It seems Hasbro places a varying degree of effort into each exclusive, and, further, a varying degree of effort into each figure packed in that exclusive. I’m disappointed to report that Sam Wilson Captain America — or “Falcon Cap” — did not receive much of that love.
Falcon comes packed with fellow Avengers Kate Bishop and the Vision in this Toys R Us exclusive 3-pack. To me, Falcon is both the least appealing figure and least appealing character in this set. There’s no doubt that collectors needed an upgrade of the atrocious Mojo series Falcon, but the execution here leaves something to be desired. I even like Sam Wilson as Captain America. In fact, I think it’s the most compelling take on the character that I’ve read so far. Falcon tends to read like Cap’s sidekick to me, otherwise.
Sam Wilson’s only accessory is Captain America’s iconic shield. Unfortunately, he does not come with the wings pictured in this review. For those, you’ll have to buy and dissect the Playmation Falcon figure. These 3-packs have generally been priced at $50, which does amount to a savings of $10 on the purchase of three figures, but it’s hard to justify the inclusion of a character like Sam Wilson without his signature superpower. If you own the Mandroid wave Marvel NOW! Captain America, you largely know what you’re getting from this figure. Falcon features a new upper torso (from the waist up), a new belt, new shoulders, and a new head. Everything else is reused from Marvel NOW! Cap. Marvel NOW! Cap remains my favorite Captain America figure ever (until Mezco releases theirs, at least), so you won’t hear me complaining about the reuse.
Wilson’s articulation is par for the course as far as recent Marvel Legends go. The head can look up, down, and side-to-side; he has ball-jointed shoulders; bicep rotation; double-jointed elbows; swivel-and-hinge wrists; an ab crunch (which only goes one click forward and one click backward); waist swivel; T-joined hips; thigh swivel; double-jointed knees; calf swivel; hinged ankles; and ankle rockers. Aside from the limited ab crunch, Falcon is about what you’d expect from a Marvel Legend in 2016. The figure received no paint detailing, but the costume colors are applied cleanly other than the face, which is a bit of a mess. One side of the mask is painted much higher onto his forehead than the other, and there is some noticeable bleed-over on his hairline and ears. This Falcon is still a massive upgrade over the previous renditions. He’s well-proportioned in stark contrast to ToyBiz’s trademark gangly limbs, and, for this reason, he doesn’t look out of place next to modern Marvel Legends.
The trouble with Hasbro these days is that it’s difficult to gauge the difference between figures that are cop-outs and figures that aptly utilize their massive repertoire of bodies. Overall, I do recommend the figure and the set, even if Sam Wilson is the most underwhelming member of the 3-pack. This 3-pack is further proof that Hasbro needs to shore up the consistency of their retailer exclusives. Both the Walgreens exclusive Punisher and Namor figures are among the best Legends released this year, and meanwhile Falcon — a mainstream Avenger — is a flightless bird.
