And now for the third of four toy reviews for Jada Toys Die-Cast Halo vehicles.
One thing I can say for Jada is they have a nice packaging display. The toys are clearly seen as evidenced by this shot of the front of the Banshee box.
I mentioned before how I thought it was a little strange to have a mounted post within the packaging. I did come to the conclusion that it was to keep the toys intact and it certainly helps with the Banshee set. There are some innner plastic bubbles that help to keep it in place too, but given the weight of the toy, a mounted post was definitely needed.
Unlike the post for the mongoose which can easily be hidden, the post for the Banshee doesn’t really serve any additional purpose once the toy is outside of the box.
Now on to the cockpit area.
In the above pic you can see that the hinge joint for opening/closing the cockpit is made of plastic. Due to the weight of the upper piece which seems to be made mostly of metal, this hinge is a bit weak. Mine started swiveling slightly from just the very first use of it to insert the Elite pilot.
Also, note that the inner cockpit is a dull plastic. Not what I expected in a Die-Cast metal toy.
I will say that the paint job on the Banshee is exquisite. Very glossy, great color. Unfortunately, there were several small nicks in the paint, mostly around the upper rear cockpit area that are visible. That detracts slightly from an otherwise fantastic paint application. So before just picking one off the shelf, inspect the toy through the large clear bubble to check for nicks.
One thing that really bothered me most though was that there was a bend in one of the tail fins. I’m going to guess that this was done due to the way it was packed. The tail fins are plastic, as they should be for safety. However, that also means you might get one with this defect.
Also note that while the underside is detailed, it too is made of plastic, not metal.
For a set that costs between $18-$20, I would expect a little more metal in a die-cast toy.
Another VERY disappointing thing is that the wings do not rotate what-so-ever. If they do, then mine are stuck in place and I dare not try to force it, less I break the toy.
Now to the minifigs.
Once again we have a Grunt and Elite. No difference with this Elite compared to the one with the Ghost. The only change to the grunt is the weapon. From a Plasma Pistol with the Ghost set to a Fuel Rod Gun in the Banshee set. Problem is…
As you can see in this shot, the Fuel Rod Gun is grossly underscaled. That weapon should be nearly as big as the whole grunt itself. I can only guess that Jada made it so small so that the figure would still be able to stand upright as it might tip over if made in scale.
Okay, so what are my final thoughts on this set? Well, if you are a fan who likes to keep stuff in the package, then I highly recommend getting this set. However, if you’re a fan like me who likes to open just about everything, well you need to consider what you’re going to do with it once it’s open.
Given the plastic underside you are limited in displaying this, unless you don’t mind the plastic side being shown. Personally, I think the glossy metal needs to be the showcase here. With mine, I’m also forced to display it as shown in the pic above with the bent tail fin away from view.
So use your own discretion, certainly look it over first before buying it then decide. Is it worth $20? I have to say no. While it’s big and does have weight to it, it’s lack of articulation as well as a higher use of plastic compared to the other sets makes this set feel a little cheap in comparison. This especially when you compare it to the smaller sets in the line.
-Sal
