WWE Series 64 and Zombie figures review

WWE Series 64 and Zombies action figures review
By Adam Stephen Kelly

WWE Series 64

Courtesy of Mattel, I got my hands on two figures from the recent WWE Series 64 range. Given that this is the ‘basic’ line, articulation and detail are limited, however Mattel appears to be making a conscious effort to close the gap in quality between the basic figures and the premium Elite range, which is great news all around. This is especially evident in the figures I have – Dolph Ziggler and Lana – as both exhibit a step-up in terms of head sculpts.

WWE Series 64 also includes John Cena, Brock Lesnar, Xavier Woods, Braun Strowman and Apollo Crews, the latter two of which make their debuts in the range. Strangely, the packaging denotes the Superstars as randomly being from either RAW or SmackDown, which doesn’t make a lot of sense since the brand split took place after these figures were produced.

Dolph Ziggler

This is the first figure produced of Ziggler in his full-length tights. The detail on the tights and boots is nice enough, it’s just a shame that they’re somewhat plain. Ziggler has had some pretty elaborate and colourful tight designs over the last year or so, and these are some of his most dull. The standout feature of this figure is the face, which accurately captures his trademark grin without making the figure look excessively goofy. The main drawback is the hair, which is brown as opposed to Ziggler’s dyed dirty blonde look. On the back of his tights is a heart design with Lana’s name written across it, as well as the words ‘Kickstart My’ painted above. This is a fairly plain figure overall, mainly due to the tights, but for a basic, the face sculpt is a huge positive.

Lana

This is Lana’s third action figure to date and also the best. While her second was a repaint of her original figure, this is an entirely new look, from her attire right down to the face sculpt, which is similar to the Ziggler figure in that it captures Lana’s oftentimes devious smile very well. Again like the Ziggler figure, the faces are astonishingly lifelike when you look at them closely, especially in profile.

Lana wears a baby blue soft plastic or rubber skirt and jacket combination, but the arms of the jacket are painted onto her actual arms, as is often the case with clothing. Both of these figures are modelled after their brief ‘fling’ storyline on WWE television in 2015, making these figures one-offs as they’re unlikely to be produced in this fashion again. Lana’s attire has an airbrushed design with ‘DZ’ on the front of her skirt and ‘#WeWantLana’ on the back of her jacket. The detail on the back of the jacket is great, but doesn’t extend to the rest of the outfit, which looks more like a can of paint has been tipped over it than the real-life airbrushed look Mattel was going for. This figure also sports Lana’s unique sneaker heels.

WWE Zombies

The last year has certainly seen a shift in tone as far as WWE action figures go. From the frankly odd Create a Superstar and Mutants ranges, to the recently announced Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles/WWE mash-up figures, Mattel has extended its reach far beyond the ring and into the realm of the otherworldly. Now, with what can only be described as wrestling meets The Walking Dead, WWE Zombies have risen from the grave. Perhaps inspired by WWE’s Halloween ornaments from a few years ago, these figures allow you to lay the SmackDown on the, err, undead.

In addition to The Rock and Bray Wyatt, the WWE Zombies line also includes Paige, Roman Reigns, Triple H, The Undertaker, John Cena and Dean Ambrose.

The Rock

With eyes as vacant as his expression, zombie Rock is quite a sight to behold. With the exception of green skin, the figure looks rather plain at first glance, but a closer look reveals a very nasty looking, seriously decayed right arm, with flayed skin and exposed muscle tissue. Gross. Half of The Rock’s head is an even grislier green than the rest of his body, and sports a deep wound. The back of his legs are damaged too, with a chunk of calf muscle missing from his right leg. While this range comprises basic-style figures with limited articulation, some of these Zombies have uniquely moveable parts, such as Rocky’s right leg being able to twist completely around below the knee. Something about this figure does seem a little too lightweight and brittle though.

Bray Wyatt

This is a much weightier figure than The Rock, and along with The Undertaker, Wyatt is probably the most fittingly zombified Superstar of the bunch. Sporting a menacing, crazed look in his eyes, Wyatt’s clothing has some awesome detail, from bloody cuts and slices to a dry-brushed dirt effect on his white trousers, as well as general wear and tear one might expect from someone who’s probably just clawed their way out of the ground.

Given how novelty these figures are, one would think that their main appeal is to collectors, so it’d be better if these figures were more in the style of the Elite range, especially with the blood and gore detail.

Each figure features unique blister packaging which is a very nice touch. The Rock was housed in a kind of prison or asylum cell, while Wyatt was contained within a heavily textured gravestone-like bubble. The backing cards are great, too, with awesome comic book-style artwork of each Superstar.