Finger on the throat means … death.
Seriously, I could use this entire space and fill it with nothing but Drax’s lines from the first Guardians of the Galaxy movie. As far as I am concerned, he was the breakout character of the movie, and Dave Bautista did a fantastic job delivering a multi-layered performance. Sure, Rocket and Groot were awesome as well, but I was expecting that, but I was not expecting to love Drax as much as I did. That said, I still skipped the movie Drax figure from the first Guardians Legends line, but there was no way I was passing on this one.
If you read the review of the new Star-Lord figure, you can walk away knowing I am completely enamored by that figure, and while Drax isn’t quite as good as Mr. Quill, this new figure is still a marked improvement over the previous offering. I don’t know, I realize that this figure is made up of a lot of reused parts, but there is something about this screaming head that seems more appropriate for the Drax figure, so even if you already own the first movie figure, you are likely going to spin a different feel out of this one. I usually prefer more placid expressions, but this is Drax, and I think this is a good look for him. For those like me who did not jump on before, I will admit I am very satisfied with this figure, and after seeing the offerings from the second assortment at Toy Fair, I will be pleased to have the whole team together very soon.
The build for this figure is appropriate for Bautista’s impressive physique, and the details in the sculpt are pretty insane on the upper body. The paint stamps on this figure are pretty clean and accurate so none of those details get muddled in production, so that speaks to the overall level of quality we are seeing in ML as of late. I think a reason I prefer this figure over the look of the first (in addition to the aforementioned expression), is the blue pants — they correspond more closely with he comic look, and since patterns on Drax’s upper body are red, this adds another color to the palette.
Like I said, the facial expression is pretty extreme, and even though I am sure he flashes this look a LOT, it seems pretty pointed (at least to me) to when he is ready to “meet his foe” at Knowhere. So this figure is primed for battle, but at the same time, it looks like Volume 2 will be pushing Drax’s humor even more, so I find this look to be appropriate for that, too. Remember, this guy is not a princess, so I have no issue in the intense member of the Guardians being captured in plastic as such.
Drax also includes his trusty knives, a big-ass gun (it’s not the Hadron Enforcer), and a Titus chunk. The knives are reuse and, like before, they fit snugly into the sheaths on his boots. The giant bazooka thing is cool, and it mounts on his shoulder well, but you will have to stretch out Drax’s hand in order for him to grip the handle properly. Unlike Quill, Drax does come with a Build-a-Figure piece in the form Titus’s arm, and even though I had no intention to complete this BAF due to lack of interest, it appears that is going to happen anyway due to my need for the rest of the figures in this assortment.
Man, I cannot wait to see Drax interact with the rest of the Guardians and their foes in the new movie. I hope he is as enjoyable as before because the dynamic of the entire team is turned on its head because of him, and in the best way possible. Yeah, he is a lot of rehash (I think), but the new head sculpt is great for the character, or for a nice change of pace if you have the original figure. The point is that you will not be disappointed in this figure, so don’t be an imbecile and pass him up — you can nab him on Amazon now.
