A Boy and his Blind Box: My very first Kubricks

6:00 PM on 03.03.2010   |   Matthew Kaplowitz

Sad fact: I have never owned a Kubrick figure, despite my yearning for one since I first saw their Star Wars kubricks so many years ago. Fate has finally cut me a break, as recently I picked three Metal Gear Solid Kubricks up for a great price, and can now say that my Kubrick cherry has been popped. I would say that, but then I would take it back since it sounds dirty.

 So come with me on this journey to break into the blind box world of Kubricks and take a look at my very first Kubricks. Were they as good as I hoped or were they epic fails? Did I get the figures I wanted or was I stuck with three of the same lame ones? Hit the jump to find out!

So here we are, three 3 1/2 inch chambers of mysterious Kubrickness. What fellows lurk inside these thin cardboard tombs? Just to clarify which figures these are, this is the second series of Metal Gear Solid Kubricks and the possibility of getting all six figures in this set with only six purchases are slim. You have a better chance of making Otakon piss his pants than you do getting that Iroquois Pliskin figure, and that is the one I am lusting after the most, followed by Doctor Octopus, er, I mean Solidus Snake. The one I want to avoid is the butch Liquid Snake, who looks like he was just cast as an extra in an Iggy Pop music video. 

I am not too keen on that Liquid Ocelot figure either, if I wanted an Obi-Wan Kenobi kubrick I would have splurged on the Star Wars figures. The big mystery to me is, obviously, the mystery figure (or figures). Who could they be? I was tempted to look online to find out the truth, but wanted to remain spoiler-free in case I ended up with one of them. 

So, without further ado, let's tear open the tops, rip into the metallic baggie and reveal the contents of the boxes! Drumroll please... although if you saw the thumbnails at the start of the article you were spoiled already, nonetheless, keep rolling those drums!

And there you have it! I got the PMC Soldier, my number two pick Solidus Snake, and the underwhelming Old Snake. Not a bad haul though, so let's take a closer look at this triple threat. 

My first thoughts were on the general quality of the figures. Quite simply, I was blown away. I have become accustomed to Minimates when it comes to tiny figures, but these Kubricks, being only slightly taller than the Minimates, were packed with details and felt like they had some substance to them. Don't get me wrong, I still love me my Minimates, but these Kubricks were in a league of their own. 

The joints felt great; they were not stiff, not loose, just the right amount of flexibility. They were all very well balanced too and could stand on their own, which sometimes I have difficulty with when it comes to my Minimates. I can understand why these figures have such a hefty price tag for an item that is only a little over two inches tall.

The accessories are all pretty nice, although I did have some trouble getting the PMC Soldier's gun in his hand, everyone else was fine though. The tentacles on Solidus Snake are very stiff and I have no fears that they will snap off and break one day. Also to note, even with those tentacles, Solidus is still standing straight on his own with no help from any plastic bases or scotch tape.

The PMC Soldier has a removable helmet which was a surprise to me, but sadly Old Snake does not which leaves me with a Snake that has the head of a tampon with an eyepatch. Despite that, it is still a very nice figure. I was very impressed with the level of detail when it came to the guns sculpting and paint job, same goes for just about every aspect of the figures. Whether it be the US Army decal that is barely 2 CM on Solidus Snake armor or the specks of paint to represent the dials and switches on the assault rifles, these are flawlessly executed small figures.

Overall, I am very pleased with my first experience with Kubricks and I look forward to shelling out more cash in the future to grab up some more. They are pricey, but I know have a greater understanding of why and the more I think about it, the more I feel like it is a bargain for a collectible like this.

Don't forget to check out the gallery for close-ups of the three figures as well as a size comparision with Minimates and Legos. Thanks for taking this journey with me into the land of wind and ghosts AKA blind-box figures, and leave a comment if you have any Kubricks and which ones are your favorites so I can know where to spend my money next!