All-new figures will always be preferred by collectors to repacked ones (especially at today’s retail prices), but sometimes a refresh of an old figure hits the right notes such that fans don’t complain. Such is the case with the newly-released Thor Love and Thunder Marvel Legends Groot figure, which combines a lot of newness with a much-requested re-release of the 2018 Teen Groot…

Back in 2018, Hasbro released a Toys R Us Exclusive (RIP Toys R Us)$60 Avengers Infinity War 3-pack that gave fans the first-ever ML Teen Groot as a sort of “carrot” to sell repacked figures of Rocket Raccoon and Infinity War Thor.

That sales tactic worked on me, but not a lot of fans. As such, many collectors have been missing adolescent Groot from their collections for years. But now those fans have another chance! That 2018 Marvel Legends Groot figure is back, with a plethora of “new tricks”! Is he worth your $24.99?

Although I had some trepidations about purchasing all six figures necessary to construct the new Love and Thunder Korg Build-A-Figure, it looks like I’m going all the way now that I have 4 of those 6 figures (I previously reviewed King Valkyrie and Natalie Portman Mighty Thor, and will be reviewing Star-Lord shortly).

I initially feared this Teen Groot figure was going to feel like a waste of money, but it turned out that Hasbro did a largely phenomenal job with what could have been a very lazy repack.

At a glance, it’s immediately obvious that this Groot Marvel Legends figure has a wholly different plastic color than the last iteration, as his brown body is far lighter and more authentic feeling.

That’s important, because the body mold itself is entirely the same—although Hasbro has spiced things up with 4 new elements to the figure itself: an all-new head and three new interchangeable lower arms/“hands”.

The new head is “fine”, but it really doesn’t seem like a notable improvement to me from the 2018 head, other than the pure black eyes (as opposed to the creepy gold and black eyes on the original. The expression is the same, as is the overall effect. Regardless, I think it’s quite well-done with little shoots growing out of the top and a nice spray of green paint deco.

The green on the back of the head is actually a mite problematic, since the back of the figure is otherwise fully unpainted. This does feel like a disappointing cop out when the subtle paint all over the front of the body looks so good.

In addition to the new head, there are also three new “hand” appendages included. Two of which are “effects” appendages and the third is a specialized right hand with a trigger finger.

 

You pop off either of Groot’s hands to attach the “effects” arms, of which there are two: a slender, branchlike “pointing” appendage and a branching, curled appendage (like what we saw when Groot assisted in the creation of Stormbreaker).

Both pieces pop into place easily and firmly, and are terrific additions that enable tons more fun and interesting poses. Both appendages are also wonderfully detailed with paint deco and sculpted textures.

The trigger finger right hand is necessary to hold the blaster gun included. Because I’m so used to seeing my Hot Toys Infinity War Groot figure with his own gun, I sort of forgot the 3-Pack Groot figure only received a gaming data pad accessory of his own to hold.

 

The unpainted rifle is extremely plasticky and gummy-feeling, so I worry it will distort over time. Groot’s hands are also supremely bendy, which made it quite difficult to get him holding the gun two-handed. Whether holding his blaster with one hand or two, adolescent Groot looks great with it, though.

The final pack-in accessory is the Korg BAF torso, the largest piece of the new Marvel Legends Korg Build-A-Figure. Since Groot is the thinnest figure in the Korg series and probably the least expensive, giving him the biggest chunk of Korg makes him feel like a swell value. Thumbs up.

Articulation-wise, nothing has changed on this action figure since the Toys R Us release. He still has a superb range of motion on almost every joint, with only the feet feeling a mite limited. Butterfly swivel shoulders could have benefited the new effects appendages, but obviously Hasbro was never going to reinvent the wheel for this release.

Groot’s complete articulation scheme includes:

• Ball-hinge neck and shoulders
  Ball-jointed upper torso and hips
  Ball-hinge elbows and knees
  Swivel-hinge wrists
  Hinged feet with rockers

The joints are all tight and hold poses without any issues, with only balancing the feet sometimes being a tad troublesome.

Overall: this Teen Groot Legends movie figure probably could have squeaked by with a low ‘A’, but the lazy omission of paint apps on the back of the figure ends that dream. Even so, this is mostly an excellent example of how to re-release an old figure right. The new arms and guns give Groot a new lease on life, and the new head (with superior painted eyes) is nice to have, if not a monumental upgrade. The much lighter brown plastic is a big plus, and with all the changes I don’t feel like I’m getting ripped off rebuying what’s largely one I already own.

GRADE: A-