Review – One:12 Collective Judge Dredd “Cursed Earth” Action Figure

Mezco’s One: 12 Collective series of 6-inch scale action figures (find at Amazon.com*) is far more incredible than I had hoped. So far I’ve opened up one of their Dark Knight* action figures and the Previews Cursed Earth Judge Dredd figure* shown here and I can report that these are both amazing action figures. It is almost as if Mezco took all of the engineering of 12-inch scale action figures and downscaled the improvements of the last decade into 6-inch scale figures, resulting in toys that are a remarkable bargain and very fun to pose and photograph.

Judge Death?

The very first thing that ran through my head as I started playing with the Cursed Earth Judge Dredd figure* was a question of how well this would look with the 3A Judge Death that I reviewed last week. Awesome, is the one word answer. Judge Death could stand to be just a little taller in comparison to Dredd, but as the pic above shows us, the two toys fit together quite nicely. That’s a good thing, because now I know the 3A Judge Fear* and Judge Mortis* action figures are both worth grabbing. Order placed!

Previews Exclusive

This Cursed Earth Judge Dredd figure* is quite similar to the standard One: 12 Collective Judge Dredd, with the significant changes between the two the addition of a cloak and rifle as well as changes to the colors of the costume and accessories. The Previews exclusive Dredd shown here is far shinier and metallic when it comes to the shoulder pads and bodysuit, and that cloak is so perfect that I could see myself only displaying this version of the toy.

Weathered Cloak

As you can see by the pics, the cloth cloak drapes nicely over the Cursed Earth Judge Dredd figure*, preparing Dredd for whatever foul weather he may encounter in the wasteland known as the Cursed Earth. A tampo print badge and paint splatters representing mud and grime keep the cloth from looking plain, and the stiff fabric molds and shapes well with velcro strips down the sides pulling everything together once you’ve pulled it over Dredd’s head.

You can use the cloak over the shoulder pads, yes, but I find that removing the two shoulder pads — which is easy, since both connect with magnets — and then pulling the cloak over Dredd’s head results in a nicer look. In the pics shown here, only the top pic (of Dredd on the stand) includes the shoulder pads under the cloak. The other photos showing the cloak on the Cursed Earth Judge Dredd figure* were taken after I removed the two shoulder pads.

Under the Cloak

The following photos show the Cursed Earth Judge Dredd figure* with the cloak removed, and in looking at these shots I must again state that the cloak adds so much depth and character to the figure design that I’m glad I selected the Previews exclusive figure to open and display. The figure minus the cloak looks great, yes, but there’s something about Dredd in that durable fabric cloak that strikes me as just perfect. I really should grab a Mezco Lawmaster* because I’m betting this figure would look even cooler with the cloak draped over the body as it sits astride the cycle.

Rifle

Dredd’s rifle includes a removable magazine, and the toy comes with enough interchangeable hands (six total) that it is easy to get everything properly situated. My one complaint with the rifle is that there’s no strap; the addition of a strap so that Dredd could wear this slung over his shoulder is seriously my only complaint with the Cursed Earth Judge Dredd figure*. I could find other problems — mostly focused on how the cloth bodysuit restricts movement — but those are all minor and don’t detract at all from the fun of playing with the toy.

Removable Accessories

The Cursed Earth Judge Dredd figure* includes two grenades, a baton, and an extra rifle magazine that all slot into the back of the belt (shown below). I was a little worried about how well those accessories would stay in place, but since inserting each of the four items into the belt they’ve held their place and not given me any troubles.

Additionally, Dredd can hold his knife and Lawgiver pistol in boot holsters. As with the belt accessories, the knife remains snug and secure, but that pistol likes to fall out of the holster each time I pick up the toy. The problem is fixed by either slapping the pistol into Dredd’s hand or with a little poster tack, but I hope Mezco learns from this holster flaw and their future toys better hold accessories. This is more an annoyance than a problem, but I can see where forgetting about the problem could lead to a lost weapon.

And as I mentioned, the figure comes with six separate hands. I am usually against interchangeable hands on smaller action figures, but the ball connector on the wrists of this Cursed Earth Judge Dredd figure* have proven to be functional and secure, giving me no problems at all when swapping out the hands. I’ve had more problems with the interchangeable hands on 12-inch scale action figures than I’ve had on this 6-inch scale figure, leading me to think that Mezco put a lot of effort into the design of this toy.

A Fantastic Toy

This Cursed Earth Judge Dredd action figure* is the best toy I’ve opened this year, standing even above the 3A Judge Death that I reviewed last week. What is great is that the two toys display nicely together, and I am now going to grab a Mezco Lawmaster* which will require deciding where to display these 6-inch scale Judge Dredd action figures. They won’t fit where I have them now once the Lawmaster arrives, but if that cycle is put together with as much love and care as this One:12 Collective action figure then it will be worth shaking up the toy displays to find the room for the cycle.

The other thing this toy has done is make me realize I should swing by the Mezco booth at New York Toy Fair next month and get a look at what’s next. Maybe Judge Dredd will get a few more additions to the line? I’d sure love to see Mezco bring us a comic-styled Mean Machine to put up against this Cursed Earth Judge Dredd action figure*.