Action Figure Review: John Cena from WWE Mutants by Mattel

 Tonight is Elimination Chamber, only on the WWE Network, and we're going to see if John Cena can defend his WWE Championship against AJ Styles, Dean Ambrose, The Miz, Baron Corbin, and (my favorite) Bray Wyatt. While I'm hoping Bray takes it, setting him up to face off against current Royal Rumble winner and his current family member Randy Orton, there are quite a few big draws in this match. That's neither here nor there right now, though: What you're really here to see is a metallic mutant John Cena. Like last year's WWE Zombies, Mattel's WWE Mutants does something different with the WWE Superstars by forgoing their usual athletic appearances and turning them into something extreme. Mutant Brock Lesnar has fours arms (a Brocktopus?), Sting is a literal scorpion, Finn Balor is a literal demon king, and John Cena here is made of metal. A robotic mutant John Cena. There is no way I could pass this toy by as it is so ridiculous I just had to own it. Just look at that card art above: That card art sold me on this guy. It's just so...crazy. If Saban were making a WWE show, that's what Cena would look like. Let's take a look at the interFace that runs the place after the break...

 The Facts:

Height: 6 3/4 inches

Articulation: Hinged ankles, swivel/hinge knees, swivel hips, swivel/hinge shoulders, hinged elbows, swivel/hinge wrists, and a balljointed head.

Accessories: None

Non-Scalper Price: $12-$14 dollars

 The Positives:

* One of the things I really like about Mattel's WWE line is that pretty much everything they release is in the same scale and style. While a metal mutant Cena might seem crazy alongside normal figures, the scale, style, and build are all compatible. I wish more companies (and Mattel's DC team) would take note of this. Cyber-Cena is very sturdy and well made; my 3 year old loves playing with him and I have no fear of her damaging him.

 * So...this is essentially John Cena with a metallic torso, his regular ring gear (sweat bands and jorts), and a metallic championship. It's almost like what you'd get if John Cena jointed the Metal Men. Again, this is just a silly concept that I just love it. It's not for everyone, but if it is then you know who you are.

 * I like the likeness. It's not just a simple silver painted John Cena; Mattel actually resculpted the head to have different features and a more robotic looking hairsculpt with sharper definition between the top and the sides.

* To aid him in delivering the Five Moves of Doom, Cena is sporting a solid metal spine. This is actually a really cool sculpt with some nice paintwork to bring out the details.

 * The paintwork is incredible simple, but I do like the fact that Cena is sporting a WWE Championship. I mean, the guy is a 16 time champion, so the presence of the title absolutely makes sense. To be honest, I'd love to see him hit 17 at some point. Love him or hate him, you gotta respect John Cena.

* Cena features two wrist bands and a sweat band on his shoulder, all of which some of his trademark slogans. There's an OK symbol, "Never Give Up" and a "U C ME" (You can't see me). The paint is pretty clean on these considering the amount of detail on each band.

 The Negatives:

* Cena's championship strap just kind of ends on the back of the figure. I'm guessing someone didn't thing to sculpt it on the back. What an odd decision that really shows a problem with the direction of the figure.

* The other problem I have with this guy is the absence of bicep swivels. Typically even Mattel's basic figures feature bicep swivels but, when they're absent, you realize how much motion they give you. I hate that they're missing.

There is no way that this figure is going to win any awards except for those given out for sheer craziness. Still, I do like it. Little things like this definitely make being a toy collector a bit more interesting. With a few changes this actually could have been incredible but, as it stands, it's a Good and a 1/2 figure. Fans of weird toy concepts and John Cena definitely might find this appealing. Everyone else will probably pass this one by, but that's OK. More for those of us who need a cyber-Cena.

Photo taken by Sweetie-Bee

Looking for more Cena? The only other John Cena I've reviewed is the Elite Series John Cena from Series 40. 

Oh, and here's a picture of Cena's WWE Championship taken by my daughter! She's becoming a regular contributor, isn't she?