Straight on (like the pic above) isn't so strong, but from the side:
![](http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g220/sallah4life/octoberblogpics/1014kirktopturn.jpg)
That looks much closer! Oh, and the head seems a bit large in photography. While it's still not perfect, it does seem more proportionate in person. I guess that's just lost in 2D pictures..
![](http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g220/sallah4life/octoberblogpics/1014kirkshirt.jpg)
The clothes are nicely made and the material used here looks very accurate. The fit is a little odd though, especially around the neck. Kirk looks like a bit too much like a football player. I can't complain about the detailing though. The delta shield looks good...
![](http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g220/sallah4life/octoberblogpics/1014kirkhand.jpg)
...and the rank braids are pretty well done too! Good detailing in the hand sculpt there too.
![](http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g220/sallah4life/octoberblogpics/1014kirkphaser.jpg)
Kirk comes with a phaser stuck in his hand. The sculpt is nice and the paint is fairly clean. I haven't ever tried yanking it out of there so I couldn't tell you if it's removable or not.
![](http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g220/sallah4life/octoberblogpics/1014kirkbase.jpg)
Kirk plugs into his polystone base using 2 posts at the bottom of his feet. The base is nicely done, with Kirk's name printed on the front.
![](http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g220/sallah4life/octoberblogpics/1014kirkbasebottom.jpg)
The bottom of the base has the item number and the name of the sculptor printed on it. In Kirk's case, Matt Falls was responsible for the sculpting duties.
![](http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g220/sallah4life/octoberblogpics/1014kirkbio.jpg)
...and that's Kirk's box bio if you'd like to give it a read.
![](http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g220/sallah4life/octoberblogpics/1014kirkside2.jpg)
So is it worth it? For the original $200 price tag? I'm not sure. I managed to snag both Kirk and Spock at around $150 each. At that price, I'm not experiencing too much buyer's remorse. anything more than that though, and some of the flaws may have jumped out a bit more. It's cool to have some nice, large higher-end Star Trek items in a collection though, and those are at a short supply...
-James
Hello, check out my custom Star Trek TOS 12" @ http://www.flickr.com/photos/nanjin
ReplyDeleteThey are prototype only.
-Nanjin