Playmobil 5186 Police Special Forces Unit

This is the Playmobil 5186 Police Special Forces Unit which consists of 3 Playmobil Police Officers fully dressed in riot gear including Riot Shield and a Police Dog. I've always liked Playmobil while growing up and my first Playmobil figure I got as an adult was the Playmobil 3949 Deep Sea Diver (see the pictures in my toy blog post HERE). I was attracted to it because the mini figure was identical to the Action Man 1/6 scale Deep Sea Diver (check out the pictures HERE) which I thought was rather cool. It's like a "Mini-Me" (Mini-Me is a character played by Verne Troyer in the second and third Austin Powers movies: Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me and Austin Powers in Goldmember. Before Dr. Evil was sent back in time to 1969, his minions made him a clone. The clone was identical in every way, but he was "one-eighth his size". Upon being introduced to his clone, Dr. Evil immediately declared, "Breathtaking. I shall call him... Mini-Me")

Since then, I've been picking up Playmobil figures on and off, only when I really liked what I saw and when I felt they would belong as part of my toy collection :) Not obsessive, just selective haha. Lately Playmobil has been coming out with more themes and offering a greater range of products which suit me just fine. This set was one I could not resist since I'm into 1/6 scale S.W.A.T. figures as well - check out my recent post of "1/6 scale S.W.A.T. 12-inch Action Figures" HERE. They really look impressive when assembled together. This Playmobil 5186 Police Special Forces Unit just look so cool with helmets that have the full face shield, gas mask and full body shield as well.

The Playmobil 5186 Police Special Forces Unit packaging box show off the three figures straight away and the back of the box shows you what you'll find inside the box once you opened it. I much prefer Playmobil figures to Lego figures because Playmobil figures are much bigger in size and offers more details. Lego figures have mostly painted on details and do not have molded extra pieces. They offer a world of imagination to children and even adults who bother to tinker with them but the end result is still a very blocky look and not as finished as Playmobil figures are.

Check out the Playmobil 5186 Police Special Forces Unit K-9 unit officer (wearing his beret and radio comms) with his canine companion

Playmobil 5186 Police Special Forces Unit officer with helmet and radio comms, face shield and assault rifle

Playmobil 5186 Police Special Forces Unit officer with gas mask, helmet with face shield, gloves, baton and full body shield

All three officers from the Playmobil 5186 Police Special Forces Unit have pistols which can be stored in their holsters

Here's a picture of the latest Playmobil 5186 Police Special Forces Unit standing among their other police officers - Playmobil #5790 Special Agent figure (pictures posted HERE), Playmobil #4693 SWAT Police Officer Figure (more pictures HERE) and Playmobil Policeman with Tracking Dog

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Playmobil 5118 Custom Motorcycle with Rider

How about a break from 1/6 for a day?

I always liked bikes and Playmobil bikes are no different :) This custom motorcycle with rider is from Playmobil 5118 and among the six bikes in this particular series, this is my favorite. That's because he's "wearing" urban camouflage (not fabric / cloth outfit but painted to look like it) and the bike looks to be the classic type of bike built for rough handling and dirt riding ;p

Scroll down to see more pictures of this Playmobil 5118 Custom Motorcycle with Rider

The motorcycle rider / biker comes with one helmet, goggles, yellow scarf and a pair of gloves (these are clip-on types since this is Playmobil after all)

Motorcycles are one of the most affordable forms of motorised transport in many parts of the world and, for most of the world's population, they are also the most common type of motor vehicle. There are around 200 million motorcycles (including mopeds, motor scooters, motorised bicycles, and other powered two and three-wheelers) in use worldwide, or about 33 motorcycles per 1000 people. This compares to around 590 million cars, or about 91 per 1000 people. (source: wiki)

Most of the motorcycles, 58%, are in the developing countries of Asia – Southern and Eastern Asia, and the Asia Pacific countries, excluding Japan – while 33% of the cars (195 million) are concentrated in the United States and Japan. In 2006, China had 54 million motorcycles in use and an annual production of 22 million units. As of 2002, India, with an estimated 37 million motorcycles / mopeds, was home to the largest number of motorised two wheelers in the world. China came a close second with 34 million motorcycles / mopeds.

In numerous cultures, motorcycles are the primary means of motorised transport. According to the Taiwanese government, for example, "the number of automobiles per ten thousand population is around 2,500, and the number of motorcycles is about 5,000." In places such as Vietnam, motorised traffic consist of mostly motorbikes due to a lack of public transport and low income levels that put automobiles out of reach for many. The four largest motorcycle markets in the world are all in Asia: China, India, Indonesia, and Vietnam.

Motorcycle construction is the engineering, manufacturing, and assembly of components and systems for a motorcycle which results in the performance, cost, and aesthetics desired by the designer. With some exceptions, construction of modern mass-produced motorcycles has standardised on a steel or aluminium frame, telescopic forks holding the front wheel, and disc brakes. A petrol powered engine typically consisting of between one and four cylinders (and less commonly, up to eight cylinders) coupled to a manual five- or six-speed sequential transmission drives the swingarm-mounted rear wheel by a chain, driveshaft or belt.

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Merry Christmas and Happy Boxing Day with Playmobil Set 4890 Santa Claus and Snowman

Boxing Day is traditionally the day following Christmas Day, when servants and tradesmen would receive gifts from their superiors or employers, known as a "Christmas box". Today, Boxing Day is better known as a bank or public holiday that occurs on 26 December, or the first or second weekday after Christmas Day, depending on national or regional laws. It is observed in the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and some other Commonwealth nations.

In South Africa, Boxing Day was renamed to Day of Goodwill in 1994. In Ireland it is recognised as St. Stephen's Day (Irish: Lá Fhéile Stiofáin) or the Day of the Wren (Irish: Lá an Dreoilín). In some European countries, notably Germany, Lithuania, Poland, Scandinavia and the Netherlands, 26 December is celebrated as the Second Christmas Day. [source: wiki]

I had already posted on Christmas (see previous post) but hey, Christmas is more than a day. Some people even celebrate Christmas over 12 days, as the lyrics of a popular song goes. This is the Playmobil set no. 4890 which consists of a 7.5 cm (2.95 inches) tall Playmobil Santa Claus mini figure and a Snowman mini figure. I much prefer Playmobil figures to Lego figures because Playmobil figures are bigger and cheaper, hence more value-for-money than Lego figures which are smaller and while the attire of most Lego figures is mostly painted on, Playmobil figures have costumes that are layered which makes it more interesting :) Scroll down to see more pictures

This Playmobil set 4890 comes with two mini figures - Santa Claus bearing gifts (a doll, a teddy bear and a football / soccer ball which goes inside his sack) and a Snowman. Both are typical Christmas icons. A number of figures are associated with Christmas and the seasonal giving of gifts. Among these are Father Christmas, also known as Santa Claus (derived from the Dutch for Saint Nicholas), Père Noël, and the Weihnachtsmann; Saint Nicholas or Sinterklaas; the Christkind; Kris Kringle; Joulupukki; Babbo Natale; Saint Basil; and Father Frost.

The best known of these figures today is red-dressed Santa Claus, of diverse origins. The name Santa Claus can be traced back to the Dutch Sinterklaas, which means simply Saint Nicholas. Nicholas was Bishop of Myra, in modern day Turkey, during the 4th century. Among other saintly attributes, he was noted for the care of children, generosity, and the giving of gifts. His feast on December 6 came to be celebrated in many countries with the giving of gifts.

Saint Nicholas traditionally appeared in bishop's attire, accompanied by helpers, inquiring about the behaviour of children during the past year before deciding whether they deserved a gift or not. By the 13th century, Saint Nicholas was well known in the Netherlands, and the practice of gift-giving in his name spread to other parts of central and southern Europe.

The modern popular image of Santa Claus, however, was created in the United States, and in particular in New York. The transformation was accomplished with the aid of notable contributors including Washington Irving and the German-American cartoonist Thomas Nast (1840–1902). Following the American Revolutionary War, some of the inhabitants of New York City sought out symbols of the city's non-English past. New York had originally been established as the Dutch colonial town of New Amsterdam and the Dutch Sinterklaas tradition was reinvented as Saint Nicholas.

Father Christmas, a jolly, well nourished, bearded man who typified the spirit of good cheer at Christmas, predates the Santa Claus character. He is first recorded in early 17th century England, but was associated with holiday merrymaking and drunkenness rather than the bringing of gifts. In Victorian Britain, his image was remade to match that of Santa. The French Père Noël evolved along similar lines, eventually adopting the Santa image. In Italy, Babbo Natale acts as Santa Claus, while La Befana is the bringer of gifts and arrives on the eve of the Epiphany. It is said that La Befana set out to bring the baby Jesus gifts, but got lost along the way. Now, she brings gifts to all children. In some cultures Santa Claus is accompanied by Knecht Ruprecht, or Black Peter. In other versions, elves make the toys. His wife is referred to as Mrs. Claus.

Current tradition in several Latin American countries (such as Venezuela and Colombia) holds that while Santa makes the toys, he then gives them to the Baby Jesus, who is the one who actually delivers them to the children's homes, a reconciliation between traditional religious beliefs and the iconography of Santa Claus imported from the United States.

A snowman is an anthropomorphic snow sculpture. They are customarily built as part of a family project in celebration of winter. In some cases, participants in winter festivals will build large numbers of snowmen. Because a snowman is situation-specific, it is a good example of popular installation art.

Typical snowmen feature three large snowballs, and some additional accoutrements for facial and other features. Common accessories include branches for arms and a rudimentary smiley face; a carrot can stand in for a nose. Human clothing, such as hat or scarf may even be included. Low-cost and availability are an issue, since snowmen are usually in a cold and / or wet environment, and abandoned to the elements once completed. Melting is a common end-of-life scenario for most snowmen.

In Europe and North America, snowmen are built with three spheres depicting the head, torso, and lower body. The usual practice is to then dress the snowman, usually with rocks, coal, sticks, and vegetables. Carrots or cherries are often used for the nose, as are sticks for arms and stones for eyes (traditionally lumps of coal). Some like to dress their snowmen in clothing (scarves, jackets, hats). Others prefer not to risk leaving supplies out doors where they could easily be stolen or become stuck under melting ice.

Playmobil Snowman mini figure has a pot for a hat, carrot for a nose with painted on eyes, smile and buttons, presumably from lumps of coals or stones. It has sticks for arms and comes with a walking stick / staff and a broom stick as well.

Snowmen are a popular theme for Christmas and winter decorations and also in children's media. A famous snowman character is Frosty, the titular snowman in the popular children's song "Frosty the Snowman", who had a corncob pipe, a button nose, and two eyes made out of coal.

The record for the world's largest snowman was set in 2008 in Bethel, Maine. The snow-woman stood 122 feet 1 inch (37.21 m) in height, and was named in honor of Olympia Snowe, the senior Republican U.S. Senator representing Maine.

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Playmobil Fi?ures Series 3 female mini figure looks a lot like Charlize Theron as Aeon Flux

From one female assassin (see previous post) to another...

Æon Flux is a 2005 science fiction film directed by Karyn Kusama and it is a loose adaptation of the animated science fiction television series of the same name. The movie stars Charlize Theron as Æon Flux. Aeon Flux is a mysterious assassin working for the Monicans, a group of rebels trying to overthrow the government. When she is a sent on a mission to kill the Chairman, a whole new mystery is found.

Æon Flux was originally an avant-garde science fiction animated television series that aired on MTV in various forms throughout the 1990s, with film, comic book, and video game adaptations following thereafter. Æon Flux is set in a bizarre, dystopian future world. The title character is a tall, leather-clad secret agent from the nation of Monica, skilled in assassination and acrobatics.

One of the female figures from Playmobil's new line that is Playmobil Fi?ures Series 3 just happen to look a lot like Aeon Flux from the movie because of the way she is "dressed" / designed. The Playmobil figure has the same looking outfit as Charlize Theron in Æon Flux. Playmobil does not outrightly say that this is a Aeon Flux mini-figure but the resemblance is all too obvious.

PLAYMOBIL Fi?ures Series 3 was launched recently and has 24 new fun characters for boys and girls (12 for boys and 12 for girls), adding to the creative line-up of figures from its mystery bag. The figures come unassembled with various interchangeable parts and accessories. They can be combined and assembled to the heart’s content.

Playmobil even duplicated how Charlize Theron as Æon Flux carried her weapon - in a holster on her upper back. I thought this was a pretty neat move on Playmobil's part. These mini figures from their Fi?ures line don't cost a lot but they are certainly a FUN distraction from everything 1/6 scale.

What Charlize Theron wore as Aeon Flux is not exactly the outfit seen in the animated series. I doubt the original skimpy revealing outfit would have ever made it into the film or pass the censors ;p

I guess this is the closest thing to a Aeon Flux figure that you'll ever see. There have been some customized Aeon Flux figures but those are most probably one-of-a-kind.

Kudos to Playmobil for stepping up and producing these rather unique figures that are way outside their normal lines and allowing collectors to enjoy that little thrill of feeling the bag for the mystery prize.

And here's a picture of Playmobil's Lara Croft (reviewed in my earlier toy blog post HERE) and Aeon Flux standing side-by-side (Note the difference in the skin tones). That's girl power for you. Glad to see more female leads taking up the hero roles instead of just playing the damsel in distress.

Another Playmobil female figure recently added was the Playmobil Fi?ures Series 3 Statue of Liberty mini figure which was reviewed HERE

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Happy Halloween from The Scarecrow mini figure, part of Playmobil Figures Series 3

Halloween or Hallowe'en, also known as All Hallows' Eve, is a yearly celebration observed in a number of countries on October 31, the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Hallows. According to many scholars, All Hallows' Eve was originally influenced by western European harvest festivals and festivals of the dead with possible pagan roots, particularly the Celtic Samhain. Others maintain that it originated independently of Samhain and has Christian roots. [source: wiki]

Typical festive Halloween activities include trick-or-treating (also known as "guising"), attending costume parties, carving pumpkins into jack-o'-lanterns, lighting bonfires, apple bobbing, visiting haunted attractions, playing pranks, telling scary stories, and watching horror films.

The third series of crazy playing and collecting fun with PLAYMOBIL Figures (or Fi?ures) is already here! PLAYMOBIL launched 24 new fun characters for boys and girls (12 for boys and 12 for girls), adding to the creative line-up of figures from its mystery bag. The figures come unassembled with various interchangeable parts and accessories. They can be combined and assembled to the heart’s content.

This Scarecrow mini figure is one of the 12 Playmobil figures (fi?ures) released as part of series 3 and how appropriate it is to feature it on Halloween ;p

It's a pretty nice figure that is well thought out and put together, with the long black overcoat and the garden fork (also spading fork, digging fork or graip)

Its face or head is a jack-o'-lantern, which is typically a carved pumpkin, named after the phenomenon of strange light flickering over peat bogs, called ignis fatuus or jack o' lantern.

In a jack o' lantern, typically the top is cut off, and the inside flesh then scooped out; an image, usually a monstrous face, is carved out, and the lid replaced. It is typically seen during Halloween.

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Playmobil Figures Series 3 "Statue of Liberty" mini figure (La Liberté éclairant le monde)

The Statue of Liberty (Liberty Enlightening the World; French: La Liberté éclairant le monde) is a colossal neoclassical sculpture on Liberty Island in New York Harbor, designed by Frédéric Bartholdi and dedicated on October 28, 1886.

The statue, a gift to the United States from the people of France, is of a robed female figure representing Libertas, the Roman goddess of freedom, who bears a torch and a tabula ansata (a tablet evoking the law) upon which is inscribed the date of the American Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776.

The Statue of Liberty is an icon of freedom and of the United States: a welcoming signal to immigrants arriving from abroad.


The "Statue of Liberty" mini figure (French: La Liberté éclairant le monde) is part of the Playmobil Figures Series 3 set of female figures that have just been released.

Playmobil Fi?ures Series comes disassembled in loose parts all in a bag. You get to assemble the parts to form a whole or you can mix and match parts to customize your own mini figure.

Scroll down to see more pictures of this Playmobil Fi?ures Series 3 "Statue of Liberty" mini figure (for girls) with torch and tablet. Another nice figure from Playmobil. Between Playmobil and Lego, I much prefer Playmobil because they are bigger in size and hence has more presence.

I admire those people who are able to turn the individual Lego bricks into works of art but the Lego sets that are retailing in the shops cost way too much for something that you still have to put together yourself.

These series of Playmobil Fi?ures offer a lot more options and flexibility with very interesting designs and ideas being executed.

Not being confined to a particular theme (Western, Roman, Modern, Police etc) has thrown up a lot more possibilities and the ability to mix-and-match adds to the fun factor.

When I discovered that Playmobil Fi?ures Series 3 (for girls) will include this mini "Statue of Liberty" figure, I went back and got the Playmobil Fi?ures Series 1 "Uncle Sam" figure as well because I think together they make a nice couple, don't you?

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