Retro Cheetah Review: The Good, the Bad, and What the Heck Were They Thinking?

[JediJaida]

After avoiding these for a few years, I finally bit the bullet and got a Cheetah figure.

I have to say, that upon close examination, she isn't all that bad. She isn't all that great either.

Let me explain.

The head: It is comparable in size with that of any of the Mego Supergals, which SHOULD make it look oversized. However, due to the differences in circumference between a Retro Mego and a Classic Mego, it doesn't.

The shoulder joints can be raised from the sides, and from examining them, I'm supposing that it is like the peg system in the Yvonne figure.

The legs, aren't. I took a peek and it looked like there was a high quality rubber band providing tension.

The body:

The body sculpt is not too bad: The bust isn't overlarge or too small, but a nice medium. It is more in line with that of a female athlete than a pinup bimbo. The joints at the elbows are very nice, and have the right amount of stiffness so that they don't flop around.

The thighs: This is my major bugaboo about this figure. There is nothing wrong with a female action figure having muscular thighs. HOWEVER, their artists must not have studied female anatomy that well, because the thighs are very out of whack. They curve outward too much, making the figure appear bow legged.

If anything, the curvature should have been more in the hip area, not the thigh area. After all, what woman wants huge upper thighs? Especially in a tight costume.

Oh, before I forget. The costume.

It has a nice tight fit, not all saggy and baggy like the Classic Mego figures, and is of a slicker material.

I really, REALLY like the boots too! They are not flimsy and thing plastic like the CM figures had, or even the FTC girls have. These boots are squishy, but sturdy, and I wish that they had been available separately in different colors

On a scale of 1 - 10, I'd give it a solid 7.75.

The good: Nice body sculpt. Nice head, hands and feet.

The bad: Badly sewn snap in the back. Very static expression on the face.

What the Heck Were They Thinking?: Those thighs are the WORST!!!


Anyway, that's my review.

Feel free to comment on your own Cheetah figure, or even on this thread.

[thunderbolt]

I dunno, but the Cheetah body sure makes Harley Quinn a lot curvier.

[Boywonder0]

I dunno, but the Cheetah body sure makes Harley Quinn a lot curvier.

It is the BEST mego-like female body out there! It beats the cr@p out of Yvonne!

[rche]

The only thing I didn't like about the Matty body for gals was the knock-knee posture. Made for a great Leela kit bash.

[thunderbolt]

It is the BEST mego-like female body out there! It beats the cr@p out of Yvonne!

yep, I've got two more waiting for Catwoman and Batgirl. THe Mego repro female needs to be forgotten about.

[JediJaida]

If Yvonne were a bit curvier on the bottom, but NOT knock kneed; and could accept Mego Gal heads, she'd be perfect for all customs.

[Bronxboykev]

I have been saying it for Quite awhile, The Mattel Retro Female body is the best way to go for a female custom... with Yvonne a close second.

[Teemu]

It is the BEST mego-like female body out there! It beats the cr@p out of Yvonne!

if floppy legs and limited posing is your taste

Yvonne poses like crazy and CAN accept Mego heads with modification

[thunderbolt]

sorry, but none of mine have floppy legs, it seems to be limited to the Mattel males. And "with modification" is the catch and the sore point on the Castaway body. It should have been made to work with other figure parts, its really limiting to its uses if it can't use heads, shoes, etc. from Mego, Mattel, CTVT or EMCE.

[JediJaida]

To be fair, all she needs is a neck post that can take a Mego head, and feet that are small enough to fit into the girly boots.

[Teemu]

sorry, but none of mine have floppy legs, it seems to be limited to the Mattel males. And "with modification" is the catch and the sore point on the Castaway body. It should have been made to work with other figure parts, its really limiting to its uses if it can't use heads, shoes, etc. from Mego, Mattel, CTVT or EMCE.

I don't see why Craig has not made a mod chest piece to truely accept the female mego heads.His sales would go way up on his Yvonne body....IMO,that is the biggest problem with it.The head issue,it can be done if one wants to put in the time and modification into it.

[Teemu]

To be fair, all she needs is a neck post that can take a Mego head, and feet that are small enough to fit into the girly boots.

pretty much...a dremel sander would take care of the feet to fit though...might not work if you want the feet displayed naked,but with the clothes and boots covering,you'd never know it

[daz71]

maybe if castaway did a range of heads with rooted hair to fit the yvonne body that would be good .there are plenty of resin female heads on ebay to fit yvonne.

[Confessional]

Interesting discussion. I too keep hearing the Cheetah bod referenced.

While I have not yet messed with the Mattel body, as a cust0mizer/maker/whatever, I'd rather have a great body and customize the accessories, clothing, etc, rather than a shafty body that accepts stock accessories. Yvonne is like more like a modern 1/6 body which is really great in 1/9 scale and [with the exception of the newer NECA bods] the only option of its kind. I suppose if you only like Mego [sic] style figures then Yvonne is not what you're after, but for those of us trying to make something else, she's brilliant.

[thunderbolt]

^^^ I agree that its a great figure, just a shame that it limits itself to only its own parts and then there are no additional parts, clothes, heads or boots made available by the manufacturer. They have done other parts for the S-Type, but not much for Yvonne, and its an untapped market. I don't mind doing mods to stuff, but my Mego customizing is pretty tame and I usually don't do much Frankensteining in this scale.