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Produced by JAKKS Pacific | Released November 2012
Previous Job: Mr Galaxy
Likes: Lifting Heavy Stuff
Dislikes: Socks That Fall Down
Favorite Food: Anything You Can Eat With a Straw!
SLUG Zombies Series 3 - The Deadlifter
We're kicking off this week's Reviews with another figure from the excellent SLUG Zombies line in the form of the rather fun Deadlifter.
Disclaimer
We would like to thank JAKKS Pacific for providing The Deadlifter for the purposes of this Review.
Sculpt & Design
The Deadlifter is one of the SLUG Zombies non-specific parodies - in other words, it's not intended to be a specific riff on one particular person or celebrity but is instead one of the profession/activity-themed minifigures. Which in this case is the sport of weight lifting.
Taking his name from the move known as the ''deadlift'' The Deadlifter is a fun figure that showcases the wonderfully dark, grisly sense of humor so prevalent in the SLUG Zombies line in this excellent little sight gag. There are horror stories, shudder-inducing videos and even stomach-turning images all over the web based on the premise The Deadlifter explores: what's the worst thing that could happen when somebody tries to lift a weight that's too heavy? In this case, the answer is not an exploding leg or prolapsing rectum (yes, really, that happens) but instead features The Deadlifter's arms being torn out of their sockets. And now I've written that, I've actually realized just how nasty that is. Which makes the figure all the better!
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From the quease-inducing exposed bones and torn flesh to the bulging veins and pained expression on his face, the detail work on this figure is to the incredible level we've come to expect from the SLUG Zombies line. But what's particularly cool about The Deadlifter is just how chunky this figure is. The added muscle-mass of the weight lifter, combined with the actual weights and his solid, planted stance make this figure feel so much heavier and more substantial than the other figures in the line.
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But for all the ''largeness'' of the figure, there are still some really cool close-up details that, although hardly unexpected or innovative, are very well executed. The weight lifting belt, wrist bands and vest are neat touches, as are the ''multiple weights'' on the barbell (which even includes release pins!) I think I'm going to have to invest in a thesaurus, as I'm running out of ways to praise the sculpt detail these figures incorporate.
Final Thoughts
I'm generally more a fan of the SLUG Zombies pop culture parodies and although some of the profession-themed figures are cool, sports-themed ones generally leave me cold - which is probably due to me not being a particularly sporty-type. So when I first saw The Deadlifter in the pre-release images I was a little doubtful as to how well the figure would resonate with me.
Thankfully the gag is executed perfectly. The level of sculpting in the SLUG Zombies line continues to impress, with The Deadlifter being a great example of the amount of neat, micro-detail - and it would be remiss of me not to mention how well molded the figure is, too - that typifies the figures in the line.
If I did have a criticism it's that The Deadlifter is a bit ''one note.'' The torn-out arms joke is cool and the execution is good, but there's just not quite so much going on with this figure as there is with some others in the line - although that's really more a testament to their excellence than it is a reflection of any kind of lack of quality with this figure. It's also worth noting that The Deadlifter is available in a 3-figure pack that features three figures all of which are included in the 12-figure pack, so just be smart as to how you do your figure shopping...
Overall, a solid addition that really showcases the level of sculpt detail and humor of the line.
Final Score: B+
Image Gallery
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