WWE Basic Series Alexa Bliss figure review
Alexa Bliss epitomizes the good things/small packages saying. She’s been a favorite of mine since she was the Sparkle Princess on NXT. But it was her heel turn that proved a terrific spotlight even if that evil witch persona seems so far removed from her backstage persona.
I thought I could show some patience and hold out for Alexa’s upcoming Elite figure, but when I saw her on the shelf, I decided patience is for suckers. And I got a Slammy! Let’s see how Ms. Bliss’ first figure fares.
Packaging: This is the standard Basic packaging. I won’t complain as the name of the series is clear. Basic figure, basic cost, basic packaging. No problem. The package does highlight this is Alexa’s first figure and has a special place for the Slammy accessory.
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Likeness: This is one of Mattel’s best women sculpts yet. It captures Alexa’s sneer tremendously. And in maybe the biggest irony for the female figures, Alexa always gives the talk to the hand gesture so her having a slap hand would make sense. I won’t complain though. Alexa has thick thighs, which are captured decently with the muscular short thighs.
Scale: Alexa is tiny clocking in at 5’1”. That puts her shorter than Sasha Banks at 5’5” and the 5’6” Bayley. That height isn’t perfectly translated, but Alexa is short like she’s supposed to be.
Paint: Alexa tends to wear heavy eye shadow to help convey her evil shrew look. This paint job gives it a shot, but it’s not quite there. Alexa’s iris is fuller as well, but the figure has really small ones, which diminishes the likeness.
Normally I’m not this picky with the likeness, but the sculpt is perfect and is only let down by the eye paint work. I’m curious if Mattel will fix this for the upcoming Elite version. Otherwise, I’d love to see what customizers could do with her.
The paint work on the standard Divas tank top is better than normal, hiding the sculpt lines well. At least on the front. Mattel opted not to paint the straps on her back. It’s a bad look. They weren’t going to win any accuracy points with the tank top re-use so they may as well just painted the straps.
The line work of Alexa’s outfit is decent. The Alexa lettering doesn’t line up just right, but there’s not a lot of room there so it’s somewhat understandable. The belt isn’t accurate at all and doesn’t have the point like Alexa’s outfit.
Articulation: One of the reasons I was interested in getting the Alexa figure was due to her body type. Mattel has made few adjustments to the standard Divas/Women body. Of those, the best is the smaller buck used on Sasha Banks, AJ Lee and now Alexa.
The body allows for somewhat smoother articulation and movement. The body still badly needs a better mid-torso joint with more of a back and forth motion.
Getting standard moves is trickier as a result. Alexa’s shorter legs and arms also proved problematic with submission holds. The hair doesn’t impede movement too much, but it’s a little annoying having to move every time. I’m assuming the Elite figure will have more of the hair to the back. The knee pads are thick enough to make leg moves harder than necessary.
Alexa has:
- neck
- ball-jointed shoulders
- bicep
- elbow
- wrist
- wrist hinge
- torso
- hip
- thigh
- knee (double-jointed)
- ankle
Accessories: Usually Basics earn a quick goose egg here, but this series actually comes with an essential one for old school fans. That’s right, everyone comes with a Slammy. It’s scaled well and is great for figure bragging.
Beyond making me want an Owen Hart even more, this is a nice bonus. I’d love if Mattel included something at this small scale with every Basic series.
Worth it? I got Alexa for $10, the standard Basic price. That’s the big advantage over the upcoming Elite figure.
Rating: 8 out of 10
With a Mattel Blake and Murphy looking highly unlikely at this point, this version is strictly for hardcore Alexa fans. Or those who just want a Slammy. Otherwise, I’d probably suggest waiting for the Elite version for one of her more comic book inspired attires.
Where to get it? I found Alexa at Wal-Mart, but I’ve found this series at Targets and Toys R Us as well. You can always grab her on Amazon.com.