Part Man, Part Machine, All Cop!

The toy collection around here has been growing at a rapid pace this past week, and with Fairfax Comic Con on my list for this coming Saturday, I don't see it stopping any time soon.

Today brought with it yet another one to add to the pile. For those of you keeping up with my explosion of posts as of late, you know ED-260 from the 1988 Robocop: Ultra Police joined my collection on Friday of last week. Today, the other half of that want list was completed with the arrival of the man himself...

...ROBOCOP!...and a pound of dust on the cardboard backer. Clearly this toy was not loved at its prior home.

The back of the card shows all those wonderful toys from the line. I may have to pick up the Robo-1 cop car here soon to give Robocop something to display in as opposed to just standing around next to ED-260. That or the Robo-Cycle. I haven't decided which one I like more, but I'm leaning towards the cycle for cost and space maximization. We'll see.

For now, let's take a look at Robocop himself.

Without his helmet, he looks kind of silly. His head is a little too skinny. Especially the top of it.

He comes with two accessories - A gun and his helmet. Two questions. 1) What is up with the gun? It doesn't at all match the traditional look of his Auto 9, which was indeed represented in the cartoon. 2) Why does his helmet look like a bicycle helmet with the two slits at the top?

Here's a closer look at the gun in his hand. It's a bit bulky.

With the helmet on he's at least passable as Robocop. The look is certainly there. However, I'd be lying if I didn't say the gun and helmet detract a bit from the overall design.

I have to be honest and say I'm not a fan of the "bumpy" helmet as a result of the slits. It detracts...and looks like someone bashed his head in with a wrench.

On his back he features the cap firing "system" which was predominant in the line. 

In comparison to the Toy Island version, I definitely prefer it over the Kenner version. It's more accurate in terms of overall design and paint...And of course the helmet is rounded at the top. Still, the Kenner version isn't terrible. It has its nostalgic charm.

It also looks fantastic sitting next to the ED-260 counterpart.

Overall, I'm happy with this purchase. It's not a perfect Robocop figure, but it's a fun figure, and that's what counts the most.

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Robocop: Ultra Police (Kenner)

We're incredibly amazed that Robocop became the household name it became among children. Let's be honest here. The movie is one of the most violent pieces of cinematic action film out there, especially for its time (1987). The sheer brutality in the scene where Murphy is murdered is stomach churning enough for the casual viewer to shut it off, and is made only worse in the director's cut.

Don't get us wrong though, in terms of sci-fi characters, Robocop is one bad...(shut your mouth). Despite the violent nature of the movie itself, the Robocop concept was ported to a children’s animated show, and action figures (as they so often do) followed. The television series itself didn't last long (12 episodes).

As we mentioned, Robocop got his start in the first film in 1987. The premise focuses on Officer Alex Murphey who after chasing down some bad guys with his partner Anne Lewis is brutally murdered. His body is reanimated as a cyborg by mega-corporation Omni Consumer Products (OCP) who has recently entered into a contract with the city to run the police department due to the high crime rate in the city. Thus, Robocop is born.

Two sequels as well as a short lived live action TV show were produced. Though they have a strong following in their own right, they are not highly acclaimed by critics and casual viewers.

Marvel Productions produced the animated series of the show in 1988, and even though it kept a lot of mature themes to it, there were changes made to make it more kid friendly. A perfect example of this is the removal of bullets, and the inclusion of laser weapons. The series also followed a more sci-fi setting as opposed to the real world Detroit setting of the film. An odd inclusion was the red light on Robocop's visor which ocassionally panned back and forth.

Despite its short lived animated life, Kenner produced an impressive sixteen figures, and nine vehicles for the line. Each figure had its own unique packaging, and even though the figures didn't have the articulation of say your average G.I. Joe figures, the design and quality seemed on par with the look of the show (and to an extent, the movies).





While some might find the figures to be lacking in quality, there is no denying that the vehicles, and the ED-209 "figure" were of a pretty decent quality possible for a child's toy line. Kenner really appeared to have put a lot of work and care into the items.




Robocop: Ultra Police may not be a toy line for everyone, but for those select few who do appreciate the toys for what they are, it's a pretty darn good collection.

Join us next time when we take a look at Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Years 3 and 4.

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