I am not easily impressed by toys. There has to be something 
special, that certain wow factor to make me say, well, “Wow!” This figure gave me one of those “Wow” moments. When producing an “action figure” one should make it so the customer will be able to join the action. One of the things that I love when it comes to action figures is, the ability to pose the figure in a multitude of positions. Some toy companies have embraced the trend toward 5 point posability and that is a travesty. We are thankful there are companies like Mezco that know how to make an incredible, posable figure. The moment I opened up this figure the words that came to mind were, “incredible”, “amazing” and since it is a Sulu figure, “Oh, my!”
You may recognize Mezco as the company that produces the Living Dead Dolls line but you may not know they also produce a line of action figures called the One:12 Collective. The highly detailed figures in the One:12 include some of your favorite Marvel and DC superheroes as well as vintage horror and television characters. As you may have surmised the subject of this review is a character from Star Trek: The Original Series, Mr. Sulu.
When Star Trek premiered almost 51 years ago viewers were greeted with the most diversified cast on television. When Gene Roddenberry created Star Trek he had a vision of the future where people aren’t judged on their gender or skin color. This is why the U.S.S. Enterprise had an African-American woman in charge of communications, a Vulcan First Officer/Science Officer, a Scotsman in charge of engineering, a Russian navigator and an Asian who was chief helmsman. The show was very ahead of its time.
Well enough with the history lesson, you’re here to read a review. The figure we are reviewing today is the Mezco One: 12 Mr. Sulu from Star Trek. The character was portrayed by George Takei. Though this is not the first Mr. Sulu figure ever produced, the character hasn’t been prevalent on toy store shelves. An example of this was the fact that both Sulu and Chekov were absent from the toy line that Mego produced in the 1970’s. So I guess if you wait long enough, the figure you want will come along. And this one is top of the line.
I know I keep saying all good things about the Lieutenant Sulu figure but frankly I can’t find anything I don’t like. Sulu comes with a plethora extras customized to your adventure; including both interchangeable hands and an alternate head. The complete list of what is included with the figure follows:
· Regular head
· Alternate smiling head
· Fists (L & R)
· Posing hands (L & R)
· Phaser holding hand (R)
· Communicator/Tricorder holding hand (L)
· Sword holding hand (R)
· Communicator with flip up panel
· Tricorder with opening top section
· Phaser
· Fencing sword
· Away Team belt with holster for communicator and phaser
· Display base with posing post
As I stated before the figure has multiple points of articulation. They are:
· Head
· Chest
· Shoulders
· Elbows
· Wrists
· Waist
· Hips
· Knees (double)
· Ankles
· Feet
Sulu has approximately 28 points of articulation which is very impressive. The alternate, smiling head, reminds me of the episode “Wolf in the Fold” where an alien entity, who may be Jack the Ripper, takes over the Enterprise’s computer. Since the entity thrives on fear so McCoy gives the crew injections of tranquilizers to keep them from being frightened. While looking at the smile on the alternate head all I can think of is Sulu saying, “Whoever he is, he sure talks gloomy.”
The only thing I see as a potential problem is that Sulu is in a cloth uniform. While the cloth uniform does afford the figure more mobility and a more realistic look, it would also be a pain to launder. I know what you are thinking, “This is an expensive collectible how would it get dirty?” Just so you know, not every person who purchases one of these figures is going to keep it on a box or behind glass in a display; some people are going to play with this figure. The box does have a warning saying it is for “adult collectors only”. Fortunately I have been informed by my girlfriend that since I am chronologically an adult I can get away with playing with him.
It is not just the figure itself but the accessories that are amazing. The accessories that come Sulu with have been painstakingly reproduced. The tricorder has a fabric strap so it hangs on the figure better than a stiff plastic strap would have lain. The tricorder also can be opened to simulate the equipment being used. The same can be said of the communicator. The tiny accessory can be flipped open just like the real thing. Sadly the phaser does not break down into phaser 1 and phaser 2. Although it would be cool I can see phaser 1 being lost almost immediately.
Also included with Sulu is a fencing foil. The foil harkens back to the episode, “The Naked Time”. When Sulu becomes infected with the virus from Psi 2000 he grabs a fencing foil and romps around the ship picking fights. His swashbuckling ends abruptly when he arrives on the bridge. While trying to “rescue” Lieutenant Uhura Sulu gets subdued by Spock and confined him to sickbay. Even though it was only used in one episode the sword is a perfect accessory for the Sulu figure. Other choices for accessories that would have accentuated his off-duty hobbies could have had him packaged with a plant (The Man Trap) or an old style pistol (Shore Leave).
Bottom line is:
Figure 9/10
Appearance 10/10
Playability 9/10
Accessories 10/10
The Hikaru Sulu figure would be a perfect addition to your collection or perfect for the Star Trek fan in your life. Sulu retails for $70.00 and is available where fine collectibles are sold. Check out the Mezco site to see additional photos and check out what else Mezco has to offer. Get yours today!
