Leela (Futurama)

The Simpsons has only recently had a toy line-up worthy of the license. (Produced by Playmates.) It only took about ten years but it was worth the wait. Another Matt Groening creation, Futurama, has only been airing for a couple of seasons and already they have a great toy line-up to complement the show and we have Moore Action Collectibles to thank for it.

Leela, that bodacious one-eyed alien, has been given the plastic treatment and is a good example of a TV license done properly. The sculpt is very good especially the head and is able to capture that beautiful but deadly allure and sarcastic streak we all know her for. This is what Leela would look like if she weren’t 2D. The coloring is perfect. Her ponytail is purple and drapes over her eye seductively. The entire color scheme is very pleasing to look at, with the bright laser guns adding the touch that brings the whole figure up a notch. There are articulation points all over this figure but they remain unobtrusive. None of them really shout, "Hey, look! I’m point of articulation!" but even though they are clearly visible they don’t 

detract from the overall figure. (Actually the effect is not unlike looking at Astro Boy.) The combination of seam and hinge joints allow for a wide range of poses, even when installed on the display base. The base itself makes an excellent place to display Leela. And here again, the coloring is excellent. Since Leela wouldn’t be complete without Nibbler, he’s been included as an accessory (along with a tray that could either be food for him to eat or a kitty litter box – depends on your mood). And even though he is just an accessory there’s been obvious care and attention paid to his sculpt and coloring.

There are only two problems with the sculpt of Leela. One, she’s not very balanced and getting her to stand without the base can be tricky. Two, the guns are very tough to get into her hands and only her right hand really holds the gun properly. Her left hand doesn’t hold the gun very well at all.

Actually playing with Leela brings up a whole bunch of problems. Besides the obvious that the small guns and accessories can be lost, Leela’s not very tough. I managed to pop out her left hand trying to put a gun in her hand. I just popped it back in. It’s been my experience that when this kind of thing happens a few times that popping it back in no longer becomes an option because it will just slide out on its own and become lost before you can do anything about it. But so far, no lost limbs. Some of the articulation points seem a little loose and fragile, which isn’t a problem if you’re more concerned about display. However, she did manage to pass the Fifteen Minutes of Fame test, in which my 21-month old son gets to put the figure through a rigorous testing process. Although I cringed a few times expecting her arms to suddenly snap off during the test, she came through in one piece, although her ponytail is quite loose now. Right after the test I put Leela safely out of his reach.

Last thoughts: Collector’s and fans of the show will not be disappointed.

- Omni