TNI Review: Avatar 4inch figures (Na'vi)

by Tom
December 02, 2009


Thank you to Mattel for sending along these new Avatar figures from the upcoming movie. Below is a review of two 4 inch scale Na'vi figures.

Package Description

Avatar Jake Sully
Embodying his blue, nine-foot tall avatar body, Jake is able to walk for the first time in years. During sorties from Hell’s Gate to the Pandoran rainforest and Hometree, he gains respect for the Na’vi and discovers the beauty and danger of an alien world.

Eytukan
Along with his wife, Mo’at, Eytukan is responsible for the safety and well-being of the Omaticaya clan. He oversees the training of all warriors and hunters and is a key figure in many Na’vi ceremonies and rituals. He is the father of Neytiri.

Package Design
The packaging has a nice tubular design suggestive of the avatar tanks shown in the movie trailers. The figures are clearly visible while still being able to make out clearly the background pictures. If you plan on displaying these figures in package though, the bottom of the packages have ridges that make them hard to stand upright. If you plan on displaying any of these in package, be prepared to have to prop them up.

Appearance
The Na’vi figures share a similar sculpt, but most of the pieces between Eytukan and Jake Sully are different. Eytukan had the most customization. The cloth on his torso and tail are sculpted on, as is the wrap around his right arm. The shoulder piece and loin cloth are additional pieces that could be taken off with some effort. Jake also has his arm and leg bands sculpted on. Looking closely at the pieces they could share, you can see even pieces like the upper legs are different between the two figures even though no extra sculpting was needed. This was a good effort by Mattel to not make these figures seem like generic aliens when displayed together. While the eyes may not catch the sculpt differences easily, the subtle differences in body shape make for an interesting display.

The proportions are good everywhere and don’t suffer from any problems like the human figures. The shoulder transition is the most noticeable joint, but is fairly smooth because the shoulder has less of a ball shape than the human figures. Overall the body sculpts are very fluid looking, an effect used to make the Na’vi seem more powerful in the movie. The most detail on these figures is found on the clothing, including some intricate designs on Eytukan. The blue stripe patterns are also different from figure to figure. The overall feeling of these figures depends on how much clothing they have. Eytukan has more clothing and a lot more visible details, bringing more focus to the color contrasts and clothing details. Jake has a lot of large blue areas, focusing attention on the lean body shape and relying on the stripes for texture differences.

On the shelf these figures should display as well as any other figure this scale. Stylistically they contrast well with the human Avatar figures. The difference in size, color, and texture help them display well next to the human or other military style figures. Unlike the human figures, these figures can display well with or without vehicles. The Na’vi should be able to mark out their own spot in a 4 inch collection.

Articulation
The Na’vi figures have the same articulation. The shoulders and elbows are ball joints. The head is a pin that only moves side to side. The hip joints are the same design as DC Universe classics figures, able to move out and forward. There’s a cut at the waist for twisting. The knees and ankles are ball joint. In total there are 14 points of articulation. Overall it’s an eclectic blend of articulation styles. The elbows and knees bend about ninety degrees. Other joints get the full range of motion they were designed for. Overall these Avatar figures should be able to get about the same range of motion and movement as other figures at this scale. The DCUC style hips may make them able to do a little bit more.

Poseability
The combination of a swivel head and no torso articulation hurts these figures the most. They have good balance but don’t pose as well as the human figures with their weapons. Eytukan in particular looks awkward with his bow and arrow. The DCUC style leg articulation lets them do running poses, but they won’t be able to kneel. Their height and color helps them look great fighting human figures in the same scale. These figures will display ok with Gi Joe or Indiana Jones style figures, but go best with vehicles and other figures from the movie. With the articulation available, it should be fairly easy to set up a good display pose for your figures.

Avatar I-tag
Each of these figures comes with a tag. By going to www.avataritag.com you can download some software that will create a computer model of the character. This model is projected onto the tag using a webcam plugged into your computer. It’s a cool feature, but I couldn’t get it to work. At the loading screen, it found my webcam and turned it on, but never showed any picture, i-tag or not. I’m hoping there are still some bugs to work out; I’ll post an update if I get this feature to work later.

Final Judgment: 27/30
As stand alone figures these Na’vi figures are unique enough to earn a spot in a 4 inch collection. What really is going to make these figures worth getting are the vehicles to display them with. These figures are solidly built with enough detail to warrant display next to lines like Gi Joe, but it’s the vehicles that will really help them stand out. For someone used to collecting GI Joes or Star Wars, the technology and races of Avatar should provide a nice blend of modern military and Star Wars level tech.
Image 1 of 56
1 of 56
Image 2 of 56
2 of 56
Image 3 of 56
3 of 56
Image 4 of 56
4 of 56
Image 5 of 56
5 of 56
Image 6 of 56
6 of 56
Image 7 of 56
7 of 56
Image 8 of 56
8 of 56
Image 9 of 56
9 of 56
Image 10 of 56
10 of 56
Image 11 of 56
11 of 56
Image 12 of 56
12 of 56
Image 13 of 56
13 of 56
Image 14 of 56
14 of 56
Image 15 of 56
15 of 56
Image 16 of 56
16 of 56
Image 17 of 56
17 of 56
Image 18 of 56
18 of 56
Image 19 of 56
19 of 56
Image 20 of 56
20 of 56
Image 21 of 56
21 of 56
Image 22 of 56
22 of 56
Image 23 of 56
23 of 56
Image 24 of 56
24 of 56
Image 25 of 56
25 of 56
Image 26 of 56
26 of 56
Image 27 of 56
27 of 56
Image 28 of 56
28 of 56
Image 29 of 56
29 of 56
Image 30 of 56
30 of 56
Image 31 of 56
31 of 56
Image 32 of 56
32 of 56
Image 33 of 56
33 of 56
Image 34 of 56
34 of 56
Image 35 of 56
35 of 56
Image 36 of 56
36 of 56
Image 37 of 56
37 of 56
Image 38 of 56
38 of 56
Image 39 of 56
39 of 56
Image 40 of 56
40 of 56
Image 41 of 56
41 of 56
Image 42 of 56
42 of 56
Image 43 of 56
43 of 56
Image 44 of 56
44 of 56
Image 45 of 56
45 of 56
Image 46 of 56
46 of 56
Image 47 of 56
47 of 56
Image 48 of 56
48 of 56
Image 49 of 56
49 of 56
Image 50 of 56
50 of 56
Image 51 of 56
51 of 56
Image 52 of 56
52 of 56
Image 53 of 56
53 of 56
Image 54 of 56
54 of 56
Image 55 of 56
55 of 56
Image 56 of 56
56 of 56






FIGURES SHOPPING ONLINE

Search Online Stores for TNI Review: Avatar 4



Toys Shopping Oniine


MORE




This site uses cookies for site configuration, advertising, and analysis. By using this site you accept our policies - Read Full Site Policy OK
Sign Up For The TNI Newsletter And Have The News Delivered To You!


Forums Communities: Toy Fans - Marvel Fans - Transformers Fans

@ToyNewsI Socials: Facebook - Twitter - Instagram

@MarvelousNews Socials: Facebook - Twitter - Instagram

@Tformers Socials: Facebook - Twitter - Instagram

@JediInsider Socials: Facebook - Twitter - Instagram

Entertainment News International (ENI) is the #1 popular culture network for adult fans all around the world.
Get the scoop on all the popular comics, games, movies, toys, and more every day!

Contact and Support

Advertising | Submit News | Contact ENI | Privacy Policy

©Entertainment News International - All images, trademarks, logos, video, brands and images used on this website are registered trademarks of their respective companies and owners. All Rights Reserved. Data has been shared for news reporting purposes only. All content sourced by fans, online websites, and or other fan community sources. Entertainment News International is not responsible for reporting errors, inaccuracies, omissions, and or other liablities related to news shared here. We do our best to keep tabs on infringements. If some of your content was shared by accident. Contact us about any infringements right away - CLICK HERE