1:72 scale M25 Tank Transporter "Dragon Wagon"

The M25 Tank Transporter also known as the Dragon Wagon was a United States heavy tank transporter and tank recovery vehicle used during World War 2.
It was designed to recover the M4 Medium Tank from the front line and could easily tow the tank or haul the entire tank up on the its trailer.
I have always loved the design of the Dragon Wagon and had had my eyes on this vehicle for a pretty long time.
It was because of the cost that stopped me from getting this. Funny thing is that, when I finally met a seller who was willing to give me a $5 discount, I jumped onto it. Was $5 really that big an amount to stop me from getting it in the past...the human brain (or my brain) is so hard to fathom...:)

Anyway back to the review. This Dragon Wagon is made by Forces of Valor and I have a few 1:72 scale tanks from them.
I have always liked Forces of Valor tanks because of their high metal content and they feel heavy when carried. However this is not the case here. The actual M25 is pretty light and I suspect majority of it is made of plastic. The trailer on the other hand is heavy with a much higher metal content.
The details are pretty good here and trust me there are quite a number of details on the Dragon Wagon.
For the painting, there is nothing much to talk about as the Dragon Wagon is primarily green in colour. Forces of Valor always tries to do some sort of weathering effect but they always fall short. This is still the case here.

Another good thing about Forces of Valor is that they always give us a little figure with the vehicle. I always love that!

Overall an interesting piece to add to my 1:72 scale tanks.























Sloppy painting

Hot Toys Col. Hans Landa

Inglourious Basterds was a war film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino.
The film was about two plots to assassinate Hitler, one planned by a young French Jewish cinema proprietor, and the other by a team of Jewish Allied soldiers led by First Lieutenant Aldo Raine.
I have always loved films by Tarantino however I am not liking this one. The same can be said for this figure, I love Hot Toys offerings but for this figure I am not that into it.
The main reason why I bought this figure was the fabulous performance of Christoph Waltz who played the character.
The packaging is a box with a cover which reminds me of a shoe box. Inside you have 2 layers, one for the figure and the other for the accessories. I like this kind of packaging as it is simple and saves space. The cover of the box shows the face of Col. Hans Landa and the design follows the design of the movie poster.
At the back of the box, there is a quote by Col. Hans Landa.







1st layer which houses the figure


2nd layer with the accessories


The sculpt is actually the area in which I am pretty disappointed in. Don't get me wrong, this is not a bad sculpt but I am comparing this with all the great offerings that Hot Toys had spoilt us with. Compared to those, this is a pretty average sculpt.
Based on realism, the sculpt is of course great, however the resemblance to Col. Hans Landa is disappointing.









I like the uniform and it is very well done. I like the material used which is very soft.
The soft boots are great and do not hinder articulation.



My favourite outfit has to be the leather coat. It is very well made and the figure looks real good with it on.



There are some complains on the web regarding the soft cap but I think it is not too bad. On first glance, I thought it might not work but once I put it on, it looks good.









For accessories you get the Luger and the holster. The holster can be attached to the belt by 2 straps. Be careful with the straps as I managed to snap one. The Luger can be put into the holster but it is a tight fit. Knowing my luck, I have decided not to force the Luger in.
For hands, you get 3 extra hands.
You also get the leather bag which is cool plus a pair of gloves. I don't think you can wear the gloves over the hands. I have decided not to try it.
You either let the figure hold it or you can put in around the belt.
My favourite accessory has to be the big yellow pipe! I was amused by it in the movie and I am happy Hot Toys have added that in.





The big yellow pipe


The very well made leather bag


Overall an average figure based on the standard of Hot Toys.
However I had to get this figure mainly because of the great performance by Christoph Waltz.