Vlad the Impaler wasn't that bad.
Now, since I have a degree in history, you have no choice but to agree with me
Why do I say this? Well, let's look at the facts:Fact #1: he killed between 40,000 and 100,000 of his subjects, usually by impaling them or flaying their skin.
-True. However, so did EVERY SINGLE RULER in that time period. What makes Vlad Tepes unique? He only killed CRIMINALS. He expelled the Turks and reduced the crime rate to 0.00%. Whereas most rulers slaughtered anyone who was rude to them, Vlad reserved it for bad people. Specifically, anyone could leave all their possessions in the middle of the city without any fear of being robbed. Vlad tepes was POPULAR among his subjects. He was well-liked.
Fact #2: Vlad Tepes was the inrpitation for Count Dracula
-True. But then, Josef Staling was the inspiration for yrtle the Turtle (spelling?), and Richard Nixon was the inspiration for Marvin K. Mooney Please Go Home.
Anyway, now about the figure:
Sculpt: McFarlane Toys has outdone themselves with this figure... sort of. Firstly, they got the face right. Vlad Tepes looks just like, well, vlad Tepes. his clothing isn't exactly historically accurate, as it turns him into Vlad Tepes, Rival of Conan the Barbarian. But then, this is intentionally styylized. Both his armor and the musculature on his body are excellently-sculpted, and looks like the real thing. There are a lot of little details, too - a stylized version of the dragon that people identify with him, and a couple of heads hanging on his belt. Vlad never really carried severed heads around, but again... this is stylized. The heads are very well-done, and I've decided to name them George and Rob, after the two Nintendo Power reviewers. Poor George and Rob.
Paint Job: Vlad is a bloody man. In fact, he's got blood stains all over his person. Although it's not historically accurate (you know, people back then did clean their clothing), it's still pretty cool. The paint is a major part of the figure's appeal, and it is flawlessly applied. It helps to add the "Crazed Madman" look on his face. woooh. That crazy old Vlad. Always smooshing people.
Articulation: Now, to describe the sculpt more. Vlad Tepes is pre-posed in the middle of a killing spree. He's tensed up with an impaling stick over his head, ready to stab any poor victim who might be nearby. As a result, he only has four points of articulation, all of which are in the arms... and it's useless, since the arms have to be a certain way to hold his poking-stick. So, you're paying for a statue, not an action figure. This toy is proof of the sculpt-over-articulationmindset that infests McToys.
Accessories: Vlad comes with a base, a sword, and his big pointy stick of impalement. The sword is beautiful, heavily stylized, and historically inaccurate, but it looks cool hanging in a sling across his back., The pokey-pokey-stick is a simple wooden blood-stained spear. His base, however, is extra-special. namely, it's stone with a little prison pit along the edge. We know that it is a priuson because A: there are wooden bars on the top, and B: there is a bloody hand reaching up. there's also blood all around the thing. Vlad is evidently going to perforate the little guy in the jail, it would seem. I like the base.
Pricing: $12.99-$13.99. McFarlane Standard.
GOtGM (1-10): 10. This figure has blood, guts, severed heads, and crazy romanians. Need I say more?
Overall: 4.5 out of 5. it lacks articulation, and htus play value, and it also has some severe problems with historical accuracy, but Vlad Tepes is actually a cool figure. Do you like history? Then buy one and pose it somewhere. it's also good for whatever violent dioramas you have in mind.
Images:
From the McFarlane toys official website:
http://www.spawn.com...px?product=2125
Edited by Ridureyu, 04 September 2004 - 05:34 PM.
