Dungeons & Dragons Cartoon Classics: Hank The Ranger

“We are going to do something about it!”

The undisputed leader of our friends that are lost in the Realm, Hank the Ranger guides his friends with care and wisdom beyond his years. Hank uses his brains and his brawn to determine how the gang can get out of trouble. He isn’t afraid to take risks, either, and that’s just one of the many reasons that every kid growing up in the early 1980s wanted to be like him. Hank was my favorite member of the group of kids in the classic Dungeons & Dragons cartoon series, and I wished that I was just half as cool as I thought that he was.

Hasbro’s Cartoon Classic Collection has been hit and miss overall. Some of the figures don’t match up with their cartoon counterparts in looks, clothing and armor, and more. They are also all maligned by stiff joints and limited articulation due to cloaks, armor, and other items that prevent fans from posing characters in certain ways. Hank is no exception to most of these rules. The figure does look like Hank from the cartoons, but his clothing limits his articulation and much like every other figure in this line, his joints are ridiculously stiff.

Hank comes with a D8 die and two versions of his famous energy bow that fired bolts of lightning at villains. One version is a simple, uncharged longbow. The other version is fully charged and ready to fire. This is an great looking accessory, but thanks to Hank’s poor articulation, it’s very difficult to get the charged bow into a decent position to pose with Hank.

The figure looks awesome overall. I just wish that he was more poseable. He’s one of the closest looking figures in the line to his cartoon version and since he’s my favorite character from the series, I have to admit that I love seeing him on my shelf. Of all of the figures in this line, Hank is the one that I believe that all fans should add to their collection. He, along with all of the other figures in Wave One, are now available at very low prices at stores such as Ollie’s and online. If you’re a fan of these characters, get them now, as I’m sure the prices will definitely go up once the scalpers realize that there is a legitimate audience for these figures.

Thanks for checking out my final figure review from the Hasbro Dungeons & Dragons Cartoon Classics collection. If you enjoyed this or any other review from this series, please let me know in the comments and feel free to share my posts with folks that you believe would enjoy reading them.

Dungeons & Dragons Cartoon Classics: Bobby The Barbarian And Uni

“Try picking on somebody my size!”

Bobby was the youngest adventurer in the group of kids in the classic cartoon, Dungeons & Dragons. He was also the closest in age to me at the time. Headstrong, physically strong, and afraid of being seen as weak or immature, Bobby would often rush into battle with little concern for himself. Along for the ride was Uni the Unicorn, whom Bobby befriended when the group found Uni in the Realm.

Although not listed as a two pack, Bobby & Uni could be seen as one since both characters were prominent in the cartoon. I picked up this duo as part of the initial line in Hasbro’s Cartoon Classics series along with Hank The Ranger and Diana The Acrobat. The box had minor damage on it, but looks pretty good overall.

Along with Diana, Bobby and Uni look very much like their cartoon counterparts. Bobby has amazing articulation but, as with every other figure in this line, his joints are extremely stiff. Uni has only one point of articulation, a swiveling head.

Bobby and Uni come with a D12 die and Bobby’s club. The club fits fairly well in Bobby’s hand and works best when supported by both hands. Bobby’s helmet is not removable just in case you were wondering.

Bobby and Uni will look great on display with the rest of the gang from the Realm and Venger. While he has smaller limbs like Diana, his short stature makes him easier to pose than the Acrobat. Bobby and Uni are an excellent pair of figures and they are definitely worth adding to your collection.

Thanks for checking out my post. All I have left to review is Hank The Ranger, and he was my favorite character in the entire series. After I review Hank, I’ll be revisiting a few other toy lines. I hope that you enjoy these reviews.

Dungeons & Dragons Cartoon Classics: Diana The Acrobat

“You take two, I’ll take eighteen.”

Quite possibly the bravest member of our group of friends in the Realm, Diana the Acrobat is always ready for a fight and willing to do anything to protect herself and her friends from danger. She wields her magic staff with fierce determination and is often called upon to lead missions in the group.

Hasbro’s Cartoon Classics figure of Diana is one of the best in the line as far as looks are concerned. She’s one of the closest to actually looking like her character from the cartoon. Diana is one of three figures in the line that I purchased in a store. This meant that I was able to pick up the least damaged box I could find with her in it. Luckily for me, there was zero damage to the box I chose.

Diana comes with a D20 die and two versions of her staff. One staff is a standard version of the fully extended staff. The second version features motion blurs to give the appearance of Diana “spinning” the staff. The motion staff is cool but I actually prefer the standard version for posing.

As I said earlier, Diana looks very much like her cartoon counterpart. The only real gripe that I have is that her hair appears shorter on the figure than I remember from the cartoon. That’s a minor gripe, however, as overall this is a really nice looking figure. Diana’s costume gives her the most articulation of any figure in the line, but she suffers from the same ridiculous joint stiffness that I’ve experienced with every figure. This makes many of her poses awkward looking and her thin legs and ankles mean that I’ll need a peg stand to keep her from falling over while on display.

Diana was an excellent character in the classic D&D cartoon series. I really like this figure for the most part. Sure, there are a few minor paint app mishaps and I’m really disappointed with the fact that she can’t stand on her own very well, but the figure is very good when compared to others in this line.

I have two figures left in this series to review, and I believe that I’ll have both of those reviews posted this weekend. After that, I’ll be reviewing a few other figures from other lines (including one BST AXN figure that I’ve been hunting for for quite some time). I’ll also take a look at some old movies, a few newer ones, and might toss in some music reviews as well. Until then, thank you for checking out my post. See you very soon!

Dungeons & Dragons Cartoon Classics: Venger & Dungeon Master

“You shall see who has the greater power.”

As I continue revisiting my youth, I’ve collected all of the Dungeons And Dragons Cartoon Classics figures. The last figures that I picked up were Venger and Dungeon Master, who come in a two figure set. Even though they are the last figures that I’ve acquired in the line, I’m going to go ahead and review them now since I was excited to get these figures, but disappointed with the actual product.

Every single D&D figure that I have purchased on Amazon has arrived in a damaged box. While this dual set was the least damaged of the bunch, it was the first in which I received a damaged figure. Venger’s foot was snapped off when I opened the package. I’ve read other reviews of figures with broken parts, but this was the first one that I actually received with a damaged figure.

While we are on the subject of Venger, the figure is ridiculously stiff and difficult to pose. In all honesty, if his feet were one solid block like the Dungeon Master figure, I’d have been a lot happier. Venger has articulation similar to all of the other figures in this line, but his head cannot move due to his shoulders and his shoulders can’t move due to his shoulder pads. His legs can move thanks to the slits in the sides of his robe, but they are extremely stiff. I’m going to hot glue the poor guy’s foot back on and let him stand at the back of my display. He also feels extremely cheap despite being the tallest and biggest figure in this series. He clocks in at just over eight inches tall and features a great wingspan.

Dungeon Master is much better than Venger if you strictly want him for display. His head can’t move. His feet are one mold (which I actually like). His shoulders move and his wrists have ball joints. His paint apps are much better than Venger as well. He also has the best look of the two figures.

I do like the included background featuring the roller coaster from the classic film. The figures come with Venger’s wings (which are detachable), an extra set of hands for Venger that have an energy effect, an oversized D20 and a percentile die.

While I’m glad to have the full set of figures in this line, I’m disappointed with Venger. It’s almost as if Hasbro just decided to phone it in on the figure that could have been the best one in the series. I still need to review Hank, Diana, and Bobby and Uni. Hopefully, one of those figures will really wow me.

I have three reviews left in this series. Thanks for reading this one. I hope that you’ve found these reviews to be informative. See you next time!

Dungeons & Dragons Cartoon Classics: Presto The Magician

“My hocus-pocus is out of focus!”

If anyone on the classic Dungeons & Dragons cartoon was the perfect embodiment of low self-esteem, high intelligence, and a heaping dose of awkwardness, it was Presto the Magician. Presto was a typical 1980s nerd and most viewers of the cartoon likely identified with him. I did somewhat, but I believe that I have more of Eric the Cavalier in me than Presto. Presto would bungle his magic most of the time, but he also did some pretty amazing things that saved him, his friends, and their allies.

Hasbro’s Dungeons & Dragons Cartoon Classics: Presto The Magician action figure is pretty good. The likeness to Presto from the cartoon is okay, but not as good as the Sheila figure from the same wave. The colors on the figure, especially Presto’s green robe and hat, are brilliant.

Presto comes with quite possibly the most accessories. He’s packed with four accessories and a four-sided die. Included are a small purple magic “burst,” a larger purple burst with a trail of energy, a second hairpiece, and Presto’s signature floppy hat. Presto’s hair can be removed and replaced with the second hairpiece. This allows you to put the floppy hat on Presto. Both magic bursts can be attached to the hat as well to mimic Presto casting a spell. The burst with the energy trail can also be connected to Presto’s wrist.

Like every other figure in this series, Presto is maligned with stiff joints and limited articulation. Presto may have the most hindered articulation of all of the figures, as his robe, despite have slits on the side, prevent his legs from moving around very much. Despite this, Presto still looks great on a shelf.

In what appears to be a trend with all of these figures acquired from Amazon, Presto arrived in a damaged box. Thankfully, no parts were missing and the figure was intact. The box features excellent artwork on the front and side and a photo of Presto and his accessories on the back along with photos of Eric and Sheila.

I really like this Presto figure. I love the colors and the accessories. I also love how Presto looks on a shelf. He really draws your attention when you walk into a room. I hope that you’ve enjoyed this look at Presto, and I thank you for checking out my review.

Dungeons & Dragons Cartoon Classics: Eric The Cavalier

“You’re crazy!”

Always ready with a sarcastic suggestion or a cowardly comment, Eric The Cavalier was one of the funniest characters on the classic Dungeons & Dragons cartoon. He was also the group’s realist. As much as I longed to be as cool and brave as Hank, I identified most with Eric. Despite his somewhat cowardly ways at times, Eric was always looking out for his friends and would often step up when least expected.

Hasbro’s Cartoon Classics version of Eric is something of a letdown. Of all of the figures that I have from this line (all except for Venger and Dungeon Master), Eric looks the least like his cartoon character version. The face is a little bit off, the chain mail is grey instead of blue, and the knee guards aren’t round like the ones in the cartoon. That being said, he’s still a great addition to my collection.

Like other figures in this line, Eric’s joints are extremely stiff. He features the same points of articulation and much like some of the other figures, he’s hindered at the hips by his clothing. He comes with his trademark shield with a removable force-field effect and a ten-sided die. The shield snaps securely to his arm.

Once again I received a damaged box. Once again, I decided to discard it. If you do plan to keep the boxes, they line up to form a mural of the heroes and Venger. Hasbro’s move to plastic-free packaging (which has been put to an end) means that Eric and his accessories were packed in paper similar to the kind used to wrap tennis shoes. The packaging features some great artwork and photos of Eric, Presto, and Sheila.

In a weird turn of events, I managed to snag all of the figures in the second wave over the last couple of days. A review of Presto will be coming soon, but maybe I need to review some of the first wave figures before I get to him. Let me know in the comments if there’s a specific figure you’d like me to cover next and I’ll do my best to tackle it in my next post.

Thanks for reading my latest post. There are more figure reviews on the way!

Year In Review 2023!

Stats, Changes, And What To Expect In 2024!

2023 was a time of change for Ken’s Alternate Universe. I monetized the blog to generate a little bit of income (Thirty-four cents in seven months, I’m on fire!) and was on track to have the most posts ever in a year. Then I hit a brick wall. From changes at work to health issues with family, 2023 began to nosedive in October. I’m hoping that I’ll find my blogging stride again in 2024.

My most viewed post overall was my review of the Wednesday series that I originally posted in November of 2022. My most viewed post from 2023 was my Flash action figure review from March. The top five countries that visited my blog were the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Czechia, and Mexico. This was also my biggest year for likes, as I bagged 153 of them.

The above photo was my most viewed photo of the year. Other top photos are included in the gallery below. Y’all apparently really like KISS and Weird Science!

With the changes at my job, my posts will probably be more sporadic. That may or may not be a good thing depending on how much all of you enjoy reading my posts. I will try my best to post at least once a week. I also plan to continue with my Thirty-One Days O’Horror series this year. I’ll just have to do a bit more planning to make it happen.

Thanks to each and everyone of you that read, liked, or shared my posts. Thanks to all of you that have attended my panels over the last year as well. I hope that I get to see more of you in 2024!

Dungeons & Dragons Cartoon Classics: Sheila The Thief

“We’re trapped in another world!”

Being a kid in rural Louisiana with hardly any friends to play with in the 1980s meant that my only exposure to Dungeons & Dragons was the classic cartoon that ran for three season from 1983 to 1985. I loved the series. I didn’t even know at the time that it was based upon an actual game. I just knew that there was a group of six kids aged ten to fifteen who were trapped in a fantasy world where they fought dragons, evil wizards, and other cool things and I wanted to be just like them. Late last year, Hasbro released the first wave of their Dungeons & Dragons Cartoon Classics action figures and I patiently waited for the line to go on clearance before finally indulging my need to embrace my youth once again.

I have all of the figures in the first wave except for the dual pack that features Venger and Dungeon Master. I plan on scooping that set up real soon. I’m lacking both Eric and Presto from the second wave. I’ll get my hands on them as well in the near future. It was extremely easy to pick up Hank, Diana, and Bobby and Uni. Those figures have dropped dramatically in price in recent weeks, and I picked them all up at a reasonable price. The only figure that I paid full price for so far was Sheila, and that was only because I couldn’t find her in the wild anywhere. Therefore, I’m going to review the Sheila figure first.

Sheila was always one of my favorite characters in the series. She was one of my early animated crushes as well. The figure looks very good overall, with paint apps that are clean with no noticeable smudges. The articulation is…..okay. The figure is very stiff and I am wary to pose her too much as I might risk breaking one of her joints. The articulation in her shoulders is limited by her cloak and her hips are hindered by her skirt despite having slits on the side to move her legs outward.

The figure comes with a six-sided die and two cloaks. Like other figures in this line, her accessories are pretty limited. That said, the characters in the cartoon didn’t have many accessories, either, so I’m okay with the minimal accessories in both waves of these figures. Sheila has one cloak with the hood down that is in full color. Her second cloak is in two parts, a hood that snaps onto her head and the cloak itself. The cloak has translucent features to mimic Sheila going invisible like she did in the cartoon whenever she lifted the hood over her head. It’s a neat looking accessory and I actually prefer it on her as opposed to the other cloak.

I received my box damaged, which was both a blessing and a curse. It’s a blessing because it convinced me to toss the box instead of keeping it. It’s a curse because the artwork is beautiful and when lined up with all of the other boxes in the set, it creates a group photo featuring all of the heroes and Venger. I really don’t have space to keep the boxes, however, so tossing it was my best option.

I have to apologize for my photos. I’m at home on break for Christmas and I don’t have my normal gear with me. Once I get back to my office where I have my light box set up, I may take more photos of Sheila and include them in a later post.

I really do like the Sheila action figure. She looks great in a standing pose on my shelf. I don’t recommend picking her up for your kids, as I believe that her joints won’t survive for very long. Overall, though, she’s a beautiful figure that definitely belongs in your collection.

Thanks for checking out my post. Let me know which of the following figures you’d like me to review next in the comments section: Bobby and Uni, Diana, or Hank.

Genie (2023)

“I wish that you did….“

Swooping into the holiday season with little more than a puff of magical smoke, 2023’s Genie has been available on the Peacock streaming service since the end of November. Sadly, there hasn’t been much talk about this light family comedy starring Melissa McCarthy and Paapa Essiedu. It seems to have been pushed to the back of the Christmas movie line, unable to make a large enough impact to enter conversations that feature classic films like It’s A Wonderful Life and more recent fare such as Elf.

Genie is a remake of Richard Curtis’ Bernard and the Genie, a made-for-TV British film from 1991. Much like that film, this movie feels like a made-for-TV movie. Unlike it, this film is backed by the budget power of Universal Studios. This film could have easily found its way to the Hallmark Channel with a cast loaded with 90s soap opera stars or a female lead culled from ABC’s old TGIF Friday sitcom lineup. Instead we get Melissa McCarthy giving a standard McCarthy “fish out of water” acting routine as Flora, a genie, coupled with the straight man character of Bernard, portrayed by Paapa Essiedu. The duo work extremely well together and this keeps the movie from falling into full Hallmark Channel mode.

In the movie, Essiedu plays a father who has lost his family and his job and tries to regain his wife and daughter with the help of a sweet but very goofy genie. Along for the ride in supporting roles are Luis Guzman, Alan Cumming, Ego Nwodim, Denee Benton, and Jordyn McIntosh. Marc Maron also appears as Lenny, the doorman at Bernard’s apartment complex, who also provides a little bit of a romantic angle for McCarthy’s Flora. As Bernard wishes his way back into his family’s life, he causes problems for himself. Flora acclimates to modern society, develops a massive crush on Tom Cruise, and causes even more trouble for Bernard with every wish that she grants.

This is a very light family comedy with only a few strong words. In fact, little Eve, Bernard’s daughter, has two of the strongest words in the film. Other than those two moments, however, Genie is pretty safe for all of the family to watch.

Genie isn’t a bad film. Just don’t expect too much and you and your family will have a new film to add to your Christmas viewing rotation.

Thanks for checking out my review. See you again real soon!

Totally Killer (2023)

“Remember, avoid the knife, keep your life.”

Kiernan Shipka (Mad Men, Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina) heads up the time traveling whodunit Totally Killer. The 2023 slasher/sci-fi/dark comedy/mystery has a lot going on in it with two plots running parallel in the present and way back in 1987. In the film, Shipka plays Jamie Hughes, a sixteen year old girl who gets transported back to 1987 while being chased by the Sweet Sixteen Killer who has apparently returned to finish the job that he started in that year.

Jamie’s mother, Pam (Julie Bowen), is murdered in the present by the Sweet Sixteen Killer, who stabs his victims sixteen times. When Jamie realizes that she has been transported back in time, she attempts to not only save her mother by stopping the slasher in the past, but three other young girls who were murdered in 1987 as well. What she discovers is that her mother is part of the Mollies, a schoolgirl clique that dresses as different versions of Molly Ringwald. They also happen to be some of the biggest bullies in school. Disguising herself as Colette, a Canadian exchange student, Jamie teams up with her best friend’s mother in the past in order to discover the identity of the killer, attempt to save the other girls, and ultimately make it back to 2023.

Back in 2023, Jamie’s best friend, Amelia (Kelsey Creston), is trying to recreate the time machine that she built in honor of her mother’s failed attempts to do the same and hopes to go back in time to bring Jamie home. She, along with annoying podcaster Chris Dubusage, begin discovering clues in photos and news reports left by Jamie in the past. As Amelia puts it all together, though, the Sweet Sixteen Killer strikes again and travels back in time to stop Jamie and everyone else. Does the Sweet Sixteen Killer succeed? Does Jamie save her family? Find out in Totally Killer.

The film is…..okay. It’s not terrible at all but feels like it’s just a step or two away from being really good. The Sweet Sixteen Killer in the present is instantly obvious and the Sweet Sixteen Killer in the past isn’t that surprising when finally revealed. Director Nahnatchka Khan does a pretty good job of keeping the parallel plots reasonably easy to follow, but the bounces between past and present make it difficult to remember which teen represents which adult and vice versa. I also got tired of hearing Jamie complain about the 80s and its shortcomings viewed through her eyes. It was funny the first couple of times, but the joke quickly got old.

I will point out that most of the cast did a great job. Olivia Holt as young Pam was brilliant as was Liana Liberato, Stephi Chin-Salvo, and Anna Diaz, who portrayed the rest of the Mollies. The real standout for me was Troy Leigh-Anne Johnson as young Lauren (Amelia’s mother). I also enjoyed the performances of Jeremy Monn-Djasgnar (young Randy), Julie Bowen, and the always reliable Lochlyn Munro (adult Blake, Jamie’s father). I also loved Randall Park as the dim-witted 1987 Sheriff Lim. Kiernan Shipka did a good job overall, but her character was weighed down by less-than-stellar writing.

The film wasn’t scary at all. It had quite a few funny moments, though, especially involving Jamie discovering truths about her parents and other future adults in the past. The movie dialed in the vibe of the 1980s perfectly as well. The science fiction elements were Nickelodeon level at best, but worked for the film’s plot. As previously stated, the killer in the future was easy to peg. The 1987 version of the killer, however, was hard to uncover based primarily on the fact that the story was so all over the place that it was difficult at times to keep up with the characters. Ultimately this turned out to be an average slasher with too many additional and unnecessary elements. I enjoyed it, but not enough to want to see a second or third movie.

Thanks for checking out my review. The film is currently available on Amazon Prime and is free to watch for members. See you again real soon!