Arctic Assault Storm Shadow (unmasked variant) Review

Arctic Assault Storm Shadow (unmasked variant)



OK, first of all, there is an unmasked variant of the Arctic Assault Storm Shadow. This variant uses the Byung-hun Lee head and does not have the torn collar around the neck. Aside from that, everything else is the same. Both figures are made from the cancelled Resolute Storm Shadow torso and arms with new forearms and the movie Storm Shadow hands and legs.

True to his on-screen appearance, this figure has the scars sustained during his duel with Snake Eyes. The scars are not only painted on but are sculpted (there goes our chance at a Resolute Storm Shadow). All the blood seems a little strange for a child's toy but as mentioned, this is how he appeared in the film. The forearm pads are painted strangely: they are white but have a heavy wash of flesh/skintone. I'm not sure what this effect is trying to achieve.

This figure comes with jetpack (different from the Resolute jetpack). This accessory is meant to represent the jetpack Storm Shadow used to escape from the previous scene (Attack on the Pit) and should have probably come with the masked Storm Shadow instead, and the nanomite launcher that came with that figure should have come with the Paris Pursuit version. This jetpack serves as the figure's giant spring loaded accessory: the wings flip out at the press of a button!

Anyway, the figure also comes with the requisite twin saya (scabbards) for his back; a silver colored rope to simulate the strap of the saya; and of course the katana and wakizashi. Note that these two swords are new molds and were meant to attach to each other by the kashira (pommel) and the wakizashi (short sword) actually has a peg for the kashira while the katana (long sword) has a flared kashira but no hole for the peg. Nothing a Dremel won't fix.

This is one of those figures you have to get just because it's screen accurate or because of the jetpack. But if you're just looking for a default representation of movie Storm Shadow, either of the first two figures will do.

- JM