Mattel’s WWE line has finally hit retail, and it’s time to answer the question on everyone’s mind: are the figures any good? Has Mattel successfully taken up the mantle from Jakks and added to the proud legacy of WWE figures? It is finally time to find out. This time, we review the first series of Elite figures.

FIGURES AND MORE EXCLUSIVE!!

MATTEL WWE ELITE COLLECTION SERIES ONE REVIEW

The Elite Collection is the ultimate extension of Mattel’s WWE figure line and is aimed at collectors. Each Elite figure includes over 20 points of articulation, accurate entrance attire amd other character specific accessories. Series One consists of five figures: MVP, C.M. Punk, Rey Mysterio, Edge and the Undertaker. As always, the figures will be reviewed based on four criteria: Articulation, Attire, Deco and Accessories. Let’s get on with it.

MVP: Montel Vontavious Porter makes his first appearance in Mattel’s line. This straight up “ballin” Superstar stands 6″8cm. tall and is wearing a confident expression on his face. In addition, he has cornrows on his head. Also, he has a blue breathing strip on the bridge of his nose. Here is the breakdown.

Articulation: MVP is articulated as follows: ball jointed head, ball jointed shoulders, roto-cut biceps, elbow joints, roto-cut and jointed wrists, jointed abdomen,roto-cut waist, t-cut hips, roto-cut thighs,double jointed knees, roto-cut shins and jointed feet. There shouldn’t be a move you can’t pull off. Welcome to the big leagues of Mattel’s WWE line. SCORE: 5 out of 5.

Attire: MVP comes attired in one of his signature body suits. The color scheme is black with blue trim. The paint line on the bodysuit are clean, as is the molding. He has matching boots, as well as black knee pads. A bit basic, but well done. SCORE: 4 out of 5

Deco: Here’s where the difference between the Basic and the Elite really begins. MVP has his”M star” logo on both of his boot tops and on his left chest. The placement is perfect. There is also a blue stripe that runs down the side of the outfit which lines up perfectly. On the left side, in the middle of the arm portion of the stripe the words “Protect This Ring” are written in black block type. The back of the bodysuit carries the large initials “MVP” in blue block lettering inside blue ovals in a vertical line. The detail is extraordinary. I think I’m going to absolutely love this line. SCORE: 5 out of 5

Accessories: Just the stand and the…no, wait, there actually ARE accessories with the Elite Collection BESIDES the stand and the nameplate. MVP comes with two plastic necklaces. One says “MVP” in vertical letters, the other says “305” in vertical numbers. These are meant to represent the diamond-encrusted gold chains that MVP wears around his neck. They do a fair job of it. The diamonds are molded and not colored, but the gold color is good. MVP also comes with a black removable headband that has his “m star” logo on the front. It is easily removable and fits well on his head. This is where this line really starts to show off. SCORE: 4 out of 5

OVERALL SCORE: 4.5 out of 5

[nggallery id=11]

CM Punk: The leader of the “Straightedge Nation” comes to Mattel’s line for the first time. Punk’s facial expression is an arrogant sneer, which fits perfectly with his character. In addition, he has his lip ring molded onto his lip. This is a fantastic face scan. Here is the breakdown.

Articulation: CM Punk has the same articulation as MVP, which again will allow you to perform every move, including the GTS. SCORE: 5 out of 5

Attire: CM Punk comes attired in tights and boots, in a matching color scheme of grey, black and yellow. He also has large black knee pads. Not the most exciting costume, but faithful and well executed. SCORE: 4 out of 5

Deco: OH MY GOD! As many of you know, Punk is one of the more inked Superstars. Almost all of his tattoos are represented here, except for the Pepsi and Cobra logos on his shoulder, which were not available due to copyright issues. However, this is where I really respect Mattel. Rather than replace the tattoos with generic designs, which would make the figure inaccurate, Mattel’s design team decided to leave tge areas bare. I’m not gonna list all the tattoos that Punk has, because it’s a long list. Sufficed to say, they’re all here. The “Straightedge” tattoo across his stomach is particularly impressive. There is also a star pattern on the waistband of his trunks that is replicated on the front of each boot. I cannot say enough about how impressive the deco on this figure is. I wish my scale went higher than 5. SCORE: 5 out of 5

Accessories: This is the only place where this figure is a little lacking. Punk’s only accessory is a figure sized removable t-shirt. It is a perfect replica of the “double fists t-shirt Punk wears to the ring. It has a Velcro back that enables easy removal. This is the big deal with the Elite line: REAL CLOTH CLOTHING! SCORE: 3 out of 5

OVERALL SCORE: 4.25 out of 5

[nggallery id=12]

Rey Mysterio: Next up is the master of the 619: Rey Mysterio. Mysterio stands 5½” tall and has a determined expression, well what you can see outside the mask anyway. Mysterio’s figure geatures a special body type, since Rey is smaller and thinner than most Superstars. The proportion is fantastic, really capturing the size and weight difference between Rey and the other Superstars. Here is the rundown.

Articulation: Rey has the same 22 point as the other figures, but Rey is the first Elite figure I have reviewed that was not wearing kneepads, As such, I finally got a look at the double jointed knees.This allows the leg to bend all the way back for realistic aerial poses, such as mid-moonsault. This articulation really puts these figures above and beyond anything I’ve seen before. SCORE: 5 out of 5

Attire: Mysterio comes in his signature mask and pants, in a black and purple color scheme. The attire matches nicely and the pants are painted perfectly. Mysterio is also wearing black elbow pads. SCORE: 5 out of 5

Deco: LORD ALMIGHTY! And I though CM Punk had a lot of deco. Like Punk, Mysterio has too many tattoos to list, but they are all here and they look spectacular, particularly the one on his back. The pants have designs down each leg: The word “Mysterio”, a skull and a “619” logo down the right side, and a large “619” in red down the left leg. Just an absolutely incredible job, especially given the smaller scale necessary for Mysterio. SCORE: 5 out of 5

Accessories: Mysterio comes with a poncho-type shirt that slips over his head. It has an image of his mask on the front. In addition, he comes with the hood he wears to the ring over his mask. This, I believe is the first time anyone has made that accessory. It fits and removes perfectly. Fantastic job. SCORE: 5 out of 5

OVERALL SCORE: 5 out of 5. THE FIRST PERFECT SCORE OF THE LINE!

[nggallery id=13]

Edge: The “Rated R Superstar” returned to the WWE at the Royal Rumble. Now, having won the Rumble, he returns to toy shelves. The “Ultimate Opportunist” wears a confident smirk on his face. He stands just above 6in. tall. Here is the rundown.

Articulation: Same as the other Elite figs. The new bar for figure articulation. Everything from the Spear to the Edgecution is possible. SCORE: 5 out of 5

Attire: Edge is wearing black long tights. Simplistic, but accurate. SCORE: 4 out of 5

Deco: Edge has all of his tattoos, including the two very difficult to replicate ones on his inner arm. The are colored red and perfectly replicated. In addition, Edge has a “lighting bolt” motiff and his “Rated R Star” logo that runs throughout his tights. Well done deco. SCORE: 5 out of 5

Accessories: Edge is the first of the removable coat figures. Edge’s jacket is made of vinyl and is removable. The only unfortunate part is that the vinyl is such a stiff material that Edge’s arms don’t move while in the coat. However, the detail on the coat is extraordinary. Individual jagged panels and metal latches adorn the costume. It is an incredible accessory. Edge also comes with elbow pads. SCORE: 4 out of 5

OVERALL SCORE: 4.5 out of 5

[nggallery id=14]

Undertaker: Last in the lineup is the “Lord of Darkness”: the Undertaker. “The Phenom” stands just under 7in tall and is wearing a grim look on his face. Here is the rundown.

Articulation: The same as the other Elite figures. From the Last Ride to the Tombstone Piledriver, he can do it all. In addition his right hand is open just enough to fit around another figure’s neck so he can deliver a Chokeslam. SCORE: 5 out of 5

Attire: It’s the Undertaker. He’s all in black. What more do you want? SCORE: 4 out of 5

Deco: Dear Lord! The Undertaker is the first of the WWE figures I’ve reviewed to have his arms fully tattooed. I’m not even going to attempt to describe them all. In addition, he has two small tattoos on either side of his neck. Also, at the bottom of his left arm is a bit of tattoo that is RED! That’s right, tattoo color on the Undertaker other than black! It’s insane. His tights also have a demonic rosary on one side of them and the “devil skull” logo on the other. SCORE: 5 out of 5

Accessories: Undertaker is the second of the removable coat figures. Yes, you heard that right, all you long suffering Undertaker fans like me. THE COAT IS REMOVABLE! Like Edge’s it is made of vinyl, and so his arms won’t move in it. However, it comes off and goes back on relatively easily. He also comes with his trademark hat, which fits very nicely on his head and an elbow pad for his left elbow when the coat is removed. I know the coat has limitations, but I don’t care because it is REMOVABLE! SCORE: 5 out of 5

OVERALL SCORE: 4.75 out of 5 NOTE TO MATTEL: MAKE THE COAT CLOTH AND THE FIGURE WILL BE PERFECT!

[nggallery id=15]

Mattel WWE Elite Collection Series One Overall Score: 4.6 out of 5

The Elite Collection represents the new standard for wrestling figures. I can’t wait to see what future releases in this series bring.

Here is a pic of all five figures out of package, with their entrance gear.