Introduction:

Kelly’s Heroes is a war comedy directed by Brian G. Hutton, starring Clint Eastwood, Telly Savalas, Don Rickles and Donald Sutherland. Filmed in 1970, this entertaining hybrid of WWII action and anti-war satire features a group of US soldiers sneaking across enemy lines to get their hands on a secret stash of Nazi treasure.

Oniria Miniatures recently introduced a new figure range to their portfolio called 7th Art, dedicated to bringing famous scenes from movie classics to life in form of miniature vignettes. After recreating memorable moments from The Wild Bunch and Cross of Iron, Oniria Miniatures produces a new 1/48 scale vignette depicting motley crew from Kelly’s Heroes.

Review:

The kit comes packed in a hard cardboard box. Inside the box is a single zip-lock bag containing figure parts and a color boxart photo showing the assembled miniatures painted by Angel Aparicio, the owner of Oniria Miniatures. Angel is an extremely gifted painter with a soft spot for small scale minis, and this particular boxart is a perfect example of his talent.

The figures are cast in white metal. The molding is really nice and other than some thin seam lines, I did not find any imperfections in the metal. The kit comprises of 9 metal parts for assembling 4 figures:

Pvt. Kelly (Clint Eastwood) - full body with left arm, right arm holding the weapon, holster,

MSgt. Big Joe (TellySavalas) - full body with left arm, right arm holding the weapon, holster,

Sgt. Oddball (Donald Sutherland) - full body, holster,

German tank commander (Karl-Otto Alberty) - full body.

The figures are sculpted by Antonio Zapatero and really are a work of art. Portraits of all figures are extremely well done with the facial features of famous actors easily recognizable… quite an achievement, especially considering the miniature scale of these pieces. The anatomy of the figures is spot-on with the poses taken from a “showdown with a tiger” scene from the very end of the movie where Kelly, Big Joe and Oddball approach the German Tiger tank in its pure and classic Western-showdown form.

As for the garb and gear, the sculptor delivered all the equipment identically to that worn by the actors in the movie. The nitpickers might argue some of the equipment is historically inaccurate, but hey… the figures are based on a Hollywood movie from ’70! Pvt. Kelly (Clint Eastwood) wears US tanker jacket, wool trousers and buckle boots, M1 helmet with netting, canteen secured to his belt, and carries a Thompson submachine gun. MSgt. Big Joe (TellySavalas) wears a M43 jacket featuring 35th Infantry Division badge and MSgt stripes, heavy duty belt with two pouches and a canteen, wool trousers and buckle boots, M1 helmet with netting, and also carries a Thompson submachine gun. Sgt. Oddball (Donald Sutherland) wears A2 leather flying jacket featuring 6th Armored Division patch and Sgt stripes, Herringbone twill trousers and buckle boots, pilots leather skull cap with earphones, plus goggles around his neck and a holstered Luger secured to his belt. Captured German tank commander (Karl-Otto Alberty) wears German tanker uniform with goggles around his neck and a cap tucked under his belt. I even think I can see a scar on his face.

Conclusion:

I’ve been following Oniria Miniatures ever since the company appeared on the market. With each new release I was more and more impressed by imaginative subjects the company produces, particularly in the 7th Art figure series.

The Deal from Oniria is the newest addition to their 7th Art series and presents everything this company aims for… perfectly sculpted miniatures cast in metal, giving modelers a chance to recreate most memorable moments from their favorite war movies in 1/48 scale. This particular kit represents the iconic scene from Kelly’s Heroes in which Kelly and his crew realize there is no way around the Tiger tank parked in front of the bank and to the Nazi treasure, but cutting a deal with the German officer:

- Then make a deal!

- What kind of deal?

- A deal, deal! Maybe the guy's a Republican. Business is business, right?



So, if you liked Kelly's Heroes, look no further... this is a perfect set for you. Throw in a Tiger tank in 1/48 scale and you'll have a winner vignette.