It came from the Toy Chest: Picture it, December 19, 1984

 Tensions are running high in the San Fernando Valley in California. Especially in the All Valley Under 18 Karate Tournament. We have on one side, John Lawrence, a rough around the edges teenager, who is not a saint, but isn't a bad guy. Sure, he's a bit competitive and a bit rough, but he's an 80s kid who does Karate. On the other side we have an abusive bully, Daniel LaRusso. He's into butting in where he wasn't invited, sucker punching people, then calling them bullies when they defend themselves, likes to instigate fights, often tormenting John Lawrence, caused a car accident on Halloween night, after challenging John Lawrence to Mortal Combat at the dojo where Lawrence practices, LaRusso kept taunting and harassing Lawrence and friends. Aided by a demon sorcerer, LaRusso cheated his way to victory.

As you may have guessed, this means I own both John Lawrence and Daniel LaRusso figures by Icon Heroes. Time for some Joe Esposito... or some random music that sounds like it was made for a different videogame. 

Real Karate vs Bullshit House chores...

Articulation:

Both figures have a decent range of articulation. Most of the key poses can be achieved by them. That includes the illegal kick pose.

Yes, it's a Robot Chicken reference.
But Illegal Kick pose can be done without a stand. (Not a JoJo reference)

Even a Hadoken pose can kinda be pulled off. The lack of Butterfly joints on the torso hurts them a little. Which would have helped also with blocking forces or in LaRusso's case wax on-whacks off, sando furoa poses. The pants limit the articulation at the ankles. In my Johnny Lawrence figure his right leg is a bit loose.

4.0

Wrong Johnny, but this is far better
than sweeping the leg!

Paint and sculpt

The paint work on these figures is really good. There are many details Tampographed onto the figures. And it seems that most of the body parts are molded in the appropriate colors.

The only issue I have is that the face sculpt is not that great on the figures. Larusso looks like Ray Romano instead of Ralph Macchiato. Enjoy a nice case he looks like 20/20 William Zabka instead of 1984 William Zabka. Before anyone asks I know that LaRusso's actor is Ralph Macchio but for many many years I called him Ralph Macchiato, because for some strange reason I couldn't say Ralph Macchio, so this is just keeping an inside joke alive. Since I'm rambling I'm going to drop a little random fact here in the Latin American dub of The Karate Kid the voice of Larusso is the same boys ask Leonardo the Ninja Turtle, Carlton Banks,and Adult Gohan from DBZ. Mr. Miyagi was the voice of Michelangelo the Ninja Turtle and Hordak.

On the second Latin American dub, LaRusso is James from Team Rocket, Iruka sensei from Naruto, Mousse from Ranma 1/2. Miyagi is still Michelangelo.

But what about Johnny? Let me google that. On the original dub John Lawrence is Egon Spengler, Yami Marik, Professor Utonium, and The Count...

On the second Latin American dub he was:

SHREK, Zeo Jason, MMPR Billy, Dr. Evil, and have mercy... Uncle Jesse.

Yes I'm padding the review with these bits of random trivia because the face sculpts are a bit whack.

Like OG Dub Kreese is Bow, Freddy Krueger, 

Ray Stantz, and Rambo.

Dub 2 Kreese is Gendo Ikari, JJJ, Hugh Jackman's Wolverine, Noelle Stevenson's "Hordak". Holy crap the second dub of The Karate Kid has Dueling Hordaks...

And Alli with an I is two Lisas: Simpson and Turtle. She's also Sailor Moon, Linka, and the real Adora... the one who isn't into incestuous zoophilac lesbian sex. Hmm! 

Nefty! Get back to the review!! This isn't six degrees of voice acting!

Right, the review... The head sculpts are whack. I don't know what it is with these companies lately that they make some beautiful prototypes and then during production everything goes to hell.

It pains me, but I have to give them a lower score here.

4.0

See? They're shaking hands! 
Good Sportsmanship!! Still
LaRusso is a dick!

Accessories:

2 heads

4 hands

These are tournament versions of the characters so it's understandable that they have less accessories. My only gripe with the accessories lies with the hands. Interchangeable the hands feel very fragile especially with the ridiculously long thin bag used on them. They are really hard to pull out and I'm afraid I might break them. The heads are easier to swap since they have an older style Hasbro Marvel Universe type of head or GI Joe style but on 1:12 scale figures.

4.5

They scale pretty well with other 1:12 figures. Shame that we don't have an Ali with an I... or a Kreese, or a Miyagi, or an overpriced vintage truck...

Overall:

Both figures get a 4.17 as their final score.

I understand the review feels kind of lazy says both figures are rated about the same. Honestly it's not that I'm being lazy it's just that the figures are identical to each other save for the heads and uniform colors. Okay the only real difference is on the arms where Daniel hat sleeves and Johnny is sleeveless other than that they're virtually the same figure. I like these figures, but being brutally honest they are not $40 figures. At best they're  $22-$33 figures. I was lucky to get them from a secondary Market seller who was selling them at a loss. The Karate Kid fan and me would have liked to see more of these figures like Daniel and Johnny in normal clothes, Miyagi, Kreese, Alli, Kumiko, Chozen, Terry Silver, Mike Barnes, hell even Julie... and that without getting into Cobra Kai territory with Pussy Old Johnny, Car Salesman LaRusso, the kids... but at $40 a pop, just get me Miyagi and Kreese. Screw Chozen, Screw Terry Silver, Screw Mike Barnes,  and screw the entire Cobra Kai line!