Bandai have been pretty slow in releasing figures in their Star Wars Movie Realization series. Most of been variants of Stormtroopers, and this latest is no different. Luckily they're still keeping the series going with the upcoming Snowtrooper and Threepio.
But for now, click through below to check out my full review of this Yari Ashigaru over on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel! Hope you can give the video a like and subscribe to the channel too :)
Box art and array of accessories are nothing really new in this series. All done nicely and with little fuss.
The only major issue I had was the looseness in the wait joint where it popped out very easily. After a bit of a closer look at the joint, and some discussion on the Sideshow Freaks Forum, the cause was identified. The waist joint is on a double hinge, and the lower was actually bent lower than normal. This meant the torso wasnt attached properly and was easy to pop off.
You just have to reach in there and move the very tight lower joint straighter so that the ball peg sticks up higher. Then the torso will attach nicely and it won't pop off easily.
The new Spearman fits in beautifully with the rest of the Stormtrooper gang. It shares much of the style and accessories as the previous drummer and archer. Whilst a nice figure, these Stormtrooper variants are getting a bit boring. It's great that a new look with the Snowtrooper is coming to change things up a bit.
I really hope more new molds are coming. Threepio has been teased, but even a feudal Japanese version of Yoda or the Emperor would be fantastic!
I don't collect too much from Lego, but I do love their Star Wars Ultimate Collector Series. I now have the new X-Wing, TIE Fighter, Slave 1, Snowspeeder, and Millenium Falcon. I just couldn't resist this new Y-Wing, and it's another great release in this series.
Click through below for my full review over on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel!
Check out the series of unboxing and build steps below. Glad it was a much simpler build than the Millenium Falcon, but still had some innovative and interesting build sections.
With the May 4th release date, Lego also included the BB-8 figure, similar to their R2-D2 the year before with the Snowspeeder. They go well with each other! I also do a quick review over on the YouTube channel here.
Bags 1 to 3 completed. Nice solid core to the spacecraft.
Bags 4 to 6 completed. The standout is definitely all the detailed greebling in this centre core section.
Bags 7 and 8 completed with the cockpit. Looks nice, but godammit I hate bloodystickers!! No idea why Lego tamps patterns on some on pieces, whilst choosing to leave other markings as stickers. I got most of mine on well enough, but just tamp them all damn it!
Bags 9 to 13 finished off the set. The set is simple and yet so elegantly beautiful! Love the detailed greebling, but was a little tedious to all put together towards the end. Either way, looks nice on display!
Couple of minifigs go with the set. I still hate that the nameplate is a bloody sticker! GAAH!!
A pic for size perspective. Great looking UCS Y-Wing. And yes, I did make some pew pew sounds flying it around the room lol
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.
I've loved the previous releases by Sideshow in this Masters of the Universe statue series. The new aesthetic is a nice interpretation on these cartoon characters, blending the iconic 80s features of the characters whilst giving a more mature style for today.
I thought the prototype of She-Ra looked fantastic, and overall the final production version is pretty close. Click through below to check out my full video review over on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel. Hope you can give the video a thumbsup and subscribe to the channel too!
The box art comes in the same style as the previous statues, with nice photos of the prototype. It's always good to use those pics to compare the final production version and see if there are any major differences. For this one, there are a couple of minor tweaks to the head sculpt to change the facial features slightly.
Everything is packed in foam nicely. I got the exclusive version which comes with the additional swap out left arm holding the shield. This is a pretty nice exclusive accessory to differentiate it from the standard arm. The shield itself looks pretty nice, and the paint application is decent.
As I mentioned, the head sculpt is tweaked from the prototype. I think the prototype version had fuller and softer features. The final version has sharper lines and seems a fraction more elongated, giving it a more Amazonian-warrior look. I think both sculpts are nice, and this stronger look is equally appropriate for the warrior princess.
The main issue I had with my head sculpt was the helmet or cowl. It doesn't sit quite perfectly centred on her face, so the side pieces down her cheeks aren't quite symmetrical. They are a softer plastic so there's a bit of play to move them, but it would've been nice if they had centered it perfectly when glueing that helmet piece on.
The sculpt of the body is great, and captures her beauty and grace pretty well. The flowing hair, and ability to bend the wire in the cape to match the flow in the wind is nice. The shoulder pauldron piece that clips the cape to the body is a little fiddly, but once connected properly it does a pretty good job in keeping it together. Just take some time folding the cape in a realistic manner and it'll look great on display.
Mine isn't quite as good as I would want, but I've left it for now. I'll adjust more once I swap out the replacement shoulder piece. I got a replacement since the paint app on mine was scratched up. Sideshow have sent me a new one, but I haven't had the chance to change it up yet.
The skin tone over the body is even and consistent. There's not too much in terms of skin texture though, so a bit of subtle freckling would add a tad more realism to the paint application. One problem I did find with the paint app was around the white parts of her dress. Particularly towards the hem, the green tinge of the underlying body or paint layer shows through, giving parts of the dress a greenish, almost corroded look.
I don't think this was intentional, and I've seen photos on the forums of statues with far worse green than mine. For She-Ra, her dress should be a bright white with perhaps a bit of weathering. But I do think the green is just a QC issue where sufficient white paint was not used to hide the green underneath.
Overall though, I think Sideshow have done a pretty good job with She-Ra. She complements He-Man and the others well with this style. The base of course sticks out from the rest, but that's to be expected of the Crystal Castle. The transluscent parts perhaps could've been done to look less plasticky, as well as the jewels on the sword and shield, but they're not too bad in the scheme of things.
I'm hoping that Sideshow announce more characters in this series. I really hope others from the core cast, such as Sorceress, Man-At-Arms, Beastman, Merman etc are all made. They would look fantastic in this style. Orko is up next though, and has been delayed until around September. I'm hoping that turns out great too!
For those that follow the page and channel, you'll know that I love Street Fighter, and have played Ryu for over 25 years! When PCS announced that they were releasing a 1/3 scale Ryu in his classic gi, there was no way I was going to pass on it!
And I'm so glad I got it! It's an absolutely amazing statue in every way. Click through below to watch my full review on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel. Hope you can give the video a like, and subscribe to the channel too! :)
Straight out of the box, and the sheer size of the thing really hits you. This is my first 1/3 scale statue, and I totally get why so many collectors love large scaled statues. The presence the statue commands is well deserved - even my wife was impressed! It wasn't too hard getting the feet into the base, but just be careful how you handle it because it is pretty heavy!
The statue simply looks amazing from any angle. It will take a bit of fine adjustment to get the head sculpt sitting nice and flush against the neck. Just move the neck line of the gi out of the way and gently move the head in the slot, and it should sit without showing a gap.
After complaints of the weird yellow colouring of the 1/4 scale Ryu, PCS wisely went with the standard grey weathered look. It's a much better stye that's more in keeping with the game and how people remember the character. The gi is the usual nice cotton type material, but just play around with it to make it look as natural as you can.
The skin texture is a standout, and is a must at this scale. The paint app is awesome, with lots of fine freckling to add realism, subtle blue in the veins, and shadow detailing to really accentuate the musculature. The head sculpt has a smoother surface on the face, but the paint app matches the body well with the same nice freckling and texture.
The gi can be taken off by undoing the velcro on the sides. Do not try to untie the belt, but just undo the velcro and pull out the gi. You can then tuck it back through the belt and have the gi folded over it. This reveals the full extent of the naked torso, and the amazing effort they did on the back sculpt. The muscles and paint app are superb.
But I love my Ryu in his classic look, so I put the gi back to its original style. It was a pain to put everything back and adjust it nicely with the velcro. But once all set it looks great. I love the added detail in the padded hand gloves. I thought they were fully sculpted, but they actually have a leather type material on the outer glove that is padded. It adds a lot to the realism and style of the piece.
The feet are nicely done, with no issues on mine with the toenails. The feet are the classic over-sized style for which Ryu is renowned. The base is nicely sculpted and painted too. I love the bamboo piece at the rear, which is actually longer than what they showed in the original prototype. The added length is a much better look.
The base also inclues a small swap out piece at the front, where you can alternate between a full rock look, or have that small section of grass. I like the grass as it adds a splash of colour to an otherwise pretty plan brown rock surface.
My first PCS statue was the 1/4 scale Ryu Ansatsuken exlusive, and that thing just looks tiny next to the 1/3 scale Ryu. I'm definitely happy to have both in my Street Fighter collection. I have the 1/3 scale Chun-Li and Sagat preordered, and cannot wait to check them out when they're released. I'm sure they'll be worth the wait just like this Ryu was!
This will be a permanent addition to my collection, and will take pride of place as a centerpiece in the display room. I'll definitely need to get a custom acrylic case made for it! Simply amazing work by PCS, and highly recommended for any Street Fighter fan!
After The Amazing Spiderman 2 disappointed me immensely, I sold my Amazing Spiderman figure and Spiderman 3 Black Suit Spiderman. But I have enjoyed the new MCU version of Spiderman, and this release does do that version justice.
It comes with a pretty decent array of accessories, and the overall quality is pretty good too despite some issues raised by collectors. Click through below to check out my full video review on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel. Make sure to give the video a like and subscribe too! :)
The contents as you can see give plenty of options for poses from various scenes in the movie. The magnetic wings work well, but do have sharp corners so be careful not to scratch the suit when you're moving them around. The backpack is very nicely tailored and has some nice padding within to keep its shape. The straps have wires too so they can be shaped naturally over the shoulders.
The Tom Holland head sculpt has a fantastic likeness, and will be the version I use since they also included a folded mask accessory that he can hold in his hand with the mask off. The core masked sculpt is also nicely done. Some collectors have had issues with the stitching down the centre of the head, and it all varies to the degree that it shows. Mine wasn't too bad overall.
The webbing variations are nice to use for dynamic poses, especially with the many included hands. But I'll have mine in a pretty static pose to minimise any risk to damage to the suit.
I'll have mine displayed on top of the building accessory from the first Spiderman figure. It looks great standing on top, and is quite stable with nice firm ankle joints. The articulation is pretty good overall, with firm ratchety joints. There is a warning not to leave the suit in dynamic poses for any length of time, so I would heed that warning.
There have been photos showing the blue material on the suit being damaged by being bent or caught in the knee and hip joints, so pose dynamically at your risk! Perhaps a quick pose here and there for a photo would be OK, but not for a set-and-leave pose in your display cabinet.
I actually think the material they used on the suit is very nice, with different textures and patterns. I like the compromise between form and function here with the suit, and I'm OK with knowing a static pose is OK in my display. The red parts are a more flexible material while the blue is a more rubbery type material. There are places with glued on material such as the black striping, so be careful how those areas bend too.
The swap out eyes on the masked sculpt are a nice touch, but are an absolute pain in the arse to swap out. They are well set in, and you'll need some decent finger nails or a thin flat headed tool of some sort to pry them out. They're held in by magnets so once you dislodge them they're easy to swap. I've gone with the larger eyes on mine as I prefer that traditional big-eyed Spiderman.
All in all, I think this is another fantastic release by Hot Toys. Apparently there have been some delays with the latest round of stock, especially for the Deluxe version, but I think fans will find this worth the wait. I'm sure with Infinity War being such a hit, fans will be wanting more Spiderman figures to add. This Homecoming version is a nice figure to have in the meantime!
Here's the new Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel trailer showing some of the photos over the past few months. Hope you can check it out, give the video a like, and subscribe to the channel! :)
I'm surprised it's taken so long for Hot Toys, or any other 1/6th scale company, to release a new Grand Moff Tarkin. With huge improvements in the detail and realism of 1/6th scale figures over the past 5-7 years, and the ongoing popularity of Star Wars, it's great that Hot Toys finally stepped up to the plate with their Grand Moff Tarkin.
And what a beautiful figure it is! Click through below to check out my full review on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel. Hope you can give the video a like and subscribe to the channel! :)
The packaging is the usual style, and the contents don't have too much in the way of accessories. The chair is a decent addition, but it does take a bit of work to manipulate the body to sit in the chair in a natural manner. The articulation does have an ab-crunch, but I found the front of the costume a little restrictive. The hips and legs articulate OK, but it will take a while to get him leaning naturally with at least his thighs and bottom properly in the chair. I want him standing next to Vader, so the chair will stay in the box for me.
The included hands are nicely sculpted and painted as usual for Hot Toys. However, the hands are a little oversized, especially the specially molded left hand used to support the elbow in his iconic chin-to-hand pose. The fingers are too elongated and make it look like he's turning into a werewolf! Luckily most of it can be hidden behind the right elbow.
The costume is fantastic in its tailoring and use of materials. The prototype used a thicker more traditional cotton type weave. The final production costume uses a thin material that has a nice smoother texture. It works really well to give the outfit a natural lay on the body.
I do wish the sleeves were just a tad longer so that the wrist joints weren't so obvious in his iconic pose. But it's a pretty minor nit when overall the figure pulls the pose off extremely well. The boots are a nice leather type material, with the ankles being filled out much better than the similar Han Solo boots. The pants fit into the boots nicely, and flare out at the thighs in a nicely tailored way.
The head sculpt is pretty much perfect for me. It does lose a bit of the wrinkling in the final sculpt from the prototype, but the paint application is amazing. The wrinkles are still visible, and the likeness is uncanny. The glassiness in the eyes also accentuates the realism.
Perhaps the only thing I could complain about would be the final colour of the hair. It suffers the same issue as the old Han Solo figure, where the hair should have more grey or silver. Instead, the hair has a slight bronzy colour to it, which makes him look a little younger than he should.
But in the scheme of things, considering the total package with the outfit, accessories, and poseability, this is a fantastic figure from Hot Toys. It's comparatively simple compared to other figures in their Iron Man or DX series, but it's just done so well. For fans of Star Wars, I highly recommend this figure, particularly if you have or plan to get their Darth Vader figure.
It feels like a long time since Takara announced a new G1 mold in their Masterpiece series. The last major unique release was Sunstreaker, and despite rumours of characters such as Trailbreaker and Hoist, there's been no announcement of late.
But Takara will always continue to do one thing that they've done for years, and that's release repaints on existing molds. This new MP-40 Targetmaster Hot Rod is no different, and there's nothing too much to write home about on this release.
Click through below to check out my review on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel. Hope you can click that like button and subscribe to the channel too! :)
Packaging and contents are pretty similar to the previous Hot Rod release, but misses out on the various cartoon movie accessories such as the fishing rod. I did notice that the card stock on the collector card looks and feels cheaper than previous figures, and does not have the same gloss or thickness. Hopefully this is just a once-off for this repaint and isn't an ongoing change.
The paint app changes are decent overall. There are some aspects I like, such as the chest flame decal, but on the whole I prefer the lighter shade of red/pink on the original version. The cartoon accuracy of the original speaks more to my nostalgia than the new repaint, which I hear comes from a colour way shown in some later episodes of Season 3 or 4.
I display all my repaints in their alt modes, so this is how mine will be in the cabinet. It still looks pretty nice in that classic car design. The Targetmaster is just an extra to have, but doesn't really do anything for me. I hear it's a reuse of the Targetmaster from the original Hasbro MP-9 Rodimus release. I would've preferred that they reduce the cost and not even bother including it!
Either way, I just hope they make a major G1 announcement this year. It would be a massive disappointment if noone else from the original G1 Season 1 or 2 cast is announced in 2018.
I've loved this series of Star Wars figures by Bandai because they are such unique representations of the classic characters. I am getting a little tired of the various troopers though, but caved in getting the recent Shadowtrooper variant.
Click through below to watch my full review over on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel! Make sure if give the video a like and subscribe to the channel :)
Packaging is the usual style in this series, with some nice cover art photography. The "onmitsu" designation refers to the highly trained ninja used as secret agents or spies in feudal Japan, which is an appropriate designation for this character. It comes with the usual array of accessories, and I particularly like the black blaster with silver and blue highlights.
I was actually expecting a black body overall, but they've given the armour accents using a bit of white wash to highlight the grooved and details in the mask and body. It works fairly well, but the white wash scratches away very easily so be careful where you rub your fingers.
I thought the mask was identical to the regular Stormtrooper, but similarly with the body armour, there are some minor differences. These changes make the mask appear more skull-like, and the torso armour loses the nipples from the trooper. Either variant looks pretty good.
Displayed together as an army, this series of figures simply looks amazing. The variants give enough differences to the troops to still be interesting. The next figure to come will be the Yari spearman, but it looks very similar to the previous flag bearer and archer.
I'm glad they've teased the new Snowtrooper with E-Web cannon. There are enough changes there to make it a great variant to add to the army. I really hope they do something amazing such as a new Scout Trooper on a horse. That would definitely take this series to another level! Hope to see more announcement soon in this series!
There's never been just one iconic costume for Princess Leia, and her style from Hoth is as memorable as any of her other outfits. This new release from Hot Toys does it justice, just as their first figure with her classic Death Star costume.
Click through below to check out my full review over on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel. Make sure to subscribe to the channel and give the video a like :)
Packaging style is what we've come to expect for Star Wars related figures, so nothing too special to write home about. The cardboard insert looks nice, but Hot Toys continues their trend of using inaccurate photos for their figures (eg. they used the Death Star 2 in the background which was not in The Empire Strikes Back!)
She doesn't come with too many accessories, but what she does come with is nicely detailed. I won't bother using the breathing apparatus or welding goggles. But the blaster is nicely painted in glossy black with the silver tip, and she looks great holding it.
The costume is nicely tailored, with great stitch and patch work throughout. Early reports had people receiving figures with strange coloured dots near the areas of patchwork. Apparently this is ink to guide the factory workers and sewers, but luckily mine was fine.
My first figure arrived with a broken arm and Sideshow sent me a replacement body. It was an absolute pain the arse to push the pants of the new body in the boots. I had to use quite a bit of force and one of the little tools Hot Toys gives with their Iron Man figures. That was the only way to push the pant material into the boots without them looking too bunched. I would not recommending taking those boots off for any reason!
The boots are a nice fake leather type material, with good ankle articulation. The overall body articulation is also decent, but the suit does restrict it a little. But you can still get her into a decent pose to try and replicate her attitude.
The head sculpt has a slight difference to the prototype. I do think the head sculpt is good, but could have been better. From some angles it looks perfect, but from others it looks too thin in the cheeks. Still, it's instantly recognisable and on par with their ANH Leia figure.
Overall, it's awesome that we're getting more original trilogy figures from Hot Toys. I really hope they do a Han Solo and Lando Calrissian from Empire one day! If you're a fan of Star Wars, I'd jump on board and grab this figure while you can!
Inflames Toys first came to my attention when I saw amazing photos of their Journey to the West characters. I picked up the core characters from that series, and you can check out some of my reviews here:
- Tang Sanzang and White Dragon Horse
- Zhu Baijie (Pigsy)
- Sha Wujing (Sandy)
Those were and still are some of the best figures in my collection, rivaling anything from the top manufacturers like Hot Toys, Blitzway, and Sideshow. Their figures have certainly some of the best costume tailoring and attention to detail in the accessories.
When I saw their announcement for the classic Jet Li character Wong Fei Hung from the HK kung fu classic Once Upon a Time in China, it was an immediate must-have. The Deluxe Edition looked to be an incredible set, and now that I have it, it was well worth the wait!
Click through below to see my full video review over on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel! Make sure to subscribe and give the video a like too! :)
The packaging is fairly nondescript, with a shot of the figure replicating a movie promotional photo I believe. The Deluxe Edition lion head is boxed separately in a small black box. So the packaging itself doesn't really even give a hint of the awesomeness within!
It's when you complete the unboxing and gaze upon everything that is included, and the high standard of quality that the contents, that the amazing job by Inflames and Newsoul becomes evident. The array of accessories is impressive, particularly with the parts that make up the flag.
The main fabric part of the flag is printed beautifully with the tiniest of details. The flag post itself is metal, which adds some needed weight and stability. The tip connects to the red tassels, and then the mid-section is made up of cardboard with patterned and glued ornaments. Everything is then tied to the flag post via fabric straps. The assembly instructions are quite easy to follow and the result looks amazing.
The Deluxe lion head is also incredibly detailed. The end coat with its patterned finish and fur edging is just beautiful. The head itself has all the typical features of a classic Chinese lion, with the fur-surrounded eyes and ears, and the mouth that can open and close. The ears were a bit fiddly to insert, and I had to widen the holes with some thick needles. Other than that, it was fairly easy to assemble and tie the red floral bow to its head around the ears.
Other accessories include the gold medal and a swap out costume. I didn't bother swapping out the clothes, as all the details in the little buttons and straps around the ankles looked too time-consuming to do. I remember how long and frustrating it was just to swap out the costume on the old Hot Toys DX04 Bruce Lee, and I just didn't have the patience to do it with this figure.
Luckily the base costume still looks amazing, and still reflects the character's iconic Chinese Kung Fu Master style. The long outer cloak has a great wire at the bottom edge so you can pose it as you like. The flow of the arms works well in most poses, and the underlying pants and shirt don't restrict the articulation.
With the assortment of hands and fan accessory, you can get him into pretty much any iconic pose from the movie. I just wish they had included sunglasses, a hat, and umbrella to give the option for the other classic costume he had.
Perhaps the only area of the figure to be careful of is the rooted hair. It's beautifully tied tightly back into a long braid, but stray strands may appear if you touch it too much. I had a few loose strands that I used some pomade to style back. It worked well, and the rooted hair and braid gives a lot of realism to the figure.
I think the head sculpt likeness is great, and matches well against Jet Li's youthful look in the movie. The paint application is pretty nice too, with some realism that Inflames did not have in their more flat paint application of the Journey to the West figures.
Overall, with the costuming, fantastic underlying body, rooted hair and great facial paint app, this ranks right up there with the best 1/6th scale figures in my collection. Displayed with the other Inflames figures, they really do show off the superior tailoring that Inflames are now rightfully praised in the collecting community. They have found and established their niche with characters from Chinese classical mythology and movies, and they do it so well.
Their upcoming figures demonstrate how they are also pushing the limits in terms of 1/6th scale muscular seamless bodies and paint application. Inflames and Newsoul Toys are definitely a collaboration to watch out for!
After realising how underscaled the diecast Iron Man Mark 3 figure was in comparison to the more recent diecast War Machine Mk1, it was a no-brainer for me to get the new Hot Toys diecast Iron Man Mark 6 figure. The War Machine and this new Iron Man complement each other perfectly.
Click through below to check out my review on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel. Hope you can give the video a like and subscribe to the channel! :)
The box art and packaging design is the standard style for the Hot Toys diecast figures. The out slip box covers the foam interior that houses all the accessories very well. This set comes nicely decked out with all manner of swap out armour parts and head sculpts and a diorama base. The only thing I wish for would be a totally unhelmeted head sculpt.
The Sideshow exclusive accessory is a head sculpt that has a light up blue feature. I've been told it's from the scene in Avengers where Thor attacks the Quinjet, and Tony Stark grabs the helmet to wear just before he goes out to attack Thor. It's a very brief scene, and the exclusive seems rather pointless. If you're getting this exclusive from Sideshow for no extra cost then that's OK, but I would not recommend paying extra for it from HK just to get this additional headsculpt.
There are so many swap out parts for battle damage and hands to replicate pretty much any scene from the movies. The unmasked head sculpt is fantastic, with a great likeness and extremely realistic facial paint application.
The light up features are also plentiful, but I didn't even bother trying to put all the batteries in. I've tried that with the older Mk3, and that was an exercise in frustration that I just didn't want to repeat! Needless to say I always display my figures without batteries, and I would hate to leave batteries in and have them leak!
Even without batteries, the figure still commands a lot of presence on display, and looks amazing from almost every angle. The War Machine is still just a tad larger (those WM feet are a little ridiculously big I think), but displayed together they scale quite well, unlike the Mk3 that was quite a lot smaller.
The paint application on the armour is superb, with just the right amount of battle damage that can be supplemented with the swap out battle damaged parts. All the joints and moveable parts seem fairly firm, with nothing overly tight that needed excessive force. I would be careful swapping out the hands though. Mine were quite tight and needed some hot water to soften up. I'd definitely soften them, and be careful where you place your fingers on the forearms when swapping out hands - do NOT place anywhere on the armour with excessive force in case you snap something off!
The articulation is amazing for such a complex figure. Nothing seemed overly fragile, but the creaking of the joints as you move them does scare me. From what I've seen, it's definitely a massive improvement over the original plastic figure release. The ankle articulation on the War Machine was done better in terms of rocker motion, but overall the articulation in both is fantastic.
For fans that are on the fence, I'd highly recommend jumping off and ordering this straight away! These Iron Man figures are generally pretty sought after and get very difficult and expensive to buy once they sell out at retail. With these diecast Iron Man figures, I don't think you can really make a bad call on getting them!
