Thursday 25 November 2021

Toybox REVIEW: Power Rangers Lightning Collection Tenga Warrior

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Release Date: May 2021 
RRP: $19.99/£19.99 

While Power Rangers naturally owes a lot to Super Sentai, arguably it's always at its most interesting when it's doing something original – especially when it comes to villains. And with the Putty Patrollers having run their course over the first two seasons of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, when it came to season three it was time for a new set of monsters to terrorise the Rangers on a weekly basis. After first making their debut on Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie (where they were named 'Tengu Warriors'), the Tenga Warriors were repurposed for the main show – arriving as a wedding present for Rita and Zedd from Rita's brother Rito Revolto. Referred to as "the fiercest warriors in the universe", the Tenga initially overwhelmed the Rangers but later proved no match for their new ninja powers. When Rita's father Master Vile arrived on the scene, the Tengas were powered up to become even more deadly – forcing the Rangers to transform further with their metallic armour. Now the list of monsters Hasbro has produced continues to grow, as the Lightning Collection Mighty Morphin Tenga Warrior arrives as part of the line's ninth wave.

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Although the Lightning Collection packaging is pretty much the same across the board there is something that little more exciting about it when it's a villain/monster as opposed to a Ranger. In the case of the Tenga Warrior the dark purple colouring just goes really well with the white background of the mainline figure boxes, and Tom Whalen's character artwork adds that extra punch. On the back of the box is the usual CGI rendering of the figure, and although there are a couple of differences between the render and the actual figure (the eye colour for example), for once the render actually worse than the finished product – missing out some key paint apps that really enhance and complete the look of the toy. Inside you'll find the Tenga Warrior and most of its accessories neatly stored on a moulded plastic tray, with the larger wing pieces tied to the backing card behind it.

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Wow, where do you start with this figure? The first thing that's immediately noticeable about the Tenga Warrior is just how chunky the thing is. While it perhaps isn't quite up to the mass of a deluxe figure like King Sphinx, it's a much heftier piece than any of the other Lightning Collection figures that have been released at the standard price point. And unlike the deluxe figures, at least the Tenga has the luxury of being in scale with everything else. The next thing that stands out is of course the sculpt. While the Rangers themselves have always been good (albeit not without their problems), the simplicity of the suits doesn't really provide the opportunity for the designers to truly show off their craft. The Tenga Warrior is another matter entirely though, covered head to toe in sculpted feather detailing as well as creased/dented armour. The predominant black, grey and purple colours are all moulded plastic, giving the figure a really consistent and impressive look. That isn't to say the paint apps aren't equally impressive though, as they're what really elevate it to new heights. The gold weathering on the armour is one thing, but the metallic green that's been added to certain areas brings out that feather detailing magnificently. Then of course you've also got that menacing head sculpt, complete with piercing eyes and gold/purple beak. It doesn't feel like an exaggeration to talk about how astounding this figure looks, it really does put every other Lightning Collection figure to shame. Hasbro really brought their A-game to this one and it's hard to imagine it look much better, even if it were at a higher price point.

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The Tenga Warrior might be a rather chunky boy but if there's one thing that can be said about these figures, it's that Hasbro are very good at not skimping out on the articulation even when a figure is much bulkier. Altogether the Tenga features; 
- Ball jointed head, neck, torso and hips 
- Swivel hinge shoulders, wrists and ankles 
- Butterfly joint shoulders 
- Single hinge beak, elbows and ab crunch 
- Double hinged knees 
- Bicep and thigh swivels 
Usually a single hinge elbow joint in place of a double one would be a knock against the figure, but given the thickness of the arms a single joint works perfectly fine here and the bicep swivel is able to pick up the slack. The biggest surprise here is that ball jointed head/neck configuration, which is extremely uncommon on Lightning Collection figures but works really well here. The standard ball hinge would probably struggle with that thick collar piece around it. Sure there are a few restrictions from the design (the ankles have next to no tilt) but overall it's extremely impressive – hell it's even got an articulated beak! Even with the fairly rigid shoulder armour the shoulder movement is great, and the poses you can get out of this figure somehow manage to look more menacing than the thing did onscreen a lot of the time.

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Among the Tenga Warrior's are two closed fists to nicely compliment those clawed talons, as well as larger wing pieces to give the warrior a full wingspan. These connect to the figure in the same way as the smaller pieces, and thanks to the way the slot in at slightly different areas on the arms don't really impede on articulation at all. Not only do they look fantastic, but I love the options Hasbro have given collectors on how to pose/display these figures – smaller wings for up close battles, or larger wings for more menacing or mid-flight poses. Hasbro could have easily done one or the other, but the fact they did both goes to show that they sometimes do take a good look at the onscreen suits and include what's truly best for the figure. Of course given the mass of this thing getting a decent flight pose out of it with a standard articulated stand isn't the easiest thing, but it's not impossible either.

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Obviously there's no alternate head included here like there are with most other Lightning Collection figures, but that doesn't mean that the Tenga is quite done with accessories yet. Also included are a Tenga egg and white lightning effect part, practically identical (other than colour) to many of the other lightning effect parts we've seen from the line. Judging by the stock images the idea is that the Tenga holds the egg and then the lightning piece slots over the wrist and around the egg, but it could used as an attack piece just as effectively. Much like the figure itself the egg is beautifully painted in a metallic lilac, with moulded cracks lined with a darker shade. It's a little fiddly to get it properly into a hand (though there are small holes in the egg for the fingers to loosely clip into), but once it's in there the grip is reasonably tight. Elsewhere while there isn't a whole lot to say about the effect part since it's one we've seen several times before, it's nice to get these lightning parts in a range of colours to suit different purposes.

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Put quite simply, the Lightning Collection Mighty Morphin Tenga Warrior is by far the best figure this line has put out – and by quite a wide margin too. Between the sheer mass of the figure, the quality of the sculpt, the exquisite paintwork and range of accessories it's incredible that this thing was released at the standard price point. The fact it was makes both all the other standard AND deluxe releases feel subpar by comparison. Hasbro could have easily slapped another $10 on the price for this figure and it would still be worth it, but the fact they didn't makes it all the sweeter. The Tenga Warrior is a must-have for any Power Rangers fan – not only does it show off what the line is truly capable of, but it's one of those figures where buying just one can prove a real struggle.

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