Hot Toys MSS524 Commander Cody

I sold all my Sideshow Clone Commanders several years ago, and wasn't planning on getting any more. But the prototype head sculpt for Hot Toys' new Commander Cody was too good for me to pass up, and luckily the final production version is still fantastic.

Click the video below to check out my review over on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel. I have a few more things coming up soon, so make sure to subscribe and stay tuned for more reviews soon 😃

The box art is the usual classy style, but I do find their new habit of including this wrap around picture on the front cover a bit useless. I'd really rather they save that effort to include something else with figures.

The figure doesn't come with all that much. The biggest things missing for me would be the Phase 1 helmet, and perhaps more action oriented hands. But other than that, they've pretty much included what you'd expect with this character.

The shoulder and helmet antennas are delicate, so go easy when installing those. The swap out light up arm is a nice touch, and is pretty good for the odd photo opportunity. It wasn't too hard to swap out, unlike other arms from Hot Toys, for which I was definitely thankful.

The body definitely feels more sturdy than the old Sideshow Clone Troopers, but almost feels too tight. The legs and thighs in particular are difficult to articulate the actual body, where the armour moves freely but that's all you seem to move. I did manage to eventually rotate the thighs out a bit more naturally, but the fat suit underneath is a bit too thick and restricts movement too.

The arms are on some ratchet mechanism, but do have decent range of motion hindered naturally by the armour. The swapping out of the head sculpt was also easy enough, and the unhelmeted head goes onto the peg without too much force.

It's a shame that the base they included has been the stock standard Star Wars trooper base with the foot prints. They've used this for previous Stormtroopers and Snowtroopers, and now this. It's great for those static musuem poses that my collection prefers, but the option for allowing more dynamic poses would be nice. I'd say just give a nice printed stand with a metal name plate would've been good enough!

Either way, the final figure overall looks fantastic. The armour weathering is subtle and realistic, and the head sculpt is the usual Hot Toys high quality. If you're fan of the Clone Wars or the prequels, this will make a nice addition to the collection. For me, it'll sit nicely next to Obi-wan and Anakin from the prequels, and patiently wait for Captain Rex next!

Hot Toys MMS437 Anakin Skywalker

I'm not a big fan of the prequels, but have thought about at least getting the main villains from that trilogy. I already have the Sideshow Darth Maul and Jango Fett figures, and just couldn't resist getting this new Hot Toys Anakin Skywalker.

Click through below to check out my full video review over on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel.

The packaging is the usual simple, yet classy style from Hot Toys. The cardboard insert and cover both give a good look at the prototype figure, and the final production version is very close in quality.

The array of accessories is decent at this price point, with a couple of lightsabers. It's a shame that the Dooku saber wasn't also included as a light up option, but I guess having two swap out arms was a step too far for Hot Toys. Luckily I don't really use light up features and remove all the batteries anyway.

The swap out hands cater for many poses that you would want, with both gloved and ungloved versions. My favourite accessory would have to be the swap out robotic arm. The articulation in the forearm and fingers is very nice, as is the glossy black and gold paint app.

The main accessory that I wish they had included was of course a swap out head sculpt with Sith eyes. Hot Toys have just announced a toy fair exclusive that has that head sculpt, but it would've sweetened the deal on this version if it was included. It's a shame that they include those swap out head scuplts with some figures, but not this one that was screaming for it. But at least collectors now have the options on buying either version.

The Jedi robe has been a point of discussion with collectors. There is a warning in the instruction manual to not let the robe touch the head sculpt or hands for long periods because the robe could stain them. In fact, the fist that came on the figure by default out of the box already had a small stain where the robe had touched it in the packaging.

Collectors have resorted to soaking the robe in water to remove the excess dye. This apparently helps prevent the risk of transferring the dye to the figure. I haven't tried that myself, but will have another closer look over the figure to see if I can be bothered doing that.

I have tried putting the hood over the head sculpt and using the wire in the hood to shape it around the face. It's pretty tricky, and I still haven't folded it in a way that looks realistic or as accurate to the movie as it can be. I'm pretty close to just giving up on that and having the hood just folded around this shoulders!

The rest of the outfit on the figure is very nicely done. There are a number of layers to the outfit tailored from different materials, and that all adds to a nice premium look to the figure. The fake leather folds across the shoulders and front are soft, and crease fairly realistically. Mine appears locked in place in the centre as I can't really adjust the centre position. But it can be pulled or tightened around the shoulders to prevent them ballooning out too much. There's a wire in that area too so it can be shaped around the shoulders.

The pants are nicely done, but I would be very careful not to pull them out of the boots, or to remove the boots. It would be an absolute pain in the arse to put them back into the boots since there is very little tolerance. The boots themselves are a soft material, which gives them a nice give around the ankles for more realistic articulation there. So overall, I'm pretty impressed with the outfit.

The head sculpt is also a standout for me. The paint app is the usual high Hot Toys standard - I don't think any other 1/6th scale company puts out quality head sculpt paint apps as consistently as Hot Toys. The scar is nicely painted, and the sculpt even has the tiny marks on this left jawline just like he has in real life. It's that attention to detail that sets Hot Toys apart from the competition.

Overall, another solid Star Wars release by Hot Toys. I look forward to getting the Revenge of the Sith Obi-wan to complement this Anakin.