Art Design: What a box! The front of the box is a reproduction of a Lobby Card or poster from the movie Dr. No (1962). The back of the box provides a little bit of film history and some still photos from the original movie along with photos of the Sean Connery action figure and the Joseph Weiss (Dr. No) action figure. The fifth panel interior cover lists the entire cast from the movie, and a plot synopsis. The figure and accessories are mounted on a thin vacu-formed transparent plastic that has tabs holding in some of the gear, so that if you are not careful, it can be easy to snap a rifle barrel or any other thin plastic item.
The Headsculpt & Figure: The sculpt of Sean Connery circa 1962 is incredibly accurate. This is the best headsculpt that Sideshow has done in my humble opinion. If you take a look at the face from various angles it really looks like Sean Connery! You can almost hear him say "Bond. JAMES Bond. I like mine shaken, not stirred." The figure is the standard Sideshow body. The face and hands have a normal skin tone, and not the wooden varnish tone that is often a trademark of Sideshow Toy's action figures.
The Outfit: is a very well taliored suit like the one Connery wore in Dr. No. The fit is excellent, as if it had been hand-tailored. James Bond has never looked better!
The Booze: How times have changed! Back in 1962, a hard-drinking spy was the epitome of cool! Now, someone like James Bond would be sent to a alcoholism rehabilitation center to explore his (or her) feelings and start the twelve step program. Yet, back in the 1960s, James Bond was pounding down the martinis every chance he got. Even in the more recent Bond movies the drinking has been tapered down (smoking was eliminated several years ago).
The Gear: Bond has been equipped with a couple of handguns and silencers! It looks like a Walther PPK and a Walther P-38. The silencers fit perfectly on the small weapons, but neither handgun fits very well into the holster. The holster looks like the one used in the movie. However it is made of a hard plastic and neither handgun can fit all the way into it. A swatch of fabric is glued to the holster, and two bits of elastic are sewn to the fabric. It looks a bit flimsy, but then that is how it looked in the actual movie. If you are not going to display Bond as a character from film history, then this shoulder holster can be tossed and replaced with anything more modern and a lot better by Dragon, Blue Box Elite, or Ultimate Soldier.
Overall: The MSRP on this item seems to be $40.00. If you can get it mailed to you for that price or less, it is a good deal. As a fan of James Bond and Sean Connery, this has to rate as the best Bond ever!
Grade: A+
