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A blast from the past: I needed to reference this, and discovered it was only on the old site, posted shortly before it went haywire and led to the creation of this space. So I'm just migrating it here to be with the others. A number of the figures shown have been upgraded since (for example, see here), and the photos are overly bright (we're trying to show off a product, you know!). If you've seen this before and this bores you, my apologies. Then again, it has been 6 years since March 2018... time flies, whether you are having fun or not.

This is not a full-scale detailed review (I hope and expect Michael Crawford will be providing one Edit: he did), just some impressions and 26 photos. Hope you enjoy or find useful, and share your impressions.

Couple of disclaimers: my camera is not the best for macro photos, and in many cases the photos below do not give the product full justice; I have lighted the scenes a bit too much so that you could see more details of the product; I do not always have the right Death Star environment, and some of the supporting characters head sculpts are ad hoc approximations, so bear with me.

It is an exciting time to be a sixth scale action figure collector who likes Star Wars. Sideshow just completed their Empire Strikes Back bounty hunter team by releasing Zuckuss and Dengar (see HERE and Michael Crawford's detailed reviews), and also the Snowtrooper Commander; Hot Toys did not lag behind, releasing Hoth Leia (see HERE, with the Snowtrooper Commander) and now Tarkin (or, for those who ordered the two-pack, Tarkin and another Episode IV Vader). I say exciting, rather than great, because of the strain on our wallets. Tarkin retails in the US for around $235 (sans Vader).



Governor Tarkin (I refuse to use the designation "Grand Moff" which is found on the box, because I find it both silly and not really canonical) was arguably the main villain of the original Star Wars film, later qualified as Episode IV: A New Hope. To be sure, he was written in facile, simplistic terms, a quintessential storybook (or comic book) villain -- all that was missing was doing The Simpsons' Mr Burns' play with his fingers and maliciously mumbling "eggcelent." If I were the ruler of the Galactic Empire, I would not have allowed anyone to blow up an entire planet of taxpayers to make a point -- even if it were just for the sake of revenues. Then again, Lucas has always claimed that Star Wars is a story for kids, and those of us who expect more from what could have been a more serious adult franchise have to keep remembering that. And it is easy to forget. At any rate, Peter Cushing did the best he could with this seriously handicapped role, and delivered what is still arguably one of the most iconic subtler villains in the history of cinema.

Hot Toys has released Tarkin as a sixth scale figure. The sculpt and paint are lifelike, precise, and super-detailed. This is certainly the best likeness of Peter Cushing as Tarkin in this scale, and likely to remain so. Is it really perfect? Maybe not quite. They certainly got Peter Cushing's gaunt and slightly misshapen appearance from the film to come through. But the head does not look spot on from some angles. I suspect the problem is the hair. In the film, Cushing's hair is becoming rather sparse and in places hovering a bit above and around the skull; that is not something easily replicated in a sixth-scale head sculpt (and I suspect trying to achieve it with rooted hair would have led to similarly mixed results). Another issue with the hair is the color. In many instances it seems to me that the figure's hair is a bit too brownish. But Cushing's on-screen hair was a mixture of brown and grey and white that again would be exceedingly difficult to replicate with any painted sculpt. These minor points notwithstanding, I doubt anyone (including Hot Toys) could have done a better job here, without lapsing into some other extreme. A minor quality issue: it seems to me that the seam line between the front and back side of the head is a little too apparent on my figure.




My one big disappointment with this figure (which I would still rate at least a 3.5/4, if not better) is the neck. Peter Cushing was an aging man with a wrinkled neck, and the decision to make a head sculpt including the molded neck is not surprising or unnatural. What is surprising to me is that it has even less posability than I expected from it. And, at least in this role, Cushing is all about gestures, head tilting, and sideways glances. From that point of view, a separate head and separate neck would have been welcome and probably a better choice overall. Speaking of sideways glances, if ever a figure could have benefited from PERS, this is it. While I appreciate we did not get stuck with a single extreme or one-way look (as we have with some Hot Toys products like their General Zod, first Harley Quinn, and second Star-Lord) here, PERS or additional head sculpts with sideways glancing eyes would have been a very nice touch.






The outfit is beautifully executed, and does not restrict the articulation much. The boots are made of soft pleather material (like those that came with Hot Toys' Han Solo, but possibly working better at the ankle) and you can articulate the ankle without problems. The knee, wrist, and elbow articulation is also unimpeded, although the outfit includes not only the exterior uniform, but also Tarkin's signature white undershirt (I haven't opened up the clothing to investigate, but you can see the white cuffs and a bit of the white collar, just like in the film Edit: the white cuffs are just strips of white cloth attached on the inner side of the lower sleeves: there is not full white shirt underneath the uniform top). Getting him to sit properly is a little bit more difficult, but not very much so. The only place where either the body or the outfit impeded the articulation too much for my taste was at the shoulders. Trying to align the figure's right hand with the face and chin for Tarkin's apparent "trademark" pose was theoretically possible but difficult to do with precision and made me wish for the smooth movement of Phicen/TBLeague stainless steel skeleton bodies. A minor problem with the outfit is that either the side pockets are just a little too shallow for the rank cylinders, or the latter are just a little too long; they ride up a bit too easily.







Hot Toys' Tarkin comes with two extra pairs of hands (making for a total of three pairs), the four rank cylinders to fit in the chest side pockets of his tunic, spare buttons, a stand, and his conference room chair. Since I do not consider spare parts (hands, buttons), things that are a permanent feature of the outfit (the cylinders), and stands proper accessories, the real accessory is just one: the chair. It is nicely done, in two pieces: you have to attach the seat to the base (carefully). The seat can rotate on the base, and so can the wheels (although they are not functional -- they do not roll). However, I noticed that the chair is not screen accurate: it is too tall, most notably the back is too elongated, and the top part clearly too long. In some of the photos above I cheated by making a makeshift booster seat out of foamies so that Tarkin's head would be at more or less the right place in relation to the back of his chair. Here is what it looks like without such devices (my hybrid Vader might be just a little too short, although when I was putting him together, I based the height on research):



One nice but non-screen-accurate chair is not exactly a mind-blowing accessory, especially considering he does not come with a table (which would not have been practicable), and other chairs and the officers to sit in them are unlikely to be made by Hot Toys (a long time ago Sideshow might have given it a try). Now we don't see Tarkin with much in the way of accessories in the film, which surely justified Hot Toys' decision here. But they could have done better: as an officer, Tarkin would have had a cap and a weapon or two, even if we do not see them onscreen. By comparison, Sideshow's Admiral Piett came with two weapons (never seen onscreen), both bare and gloved hands, and two officer's caps (one molded plastic, the other fabric); and, one might add, a bare-headed head-sculpt, although we never so him without his cap on. But let's say that since we do not see Tarkin with a cap or weapon, it is ok to skip them. We do see him with a cool black and silver metal cup on the conference table in front of his chair; maybe a cup would have been a fitting accessory?





In the photos below I have messed with the height of figures (by using various lifts and bases) to achieve something like the right perspective, but overall Tarkin is well-scaled vis-a-vis the other Hot Toys sixth-scale action figures (here, Leia).








Here's Tarkin with my hybrid Hot Toys/Sideshow Vader (who might be, again, a little on the short side):




And building up to his last moments...





But in the spirit of Pulp Fiction, we'll do a flashback to a leisurely moment in the life of a cool bad guy...



Hope you enjoyed it.

Other reviews:

Iconiq Studios Muhammad Ali


 
Maha 1/6 scale modular body
 
NBA Real Masterpiece Luka Dončić 1/6 Scale Limited Edition Figure Review and more
 
ANT Flexible Female Seamless Body Review
 
Hot Toys Star Wars Cobb Vanth
 
Hot Toys Star Wars Luke Skywalker Bespin Review and Fun
 
Hot Toys Star Wars Return of the Jedi Scout Trooper and Speeder Bike
 
Hot Toys Star Wars Rogue One Assault Tank Commander
 
Hot Toys Star Wars Rogue One Director Krennic
 
Homelander on a Budget (review of Toys Works' The Republican and comparisons to the others)
 
TBLeague Female Seamles Bodies S24A-S27B
 
Jiaou Doll Male Bodies
 
Kamisoul MAF Extreme Seamless Body with Jiaou and TBleague comparison
 
World Box AT030 Body
 
Six New-ish Bodies comparison
 
HH Model & Haoyu Toys Dragon Banner Bearer
 
Premier Toys PT0001 Wasteland Gladiator
 
Toys Headquarters Vol 003 Fighter
 
TBLeague Ramesses the Great
 
Figure Masters Vamp Lou
 
LDDoll Seamless Figure Body
 
John Constantine (Thunder Toys Hell Detective)
 
SooSoo Toys Frozen Man
 
SooSoo Toys Mr Butcher
 
Sideshow and Hot Toys Star Wars Scout Troopers (comparison)
 
Thunder Toys Hell Detective
 
Hot Toys Star Wars Emperor Palpatine
 
TBLeague Barbarian Soul
 
Hot Toys Star Wars Return of the Jedi Stormtrooper
 
ADD Toys War Wolves Back (muscle version)
 
World Box AT027 body
 
Hot Toys Star Wars Solo Mudtrooper
 
Sideshow Star Wars TIE Fighter Pilot
 
Woo Toys WO-004 Fat Thor
 
HH HY Rome Infantry
 
HH HY Rome Centurion
 
Mr Toys Barbarian Set B (He-Man)
 
Mr Toys Barbarian Set B (Conan the Barbarian)
 
Dragon and TBLeague Alexander the Great (comparison)
 
Kautic Plastik Roman Infantry 2019
 
JX Toys Peggy Carter
 
TBLeague 1:12 seamless male bodies
 
Hasbro Star Wars Rogue One Imperial Combat Assault Tank
 
Hasbro Star Wars imperials 2019
 
Hasbro Star Wars Jabba's Tatooine Skiff
 
CC Toys Unexplored Nate (summer version)
 
Jiaou Doll Boss Chair
 
Hot Toys Star Wars Solo Patrol Trooper
 
China Toys Teutonic Knight
 
Star Ace 300 Queen Gorgo
 
Black Box Toys Spectre Girl (Madeleine Swann)
 
Hot Toys Star Wars Royal Guard
 
VS Toys Bathroom
 
Coomodel Vikings Vanquisher Viking Ship
 
Coomodel Vikings Vanquisher Valhalla (double set)
 
TBLeague M36 body
 
Chinese wooden chairs and table sets A and B
 
HY Toys Armchair
 
TBLeague M35 body
 
Sideshow Jack Burton
 
Disney Star Wars Director Orson Krennic
 
TBLeague Spartan Goddess of War
 
AR Toys Hellman
 
Dragon Men in Black 3 Agent K 1969

#hottoys #starwars #anewhope #grand #moff #tarkin #fiction #film

Unlike the Artisan version, these are still available for preorder.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales
Jack Sparrow
1/6th scale Collectible Figure
Yo, Ho! This’s a pirate’s life for…Captain Jack Sparrow's luck has run out. Captain Salazar has released the deadliest ghost pirates of the sea from the Devil's Triangle. Captain Salazar is the oldest villain of Jack Sparrow. The ghost pirates hunt every single pirate at sea, including Jack Sparrow.

Today, Hot Toys is proud to welcome the 1/6th Jack Sparrow Collectible Figure from our DX Series collection! Drawing from his most iconic screen adventures, this intricately crafted piece revisits the daring pirate who has enthralled audiences across the Pirates of the Caribbean saga. With meticulous attention to period garments, weapons, and of course Jack's signature roguish charm, the figure transports fans directly to the movie scenes they love.

The screen-accurate collectible figure is crafted based on Jack Sparrow’s appearance in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales. It features a highly-detailed head sculpt with a styled beard, the iconic dreadlocked and braid hairstyle sculpted, and strands of wool hair implanted individually. In addition to his signature smirk, a serious expression is available to capture more on-screen moments. Both face sculpts feature separate rolling eyeballs to further enrich the realism.

His detail appearance is complete with a finely tailored fabric costume, including a long coat, shirt, patterned vest, genuine leather made belts and long boots. A veritable armory of weapons and accessories is also provided, such as the saber, flintlock pistols and an LED-lighted lantern.

Set a course to bring the scoundrel aboard! This infamous captain is ready to conquer your most adventurous collection!

Specifications

• Product CodeDX37
  
• Product NameJack Sparrow
  
• HeightApproximately 30cm tall
  
• Points of Articulations30
  
• Special FeaturesAuthentic and detailed likeness of Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales
  
• Product Release DateApproximately Q4, 2024 – Q1, 2025
  
• ArtistsHead Sculpted by Heo Da Jeong
  Head Painted by JC. Hong
  Head Art Directed by JC. Hong
  

The 1/6th scale Jack Sparrow Collectible Figure’s special features:
- Authentic and detailed likeness of Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales
- One (1) screen-accurate head sculpt (smirking expression) with separate rolling eyeball system
- One (1) interchangeable face sculpt (serious expression) with separate rolling eyeball system
- Detailed real-like beard and plaits on chin
- Detailed hair sculpture with a mix of fabric wool hair implantation, sculpted dreadlocks and braids, hair accessories and red bandana
- Approximately 30 cm tall
- Body with over 30 points of articulation
- Ten (10) pieces of interchangeable hands including:
- One (1) pair of flintlock pistol holding hands
- One (1) pair of sword or scabbard holding hands
- One (1) pair of open hands
- One (1) pair of hands showing his iconic gestures
- One (1) pair of index finger pointing hands
- Each piece of head sculpt is specially hand-painted

Costume:
- One (1) leather-like brown-colored hat (detachable)
- One (1) piece of cream-colored long-sleeved shirt
- One (1) patterned blue colored vest
- One (1) dark brown coat
- One (1) pair of dark brown pants
- One (1) dark brown genuine leather belt
- One (1) light brown genuine leather belt
- One (1) gator skin leather-like belt
- One (1) dark brown leather-like patterned shoulder band with saber sheath
- One (1) red striped scarf
- One (1) pair of genuine leather brown boots
- One (1) black wristlet
- One (1) lace wristlet

Weapons:
- One (1) saber
- One (1) knife
- Two (2) flintlock pistols

Accessories:
- One (1) LED light-up lantern (yellow light; battery operated)
- One (1) The Black Pearl in a clear bottle (non-removeable)
- One (1) compass
- One (1) tube telescope
- One (1) ornaments (attachable to belt)
- One (1) duck’s foot sculpture (attachable to belt)
- One (1) small batch of fabric hair (attachable to belt)
- One (1) head sculpt of his mother with gold-color ornaments (attachable to belt)
- One (1) fake-fur (attachable to belt)
- One (1) ship steering wheel with real ropes
- Specially designed figure stand with movie logo and character nameplate

Artists:
- Head Sculpted by Heo Da Jeong
- Hair Implanted by YuYan
- Head Painted by JC. Hong
- Head Art Directed by JC. Hong

Release date: Approximately Q4, 2024 – Q1, 2025

*Prototype shown, final product may be slightly different
**Battery included for collectible accessory, button cells are required
***Product details could be subjected to change without further notice

Disney
2024 Hot Toys Limited. All Rights Reserved.


















Image source: https://www.hottoys.com.hk/productDetail.php?productID=1361

The deluxe version includes an elaborate environmental diorama base meticulously crafted to resemble a segment of the Black Pearl and a treasure chest for your immersive display.

It’s time for a grand adventure at the high seas! Don’t miss out on the opportunity to get accompanied by Captain Jack Sparrow figure!

Specifications

• Product CodeDX38
  
• Product NameJack Sparrow
  
• HeightApproximately 30cm tall
  
• Points of Articulations30
  
• Special FeaturesAuthentic and detailed likeness of Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales
  
• Product Release DateApproximately Q4, 2024 – Q1, 2025
  
• ArtistsHead Sculpted by Heo Da Jeong
  Head Painted by JC. Hong
  Head Art Directed by JC. Hong
  

The 1/6th scale Jack Sparrow (Deluxe Version) Collectible Figure’s special features:
- Authentic and detailed likeness of Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales
- One (1) screen-accurate head sculpt (smirking expression) with separate rolling eyeball system
- One (1) interchangeable face sculpt (serious expression) with separate rolling eyeball system
- Detailed real-like beard and plaits on chin
- Detailed hair sculpture with a mix of fabric wool hair implantation, sculpted dreadlocks and braids, sculpted hair accessories and red bandana
- Approximately 30 cm tall
- Body with over 30 points of articulation
- Ten (10) pieces of interchangeable hands including:
- One (1) pair of flintlock pistol holding hands
- One (1) pair of sword or scabbard holding hands
- One (1) pair of open hands
- One (1) pair of hands showing his iconic gestures
- One (1) pair of index finger pointing hands
- Each piece of head sculpt is specially hand-painted

Costume:
- One (1) leather-like brown-colored hat (detachable)
- One (1) piece of cream-colored long-sleeved shirt
- One (1) patterned blue colored vest
- One (1) dark brown coat
- One (1) pair of dark brown pants
- One (1) dark brown genuine leather belt
- One (1) light brown genuine leather belt
- One (1) gator skin leather-like belt
- One (1) dark brown leather-like patterned shoulder band with saber sheath
- One (1) red striped scarf
- One (1) pair of genuine leather brown boots
- One (1) black wristlet
- One (1) lace wristlet

Weapons:
- One (1) saber
- One (1) knife
- Two (2) flintlock pistols

Accessories:
- One (1) LED light-up lantern (yellow light; battery operated)
- One (1) The Black Pearl in a clear bottle (non-removeable)
- One (1) compass
- One (1) tube telescope
- One (1) ornaments (attachable to belt)
- One (1) duck’s foot sculpture (attachable to belt)
- One (1) small batch of fabric hair (attachable to belt)
- One (1) head sculpt of his mother with gold-color ornaments (attachable to belt)
- One (1) fake-fur (attachable to belt)
- One (1) ship steering wheel with real ropes
- One (1) treasure chest (openable)***
- Specially designed pirate themed diorama base with translucent ocean water effect, and parts of a ship***

*** Exclusive to Deluxe Version

Artists:
- Head Sculpted by Heo Da Jeong
- Hair Implanted by YuYan
- Head Painted by JC. Hong
- Head Art Directed by JC. Hong

Release date: Approximately Q4, 2024 – Q1, 2025

*Prototype shown, final product may be slightly different
**Battery included for collectible accessory, button cells are required
***Product details could be subjected to change without further notice

Disney
2024 Hot Toys Limited. All Rights Reserved.







Image source: https://www.hottoys.com.hk/productDetail.php?productID=1362

#hottoys #disney #piratesofthecaribbean #jack #sparrow #deadmentellnotales #film

Star Wars: Ahsoka
Ahsoka Tano (Padawan)
1/6th scale Collectible Figure


Ahsoka Tano was discovered by Jedi Master Plo Koon as a small child and accepted into the Jedi Order. When she was 14, Jedi Master Yoda granted Ahsoka the rank of Padawan and she was partnered with Anakin Skywalker, a powerful if reckless Jedi Knight. Anakin initially bristled at the idea of having an apprentice, and their early interactions were playfully contentious; he called her “Snips” for her witty retorts, and Ahsoka called him “Skyguy.” But they bonded on the battlefield and Anakin gained a newfound respect for Ahsoka.

Expanding the growing collectible lineup inspired by the Ahsoka live-action series, Hot Toys is thrilled to present the new 1/6th scale Ahsoka Tano collectible figure as she was seen as a Padawan in the World Between Worlds!

The Ahsoka Tano collectible figure feature a newly developed head sculpt with articulated lekku and separate rolling eyeballs to adjust the eyesight, a skillfully tailored outfit, a lightsaber, and a sand themed display base!

A Padawan Ahsoka Tano collectible figure will be a an great addition among your Star Wars collection!
Specifications

• Product CodeTMS123
  
• Product NameAhsoka Tano (Padawan)
  
• HeightApproximately 27cm tall
  
• Points of Articulations28
  
• Special FeaturesAuthentic and detailed likeness of Ahsoka Tano as Padawan learner in Star Wars: Ahsoka
  
• Product Release DateApproximately Q1 – Q2, 2025
  
• Artists
  

The 1/6th scale Ahsoka Tano (Padawan) Collectible Figure specially features:
- Authentic and detailed likeness of Ahsoka Tano as Padawan learner in Star Wars: Ahsoka
- One (1) newly developed head sculpt with separate rolling eyeballs features
- Screen-accurate facial expression, make up, and detailed facial patterns
- Newly sculpted blue and white striped montrals and lekku embedded with bendable wires
- Highly detailed head accessories in metallic gold color
- New specialized body with over 28 points of articulations and silicone arms with seamless joint
- Approximately 27cm tall
- Six (6) pieces of interchangeable hands including:
- One (1) pair of relax hands
- One (1) pair of lightsabers holding hands
- One (1) pair of gesture hands
- Each piece of head sculpt is specially hand-painted

Costume:
- One (1) reddish brown colored sleeveless tunic
- One (1) reddish brown colored sleeveless under tunic with standing collar
- One (1) reddish brown colored belt with straps and silver buckle
- One (1) pair of grey colored pants
- One (1) pair of reddish brown colored upper arm sleeves
- One (1) pair of reddish brown colored forearm gauntlets
- One (1) pair of reddish brown colored boots and covers

Weapons:
- One (1) LED-lighted lightsaber with blade (Green light, USB power operated)
- One (1) pair of lightsaber blade in motion (attachable to the hilt)
- One (1) lightsaber hilt

Accessories:
- One (1) pair of goggles
- Specially designed desert-themed figure stand with Star Wars logo and character nameplate

Release date: Approximately Q1 – Q2, 2025

*Prototype shown, final product may be slightly different
**Light up function operated using USB power
***USB connecting cable is not included for collectible, USB cable is required
























#hottoys #starwars #ahsoka #ahsokatano #jedi #padawan #female #fiction #film

Brief Introduction

From the blue maritime routes to the skies ablaze with battle, F/A-18E pilots, with their unyielding will and exquisite skills, complete a multitude of gruelling tasks and challenges, preserving the nation’s honor.
DID is excited to bring you the 1/6 scale figure of Captain Mitchell, an Elite F/A-18E pilot and instructor of The US Navy Fighter Weapons School. The figure features a sculpted head that portrays a handsome, serious expression with a resolute and sharp gaze, vividly capturing the composed demeanor of a pilot.
He wears a fighter pilots helmet, not only adorned with its signature colorful marking but also accompanied by an exclusive flight helmet bag.Clad in a white T-shirt and flight suit, over which he dons a CSU-13B/P anti-G suit and PCU78 lSurvival Integrated Torso Harness and Survival Vest, his hands are fitted with GS/FRP-2 flight gloves, and his feet are in black real leather military boots. His attire is an accurate reproduction of a real F/A-18E pilot’s uniform.
In addition, he is equipped with distinctive F/A-18E pilot accessories, including an MBU-23/P oxygen mask, a CRU-103 oxygen regulator with survival vest pouch, a 14027 Sidewinder Hp Flashlight, a PRC-149 survival radio, and an LPU-33 life preserver. Additional essential pilot gear such as dark aviator sunglasses, a watch, and a folding emergency knife are also included.
After six years, we are reintroducing our Modern Military Series. The 1/6 scale Captain Mitchell figure is crafted with the same complexity and precision as its predecessors, authentically replicating the intricate details of F/A-18 pilot gears. For modern military enthusiasts, don’t hesitate to take this legendary figure home and let him continue to soar under your command. Captain Mitchell, the F/A-18E pilot, awaits your orders to take off!
PS：The cockpit that shown in the images is NOT included in MA80170.

Full Part List

Base
1 Headsculpt
2 All New – DID 1:6 Advanced Body (Slim Ver.)
3 Left Palm X 3 + Right Palm X 3
 
Outfits
4 Fighter pilots helmet & flight helmet bag
5 Flight Suit
6 White T-shirt
7 PCU78 Survival Integrated Torso Harness and Survival Vest
8 CSU-13B/P Anti-G Suit
9 GS/FRP-2 Flight Gloves
10 Military boots
 
Accessories
11 MBU-23/P oxygen mask
12 CRU-103 Oxygen Regulator with Survival Vest Pouch
13 14027 Sidewinder Hp Flashlight
14 PRC-149 survival radio with cover
15 Dark Aviator Sunglasses
16 LPU-33 life preserver
17 Watch
18 Emergency knife
 
Insignia
19 Shoulder board x 1 pair
20 US Navy Fighter Weapons School Patch X 1
21 US Flag Patch X 1
22 Breast Patch X 1













































#film #did #modern #american #military #topgun #tomcruise #captainmitchell #pilot

Updated with Part II. More here. Sorry, picture heavy.



Introduction

My first Star Wars action figure was a Kenner 3.75 in Luke Skywalker in Bespin gear. While I do not have a fetish for this figure like some other people seem to, it strikes me as fitting that I got this Hot Toys set, and that it might very well be the last Hot Toys Star Wars set I end up getting as such -- between the prices and production choices, and my preferences. Be that as it may, it is a great set, and I'm glad I got it. The set comes in two variants, both ostensibly deluxe, DX24 (reviewed here) and DX25 (special, with an additional Luke head in Vader's helmet and an additional Dagobah swamp base). I got the Luke head in Vader's helmet parted out, and you will see it in a couple of the photos; it did not come with the DX24 set.

This is Hot Toys' second take at Bespin Luke (the first was DX07, a combo pack). I do not own the DX07 to offer a comparison, but from what I have seen, DX24/DX25 is a definite upgrade, except for the absence of a battle-damaged outfit (and face).

To give credit (and to give you ideas), in addition to my own, I used backgrounds from Wallpaperflare, Battlefront, ArtStation (Philip Gilbert), and Dioramaworkshop.com (Frank Diorio).



Packaging

The box is both familiar and unusual, when it comes to Hot Toys Star Wars sets. Externally, we get the cigar band, now standard, wrapped around the cover (top photo below). But the cover is not a shoe box cover as usual, but a wraparound slip cover that one slides off the box within (middle photo below). That box is open on one side (the right), from which one pulls out another, coverless box. At the top of this there is yet another colorful image of the product, glued to a thin foam layer (bottom photo below). Removing this, one gets to the figure and its alternative hair sculpt, each in its own indent within a thick black foam layer, surrounded by a thin cardboard covering. Remove that cardboard covering and you can also get to the belt and the alternate hand sculpts. The foam layers are a signature of Hot Toys deluxe sets and I appreciate them -- not because they are deluxe, but because they are infinitely more user friendly than plastic treys with lids. Unfortunately, that is exactly what you will find when you remove the thick foam layer -- a plastic trey with its own plastic lid. Inside are stored the base and base add-on, the stand, the blaster, the lightsaber hilt, the translucent lightsaber blades (normal and in fan-like motion), the alternate lower arm and hand with the LED-lighted lightsaber, three batteries for it, a couple of spare wrist pegs, some spare metal caps for the belt, and the little tool for moving the eyes. There is also an instruction booklet inside. Overall, everything is collector friendly and safe.



Sculpting

The sculpted detail is up to Hot Toys' usual excellent standards, even if plenty of seems to be recycled from their earlier work. This is likely the case with the light-saber hilt, the blaster pistol, and probably some of the hands. The head sculpt seems to be identical to the one they used for their Mandalorian figure. The neater, puffier hair sculpt seems to be identical to the one from their Luke Snowspeeder Pilot set. The messier, sweatier hair sculpt seems to be new. At any rate, the likeness to Mark Hamil appears to be very good, perhaps better than in earlier attempts. I can't tell which of the two hair sculpts works better for me, but once again, both are very good. There is plenty of fine texturing on the skin on the head and hands, without creating an excessively aged effect. The two hair sculpts can be swapped, and are secured to the head with magnets.

As with Mandalorian Luke and other recent releases, the eyeballs are individually movable (which means you can make him cross eyed), to great potential effect. Because of the relativerly small and deep opening, it is not always easy to manipulate them from the inside of the face with the special tool designed for that job; I found it sometimes helps using the "wrong" end of the tool or even just a sturdy toothpick.

Luke stands about 29 cm (11.5 inches) tall.



Paint

The paint application is also up to Hot Toys' usual high standards. Given the separate movable eyeballs, it is no big surprise they managed to paint the eyes perfectly. They are also glossy and realistic. The eyebrows are painted in exquisite detail with individual lashes and look believable. There is plenty of nuance and flecking to the paint on the head and on the hands, giving them an extra realistic appearance. The belt buckle, blaster pistol, and, to a lesser extent, the lightsaber hilt are all weathered, making them look believable as different kings of metal, although they are all plastic. The weaponry is given a darker and duller, more gunmetal look than some of its earlier iterations. The hair is given Hot Toys' usual metallic paint treatment for blonde and light hair. That is less than ideal, but seems to work reasonably well.



Articulation

I'm going to sound like a broken record, but here it is, again: the Hot Toys body appears to have all the articulation you could possibly want or need -- apart from the point of articulation at the base of the head, since the head and neck are one continuous molded piece. However, Hot Toys' insistence on using padding under the costume does get in the way of the articulation in certain places (especially at the shoulders -- unless of course the shoulders and the garment's cut are at fault). It is possible to do a lot with the figure, but the effort (and worry about damaging something) makes it a frustrating experience. If I can figure out a way to get his outfit off safely, I will remove the padding. But they seem to have taken to stitching the outfits on. We get the usual good articulation at the ankles (aided by the soft boots) and wrists, elbows, knees, waist.



Accessories

Luke comes with all the accessories a Bespin Luke needs, and that is not that many. He has got his outfit and belt, blaster pistol, and light saber. The pistol fits well within the holster (with some initial effort), while the light saber hangs from a hook on the lower side of the belt; it can easily fall out. There are, of course, alternate and spare parts: a total of seven hand sculpts (pair of light saber grips -- which he comes wearing in the box, one right hand gun grip, one left hand fist, a hand with extended index and middle finger, and a couple of hands with outspread fingers), the swappable hair pieces (he comes wearing the sweaty hair in the box), the swappable lower arm with hand and light saber for the LED-lighting effect. It would have been nice to get pairs of all the hands, including some relaxed hands; this feels like cutting corners.

The translucent blue light saber blade and "moving" fan-like effect can be attached to either the regular light saber hilt or to the hilt that is part of the LED-lighting lower arm assembly. Spare parts include a pair of extra wrist pegs and some small metal caps in case any come off the belt. Then there are the two-part base and stand. The two-part base is excellent. The main part is made to resemble the small round portion of the floor of the carbon-freezing chamber on Cloud City, with characteristic bright red lit panels. The additional part can attach to it from the side or stand alone. It features two carbonite pumping (?) stations that resemble futuristic space fire hydrants. The only let down, for me, is the actual stand, which plugs into the round main part of the base. Instead of the usual crotch-grabber stand, this one is designed to grab the body around the waist. I find these more difficult to use and more visible and distracting.



Light Features

There are three light features altogether. Unsurprisingly, given Hot Toys' past record, the light saber has a light up option, which requires using an alternate lower arm, into which one inserts three small batteries (provided), activating the light with a switch. The light travels into and through the translucent light saber blade or motion fan-like effect, which can be plugged into the opening of the light saber hilt attached permanently to the LED lower arm-and-hand assembly. I don't like swapping the lower arms and did not do this for the figure. However, in several photos, you can see the unattached alternate LED arm-and-hand assembly with both the light saber blade and motion effect. The red light blade used for comparison is with a Darth Maul LED arm-and-hand assembly; the second, blue-on-blue lit light saber comparison borrowed an Obi-Wan LED arm-and-hand assembly for the regular blade. As before, the blue-light effect is far more striking than the red.

The other two light features are found in the two-part base. To use them, you need at least one USB C micro cable, and you need to switch each piece on with its individual power switch. Both pieces require power via USB C, but you can use just one cable if you attach the two pieces of the base to each other via the USB C connector that can be made to protrude out of the smaller base piece. Thus, if you power the smaller base piece with your cable, you can power the main base by attaching it to the powered smaller piece. The two cylinders on the smaller piece light up pale blue near the top, while the light panels on the larger, round part of the base light up bright warm red, almost orange. This is movie-accurate and very impressive. I do not know how widespread this problem would be, but on my set, the USB connection between the smaller and larger base pieces is a little tentative. It required some pressing and pushing to have it work and keep it working.



Outfit

Luke's "Bespin" fatigues -- which he was wearing before setting foot on Bespin -- are recreated in loving and exact detail. So much so, they are sewn on the body and do not open, nor are the pockets functional -- unlike those on the old DX07 outfit. Prioritizing the visual over the functional is fine to a point, but the restricted articulation, especially at the shoulders, is a very frustrating issue. As I mentioned above, I'm not certain whether the issue is primarily due to the padding or the actual garment or both. I wish the sleeves were just a little bit longer, although an overly-exposed wrist, annoying as it is for a visibly-jointed action figure, might be screen-accurate.

Speaking of the boots, these are a variation of the boot type recently seen on the Snowspeeder Luke, and, of course, of the boots provided for the previous version of Bespin Luke, DX07. Unlike DX07, however, DX24/25 uses pleather. Hopefully it will not fall apart anytime soon. The boots are still soft enough to not impede ankle articulation.



Source Accuracy

Overall, the set is a very good rendition of Luke's appearance at Bespin. But there are some minor details that are not quite right. The outfit is just a little bit too clean and neat, even for Luke first setting foot in Cloud City -- although I have seen at least one (publicity?) photo where it is indeed this pristine, it was not so onscreen. Moreover, the pants should be a little bit baggier or bunched up above the boots. The belt on the old DX07 set was more screen-accurate accurate in its configuration of boxes or pouches and the surface of its buckle than the one provided with the new DX24/25 sets. The two caps or rivets on the holster's leg strap should be visible at the front (they were at the back on mine out of the box), but luckily the strap can be easily readjusted -- I discovered this after taking the photos, so they do not reflect the correct appearance.



Fun Factor

Apart from my annoyance at the restrictive or difficult articulation at the shoulders, I think Hot Toys produced a very good figure, in most respects a vast improvement on the DX07. Those of us seeking to replicate the climactic end of Luke's duel with Vader, however, would need to modify or swap the outfit, and get a wrist stump. Otherwise, Luke is good to go socializing with his friends or with his father, or whatever else tickles his budding Jedi fancy.



Value

Renditions of a Star Wars protagonist released by Hot Toys in 2023, the sets retailing at (USD) $285 (DX24) or $345 (DX25) would come as no great surprise for anyone who has been around these high end collectibles. Which is not to say that the price feels justified, especially considering how much of this set is made up of items Hot Toys has already designed. The light-features base elements are great, but ultimately non-essential; the fancy box even more so. It is still simply a figure with a gun, a lightsaber, and two swappable hair sculpts. The $60 difference between DX24 and DC25 also seems excessive: the Luke in Vader's helmet head is very neat (and I picked it up parted out), but the Dagobah base, while nice, does not feel particularly exciting. Ultimately, one's feelings about the value of these sets would come down to how important it was to own these versions of the character and how much one is willing to invest in a sixth-scale figure set. All the more so for those who are getting this as an upgrade from an earlier version like DX07. I do not own an earlier version (though I had picked up one of the DX07 outfits parted out), and am glad I got this set, although I cannot say I liked its price.



Things to watch out for

Not a whole lot. It would be easy to misplace the eye adjustment tool, but you could always use a toothpick or something else to achieve the same results. The lightsaber hilt can easily fall off the hook on the belt. It is not impossibly small, but still not too difficult to lose.



Overall

Alongside their Mandalorian Luke, which used the same head sculpt, Hot Toys' Bespin Luke is arguably their best rendition of Mark Hamill in the iconic role as the protagonist of the Star Wars Original Trilogy. And this without even taking into account the critical importance of the sequence and film climax associated with this appearance of the character. To be sure, "Bespin Luke" could have been more easily poseable, even more accurate, and less expensive, but he remains an excellent sixth-scale collectible.



Where to buy

I got mine for $277 (preorder discount) at Timewalker Toys. The reason I preordered is because I expected it to sell out. And it did. Looks like most people went for DX24, because there are still a few DX25s out there:

Big Bad Toy Store still has DX25 for $360 ($4 flat rate shipping).

Cotswold Collectibles still has DX25 for $345.

Sideshow has them on wait list.



I hope this was informative, let me know what you think. If you like it, I will post a few more photos that didn't make it so far and some of the slightly corrected version compared to my reconstituted/kitbashed DX07.



Updated with Part II. More here. Sorry, picture heavy.

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#starwars #theempirestrikesback #luke #skywalker #bespin #male #fiction #scifi #film #movie #hottoys

blackpool wrote:I found the movie quite poor except for Margot Robbie which saves the thing with Jared Leto, so I had very little interest in the figures, but my girlfriend gifted me the prisoner version of Harley Quinn.

I was so surprised by this refreshing and awesome figure while it is very basic, so I decided to build myself a more "iconic" version, just grabbing the head and a few extras to mix with my prisoner Harley.

Anyway, here is my queen of Gotham! Hope you'll like!























#custom #kitbash #female #film #suicidesquad

What tank top did you use for your Harley?

Part I


For Part II, see here.


For Part III, see here.


I picked up a bunch of the pieces from the Big Chief Studios Flash Gordon set that was released recently. To be honest, I am not the biggest fan of the 1980 film, and the oft-cited attraction of the Queen soundtrack (isn't it just that one song?) does little to impress me (they have done so much better). I suppose I am not a fan of camp. But it is still a fun, vibrant film, stunning visuals (even if my feelings about Art Deco have always been a little ambivalent), cool villains, likable protagonists (even if Flash himself is understated and dubbed, he does have the winning attitude of a friendly Lab or Golden Retriever); and, thankfully, the production does not take itself too seriously. And Ted made such loving references to the film and its leading actor. But I digress.



Discovering that the Flash (Sam Jones) head is (for once) a perfect skin tone match for TBLeague's male suntan bodies, I decided to try to outfit one of those with the fairly basic Flash costume. Originally I had tried the head on M34 (here), and liked it, but these clothes had little chance of fitting on that, which was too bulky for Flash's onscreen look anyway. So I went to M33 (which is also a little too bulky in places), and it worked, more or less. The top works well, the belt even has some leeway, the boots work (and are quite difficult to remove, once in place), but the pants were very difficult to get on. They did not impede some wide stances, but they did make sitting or kneeling almost impossible (trying to come off in the process). Since they are black and their features are not too obvious, they could arguably be replaced by a different similar-looking garment. Here are several shots of the recreated figure looking more or less as intended by the Big Chief set (a benefit of the body swap is that the head does not sit ridiculously high on the neck).





I didn't pick up the Hawkmen firearms, because they didn't look exactly like the prop I was looking at, so I borrowed something very remotely similar from elsewhere. I improvised similarly with other accessories.









Some of the images I had found while doing research appear to have been promotional shots that did not have a direct counterpart in the film (which I rewatched), but apparently tried to tie-in Sam Jones' portrayal of Flash Gordon with the cartoon series. Here are some recreations and adaptations of these.











Back to the film for the execution scene... but here only the head is Big Chief's.



Some more fun with the sword.





Overall, the clothing worked well, perhaps surprisingly so. Only the pants (partly) failed me, but that was only to be expected. The clothing and the head sculpt are a decent portrayal of the character's appearance, without being perfect. Perhaps the hardest thing to get right is the hair, which would be a challenge even with "real hair," given that it was dyed for the movie, and the darker roots need to be showing. A partial bonus is the fact that the molded hair appears to be easily removable from the rest of the head sculpt, which might allow for a rehairing. Thicker and darker eyebrows might help the likeness. And I need to get a plain red wife beater.

As always, what do you think?

For Part II, see here.


For Part III, see here.

#bigchief #flashgordon #samjones #tbleague #m33 #scifi #fantasy #male #custom #kitbash #movie #film

Introduction

This new release from Hot Toys arrived from Sideshow yesterday. Hot Toys' coverage of Rogue One has been spotty, but they did show some love for imperial trooper types, producing the Rogue One Stormtrooper (in a couple of versions), Death Trooper (in three versions), and Shore Trooper (in a couple of versions?). All these have seen second release due to their appearances in The Mandalorian. The only Rogue One imperial trooper type left (they sorta covered the revised Imperial Ground Crew as Jynn Erso's disguise version) was the Imperial Assault Tank Commander (with Pilot variant). This is the product just released. It, too, has a Mandalorian version, of sorts, the Transport Trooper, a hybrid between Rogue One's Assault Tank Commander/Pilot and Solo's Mud Trooper. It seems like trooper figures keep on giving and multiplying and army-building should be easy... except, of course, for the price.



Packaging

The Assault Tank Commander comes in a long-familiar standard Hot Toys shoe box-type cardboard container with a colorful image of the product on the cover. Another colorful image is found on the card covering the single plastic trey (with transparent lid) containing the figure. Everything is snug, safe, and collector-friendly.



Sculpting

Sculpting a fully-armored figure with futuristic armor is, of course, a challenge, yet not quite the challenge of making a faithful, lifelike, and realistic representation of an individual's features. As usual, Hot Toys rose to the challenge, and created a very fine replica of what was seen on screen. The edges are suitably sharp and clean, the proportions quite accurate (for some minor issues see Source Accuracy below), the detail is rich and distinctive as needed. The figure stands just about 12 inches tall, and scales well among other Rogue One figures by Hot Toys (see last image below).



Paint

In principle, the paint work on a subject like this, need only be sharp, if the armor and clothing are in pristine conditions. But since the subject is meant to be dirtied up and weathered, there is still plenty of room for a complex and nuanced paint application. The armor has been supplied with the appearance of wear and tear, grime, scratches and stains. Overall, it is believable and appropriate. At the same time, the paint job is suitably sharp in the areas where it ought to be. Apart from the weathering, the paint is mostly black and white, with some details in red and brownish gray. The blaster rifle is also given a little weathering.



Articulation

Hot Toys used to lead in the field of hard plastic open-jointed bodies, which used to be available as base bodies. That no longer seems to be the case, but the bodies that come with most of their sets still tend to sport a good articulation. More often than not, however, this is compromised by the use of tight and stiff cloth for the outfit and, even more so, by the insertion of padded undergarments. These are ostensibly to improve the appearance of the figure, but do so only marginally, while at the same time significantly impairing articulation -- and this without additional limitations imposed by armor and accessories. This is exactly the case with this set. The apparent padding makes it difficult to achieve the full range of articulation; the outfit is not exceedingly restrictive, but also does not help. The armor is mostly out of the way, except for the vambraces in the wrist area and for the tabs (boxes?) handing from the armored utility belt. On the other hand, elbows, knees, and ankles have excellent articulation. As a result it is sometimes difficult but not impossible to achieve more dynamic poses. I have not yet explored this option with this set, but previous experience suggest removing the padding would greatly facilitate the articulation with almost no impact on the look.



Accessories

In this area, the figure is woefully short. There is, of course, an action figure crotch-grabber stand with an optional printed graphic card to cover the base, and an optional additional detail piece to add to the base. There are alternative parts, namely two additional sets of hands, for a total of three pairs (relaxed, gun-grip, and fists). There are spare parts, namely the two extra wrist pegs. But none of these are really accessories. The sole accessory is the E-11 blaster rifle with its Rogue One flashlight add-on. The blaster rifle is beautifully and precisely realized, with a folding three-position stock. Now, I realize we can't expect the Assault Tank Commander to come with an Assault Tank as his accessory, but this is exceedingly light. And it should be reflected in the price (see Value below).



Outfit

Apart from the molded hard or soft plastic armor (see Sculpting), the outfit consists primarily of the gray-brown cloth pants and some sort of black garment visible primarily at the elbows -- since I have not taken the body apart or seen the set parted out, I'm not certain if this is a whole top or even a whole bodysuit (perhaps unlikely). The belt combines cloth and molded plastic pieces.



Source Accuracy

The top part of the image below is for reference, from https://www.starwars.com/databank/imperial-combat-assault-tank-commander
On the whole, Hot Toys has rendered the character's appearance very well and quite accurately. It is possible that the helmet has become slightly vertically elongated, but it might be an effect of my camera lens. The only certain inaccuracy I spotted is the treatment of two of the recessed areas on either side of the segmented element in the middle of the abdominal area. The reference image shows larger recessed parts in dark gray, whereas in the figure they appear to be significantly narrower (see images in previous and succeeding sections).



Fun Factor

Without a tank and a couple of pilots (which would effectively be slight variants) to boss around, the Assault Tank Commander runs the risk of being a lonely figure. The presence of a single accessory (the blaster rifle) also does not open a huge field of possibilities for fun. However, one could pair him with any or all of the other imperial trooper types from Rogue One produced by Hot Toys. The Jedha patrol stormtrooper would be a particularly apt companion (I could not easily excavate mine, so I substituted a virtually identical regular Rogue One stormtrooper in the photos here).



Value

This is the tricky bit. Retailing at $230 (USD) before taxes and shipping, this figure is at once pricey and yet more affordable than so many other Hot Toys releases these days. I don't know if this is a nod to the dearth of accessories or to the potential for army-building (although one is unlikely to be looking for an army of Assault Tank Commanders, I suppose). Even so, "objectively" speaking, it seems difficult to justify such a hefty price tag for a figure this simple -- no detailed realistic human face, no extravagant bases or accessories (in fact, only one accessory), a trooper, reused or duplicate parts (from the Shore Trooper, Transport Trooper, Mud Trooper, and not even talking about the standard Rogue One blaster rifle) and so on. Yes, Hot Toys quality is (as it should be, but apparently not always) very good, the sculpt and paint are excellent, but I don't see why this figure is not almost $100 less than this asking price (and that prior to secondary market inflation). Other than, of course, Hot Toys' "ambition" and precedent. Some of the recent or upcoming trooper figures are actually slightly less expensive ($220). Of course, the thing about value is that its estimation varies based on a number of variables, most notably one's means and priorities.



Things to watch out for

Nothing much, the only readily breakable area is the folding stock of the E-11 blaster rifle.



Overall

When it comes to protagonists, certain secondary characters, and imperial trooper types, I'm a completist, and Rogue One is quasi-canon to me, so I'm happy I purchased this figure. It is a very fine figure, although I cannot really say I'm blown away by it. Then again, I got it to have a representation of the character (or rather type), not so much because I was specifically drawn to it. The execution is excellent, the functionality is good (without being perfect), the price is hefty (without being totally excessive). The design is cool, if repetitive (the most notable though not only point of comparison is the Shore Trooper design from the same film), and the figure fits in well with Hot Toys' other Star Wars figures, especially those from Rogue One. Given their usual practice, I'm surprised they did not offer the pilot variants, but perhaps they are uncertain of the degree to which this type and this movie would sell at this point.



Where to buy

I got mine for $230 (USD) from Sideshow, using some accumulated points. The secondary market is inflating prices, and I have seen it going for $275 to $542 on eBay. Among others (mostly on pre-order),

Cotswold Collectibles has it for $230;

Monkey Depot has it for $230;

Timewalker Toys has it for $230 (wait list);

Big Bad Toy Store has it for $245.



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I hope this has been useful. As always, what do you think?

#hottoys #starwars #rogueone #imperial #assaulttank #commander #male #scifi #fiction #film #movie

Amazing! Sir, is it alright to ask how you safely removed the sculpted hair?

GubernatorFan wrote:Having converted a Jason Momoa Aquaman head (HERE) and an Arnold Schwarzenegger Conan head (HERE), it seemed like a natural choice to do the same to the new Bucky Barnes head sculpt by HT. The face is excellent but the hair, while very impressively sculpted, is just soft molded plastic. I object to this on principle anyway, so here we go again. For more details on the process, please consult the other threads linked above.

More photos in Post 6 below

The original head:


I gently pried off the two-part hair sculpt and perched it on his shoulders for this photo:


You don't need a very ample scalp if you are going to give your head sculpt an ample hair, but I decided I should fill-in the various indents with Kneadatite Blue and Yellow. I painted it very lightly with a flesh color (not even trying to match the face, since it wouldn't be visible), then began to glue on the hair in rows, starting with a line parallel to the bottom of the head sculpt at the back.


No matter how disheveled, I left the hair in place for a while, giving the glue a chance to cure.


Then I gently removed any loose strands, rinsed the hair with water, and gave him a haircut.


Finally, to make the hair less puffy, I applied a solution of water and shampoo+conditioner. I may have overdone it, giving him a more compact, wet hair look, but I will worry about styling it later (or not -- I wasn't completely crazy about the original/movie look of the hair).


Hope this is helpful or informative. What do you think?

More photos in post 6 below

#custom #kitbash #modification #bucky #barnes #wintersoldier #hottoys #ht #infinitywar #marvel #film #fiction #male #superhero #head #headsculpt #hair

Yep, back then it was still called Phicen. And it was one of very very few of their boxed sets I've ever bought. The head sculpt is not as good a likeness as it should be, I know, nor have I kitted it out completely (besides, it comes with material for at least three or four different looks). But, to make our newest member feel at home, here he is...







#phicen #tbleague #stevereeves #hercules #myth #film #actor #male

More photos in Post 12.

I suppose it was inevitable. Give us a head with long molded hair and I feel compelled to replace it with "real" hair. For the "before" look, check out my Woo Toys set review HERE.

In Endgame, "fat" Thor sports a disheveled hair that seems to intentionally combine aspects of a bad dye job and a bad wig. To some extent this should have been possible to replicate with different clumps of different-colored hair strands, but in my desire to make the look more natural, I kept intermixing the three different colors, to the point where the overall look ended up looking more even, perhaps too natural. It also ended up looking more red, which is actually appropriate for the real Norse Thor. Especially for a re-hair that survived a fire evacuation and impromptu restyling (a clump was yanked out -- you can see the initial look HERE), I still think it worked out ok.



I also think it works quite well with a smaller body, like TBLeague's M33.



I think I should apply some more water and maybe product to make it less fluffy, but for the time being this is it.



What do you think?

More photos in Post 12.

#custom #kitbash #hair #chrishemsworth #thor #wootoys #avengers #endame #superhero #male #film #fiction

Ovy's recent sixth-scale jointed bodies comparison review and the simultaneous appearance of a new twelfth-scale stormtrooper action figure by Hasbro inspired me to put this together. Stormtroopers are difficult -- getting the right kind of articulation with all this armor and getting the right look and proportion in the complex (and originally unintentionally asymmetric) helmet design has been a challenge even for sixth-scale products (indeed even Hot Toys has often failed to quite nail it). Some of these issues are present in the twelfth-scale figures, although most of them are perhaps surprisingly successful in most, if not necessarily all respects. Since this is mostly about comparing the figures themselves, I have not been comprehensive in covering the other items (stands, additional accessories, etc) that come in the sets, except for some basic indication in the notes.

Here are five twelfth-scale stormtroopers (there might be additional versions out there, in which case these are the second, updated versions). From left to right: Hasbro Black Series (henceforth, H), Kaiyodo Revoltech (KR), Bandai model set (B), Bandai S.H. Figuarts (BSHF), and the just-released Hasbro Black Series "The Mandalorian" (HM).



Some things to note: KR is apparently now also released under the brand name Animewild; moreover, there appeared substantially less expensive Chinese knockoffs of the original Japanese sets, often inferior in the quality of the materials and paint application. The Bandai model set needs to be put together, a somewhat time-consuming and possibly challenging process. The new Hasbro Black Series stormtrooper, HM, while referencing The Mandalorian series, is essentially a Rogue One stormtrooper, since the shape design is supposed to be identical.



Front. Note the extra low "brow" of H and B, and the higher dome of KR. For some reason, the helmet design of H comes across as the worst to me (strangely, their sandtrooper helmets were very good); B has a fine helmet, but the distance ratio between the "nose" and "lip" areas is reversed; HM's helmet is more specifically appropriate for Rogue One and The Mandalorian; the "nose" and "lip" distances are about the same here, which is not quite right but at least they are not reversed (strangely, Hasbro's 3.75-inch Rogue One stormtroopers were even better in this respect). BSHF's helmet is technically correct, but there is still something that seems a little off with it. Only B's helmet has actual green translucent lenses, but it is not something you can actually notice without taking it apart. KR's armor is not quite bulky enough, while HM's is specific to its source movie/series. KR's helmet is very good in many respects, but something (the high dome?) is a little off.



Back. Note the holes in the back armor panel of H, in the butt armor panel of KR, and in the boots of BSHF, KR's diminutive thermal detonator, and the strangely small trapezoidal designs on the helmet of BSHF. It doesn't show well in the photo, but HM's armor has the movie/series-specific rectangular indent on the top surface of the "backpack" section of the back plate. Also note that the chest-and-upper-back armor assembly is a separate piece that allows for underlying articulation.



Elbow articulation (best: HM and B; worst: H) and neck and upper torso stretch backward (best: B; worst: KR).



Neck and upper torso stretch forward (best: KR, BSHF, and HM; worst: H).



Upward and sideways arm movement (worst -- sideways: H). Note that B and BSHF have shoulder armor designed so that it moves out of the way, while HM's is made of more flexible plastic -- which allows the movement, but if you keep the pose too long, it might remain twisted and require corrective action. KR can theoretically do better with the upward arm movement, but the joint comes apart.



Taking a knee (worst: H). Surprisingly, all five can achieve this pose (this should also cover any question of sitting), although H has the most difficulty getting to it and maintaining it, and needs to twist its torso a bit more than the others. The other four are about evenly matched. Note that B and BSHF have the ability to extend the thigh portion of the upper legs, which provides additional help in a pose like that.



Random action poses. You can achieve these with any of the stormtrooper figures, although some look more natural than others. The overly short neck of B seems to get in the way of a more natural look.



These are the two most recent twelfth-scale stormtroopers, by Bandai (S.H. Figuarts) and Hasbro ("The Mandalorian"). Their release (especially the latter) is responsible for the review. This Bandai is superior to the Bandai model kit (B) in most respects, other than price. For example, it allows more natural looking poses (a surprise to me), and it certainly has improved the helmet. Hasbro's new stormtrooper (HM) has considerable advantages over the older version, both in function and in looks (in fact I dislike the older version so much that I only picked up that one for reference). While its helmet may look a little overly small from some angles (note the difference an angle makes!), that is to a significant degree the result of the partial streamlining of the helmets for the Rogue One film (carried over to The Mandalorian).



The packaging for BSHF and HM. While this is not the focus of the review, I should at least list the differences in accessories: H comes with a standard E-11 blaster rifle and a longer blaster rifle (seen in the first photo); KR comes with a clear stand, extra hands, and both the standard and longer blaster rifles; B comes with a stand (representing just a section of flat black Death Star floor), extra hands, and both the standard and long blaster rifles, plus the more compact laser pistol (that I never remember from the films); BSHF comes with an optional holster, with the standard blaster rifle and with two long blaster rifles of different design; HM comes only with the standard blaster rifle.

So what is the best stormtrooper? I suppose that to some degree opinions would vary, but to me the first Hasbro Black Series (H) is clearly the worst, both in appearance and in function, even if its price point (at least originally) was decent by comparison with the others. Genuine KR were fairly expensive (the knock offs fairly cheap), but the extra-lanky look and the overly high dome of the helmet make me ambivalent as to its viability, although I prefer it to H. The Bandai model kit (B) was fairly inexpensive and came with perhaps the most extensive or varied assortment of accessories, but the mistakes in the helmet design and the slightly too short neck keep it from first place. BSHF is an improvement in appearance and perhaps even functionality on B, but it can be fairly expensive. Finally, the newly-released HM has fewer accessories than any of the others, but has an excellent look (subject to the usual vagaries of Hasbro's paint job and quality control) and functionality, coupled with a relatively low price (just north of $20 USD, it is less expensive than any of the others, except the original price of H and perhaps KR knock-offs). This makes it both an excellent figure in itself and the most viable option as an army builder among the ones reviewed here. In terms of quality and functionality, there is probably a tie between HM and BSHF, but BSHF is becoming both rare and even more expensive. (I have not discussed specific prices, because several of these products are now no longer readily accessible except on the secondary market, and we are no longer dealing with their original prices.)

As always, what do you think?

#starwars #stormtrooper #film #scifi #fiction #male #military #productreview

Michael forgot to post the link to the review here, so I'm taking the liberty of doing exactly that. Enjoy and comment -- I'm sure he is looking forward to feedback like any reviewer.



You can check out the review on Michael's site here:

http://www.mwctoys.com/REVIEW-092820a.htm

#hawkeye #jeremyrenner #avengers #film #superhero #male #hottoys #productreview

The Sexiest Man Alive (People 2014) is back and there is more of him to love than ever before!

For the modified head sculpt, see HERE.



Courtesy of Woo Toys and World Box, here is the most amiable God of Thunder yet!



Woo Toys set WO-004 is available in four variants, including (A) clothes and accessories, (B) clothes, accessories, and head sculpt, (C) full set including World Box AT018 body, and (D) just the head sculpt. Since I had the body, I went for set B. The clothing and accessories include: pajama pants, crocs, hoody, robe, fingerless gloves, watch, game controller, two Coke cans, two Heineken beer bottles. You have to attach the labels/designs on the cans and bottles yourself. Neither the Cokes nor the Heinekens are actually film-accurate. Chris Hemsworth wore the gloves throughout, as they hid the edge of the fat suit he wore for his character's appearance in the film.



"Fat Viking" Thor comes with one of the outfits seen in Avengers: Endgame, but it allows you to recreate more than one look or cringe-inducing scene...



To keep Thor comfortable, he has his pale blue crocs, representing what has got to be the most unsightly footwear ever designed. But they are done in fine detail, and they fit the feet of the AT018 body perfectly.



You can have him lounging around on the couch in his red robe and playing with his video game controls while enjoying a beer.



Or give him his hoody so he can dress up appropriately for going out... The strings hang too close to each other, but it is otherwise film-accurate. Don't forget to caffeinate for energy.



And just in case, throw in the robe. Between that, the hoody, the pajama pants, and the crocs, it's office casual these days, no? Don't forget the shades, or suffer the combination of hangover and sunlight.



I'm cool, man!



Just let me rest my eyes a little... no, I'm not dead!



These shades need some cleaning... or maybe it's just not too bright in here...



SPOILER ALERT! The outfit, as a whole, is most accurate to the part of the film where Thor revisits Asgard to reunite with his beloved family members and possessions. To be film-accurate, the watch would sit atop a black leather gauntlet-type accessory worn over the glove.



All he has to do is reach out...



And he is still manifestly worthy of greatness!



No one can withstand the Sexiest Man/God alive!



Let all others tremble in despair!



All in all, I think it is a fine, fun set, allowing the recreation of the character from more than one scene in the film. It can also serve for kitbashing purposes. The head sculpt is not the most accurate Chris Hemsworth we have seen, but it is passable. And the sculpted hair lends itself to rehairing. I should note that the head sits a bit high on the body, in part because that is a common occurrence with WorldBox bodies, in part because of the neck adapter (which I tried to modify) and the molded hair (which is somewhat flexible but not too soft). Put together, this Thor is about 30 cm (11.8 in) tall, which is a little short for Chris Hemsworth, whose 6 ft 3 in (190.5 cm) would translate to 31.75 cm (12.5 in) in sixth scale. But this is due to the WorldBox body, which is the only "fat" body readily available. It is neither the right height nor the right physique for the character, but dressed up it still conveys the look fairly well.

What do you think?

I got mine from Giantoy (you can shop around and find it elsewhere, too), so here are a couple of their links for the Fat Viking sets and the WorldBox body:
https://giantoy.com/products/woo-toys-wo-004c-woo004c-fat-viking-1-6-scale-1
https://giantoy.com/products/worldbox-1-6-durable-male-figure-fat-plump-body-at018

For the modified head sculpt, see HERE.

#avengers #thor #chrishemsworth #wootoys #worldbox #scifi #fiction #film #male

Extra photos in Post 11 below.



Introduction

Hot Toys has followed up its release of the Patrol Trooper (see HERE) from the Solo movie with two versions of the young Han Solo character. The second of these is Han Solo as a "mud trooper," serving in the imperial infantry on the muddy, swampy planet of Mimban. I have little attachment to the film and its characters, but I liked the Patrol Trooper for its relatively cool design and I liked the "mud troopers" for giving us what is still a slightly modified representation of the regular imperial army, which we hardly noticed in the Original Trilogy (primarily as "AT-ST drivers" on Endor). So I picked this up, primarily with the intention of making just that... But even if I don't care much about the film, its silly plot, grungy appearance, or its redundant trooper types (on principle), since I have it, it makes sense to review the set, which, for the most part, is very nicely done.



Packaging: 4/4 stars

This is not a category where one should expect something new or exciting every time. In fact, there should be an expectation of consistency between related products, and to some extent that is dictated by Disney/Lucasfilm. The packing reflects that of the Patrol Trooper and (I suppose) the other Solo Han Solo set. We have the shoe-type box with removable lid, with a fine depiction of the product against the standard two shades of black background. A colorful cigar box band with additional images of the product runs across the bottom of the container. Inside, below the nice but useless card showcasing the figure in something closer to an action pose, there is the translucent lid and black trey assembly (both in plastic), holding the figure and its accessories. Everything is safe and collector-friendly.



Sculpting: 4/4 stars

This category covers all the sculpted or molded portions of the set, although it is naturally dominated by the most elaborate feature, the head sculpt. The head is an excellent representation of the actor, complete with a bit of his smirk. Despite the youthful look, there is enough in the features to look realistic, and the hair stranding is very fine, as we have come to expect from Hot Yous. In common with some other recent Hot Toys releases, the head sculpt is (1) identical to that used for a previous set (the other Solo Solo) and (2) features removable and swappable hair pieces (with magnets) to accommodate optional headgear and other accessories (like the other Solo Solo and the Endor Leia). While neither of these practices is a problem in itself, it is an example of economy that ought to have been translated into savings for the consumer. But unless the price would have been even more outrageous than it already is, that does not seem to have been the case. It could be just my impression, but the way it is put together, the face seems a little bit too far forward inside the helmet.

The other sculpted/molded pieces are done with an equal attention to detail. They are clear and sharp, even where the detail is exquisitely intricate and fine, as on the gloved hand sculpts, the exposed "machinery" on the back armor plate, or the little communicator (?) unit on the right side of the helmet. The E-10 blaster rifle is very nicely sculpted, but sturdy enough to use even if it has a couple of articulated pieces. The gas mask features flexible ribbed hoses that are to be plugged into holes at the top of the back plate of the armor, which look great and work reasonably well, even if they are difficult to plug in.



Paint: 3/4 stars

On the whole, Hot Toys' paint job is as excellent as usual. There are no obvious errors in the application. There is subtle texturing of the skin on the face and neck and glossy treatment of the eyes, giving the head sculpt a natural and realistic look. The hair pieces are well-painted, though perhaps a little flat, although the fine detail of the sculpt and the shinier quality of the paint highlights plenty of detail. The armor pieces (helmet, chest and back plate, shoulder guards, upper arm guards, and shin guards) are given a worn, slightly dirty appearance that works very well, and is carried over to the gas mask. Something like that, though perhaps less fine, is applied to the belt and utility boxes. The paint on the gloved hand sculpts distinguished between the matte rubber parts and the shinier leather parts of the gloves. The goggles are also given nice weathering, helping them fit in with the rest of the equipment. However, they are not translucent, which is a bit of a disappointment. Admittedly, they don't need to be, but Hot Toys has spoiled us with providing that feature to helmets (more often than not), and this removable accessory would have been a good place to do so again; arguably it would be easier to observe and appreciate here than in helmets like that of the Patrol Trooper.

While everything is nicely done, there are certain inconsistencies that detract from the paint execution. The blaster rifle has traditional and fine weathering with silverish or gunmetal grey wash and the shinier finish on the lens is a nice touch, but the golden weathering at the bottom looks simply and poorly painted on. The boots have a very fine and realistic weathering making them look used, worn, and dirtied up; but this is not extended to the pants or coat, which look worn but fairly clean, except perhaps for the occasional dusty edge. Then there is the cape, which is gloriously speckled with drops of mud, but again, contrasting with both the much cleaner pants and coat and with the much finer weathering on the boots. I realize I have ventured into the outfit category, but these observations apply to the paint and coloring of the set. In and of itself, everything is well-done, but taken together, the degree of weathering seems to defy logic.



Articulation: 3/4 stars

Like so often in the past, Hot Toys is capable of providing excellent articulation but more often than not incapable of allowing for it in the fully clothed set. In this instance we have the added benefit of a separate neck piece, allowing for two points of articulation in the area (at the top of the neck and at the base of the neck), which is an improvement on the usual practice (where the neck is either integral to the head sculpt or to the upper torso). The armor pieces get a little in the way of mobility at the shoulders, and at the ankles (where the shin guards could dig into the top of the boots and possibly cause damage), although this is the fault of the film costuming design rather than Hot Toys. However, Hot Toys insists on using hefty padded undergarments that end up severely limiting articulation, especially in the thigh area (a problem possibly exacerbated by overly tight pants, although in this juncture I don't know which part of the clothing is more at fault). The idea is to make the exterior layers of the outfit sit more naturally, but for the most part this makes little difference while having a more palpable impact on the functionality of the figure. If you want to put your Mudtrooper in any ambitious action poses, you might do well to carefully undress him and remove the padded undergarments -- it can only help. As it is, without modifications, I could barely get him to sit down, in an awkward way...



Accessories: 3.5/4 stars

The set includes the clothed and armored figure and a number of additional items. Spare/alternate parts include an extra pair of wrist pegs, a second hair piece to be worn under the helmet and with either the chin strap or the gas mask (which has its own strap), and two additional pairs of hands, for a total of three pairs (relaxed hands, fist hands, and trigger hands). There is a rectangular base and stand with a permanently attached card on top, printed to simulate a muddy surface; the base features a shiny nameplate with "Star Wars" and "Han Solo" written on it. The real accessories are the E-10 blaster rifle, which is articulated with moving parts at the back (butt stock) and front; the helmet (which attaches to the alternate "helmet-hair" hair piece with both a magnet and a sort of plastic peg); a separate chin strap for the helmet, to be used if not employing the gas mask; the gas mask, with its flexible ribbed hose (which attach in the holes on top of the back plate); the goggles, to be worn on top of the helmet. There is a little leaflet (not shown) that provides instructions as to how to use the accessories safely. Given that, apart from some of the alternate parts, everything can end up on the figure or used by it, and that we saw the "Mudtroopers" equipped with all this, this is not an overly lavish selection of accessories. On the other hand, it is difficult to imagine what else could have been provided with this set.



Outfit: 3.5/4 stars

The visible parts of the outfit are fairly simple: the cape, the coat, the pants, and the boots; the padded undergarment also features the visible collar of what is supposed to be the shirt beneath the coat. They all look great by themselves, although the degree of weathering applied to them as a whole is both inconsistent and arguably illogical. The pants are perhaps a little tight, limiting articulation, although the problem might really be limited to the padded undergarment. The cape is recreated very elaborately and given a fair amount of wear and tear (not just weathering), but it does not seem to be truly functional, and posing it can be an issue (there are no wires to help you achieve a desired look). The boots are soft, allowing for good ankle articulation, although the shin guards do get in the way for some poses. There is an extra strap with its two ends handing over the chest and shoulders -- this is apparently supposed to be for the gas mask when it is off, but since that comes with its own straps, you are probably meant to conceal the extra strap in the folds of the cape if you use the gas mask.



Fun Factor: 3/4 stars

Without other figures seen alongside the "Mudtroopers" and with the limited articulation at the thighs, these figures will not live up to their theoretical full potential. The assortment of equipment/accessories allows for some variation, but army building is likely to be cost prohibitive. Still, the sets are very well done overall, and if you are a fan of the look or of the film, you are likely to appreciate them. They certainly seem to have sold out like hot bread even at the preorder stage, and command disturbing prices on the secondary market.



Value: 2.5/4 stars

Preordered and without including the shipping, this set cost me $228 (USD). The regular price (provided you can find it in stock) is about $235. Compared to many other Hot Toys products these days, this is not a totally outrageous price (and the set is not light on content), but the prices are clearly inflated to begin with, considering the prices of similarly (or more) elaborate sets by other companies. The secondary market prices (especially on eBay) are easily $200 on top of that, or almost double. This is a very disturbing trend. The sets are pretty great, but I would have never considered them at $400+, and I would be surprised if anyone else would. I don't quite understand why, knowing how high in demand these are (even at the preorder stage), Hot Toys did not increase its profits by making more of them (it does not benefit from the extra-inflated secondary market prices). Given the re-release of other relatively recent sets, perhaps it will do just that sometime in the near future, unless it has already arranged for the production and shipping of more product.



Things to watch out for

Not a whole lot. I was worried that the gas mask might scratch the face, but it did not. While handling, the sling came off from the blaster rifle, but it was easy to reattach. The articulated parts of the rifle, especially the butt stock, seem fragile, so it might be a good idea to be careful with those. Avoid poses where the bottom of the shin guards may scratch or dent the top of the boots. It is always a good idea to be extra careful with wrist pegs (heating the hands if necessary), although the hands work easily enough, and Hot Toys included a pair of extra wrist pegs just in case.



Overall: 3.4/4 stars

This is actually a very nice set overall, and a very fine representation of a cool looking character and trooper type. What hurts it in the rating is the price (all the more onerous because of the negated army-building potential), the limited articulation precluding more ambitious action pauses, the very limited choice of potential companion figures (if any!). The quality is there, but, as is so often the case, there were some choices that should have been made differently.



Where to Buy

This has been sold out in most venues even while on preorder. You can try eBay, but be prepared for outrageous prices. Or you can check out Sideshow (HERE) and Timewalker Toys (HERE), which have it on wait list. Presumably, other retailers might obtain additional product down the line.



What do you think?

Extra photos in Post 11 below.

#starwars #hottoys #solo #hansolo #mudtrooper #productreview #review #scifi #film #movie

It should come as no surprise considering what many of us already did with the Disney Store version, but Hot Toys' new Krennic set is a very good place to start to recreate Colonel Yularen, an officer of the Imperial Security Bureau, from A New Hope. Or, for that matter any other Security Bureau officer (there were a total of at least three seen on screen -- Yularen with and without a black officer cap, a younger slim officer that appears twice by the elevators -- the second time alongside Yularen, and a younger rotund officer roaming the halls). It is a relatively simple kitbash.


















Tunic, pants, boots from Hot Toys Krennic.

Belt from Hot Toys Krennic but modified and reversed for accuracy.

Officer badge modified (and mounted with magnets) from older Hasbro or Sideshow or Hot Toys set (I forget).

Officer cap from Sideshow Commander Praji.

Body and hands from World Box AT025.

Head from Damtoys Dam 78031 Sr-71 ”Black Bird” Flight Test Engineer (Donald Sutherland from Space Cowboys). The head is, of course, a remote likeness to Yularen, simply being the most similar head sculpt I know to be available; since I might want to use it for Donal Sutherland elsewhere, I have not attempted to modify it further.

What do you think?

#custom #kitbash #starwars #anewhope #anh #yularen #empire #scifi #fiction #film #male

For additional images, see Post 9 below.



Introduction

After a long wait, Hot Toys has released its sixth-scale rendition of Director Orson Krennic from Rogue One. I still have a soft spot for this film, which felt more like Star Wars than any other since Return of the Jedi, although I have gradually come to realize how many plot holes, inconsistencies, and improbabilities it contains. Krennic, played by Ben Mendelsohn, served as a relatively interesting and relatively well-developed disposable antagonist, and I'm happy to see that he has made it among that select list of characters from the film that has received the Hot Toys treatment (apart from Chirrut Imwe and the three versions of Jyn Erso, he is the only one with an actual face, all the others being masked and a robot). As far as I know, this is the first higher-end sixth-scale rendition of Krennic, the closest thing to it being the Disney version which I reviewed HERE. Although it would be an unfair comparison, in every respect except price, unsurprisingly the Hot Toys product is superior.



Packaging - 3 / 4 stars

All Star Wars sixth-scale collectibles from Hot Toys come in identical packaging, which has its advantages, but also means that there is even less cause for excitement than usual. Perhaps it is unfair to expect more, and I personally don't put a lot of store on this. The packaging is perfectly collector-friendly and safe, and accomplishes its purpose beautifully. Krennic comes in a standard shoe-box type container with a removable lid, a printed color "title card," and a transparent plastic trey with its plastic lid holding the figure and its accessories; a small transparent plastic trey and lid combo holds the rain poncho, and is taped on the underside of the main trey. Like other Rogue One sets by Hot Toys, the box lid features a "cigar band" affixed near its bottom, with the character's name and stylized depictions.



Sculpting - 4 / 4 stars

I don't know whether they quite nailed Ben Mendelsohn's features perfectly -- from certain angles the likeness is striking, from others less so. However, they did achieve a lifelike and realistic portrait, complete with countless wrinkles and hair strands. And that is just the head. The sculpting on the other molded pieces (rank badge, code cylinders, belt buckle, gun, ammo clips) seems to be flawless and sharp. The cap is molded plastic in fine and fitting detail, giving it the appearance of real cloth. Hot Toys resolved the usual dilemma of making such removable headgear look realistic and properly sized by giving Krennic a magnetic removable hairpiece that could be swapped with the magnetic removable cap. The cap looks flawless when in place, and the hairpiece is quite undetectable. The stature of the body, 11.75 in (about 30 cm) is approximately correct to Ben Mendelsohn's height of 5'11". This is worth noting, because in the film Krennic appeared shorter than Tarkin, but the action figures are about the same height. We should not forget that Peter Cushing's Tarkin was digitally recreated for Rogue One, and Hot Toys' Tarkin is actually scaled correctly to Cushing's height of 6'.



Paint - 3.5 / 4 stars

Hot Toys is known for both the excellence of its sculpting and the almost equal excellence of its paint application. It is done extremely well, with various dull and glossy surfaces as appropriate. However, it is not quite perfect. I noticed a little bit of inaccuracy here and there on the blaster pistol, and the overall treatment of the face is perhaps a little less nuanced than what we saw in the promotional materials (which is not necessarily surprising). When dealing with light-colored hair, Hot Toys has a tendency to use a metallic paint or finish, and this is what it did here. It looks good and allows us to appreciate the incredible detail of the finely molded strands, but it does not necessarily convey the salt-and-pepper hair of Ben Mendelsohn in the film with complete realism. That said, I'm not sure anyone could have done a better job of it with molded, painted hair. The entire color palette appears to be slightly warmer than what we see on screen.



Articulation - 3 / 4 stars

I am tired of writing that the Hot Toys body has the usual excellent articulation, but the clothing gets in the way. Unfortunately, this is true here, as so many other times in the past (Bespin Leia was mercifully spared this issue, but that seems to be an exception these days). The problem appears to be Hot Toys' insistence on using padded undergarments; these are intended to fill out the clothes better than the plastic body itself, but the difference in appearance is minuscule, while the degree to which articulation is made more difficult or outright restricted is consistently annoying. In the case of the Krennic figure, this is especially true for the shoulders and to a degree for the hips and abs -- although with some effort you can make Krennic sit down passably. The wrists work well, the knees and ankles very well, and the tall boots do not impede the ankle articulation. This helps the figure balance well in various poses, and you can even achieve some mid-stride poses at times. I understand why they went with a head sculpted with an integral molded neck (with all sorts of creases on it), but the resulting head articulation is very limited in terms of tilting.



Accessories - 3 / 4 stars

Krennic comes with a blaster pistol that fits on the holster suspended from the belt, three ammo clips that fit into special openings on the belt, two code cylinders to fit in the slots on both sides of the chest on the tunic (or together in the one slot on the right side of the poncho), a molded plastic hat that can be swapped for the hairpiece making up the top part of the hair, and several interchangeable hand sculpts, including a right fist, a left pistol grip hand (which works ok, but not great), and five more hands that are difficult to describe, but I try anyway: a right closed hand, a right almost closed grasping hand, a left open grasping hand, a left more closed thumbs up hand, and a left more open thumbs up hand. Each of these was presumably useful for some scene, but as I was looking at Krennic's scenes I found that many of the hands that would be necessary to replicate them were not provided with this set. Add to the partial repetitiveness and idiosyncrasy of the hand sculpts the absence of any real pairs (i.e., there's only one fist, there's only one gun grip, there are no relaxed hands, etc), and this makes for an odd and limiting choice of hand sculpts. In terms of spare parts, there are two extra wrist pegs and an extra belt button. There is a now fairly standard stand with a neat extra piece to fit under and around the detachable name plate that makes it look like the end piece of futuristic ramp. However, the top of the base, instead of the usual Death Star floor texture (or the like), has a printed image of Krennic's head (alongside a Death Trooper's) glued on. The image is slick enough and colorful enough, and there is a faint textured inscription of the character's name ("Orson Krennic") in the fictional Star Wars alphabet on top of it (it is not apparent in my photo). But unlike so many previous stands, you are not given the option of using a standard floor-textured surface instead. And that is disappointing. The limitations of the base and of the hand sculpts and the fact that virtually every "accessory" is actually part of the character's outfit detract from this category, especially at this price point.



Outfit - 3.5 / 4 stars

Krennic's outfit ought to be considered one of the best things in this set, yet here too there are some flaws. The basic outfit is the cream (not white) officer's tunic paired with black pants and black leather-like jackboots, as well as a black leather-like belt with a silver buckle and button. Over this, Krennic wears his cape in a matching color, held fast with magnets at the shoulders. Everything is beautifully tailored and looks and works great; the cape has some wires along the bottom edge that allow for some posing, if not much. But if you look closely, you would see that the cape's collar rides too high -- perhaps it is too wide, or perhaps the cape's magnets do not hold it far enough down -- in stills from the film the cape's collar does not reach as high as the tunic's collar, leaving its top edge exposed; with the figure it is the opposite. Moreover, when Krennic bends his arms at the elbows, the sleeves ride short at the cuff. Neither of these flaws is particularly horrid, but they are notable. Then there is (almost) a whole alternative outfit, and this is what gives this category a higher score. You can remove the cape (and the rank badge which plugs into the tunic) and swap them for the rain poncho, once again in matching colors, and pair that with the molded plastic officer's cap (replacing the hairpiece). The light material used for the rain poncho seems like a good idea, except that it really does not drape well enough, and there are no weights or wires to help it. Moreover, unlike the rank badge on the tunic, the rank badge on the rain poncho is not designed to be removed; but it should have been, as in different scenes in the film Krennic wears different rank badges with the poncho -- the one-row all-red rank badge at the beginning, and (presumably after promotion) the two-row red over blue rank badge (here used for the tunic) at the middle. I suppose one could make modifications, but this appears to be a detail Hot Toys overlooked. Speaking of rank badges, the film continues the tradition of inconsistency and confusion that has plagued the Star Wars saga since just after A New Hope (apparently). The six red squares in a single row badge gives Krennic a rank equivalent to general (like Tagge in the Death Star conference room in A New Hope), while the six red squares over six blue squares badge gives him a rank equivalent to fleet admiral (like the unfortunate Ozzel in The Empire Strikes Back) -- although the number of code cylinders might make a difference. Of course, the confusion of Gareth Edwards' team is not Hot Toys' fault, but once again, both badges should have been removable/swappable. As noted above, everything in the set seems to have a slightly warmer palette than what is seen onscreen in the film. This is a good thing where the outfit is concerned, as the creamy tunic allows one to kitbash imperial security bureau officers (like Yularen from the Death Star conference room in A New Hope) far more effectively than if the tunic was in a lighter, colder white. Note that the great cap will be problematic for kitbashing, because it is inside is adapted for use with a magnet and would require substantial modification before you could place it believably on another head.







Fun Factor - 4 / 4 stars

Whatever the limitations of the set, there is no denying that Hot Toys has delivered a recognizable Krennic who can be paired with all but one of the more frequent characters he interacted with in the film (the notable omission is Galen Erso). We have a Vader from Rogue One (not to mention two from A New Hope), a Tarkin (from A New Hope), three Jyn Ersos, as well as Death Troopers, Shore Troopers, and Stormtroopers (all from Rogue One). Even without the natural kitbashing potential for imperial security bureau personnel, this gives Hot Toys' Krennic a great potential for posing and/or interaction with other figures and in a variety of real or digital environments. I had fun attempting to recreate various frames from the film, or to pair Krennic with others -- so much so that I took more photos than I'm including in this already more than usually illustrated review. So, yes, this set is fun, and I'm glad I went for it. For additional images, see Post 9 below.





Value - 2 / 4 stars

Retailing at about $235+ (USD), this is not a low-cost product, and being mid-range (and increasingly low-range) for Hot Toys these days is not particularly comforting, given their notorious inflation of prices. On the other hand, even if it lacks some of the "fancy" electronics or more elaborate bases and backdrops found in some of Hot Toys' deluxe sets, it does come with enough extra clothing and accessories to allow for a whole second look. So this category gets a middling rating.





Things to watch out for

Really nothing much -- except perhaps to watch that you don't lose those smaller pieces, like the code cylinders and ammo clips. The figure is reasonably sturdy and capable of balancing on its legs, in part due to the good ankle articulation. The hands are easier to swap than usual (softer plastic?), which is a great thing, although Hot Toys included a spare pair of wrist pegs just in case.  







Overall - 3.25 / 4 stars

This rating may not convey my pretty thorough enjoyment of the set, but it does reflect the several limitations and imperfections, compounded with Hot Toys' increasingly hefty prices. Judging by the fact that most of my usual go-to sellers have already sold out this brand new set, it must be popular enough (and perhaps produced in small enough quantities). There is plenty you can do with it or with its parts, which is not always the case.







Where to buy

Among my usual go-to stores, Alter Ego Comics, Big Bad Toy Store, and Timewalker Toys have sold out of this set, so you can try your luck on our online retailers list (HERE) or on eBay.







I hope this has been useful. What do you think?

One more for the road...



For additional images, see Post 9 below.

#starwars #hottoys #rogueone #director #krennic #scifi #film #male #fiction #review

As someone with a modicum of understanding films and with a decent grasp on the relevant history and literature, I did not enjoy the movie Troy. And that is an understatement. Despite all the acting talent and detailed costuming, etc., there is so only so much you are going to get out of not only butchering Homer in the first place, but also failing to deliver anything decent in the end. But enough about that. Pangaea produced two very nicely detailed sets based on this film, Greek General (Achilles) and Trojan General (Hector) -- I reviewed the latter HERE. The head sculpts are not quite at the apex of sixth-scale detail (of course they are from a few years ago), and the hair in particular suffers from thick stranding and bland coloring. But they are still pretty good and that made me think of possible improvements. In the case of Hector (Eric Bana), the head sculpt was designed with a removable hair piece so that it would fit well inside the tight helmet. The hair piece was made from fairly hard plastic, included the pair of rather stuck-out ears, and did not fit very well over the armor. This head was a natural for conversion to actual hair.

First I covered the magnet atop the head with a thin layer of Kneadatite that I painted in a flesh-like color. When this cured/dried, I followed my usual Morezmore-based technique of gluing on tufts of hair around the head starting from the bottom by the neckline (you can see the method in more detail HERE). I picked a relatively curly/wavy dark brown to match the on-screen appearance. After finishing and leaving it overnight, I removed any loose strands, gave it a rinse and then applied a solution of water and shampoo+conditioner to get something like the desired style; the hair tie in the back is a bent piece of flat wire (I might add a few of the other optional hair bling pieces down the road). I also did a little bit of grooming and some touch ups on the paint job with acrylics and color pencils to improve the likeness a little more. I think it turned out ok.






original set (left); modified set (right)

What do you think?

Other head conversions:
https://onesixthfigures.forumotion.com/t2006-converting-jason-momoa-ht-aquaman-head

https://onesixthfigures.forumotion.com/t2126-converting-arnold-schwarzenegger-kp-conan-head

https://onesixthfigures.forumotion.com/t2335-converting-sebastian-stan-ht-bucky-barnes-head

https://onesixthfigures.forumotion.com/t2471-converting-bernard-hill-asmus-king-theoden-head

#custom #kitbash #hair #ericbana #hector #troy #pangaea #trojangeneral #male #film #ancient

Asmus' Lord of the Rings license has resulted in a long sequence of figures, some of which have been masterpieces (like Gimli), while others have fallen pretty flat. King Theoden is not one of the fallen (see Michael Crawford's review HERE), but it is kept from being a masterpiece by the remarkably poor choice of giving him sculpted/molded hair; even worse, they made it removable so that his head can fit into a properly-sized helmet, resulting in an obvious, unrealistic, and unsightly cut in the hairline. I suppose they were afraid of helmet hair, which is an issue, but certainly less serious than the one that resulted from their attempt to avoid it. And it is not just about realism and the unsightly cut, the sculpted hair and one-piece head and neck get in the way of articulation a bit.

I modified my Theoden (Bernard Hill) head sculpt by removing the neck (which was just a little on the short side, but not a very necessary modification in this instance) and giving him real hair from Morezmore. For the most part I will let the photos tell the story. For more detailed step-by-step walk-through of the process, see my Conan head conversion HERE (a couple of others HERE and HERE).



The outer layers of the sculpted hair were designed to be removable, which greatly simplifies the work. I thinned down the sculpted hair on the head sculpt proper a bit, and rebuilt a low cranium over the back of the skull so that the hair would look right once in place.



I painted the cranium a flesh color just in case something shows through and began to apply the hair in the usual manner, in tiers starting from the back of the head relatively low. I picked Morezmore's "Brown Sugar" hair, because it seemed like a close match. And it does look almost the same as the painted hair in hand (though not in the photo).



After removing loose strands, a gentle wash, and a bit of a haircut, I snapped a few photos while the hair was drying.



I think it looks pretty good, but I didn't feel like futzing with it to give it a more ample appearance. Besides, it had to fit in the helmet. (Yes, this particular neck is a tad too long, but my neck box is packed away at the moment.)



And fit in the helmet it does, although it is a tight fit and results in helmet hair (of sorts). Which makes the hair appear ample again (but perhaps a bit too much).



Overall, I think I've improved the realism, appearance, and articulation.

What do you think?

#custom #kitbash #asmus #king #theoden #lordoftherings #lotr #fantasy #male #film

Introduction
Peggy Carter is familiar to audiences both as the love interest of Steve Rogers (Captain America) and as an able and intelligent agent in her own right. In the recent Marvel movies and shows she has been played by actress Hayley Atwell. JX Toys has just produced a figure of Atwell as Carter's character and it is this product that you are looking at here. I decided to change up the format a little bit, keep the review concise and end with a silent photo story giving you plenty of opportunity to observe the figure/character in different poses. Since I am no expert on the character and my ability to provide objective evaluation in some of the categories is limited (e.g., what other accessories would be appropriate, would she wear a cap with her uniform?), I have omitted assigning stars to the categories, but I believe the photos and descriptions would suffice for you to make up your own mind.



Packaging
The figure comes in a relatively compact hard cardboard shoe box-type container with a printed color image of the product on the cover. Inside it is a black foam trey with a thin sheet of black foam as a lid, containing the figure and its accessories. This is pretty basic, but also completely collector friendly and safe: my package was slightly damaged in the mail but although a little creased, the box held up, protecting the product.



Sculpting
The actress/character can look a little different in different angles, scenes, or settings, but I believe JX Toys produced a very accurate and realistic likeness of Hayley Atwell as Peggy Carter. It has the slightly austere, overly neat look of the period, conveys the fashion of a bygone age, and is one of those instances where the finely sculpted hair does work well for anything but very short hairstyles. Since this is a jointed body (with some seamless soft shell material for the torso) that is pretty much all covered up, I did not evaluate the rest of it for sculpting, although I will note that a true seamless body would have helped with the look of the knees and, to some extent, ankles. The hands are sculpted of very soft plastic, but work very well.



Paint
The paint work is fairly minimal and very neat, both of which are appropriate. The face is pale but not unrealistic for the powdered and contrasting lipstick look of the era, the eyelashes and eyebrows are given very fine treatment, the eyes are glossy and symmetrical, the hair is perhaps a little flat but the fine sculpting of the strands overcomes any potential negative effect. Not seen in the photos, there is a bit of a hair clip showing at the top of the hair, which is appropriately painted a darker color and given a shiny finish. Even the fingernails are painted to match the lipstick, though here the level of detail and accuracy is just a little less impressive.



Articulation
The articulation of the underlying body appears to be excellent, providing for all the movement you could expect or desire. The shirt and jacket do make posing the arms a little more difficult, and the skirt definitely limits the articulation of the thighs, as well as the ab crunch. The ankles are articulated, but just a little loose, an effect compounded by the inherent instability of high heels in this (or any?) scale. This is really the only annoying feature of the body, and makes it very difficult to have the figure standing in even fairly neutral "museum" poses -- without a stand or something/someone to lean on. If there is anything that bears improvement, it is the functioning (and look) of these ankles.



Accessories
This is a very simple set. You get the figure in its outfit, some alternative hands, making a total of four pairs (relaxed, fists, trigger grip, knife grip), and a single true accessory, a non-articulated gun with painted handle and screws. This is minimal, but to be honest my memory of the movies (and I haven't seen the shows) is not detailed enough at this point to propose exactly what else should/could have been included. Moreover, retailing at about $105-140 (USD) even on eBay, while simple, this set is relatively modestly priced for a high-end figure from the Marvel Universe these days.



Outfit
The outfit is made up of stockings, underwear, a blouse, a skirt, a belt, and a jacket. Everything looks pretty well tailored and realistic, and the jacket is particularly impressive, with pleating and brass-colored metal buttons. Everything comes already on the figure, so unless you want to customize the look, you are all set. I removed the jacket to show the blouse, which also looks appropriate for the character and period, albeit inevitably creased. The belt works well, except for the difficulty in trying to get it to go into the cloth loop past the buckle. The one really annoying feature here are the stockings, which keep trying to slide down in an unsightly fashion and require repeated adjusting to look reasonably well. They also seem a little too light colored and opaque, but I am no expert in World War II-period stockings.

Before getting to the rest of the review, here is a little silent photo story (you can provide your own dialogue) that evolved from the photographs as I was taking them... World War II is not my period, so I didn't have all the necessary items, and this was the only other uniform from the time I had around. So consider it an alternate universe or what happens differently when Steve goes back...





















Fun Factor, Things to watch out for, Value, and Overall
There is almost nothing to worry about here, but as always, take care with the delicate wrist pegs. The combination of high heels, stockings, and less than perfectly tight ankle joints makes the figure quite unstable, so take this into account when posing it and displaying it. This cuts into the Fun Factor, as it can be annoying and time-consuming. But she looks great and will delight any and all of your Captain America figures, and probably anyone else too. Going for anywhere between $105 and $140 (USD), the set is not cheap in itself, but for a high-end rendition of a named protagonist from the Marvel Universe this is not bad. And if you worry whether the final product matches the promotional images, you need worry no longer: it does. Overall, this is an excellent figure with some minor issues. I imagine some customizers might end up swapping the body, and that might overcome some or all of these issues.

Where to Buy?
As always, you can search eBay for a deal. You can also find the set here:
GianToy for $105
Toy Origin for $120

Hope this has been helpful. What do you think?

#peggycarter #hayleyatwell #marvel #female #jxtoys #film #tv #review #photostory

Having converted a Jason Momoa Aquaman head (HERE) and an Arnold Schwarzenegger Conan head (HERE), it seemed like a natural choice to do the same to the new Bucky Barnes head sculpt by HT. The face is excellent but the hair, while very impressively sculpted, is just soft molded plastic. I object to this on principle anyway, so here we go again. For more details on the process, please consult the other threads linked above.

More photos in Post 6 below

The original head:


I gently pried off the two-part hair sculpt and perched it on his shoulders for this photo:


You don't need a very ample scalp if you are going to give your head sculpt an ample hair, but I decided I should fill-in the various indents with Kneadatite Blue and Yellow. I painted it very lightly with a flesh color (not even trying to match the face, since it wouldn't be visible), then began to glue on the hair in rows, starting with a line parallel to the bottom of the head sculpt at the back.


No matter how disheveled, I left the hair in place for a while, giving the glue a chance to cure.


Then I gently removed any loose strands, rinsed the hair with water, and gave him a haircut.


Finally, to make the hair less puffy, I applied a solution of water and shampoo+conditioner. I may have overdone it, giving him a more compact, wet hair look, but I will worry about styling it later (or not -- I wasn't completely crazy about the original/movie look of the hair).


Hope this is helpful or informative. What do you think?

More photos in post 6 below

#custom #kitbash #modification #bucky #barnes #wintersoldier #hottoys #ht #infinitywar #marvel #film #fiction #male #superhero #head #headsculpt #hair

Here we go again.

There was something a little off with the recent Conan head that was designed to go with Kaustic Plastik's Masterclass Warrior set (reviewed HERE). Apart from some possibly questionable choices in the paint, the most obvious problem was the sculpted hair. While it was decently (not super finely) sculpted, it looked like molded plastic (which is admittedly what it was). Mr Toys had just released their own Conan set (reviewed HERE) which, while largely based on earlier work by Kaustic Plastik, broke new ground by offering us a Conan with "real" hair. Between this and my earlier attempts to create an Arnold Schwarzenegger-as-Conan head sculpt (using one of the Hot Toys Terminator heads), and my recent modification to the Hot Toys Jason Momoa Aquaman head sculpt (replacing the sculpted hair with "real" hair -- see HERE), the next step was obvious. But this was going to be a slightly more ambitious project, because it involved not only removing the plastic hair and replacing it with "real" hair, but also filling in and repainting likely or potentially visible grooves in the head sculpt, detaching, modifying, and repainting the headgear (so it would be both screen accurate and removable, not to mention so that I could put in the hair properly), and also partly modifying, repainting, and remounting the necklace ornaments on a more sensible string that would allow the necklace to hang about right.

This time I took more photos to illustrate more of the steps, in case someone finds this helpful for modifying this or a different sculpt.

Just in case I did something horribly wrong, I managed to get myself an extra Kaustic Plastik Conan head (1). As I had noticed before, the hair was made of soft plastic, and divided into sections (two side locks and a larger back piece, separated by the headband from the crown of the head hairpiece, which last was actually part of the head sculpt), just like Hot Toys' Aquaman head. So, I heated up the head sculpt a little with a hair dryer (not much was actually needed), and gently pried off the large hair piece covering the back of the head (2).



Then I proceeded to dislodge the headband, which was (if I recall) divided at the back of the head on one end of the sculpted strings holding the two parts together. I heated and gently pried off the headband from the head, into which it was ensconced by virtue of several sections fitting into indented grooves that were parts of the head sculpt (3a-5). One of them was right in the middle of the forehead (4-5).



With the headband off, I gently pried off and removed the two side locks of hair (4-5).



With the headband and all detachable hairpieces removed, it was necessary to remove almost all of the molded hair that was an integral part of the head sculpt at the crown of the head (4a-4d). I left in place a little hair over the forehead, since that can be a challenging transition between sculpted face and "real" hair.



After a failed experiment with Vallejo acrylic putty, I filled the visible grooves in the forehead and temples with Kneadatite Blue/Yellow Epoxy Putty (the kind that comes in a tape and you mash and knead it together into a malleable green substance for sculpting and filling -- a skill I learned from members of OneSixthFigures) (5). It was my first experience with this material, but I think it worked reasonably well. Someone with greater skill and patience, would have done more in the way of sculpting bone and flesh structure and gotten the filling to sit completely flush and seamless (with filing down). Since this was going to be obscured most of the time by the headband (for the classic look), I didn't worry about it too much, though I wanted it to look ok even when exposed. Once the Kneadatite had cured overnight, I painted it with Vallejo Acrylics, trying to get as close as possible to the head's skin tone (which is perhaps not ideal itself, but I didn't want to repaint the whole thing -- which might actually have been the way to do it); I also took the opportunity to fix the hairline and darken the eyebrows. As far as painting the head, that was it (6).



Then came my "favorite" part (I'm being sarcastic), the application of the hair. I picked a warmish milk chocolate brown, because that is pretty close to Arnold's appearance on the screen during the film. Using as a basic guide the technique outlined by Morezmore (HERE), but also taking some shortcuts and utilizing superglue, I basically went in rings around the back and sides of the head, starting with a level above the edge of the head sculpt's neck and making my way upwards (7-9b).



Having gently removed as many loose strands of hair as I could, I gently rinsed it with water, gathered it backwards, and let it dry (10a-10c).



After this I cut the hair to approximate Conan's appearance in Conan the Destroyer (since that is where we see the matching outfit and accessories) -- I didn't cut as short as I should, just in case I made a mistake -- and filled up any visible "holes" (there were surprisingly few) with either more hair or acrylic marker (11). Then it was time to add the headband and the necklace and complete the modification (12).

I had shaved down the inside of the headband (especially the parts that were designed to protrude so that they could fit into the grooves in the head sculpt) to make it thinner, so that it would fit more easily around the modified head; I glued it shut at the back, and when the glue had cured, it fit the head like a charm. I had also repainted the pyramidal ornaments on the head band in brass, to match the film appearance. The ornaments on the necklace were all correct (except for the color of the "sun" or "wheel" pendant), but the necklace did not work at all. I had to remove each ornament and glue it onto a thin leather string which could hang a little more naturally (it is also malleable, if needed). I made sure to place the fangs correctly (both for appearance and so that they no longer attempted to bite into the body), and glued their now purely decorative fastenings in place. Similarly, I made sure the pendant sat ("hung") correctly, glued on a couple of pieces of string to match the screen appearance, and repainted it in brass, for the same reason (12).



Here are a couple of comparisons: with the unaltered KP head and necklace, and...



with the Mr Toys head (the necklace for that set has the wrong pendant).



I don't know if I would call it perfect, but I'm pretty happy with the way it turned out. There are some additional things that can be done, for example a shampoo+conditioner treatment to create more waviness in the hair. For this shot I put the modified head, headband, and necklace on the rest of the KP set, but that would require some additional minor modifications to be completely movie accurate. I suppose it is a work in progress.



What do you think?

#custom #kitbash #modification #arnoldschwarzenegger #conan #barbarian #destroyer #film #fiction #fantasy #kausticplastik #kp #head #headsculpt #hair #male #tbleague #phicen #body

Introduction
Hot on the heels of the Mr Toys set depicting the same character and actor, Kaustic Plastik has released its Masterclass set based on Arnold Schwarzenegger's role as Conan the Barbarian (and, more to the point, Conan the Destroyer). Both of these recent sets are partly a reprise of the old fantasy barbarian warrior sets by Kaustic Plastik, although both improve, for the most part, what had already been offered (even if providing a more limited selection of items). I will be making frequent reference to the Mr Toys set for comparison purposes, so HERE is the link to my recent review. Since this is not a complete set (it does not come with the recommended TBLeague M35 body included), I am not assigning point values to the various categories. The head for the set is sold separately, but it is also included in this review.



Packaging
The set comes in a transparent plastic lid and trey on a card. The head comes in a typical sixth-scale head sculpt box, well-protected inside foam. Everything is safe and collector friendly, except of course for having to tear the plastic trey off the card.



Sculpting
The sculpted detail on the head and other sculpted or die-cast pieces seems to be generally very good. This is true for the tiny details on the ornate belt and on the imposing sword, but also on the headband, which is a more detailed and accurate rendition of what we saw in the film than its Mr Toys counterpart; the latter, however, had the advantage of being removable. Similarly, the head intended for this set features sculpted/molded plastic hair, whereas the Mr Toys head had "real" hair. Hair this long should never be sculpted, and this applies here. While the detail on the hair is decent, it is nowhere as fine as the gold standard set by Hot Toys and emulated quite successfully by others. The hair and headband appear to be made as separate pieces out of softer plastic glued onto the head proper, just like the recent Hot Toys Aquaman; I feel a custom modification coming up...



Paint
While the head sculpt appears to be exactly what we see on the promotional images, the paint job on it does not appear as sharp, striking, or attractive (compare HERE). I suppose this is a fairly common problem, but disappointing nonetheless. What we get is still decent, and works well enough with the recommended M35 body, even if it is a little darker than the latter. The eyes are glossy, the cheeks are rosy, the sword finally gets its proper gold-color on the ornate detail. But there are also errors or shortcuts -- the gold color on the sun (or "wheel") pendant appears rather dark, as does the the corresponding color on the sword; more obviously, the decorative elements lining the head band are all painted silverish, whereas they are supposed to alternate between silver and gold (in that respect the Mr Toys set is more accurate).



Articulation
The recommended TBLeague M35 body is not significantly inhibited in its articulation by either of the two basic clothing options contained in the set, including the long pants, sleeveless leather shirt, and leather armor. Unlike Mr Toys, Kaustic Plastik did not provide an integral foot in the boots, so you will have to improvise: the TBLeague male feet are too big to fit easily in this type of footwear and I had to help myself to some bendy-toe feet from a random base body I happened to have lying around. They fit, but such makeshift solutions always result in less stability, and the top-heavy M35 is often a challenge even for its own feet and ankles; otherwise, the boots allow for excellent range of motion.



Accessories
The set includes a dagger, a sword, their respective leather-like scabbards which can fit onto a belt or baldric, said baldric with a functional buckle, and various other elements that I will cover under Outfit below. The headband, which seems to be as much decorative as functional (protective), is permanently attached to the head sculpt (unlike what we got with the Mr Toys set). The dagger and sword are done in beautiful detail, and look realistic and worn, although the weathering is minimal. They do fit well into their scabbards, but the fit is very tight. The baldric is really intended for the sword scabbard, if you want your character to carry the sword on his back. As a result of good design, both the dagger and sword can hang correctly and realistically, unlike what we have had with earlier versions of the character (for example, the Mr Toys sword will sit too high if you try to "suspend" it from the side of the belt). Finally, there is the sun (or "wheel") pendant, reproduced for the very first time commercially in this scale (to the best of my knowledge). In the movie it hands from a string, centered between two pairs of fangs. The Mr Toys set attempted this, but used the wrong pendant (copying Kaustic Plastik's earlier release) which was also featured in the Conan films but was not hung alongside fangs, and used underscaled and improperly spaced fangs. All this was corrected by Kaustic Plastik in the promotional images (with the correct pendant and nicely scaled and spaced fangs), even if there it was mounted on a thicker leather strap rather than a cord. What we get, however, not only uses this thicker leather strap, but is not correctly mounted to work. The whole piece wants to ride up, the fangs want to sink into the flesh, and the pendant does not quite hang correctly. If you looked carefully at the promotional images, you might realize that what you see there was an ad hoc mock-up that looked about right; what we get in the actual set was their attempt to actually make it work -- but it does not. They should have used a cord, not a band/strap. I can feel another custom coming up... Perhaps it can be expected that one set would not include everything that was included in the two old Kaustic Plastik sets -- for example additional weapons, pendants, pouches...



Outfit
The set contains enough in the way of outfit to re-create two (or more) different looks from the film -- though one of them cannot be quite right. The most iconic version would be Conan wearing his boots, fur kilt, leather or fabric codpiece, ornate belt, vambraces, and sun pendant and fangs necklace; this look can be reproduced very well indeed with the items that come with the present set. Then there is Conan wearing his boots, pants, leather sleeveless shirt (nice, but lighter than I remember it from the film), and vambraces, paired with either the ornate belt or with a fur kilt, but never (I think) both at the same time. Here we run into a problem, as the new Kaustic Plastik set departs from precedent by combining the codpiece and the belt into a single item. The codpiece is indeed more screen-accurate (it has no identical back side, just attaches to the back of the belt somehow with a strap), but it should not be permanently attached to the belt. It should be noted, that in some scenes different portions of the two basic outfits are swapped into new configurations -- for example pants added to the shirtless look. The smaller fur kilt that comes with the set is the one to be paired with the pants; there are also some tattered barbarian shorts that I do not remember on screen.

A minor problem is that in some scenes Conan appears wearing identical brown leather vambraces with darker straps wound over them. The set features only one of these (for the left arm), the other vambrace is intended to portray the one (for the right arm) covered with a myriad tiny gold-colored spikes. This is poorly recreated with a little leather piece covered rather sparsely by slightly oversized almost flat circular caps. To be screen-accurate, they should have been smaller, pointier, lighter in color, and there should have been many more of them. The present solution does not improve on Kaustic Plastik's old sets, or on the Mr Toys version, all of which are essentially the same. The added problem here is that at least three of the caps flaked off during handling before my very eyes -- and I was being relatively careful, fully expecting this problem. I should note that, aside from this, the set was remarkably free from the usual concerns with flimsy quality that accompany many of the more delicate items included in Kaustic Plastik sets. For the challenge posed by the boots, see above.



Fun Factor
In principle, this could be as fun as any Conan set, with the added advantage of swappable outfits or elements. I was, however, repeatedly annoyed by the poorly-put-together necklace and the weak ankles resulting from the empty foot-type footwear requiring the substitution of non-TBLeague feet.



Value
When I purchased this, it cost me about $120 for the set and another $50 for the head (USD). A fine, detailed and complex head sculpt like this is not cheap but still not unreasonable at that price. If memory serves, the price of the set is about $40 above the prices of the old Kaustic Plastik sets from several years ago. Even allowing for inflation, we don't get that much more here -- although what we get seems to be better quality, judging by my experience. If this was your only Conan or even one of two (if you get the Mr Toys one), it is still not a huge drain at $170. However, there is a good chance that you can now only find it on eBay for well over $200; without a body, that seems rather much.



Things to watch out for
Apparently less than with many other Kaustic Plastik sets. I unbuckled and buckled the ornate belt several times, and it is still in good shape. Nothing has come unglued or broken, other than the expected flaking off of caps from the vambrace for the right arm. I would still advise treating this set carefully, especially as you are likely to have a somewhat top-heavy and unstable figure when you kit it out.



Overall
I am divided on this set: there is plenty I like and plenty that disappoints me. The better quality and greater attention to detail are definite improvements; the head sculpt is nicely sculpted (though some of it should not have been sculpted) but perhaps not quite as nicely painted (even if not actually bad); the right vambrace is the only thing that is really poorly done, for the third or fourth time. We get accurate details (like the pendant), though not quite accurately mounted and not necessarily usable without further customization. I don't have a problem having to supply a body from elsewhere, but wish they would have thought of the balance and stability issue. And while they did pay attention to plenty of details, they could have gotten the outfit (belt and codpiece ensemble) right, to take proper advantage of the intended versatility of the set. To make the most of this set, you should be ready to do some customizing and/or combining with items from other sets.



Where to buy
Most places that pre-ordered this set have long sold out, but you can still find it on eBay or here:
Hobby Galaxy for $157.



For the Mr Toys set, see HERE.
I hope this has been useful. What do you think?

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