Hot Toys

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REVIEW – HOT TOYS STORMTROOPER (STAR WARS IV A NEW HOPE) 1/6 SCALE COLLECTIBLE FIGURE

Posted by Mighty Mike on April 17, 2020
Posted in: Collectible. Tagged: , , .

The Imperial Stormtrooper is one of the most iconic and distinctive movie soldier designs ever, which is instantly recognisable to even non-fans of Star Wars. The elite soldier us the main ground force of the Galactic Empire and an ever-present reminder of the power of Emperor Palpatine. 

Name: Stormtrooper
Line: Movie Masterpiece Series
Product Code: MMS267
Manufacturer: Hot Toys
Released: 2015
Price: $190.99 – 199.99 USD
Scale: 1/6
Accessories: Various hands and weapons.

I initially wasn’t going to buy this particular figure, don’t get me wrong, I do love me some Stormtrooper figure goodness, but, 1/6 scale figures do take up more space than their smaller action figure counterparts.

However, as luck (or fate) would have it, I happened to be picking up some orders from a friend, who just received the two pack set among some other goodies. After watching him unbox them, I knew then and there, I must have them!  They just oozed quality, it was plain for me to see even with them sitting in the box, these were lovingly made figures.

So, I went home and did just that, ordered at least one figure for myself. Self-control be damned! ( Thanks, Ev! Damn it all! Haha)

LIST OF PARTS

Inside the box you get the following items:

One Stormtrooper figure
Seven interchangeable hands
One blaster rifle
One blaster pistol
One display stand

SCULPTING

As far as sculpting goes, this figure is excellent. I would never consider myself an expert when it comes to Stormtrooper helmets but, in my eyes, this is the best version made in 1/6 scale to date, it looks like Hot Toys used the “hero version” of the helmet for their reference material too as it matches that version the best. Everything is just the right size and shape. All the armour fits nice and snug on the body, it’s really like it walked off the screen and into your hands.

PAINT

Well, we all know by now that Hot Toys do an excellent job with their paint application; and this particular figure is no exception. The paint on this figure is mainly small details on the helmet and chest armour. As per usual, it’s nice and neat. I really love the gloss finish on the armour, it makes it look and feel amazing in hand.

ARTICULATION

The Stormtrooper presumably has the standard amount of articulation that the normal True Type body would have, being: Ball jointed neck, swivel/hinge shoulders, double jointed elbows, swivel/hinge wrists, ball jointed chest, swivel waist, swivel/hinge hips, double jointed knees and ball jointed ankles,

Now, the outfit can restrict this articulation a little bit, especially around the shoulders and crotch. Otherwise, you can get him into plenty of Stormtrooper type poses with little-to-no difficulty, in most cases the “standing to attention, museum pose” works best and looks so damn cool.

OUTFIT

Technically, the whole figure is the outfit, I’ve already raved about the armour, the black body suit underneath is fine, it’s stretchy, well-tailored and doesn’t restrict the joints.

ACCESSORIES

Just a small amount of accessories with this figure, something that’s really becoming the norm for Hot Toys releases as many fans and reviewers alike have made mention of.

You get a number of hands in different poses and two types of blasters, the standard one we all know and love and one only seen in promo shots, so Hot Toys attention to detail is pretty good in this instance.

I like the variety of hands they are all pretty useful to get a good variety of different poses and expressiveness out of the Stormtrooper.

Lastly, you get what I’ll call the “standard Star Wars base” with the figure, I’m not a fan of it, it’s the classic black display stand for me.

POTENTIAL PROBLEMS

Not really too many things to watch out for, perhaps the odd factory paint blemish? Perhaps the pleather holster tearing or deteriorating over time? The quality in this particular figure is top-notch.

PRICE

I paid about $190 USD plus shipping from Animarket, and I was happy with that. He’s a little bit more expensive on the secondary market these days, but if you can find a deal, more power to you!

OVERALL

If you want that classic Stormtrooper in 1/6 scale, then this is the figure to get, it’s simply put, the best 1/6 Stormtrooper to date and puts all other attempts to shame. I’m pretty sure if you are a Star Wars, Stormtrooper and Hot Toys fan, you already have this figure and you know what I’m talking about; if you still haven’t scratched that Stormtrooper itch then what are you waiting for? Buy this figure! It’s that simple.

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REVIEW – HOT TOYS SCARLET WITCH (CIVIL WAR) 1/6 SCALE COLLECTIBLE FIGURE

Posted by Mighty Mike on April 7, 2020
Posted in: Collectible. Tagged: , , , .

Marvel Studios Captain America: Civil War continues the story after the events of The Winter Soldier and Age Of Ultron. After a series of unintentional accidents where the Avengers actions have lead to collateral Damage, Iron Man and Captain America take different sides on deciding what direction should be taken to oversee the Avengers actions. Leading to a climatic battle between the two sides, Scarlet Witch joins the side of Steve Rogers battling against her former teammates. 

Name: Scarlet Witch (Civil War Version)
Line: Movie Masterpiece Series
Product Code: MMS370
Manufacturer: Hot Toys
Released: 2016
Price: $199 – $250 USD
Scale: 1/6
Accessories: Various hands and items as well as a display stand

I’ve already reviewed the first version of Scarlet Witch from Hot Toys here. I’ll be repeating myself a little bit as this figure has a few things in common with that release. However, it does improve on some of the lacking aspects of the previous release (quality of hair, boot articulation etc.)

This is the first Scarlet Witch figure that I bought for myself, I waited for one to come up for the right price and promptly made my purchase and soon enough she was on her way from Japan via EMS and the price wasn’t half bad either.

Even if I’m a little behind on the release schedule (Scarlet Witch was released in December 2016 after all!), the wait was worth it, now that I have her in hand.

LIST OF PARTS

Inside the box you get the following items:

One Scarlet Witch figure
Seven interchangeable hands
One necklace
Four Scarlet Witch power flame effects
One Tiny Ant-Man figure (in running pose)
One display stand

SCULPTING

This is the same head sculpt that came with the first two versions of Scarlet Witch and some collectors aren’t happy about that. It’s almost like they expect Hot Toys to make a new head sculpt with every new release. I’d rather they do what they are doing now, where they nail the head sculpt the first time and keep using it, just keep improving the paint application with each new release.

They have done a great job capturing the likeness of Elizabeth Olsen, so why ruin it by trying to improve on perfection? The body is pretty much the same too, but the hands and boots are not.

PAINT

I don’t think there’s anything new I can really say here as far as paint applications go. Hot Toys continually put out the best mass produced painted figures in the market, no one can come close to surpassing them yet, they are all still struggling to keep up and it’s not just the heads, it’s the whole package! A lot of companies don’t bother to paint things like hands or bodies properly, not Hot Toys, it’s things like this that make them the best.

The care and attention to detail is second to none. Civil War Scarlet Witch is another shining example of this. The paint application on the face is extremely realistic and brings an unparalleled level of realism to the figure and excellent job by JC Hong and his team.

The head sculpt maybe the same, but the paint apps aren’t, I feel out of the three heads released thus far, this is the best version to date, just something about it looks a little stripped back, but it somehow makes the sculpt look even better, perhaps Scarlet Witch was just hiding under too much makeup the first time around.

They’ve even fixed up the flat flesh tone issues that the first Scarlet Witch had (the hands now having gloves on them helped in this instance.) Hot Toys have brought their usual paint application A game with this figure.

ARTICULATION

Scarlet Witch uses what I guess we can call by now the standard Hot Toys female TrueType body, which appeared around the release of Jill Valentine, Baby Doll, and Resident Evil Alice figures. Which we haven’t seen a release of it by itself yet, either, but we can only hope and pray for that!

It’s a great base body and has a few different leg, arm and bust variants to make it quite versatile. This particular version has the following articulation:

Ball jointed neck, ball jointed chest, ball jointed shoulders, double jointed elbows, swivel/hinge wrists, ball jointed waist, ball jointed hips, double jointed knees and ball jointed ankles.

You can get Scarlet Witch into a good number of poses and she’s not hampered too much by her clothes, like the first figure, the only part where she struggles are her boots, this time, though, it’s not a bad thing that she has extra added articulation where the ankles are, instead of solid boots, its that said articulation makes her a bit more unsteady on her feet ( I think the shin/calf part of the boot makes the ankles become a little looser than they should be), but at least this version of Scarlet Witch can now do much deeper stances, I’d recommend using the stand for her, however. Otherwise, it’s all good, nice and tight joints, she is a pleasure to pose.

OUTFIT

Yet another category Hot Toys by default excels in.  They have mass produced 1/6 clothes down to a fine art. Now there are other companies that are catching up. (in my opinion, Blitzway are the closest) But Hot Toys still consistently nail it with each new release and keep pushing that envelope more and more.

I’m very impressed with Scarlet Witch’s outfit as a whole. The long red coat is the stand out for me, it just looks amazing, it’s incredibly detailed and it also has some wire in the ends so it can be posed flared out and even some tiny buttons to keep it pinned to her body at the waist!

I also like the look of the corset and ‘leather’ tights visually, for whatever reason, I find this outfit very appealing compared to the previous releases, even if it’s a bit more subdued than say, her Avengers outfit. So kudos the film’s costume designer and Hot Toys for replicating it in 1/6 scale.

ACCESSORIES

You aren’t getting a lot of accessories with Scarlet Witch. A few extra hands and four “power effects” it’s a little bit more I guess then the first Scarlet Witch and the extra “power effects” are great and add a little bit more variety to your display options.

I feel the choice of hands is great, there is enough variety to get a lot of cool looking poses from Scarlet Witch and I did have a lot of fun trying different combinations out and playing around trying to get the best poses out of her.

The included mini Ant-Man is a nice touch as well.

POTENTIAL PROBLEMS

There aren’t really too many things to watch out for with this figure, handle her carefully and read the instructions are two good pointers. Also, take care changing the hands out, I haven’t had a problem with the female figures wrist joints yet, unlike some of the males ones, but it never hurts to heat up the hands a little to make them a touch softer, if you want to be extra careful!

PRICE

I paid about 24,000 YEN for Scarlet Witch and I’m pretty happy with that, beats the local price here ($340 -$ 360 AUD, you are kidding me!) Obviously, shop around and try to get the best price you can, but don’t delay too long as she appears to be quite popular. (When the price is right of course!)

OVERALL

This is my favorite Scarlet Witch figure from Hot Toys to date. If you haven’t picked up a Scarlet Witch figure yet, I’d say go out of your way to get this one. Otherwise just choose the one with the costume you like the most, either way, you won’t be disappointed. I feel this version has the best paint applications on the head sculpt and best rooted hair (out of the three releases) too. She’ll look great with the rest of your Avengers figures and better still look great with Quicksilver too.

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REVIEW – HOT TOYS TERMINATOR ENDOSKELETON 1/4 SCALE COLLECTIBLE FIGURE

Posted by Mighty Mike on April 4, 2020
Posted in: Collectible. Tagged: , , .

In The Terminator, Arnold Schwarzenegger is an unstoppable cyborg killing machine sent back in time from the year 2029 by the artificial intelligence network, Skynet to terminate Sarah Connor, the woman who will give birth to the future’s Resistance movement leader, John Connor.
The original Terminator movie was released in 1984 and is considered one of the best sci-fi films ever made. It featured terrific action sequences, a well-written story, and incredible special effects for its time.

Name: T-800 Endoskeleton
Line: Quarter Scale Series
Product Code: QS002
Manufacturer: Hot Toys
Released: 2013
Price: Then: $399.99 USD, Now: $570 – $730 USD
Scale: 1/4
Accessories: Plasma Rifle as well as a display stand

You’d think being a Terminator fan I would have bought this figure the day it was released, well I didn’t, main reason being, where was I going to put this beast? I had seen my friend’s Enterbay Battle Damaged T2 T-800, and was obviously impressed with the sheer size and amount of detail on the figure. (Not really impressed by Enterbay’s choice of materials or their ‘hit and miss’ factory paint application.)

So at this point the thought of potentially owning the Hot Toys 1/4 scale Terminator Endoskeleton was in the back of my mind, I did come very close to picking it up the year before when I was in Japan as the price was still very good and brand new in box, I couldn’t complain. But alas, I had no space in my suitcase by this point and nowhere to put it.

However, the year after I was better prepared for such a potential purchase. Two suitcases devoted to mainly toy purchases, you can’t go wrong! ( I ended up sandwiching The Endoskeleton box with Hot Toys Godfather’s box in the one suitcase, another great deal on that one too!)

So finally I had this figure in my collection, but I still have no way to display it properly, so it just sits in its box for now. This review was the first time I was able to take the figure out and have a good and proper look at it and a good play around. Which probably worked out better that way as it makes it almost like I bought it brand new and hadn’t opened it before. Still, that sense of wonderment and excitement you get from your first couple of Hot Toys’ figures was definitely there as I removed this figure from the box, it’s easily one of Hot Toys best figures they’ve released so far!

LIST OF PARTS

Inside the box you get the following items:

One 1/4 T-800 Endoskeleton figure
One Plasma Rifle
One display stand

SCULPTING

One of the best aspects of 1/4 Scale figures is the amount of extra detail that is applied to each figure, being much larger in size you can really take in the subtle skin texture on a figure, for example. But, this review is about the Terminator Endoskeleton. The extra detail you get to appreciate here is all the tubing, pistons and other mechanical like details of the Endoskeleton design in general, and boy is it detailed!

This is easily one of the best versions of the Endoskeleton in any scale and unlike Sideshow’s statues, for example, they haven’t given it funny looking teeth.

This figure just oozes awesomeness! The only very minor nitpick is that on the neck, there’s a very obvious mold line in the middle at the front. But, besides that, the sculpting is great!

PAINT

I’m going to assume the Endoskeleton parts have all be chromed or vacuum metalized, however, this isn’t some shiny ‘fresh off the production line’ T-800, this one has been out in the battlefield for a bit and has a fair amount of wear on the surface of that chrome. The overall effect is quite nice. But, it’s that shininess that sets the figure apart from other Hot Toys releases of Endoskeletons and makes it really stand out.

ARTICULATION

I don’t know if I even want to try and work out just how much articulation this figure has! But there sure is a decent amount and a lot of it well thought out and also well hidden, that it doesn’t stick out like a sore thumb either. Being a mechanical looking skeleton, it’s quite easy to hide some joints and other joints, obviously being just part of the design.

Things like the neck and hips are restricted a bit by the pistons and hoses, but overall he’s very poseable. You can at least get him in all the Terminator type poses you would want, and without the aid of the display stand as seen in the photos, but, I wouldn’t recommend leaving him displayed without the stand, however! The last thing you want is this expensive big figure taking a tumble!

OUTFIT

Well, it’s an Endoskeleton, so there’s no outfit to speak of.

ACCESSORIES

You get one Plasma Rifle and that’s about it. If you bought the Special Edition version of this figure, then you got two Plasma Rifles, which would be pretty sweet. But, one is enough for me.

As expected, the usual focus on detail and craftsmanship is ever present here. I was impressed back in the day with the 1/6 scale version of the Plasma Rifle that came with the original 1/6 scale Endoskeleton, But the larger scale means more detail and the ability to appreciate that detail more so as the scale is increased.

I can’t fault the rifle, with the exception of perhaps the colour as movie stills and some props lead me to believe the rifle is silver and black, but I actually prefer the all black/grey/gun metal grey colour, I think it makes the rifle look that much nicer in hand.

The other accessory is the display stand, I really don’t like the look of it, I think it looks quite boring and lame actually, I would have preferred some kind of simple black cover as an option and be able to swap out between the two. But, the paint and sculpting on the base aren’t up to the high standards of the Endoskeleton itself and that’s a little disappointing.

POTENTIAL PROBLEMS

The only real problem I can think of is, that I reckon the arm and/or ankle joints might loosen up over time, especially the arm or arms holding the Plasma Rifle, even if it isn’t that heavy, those arms look like they would have trouble over time. Other than that, finding space for the damn thing!

I’m not devoting a whole shelf in my cabinet just for the terminator, but if I were to get one of those large acrylic boxes, I’d have found my solution to the problem, so alas, the Endoskeleton stays in its box for now.

PRICE

I was lucky enough to pay around $350 AUD for this guy back in 2014 thanks to the many second-hand toy stores in Tokyo. The plus side to it being second hand is you are encouraged to inspect the item before you pay, so if there are any problems, hopefully, you can spot them!

I was happy with the price and it was my big splurge on that trip as I hadn’t really bought anything notable up to that point of my holiday.

OVERALL

If you are in the market for some 1/4 scale goodness, then you can’t go by this amazing figure from Hot Toys, even though I don’t buy many 1/4 scale figures (This being my only purchase in the scale so far) I needed this guy in my collection at some point, as I am a big Terminator fan and besides 1/1 scale stuff, it doesn’t get and bigger or better then this!

If you can find one for a decent price these days, all the better as the prices only seems to go up for all 1/4 figures, be it Hot Toys or Enterbay. If you are a Terminator fan and have the space and the budget I’m sure you already have this, if you don’t I wouldn’t sit on your hands too much longer as it lives up to the hype. It may have one or two minor nitpicks, however it is still truly an extraordinary figure to have and own!

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REVIEW – HOT TOYS SCARLET WITCH (AGE OF ULTRON) 1/6 SCALE COLLECTIBLE FIGURE

Posted by Mighty Mike on April 2, 2020
Posted in: Collectible. Tagged: , , , .

Marvel Studios smash hit Avengers: Age Of Ultron was the next big adventure in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, by not only introducing us to Ultron but also bringing us a number of new Avengers too. Scarlet Witch being one of them. Even if she initially wanted to destroy the Avengers, she and her brother Quicksilver soon realised the error of their ways after Ultron revealed his master plan to them and they joined with the Avengers to help in defeating him.   

Name: Scarlett Witch
Line: Movie Masterpiece Series
Product Code: MMS 301
Manufacturer: Hot Toys
Released: 2016
Price: $199 – $266 USD MISB
Scale: 1/6
Accessories: Various hands and items as well as a display stand

I’ve been pretty sparse with my Hot Toys reviews, but with good reason, firstly, I don’t buy every figure anymore or as many figures as I used to and secondly, I was waiting for my pre-orders to come in and ship them all together to save on shipping costs and that day finally came recently, with a bundle of Hot Toys making their way to me in good time from the always excellent folks at Animarket.

Tonight I’m reviewing Scarlet Witch (with Quicksilver to follow very, very soon) but truth be told this isn’t my figure it’s actually my brothers, he’s more of a Scarlet Witch fan than me and when you live in the same house it makes it a lot easier to fill out collections when you aren’t buying every single figure yourself.

With that said, the more I worked with her during the photo shoot the more I liked the figure, so I might pick up the Civil War version for myself, seeing I know my brother isn’t getting that one. But we’ll see what happens as I keep my pre-orders a lot looser and a lot more commitment free then in the past, as the options online are quite plentiful if I happen to change my mind.

Now onto the review of Hot Toys Age of Ultron Scarlet Witch!

LIST OF PARTS

Inside the box you get the following items:

One Scarlet Witch figure

Eight interchangeable hands

Two necklaces

Two Scarlet Witch power flame effects

One Ultron Heart

One display stand

SCULPTING

One of the main focus points on any Hot Toys figure is going to be the head sculpt, with every new figure announcement there is always heated discussion among fans in forums and Facebook groups about how good or how bad the likeness is to the actor or actress.

Scarlet Witch was no different. However, most sane collectors agreed that the prototype was close and just needed some slight tweaks to make it a home run.

Thankfully, Hot Toys have done just that, in my opinion. It was already a strong likeness to Elizabeth Olsen, (as Scarlet Witch) but now I feel it’s been refined just enough to make it close to perfect, the only thing they can do to make it better, is to refine the paint applications with each continued release.

(Like for the next two upcoming Scarlet Witch releases which use the same head, much like they are now doing for Hawkeye and Captain America’s Steve Roger’s Head.)

Which I’ve got to say, doesn’t bother me one bit, make an excellent head sculpt to begin with, there is no reason (or point) to constantly remake it when you don’t have to, that’s just smart business and a welcome change as far as I am concerned.

PAINT

I don’t think there’s anything new I can really say here as far as paint applications go. Hot Toys continually put out the best mass produced painted figures in the market, no one can come close to surpassing them yet, they are all still struggling to keep up and it’s not just the heads, it’s the whole package! A lot of companies don’t bother to paint things like hands or bodies properly, not Hot Toys, it’s things like this that make them the best.

The care and attention to detail are second to none. Scarlet Witch is another shining example of this. The paint application on the face is extremely realistic and brings an unparalleled level of realism to the figure and excellent job by JC Hong and his team. If I had one nit pick, it would be that on the translucent hands, the flesh tones look a little flat when compared to the standard hands, otherwise, it’s what you would normally expect from Hot Toys.

ARTICULATION

Scarlet Witch uses what I guess we can call by now the standard Hot Toys female TrueType body, which appeared around the release of Jill Valentine, Baby Doll and Resident Evil Alice figures. Which we haven’t seen a release of it by itself yet, either, but we can only hope and pray for that!

It’s a great base body and has a few different leg, arm and bust variants to make it quite versatile. This particular version has the following articulation:

Ball jointed neck, ball jointed chest, ball jointed shoulders, double jointed elbows, swivel/hinge wrists, ball jointed waist, ball jointed hips, double jointed knees and ball jointed ankles.

You can get Scarlet Witch into a good number of poses and she’s not hampered too much by her clothes, the only part where she struggles are her boots, the ankles are restricted a bit by the plastic, if the boots were a little softer, I think there would be no issues. So wider stances are a bit of a no-go for her. Otherwise, it’s all good, nice and tight joints, she is a pleasure to pose.

OUTFIT

Yet another category Hot Toys by default excels in.  They have mass produced 1/6 clothes down to a fine art. Now there are other companies that are catching up. (in my opinion, Blitzway are the closest) But Hot Toys still consistently nail it with each new release and keep pushing that envelope more and more.

I’m very impressed with Scarlet Witch’s Jacket and multilayered dress the tailoring is great and they don’t look oversized at all, plus the darkened effects on the end of the jacket look fantastic.

The stockings or leg warmers are a bit annoying as they don’t really have a way to stay up, so from time to time as I changed poses I did have to pull them up and adjust them, but it was never a big deal, once you pose her up, they aren’t going anywhere.

ACCESSORIES

You aren’t getting a lot of accessories with Scarlet Witch. A few extra hands, some “power effects” attachments and “Ultron’s heart”. Compared to other releases it’s not much, but then there’s only so many things they could have given us, maybe a few more magic effects in different sizes?

(BTW the magic effects were a little tricky at first to figure out which way they went on, seeing the instructions are pretty useless, but once figured out, you’ll never get confused by them again!)

Ultron’s heart is a nice inclusion, but not really needed and will be left in the box by me.

I feel the choice of hands is great, there is enough variety to get a lot of great poses from Scarlet Witch and I did have a lot of fun trying different combinations out and playing around trying to get the best poses out of her.

You also get what I’m calling the “standard Marvel display stand” which at first I didn’t think I’d like, but now I have a group of Avengers assembled I have actually come to like the stand a lot more now.

POTENTIAL PROBLEMS

There aren’t really too many things to look out for with this figure, handle her carefully and read the instructions are two good pointers. Also, take care changing the hands out, I haven’t had a problem with the female figures wrist joints yet, unlike some of the males ones, but it never hurts to heat up the hands a little to make them a touch softer, if you want to be extra careful!

PRICE

I paid $199 USD from Animarket, which worked out to be not too bad seeing after the deposit upon placement of the order when you finally have to pay the remaining amount it sure makes it a lot less painful on the bank account. Especially when you can have your orders shipped in one big box together (with plenty of bubble wrap and padding too btw) works out to be a pretty good deal, I have to say.

Also, because I refuse to support the local sellers as they do not know how to pack an order properly, let alone a simple thing called “business ethics”. Unfortunately, most Australian sellers of Hot Toys figures don’t know or have these two simple things, a shame really, but that’s how it goes sometimes.

OVERALL

I was indifferent about Scarlet Witch at first, after having a play around and posing her up for this review she really started to grow on me a lot. Even though this isn’t my figure, it has really brought me around to potentially buying a Scarlet Witch for myself. But if you only want one in your collection I would strongly suggest this one as she looks great with Quicksilver, but it really comes down to what costume you prefer the most as to which Scarlet Witch figure you should buy. She definitely looks great on a shelf with her fellow Age of Ultron Avengers!

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This page copyright 2016 Mike’s Toy Blog. All rights reversed.

REVIEW – HOT TOYS QUICKSILVER (AGE OF ULTRON) 1/6 SCALE COLLECTIBLE FIGURE

Posted by Mighty Mike on April 1, 2020
Posted in: Collectible. Tagged: , , , , .

Marvel Studios smash hit Avengers: Age Of Ultron was the next big adventure in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, by not only introducing us to Ultron but bringing us a number of new Avengers too. Quicksilver being one of them. Even if he initially wanted to destroy the Avengers, he and his sister Scarlet Witch soon realised the error of their ways after Ultron revealed his master plan to them, and they joined with the Avengers to help in defeating him.   

Name: Quicksilver
Line: Movie Masterpiece Series
Product Code: MMS 302
Manufacturer: Hot Toys
Released: 2016
Price: $185 – $260 USD MISB
Scale: 1/6
Accessories: Various hands as well as a display stand

Having just reviewed Scarlet Witch, how could I not review Quicksilver too? He was my favorite character in Age Of Ultron, even if he didn’t make it to the end credits. His banter with Hawkeye was quite amusing, I do have to say.

A lot of Hot Toys fans didn’t have high hopes of Quicksilver being made, I myself hoped they would make him, but the only thing that’s for sure about Hot Toys, is nothing’s for sure (to paraphrase Sting) and after Hot Toys posted a picture on their Facebook page of the “complete Age Of Ultron set of figures” and Quicksilver wasn’t there a lot of people weren’t happy, thankfully after a short time, they updated that picture to include Quicksilver and all was right in the world.

Finally, I have Quicksilver in my hands and even although I’m heading over to Japan soon, I wanted to at least get a few more reviews out before I left and I just felt inspired to do so.

Now onto the review of Hot Toys Age of Ultron Quicksilver!

LIST OF PARTS

Inside the box you get the following items:

One Quicksilver figure

Eight interchangeable hands

One display stand

SCULPTING

After the initial pre-order announcement for quicksilver came up, much like Scarlet Witch’s head sculpt being a close match to Elizabeth Olsen, the head sculpt was a very close likeness to Aaron Taylor-Johnson.  Even the test shot photos shared by Hot Toys master painter JC Hong showed an excellent portrait and paint application.

Of course, there were still a few nay-sayers, who for whatever reason just couldn’t see the likeness in the sculpt. Thankfully these people were ignored and what we have is pretty close, if not even more so improved from the prototype.

I’m very happy with what I have in hand and hopefully, my photos have done the head sculpt justice too, it’s an excellent representation of Quicksilver from AOU, in fact; all of the previously released characters from the Avengers so far have been immensely improved from their previous versions.

Needless to say, I’m happy with the head sculpt and you should be too.

PAINT

Once again another great effort here, the paint really helps bring the figure to life and makes that sweet head sculpt even better. Even the paint on the hands is up to the expected standard we’ve come to know and love, he may be lacking accessories, be he’s not lacking craftsmanship and quality.

ARTICULATION

Quicksilver has a little bit of a Frankenstein’s Monsters body in a lot of ways. Hot Toys have built up a vast catalog of arms, legs and torsos with each new figure they needed to make new parts for. Which means now they have a lot of parts to pick and choose from when putting together a body for a figure.

His arms are similar to the Advanced Truetype put out years ago, his torso similar to Indiana Jones or Hawkeye (with the shorter neck that torso has) and his shins are from the Tony Stark body they developed. So it truly is a bit of mix and match, but it works quite well I have to say.

Quicksilver has the following articulation: Ball jointed neck, Ball jointed torso, swivel/hinge shoulders, double jointed elbows, swivel/hinge wrists, ball jointed waist, swivel/hinge hips, double jointed knees and ball jointed ankles.

And it’s the ankles where he tends to fall down – literally. I had heard from other reviewers that Quicksilver had really loose ankles so I was curious to find out if I had the same issue.

Unfortunately, I did, but the fault lies in design. For whatever reason Quicksilver has the same long foot pegs that came with the T-800 (MMS/DX) which is fine if you have long boots to help hold the legs, not if you have nothing but the balance of the figure to hold you up and it didn’t help the ball joint was loose in the shoe too.

I changed out shin and ankle joints, matching the height but reducing the ball joint length, the ball joint was still a little loose in the shoe, but not as bad as he was at first. Still, I shouldn’t have to do that straight out of the box and I can’t help but wonder what Hot Toys green horns would do in that situation.

OUTFIT

Here’s another category that should be an obvious win, but once again its a bit of a let down. Quicksilver’s outfit maybe basic, but it still is executed quite well, I love the look and feel of the running pants, they have even used a similar material that you would find normal running pants made of. (Hopefully, it does attract too much lint!)

However, the shirt, although looks great, I find it a touch too thick and it’s difficult to move Quicksilver’s arms and torso. Not to mention it can cause the hands to pop off too. But, that is remedied once you change hands a few times and the hole for the wrist peg stretches a bit on each hand.

ACCESSORIES

You get some different hands and that’s it. But, they are all pretty appropriate, I guess. You get relaxed hands, fist hands, grabbing hands and running hands, two pairs of each, left and right. Considering all Quicksilver did was run and punch, you couldn’t expect much more than that. They are all sculpted and painted to the usual high standard we come to expect from Hot Toys.

POTENTIAL PROBLEMS

There is really not too much to look out for, besides loose ankles and the always-present fear of snapping a wrist peg, I find these larger male wrist pegs more susceptible to snapping than any of their older stuff, so of course, they then use it for everything!

Always be careful with Hot Toys wrist pegs, it takes 5 seconds to heat them up for an easy swap out, especially when it looks like if you broke one of Quicksilver’s ones you’d have to take off his shirt to change it out. Yeah, no thanks.

PRICE

I paid $185 USD from Animarket, great price and as per usual great customer service. Best to shop around and get as good of a price as you can seeing Quicksilver isn’t one of the main Avengers or characters from AOU.

OVERALL

I was quite excited when Hot Toys finally announced Quicksilver from Age Of Ultron and now I have him in hand, I’m still quite pleased with the finished product. He has a few flaws, but I’m still happy to have him in the fold. Really up to you if you need him in your collection or not. Personally, I did, hence why I bought him, plus he adds a little more depth and flare to my Avengers line up, even if he just looks like a guy out for a jog.

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This page copyright 2016 Mike’s Toy Blog. All rights reversed.

Mike’s Toy Blog – Tokyo and Osaka – Toy Shop Guide – PART TWO

Posted by Mighty Mike on July 25, 2014
Posted in: Toy Guide. Tagged: , , , , , .

Please note: Originally posted back in 2014, my Tokyo and Osaka toy shop guide is a little bit out of date. I will clean it up slightly if required, but ultimately it still serves its purpose and remains a time capsule for some stores that are no longer in business or have changed locations too.

GENERAL INFO – OSAKA

Travel in style!

What’s the best way to get to Osaka? Shinkansen of course! Travel time is about 2 and a half to 3 hours, but it’s a great way to see the country side and if it isn’t cloudy, Mt. Fuji!

Once you arrive in Osaka you will be at the Shin-Osaka Station and you will want to grab a Metro train line map (sorry, but you won’t be able to use your JR Pass here) and head for the following Metro Line stations:

Ogimachi (K12) – on the Sakaisuji (K) (Brown) line

(ALT Station: Umeda (M16) on the Midosuji (M) (Red) line)

Shinsaibashi (M19) – on the Midosuji (M) (Red) line

Nippombashi (K17, S17) – on the Sakaisuji (K) (Brown) line or Sennichimae (S) (Pink) Line

(ALT station:Namba (M20)on the Midosuji (M) (Red) line

It’s worth noting most of these stores are open 12pm to 8pm, 7 days a week. However, each shop’s opening hours and days can vary. (See Hero Gangu for details)

OGIMACHI  (UMEDA)

One of the two entrances to Mandarake Umeda

Even though Umeda station is easier to get to from Shin-Osaka, if you haven’t been to Osaka before or like somewhat confusing combination station/shopping malls, then by all means use Umdea! To make the trip as easy as possible, the best way to get to Mandarake Umeda is to get off at Ogimachi! Take Exit 2A and walk through the park, and then follow the map below to get to Mandarake – There are two entrances located between Club Sega.

How to get to Mandarake Umeda – Click on the map to view a larger version of it.

Ogimachi station exit 2A

Exit of Ogimachi Park.

SHINSAIBASHI

Next one-stop shop is the second and last Mandarake store in Osaka, Shinsaibashi. Once again use the map below to get there. You want to use Exit 8 from Shinsaibashi station.

Mandarake Shinsaibashi

*EDIT* Mandarake Shinsaibashi has been closed and there is now a store located in Nanba very close to the other toy stores in that area.

Both Mandarake’s in Osaka are worth checking out, However I still feel Tokyo’s Mandarake’s are better overall when comparing the two cities. You can still find the odd toy you might not expect to find there (which has been the case for me, when I’ve visited these stores).

NIPPONBASHI (NANBA)

This is the easiest way to get to Osaka’s version of Akihabara, “Den Den Town” in Nanba. If you get off at Nipponbashi you just have to walk in a straight line down Sakai Suji Street until you reach the stores. When you get off at the station, use the station map to find exit 5, once outside, look for Super Hotel (they are tall, blue and yellow buildings, with Super Hotel on them – great place to stay in Osaka too!) to know which direction to head in. Use the map below to help with the location of the stores.

Map of the Nanba area from Nipponbashi station down to “Den Den Town”. Click on the map to view a larger version of it.

ENTERTAINMENT HOBBY SHOP JUNGLE

Entertainment Hobby Shop JUNGLE

One of the more well-known stores to visit in Osaka, this store is packed with tons and tons of toys and figures, both new and old: Transformers, Gundam, Hot Toys to name a few. However, the prices on some items are bordering on absurd, IMO. Best to check it out on the way to Hero Gangu and come back to buy, if you couldn’t find the same figure cheaper elsewhere and you have your heart set on it.

HERO GANGU

Hero Gangu

Another giant hobby store and anchor of Osaka’s Den Den Town as far as toys go; Hero Gangu features a massive amount of new and old toys! The ground floor features mainly newly released toys and figures, while floor 2 will have a massive amount of vintage Transformers and Hot Toys as well as Sofubi! If you visit any stores in Osaka this one must be top of your list! Even if it’s just to browse the amazing selection on offer!

Please note: Hero Gangu is not open on Wednesdays!

G-ONE SUPER POSITION CAPSULE

G-One Super Position Capsule

G-One mainly stocks capsule toys with small pockets of other toys here and there. If you are looking pick up a set of Gacha Gacha toys and don’t want to waste your coins, this is the place to go! The ground floor features isle upon isle of small little toys, with most prices being a steal. On the second floor you will find Kaiju and Chogokin and some Sofubi. There are also small sections which will feature Hot Toys and other figures too, so it’s a good idea to spend some time checking out each corner of the store.

*EDIT* G-One Super Position Capsule is no longer open.

ASTRO ZOMBIES

Astro Zombies

Down one of the side streets on the main strip of Den Den Town is Astro Zombies! Superhero toys are featured on the ground floor and upstairs will have many Sci-Fi figures and toys as well as model kits and movie props. They also have their own Sofubi Character as well!

PSYCHDELIA TOYS

Psychdelia Toys entrance.

Psychdelia Toys can be a little tricky to find and is also further away from the main cluster of stores, being right next to Nanba City, in its “City Hobby” section, However it can be worth the short trek as it has a great selection of Kubricks, Hot Toys, Sofubi and wrestling figures as well as Capsule toy sets! Best to stop here last if you are toy hunting in Osaka.

*EDIT* Apparently, Psychdelia Toys has changed its name to: ADAMSKI and had a location move, but is still located in Nanba City – I can’t confirm this, but will look for it on my next trip to Osaka!

Multi-level Toy store, in Nanba.

*BONUS: ONE STOP STORE IN TOKYO – HOT TOYS – TOY SAPIENS

Hot Toys flagship store in Tokyo.

How could I write a Japan toy shop guide and be a fan of Hot Toys and not cover their Japanese flagship store in Tokyo!?!?

This is more of a one stop area as there really isn’t any other toy stores close by. If you are a Hot Toys fan you must visit this store at least once! Hot Toys current in stock products and pre-orders are beautifully set up on display surrounded by many retro and current figures and toys from various companies.

I will always check out this store on a trip to Japan as it’s very exciting to see soon-to-be-released prototype figures on display and, depending on the demand, pick up a newly released Hot Toys figure or two!

*EDIT* Toy Sapiens has moved locations! I will try and update this part when im next in Tokyo.

This concludes my Japan toy guide. I hope you have enjoyed reading it and hopefully it helps you in your travels. As stated before, this is not a “have all, end all” guide, but the stores listed here are great to check out if you have the time and if you like some of the toys reviewed on my blog, you can find many of these types of toys at these stores!

Feel free to leave any comments or suggestions. I will be adding to it and improving it where I can from time to time!

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REVIEW – HOT TOYS THE TERMINATOR T-800 (TECH NOIR VERSION)- 1/6 SCALE COLLECTIBLE FIGURE

Posted by Mighty Mike on March 2, 2011
Posted in: Collectible. Tagged: , , .

In The Terminator Arnold Schwarzenegger is an unstoppable cyborg killing machine sent back in time from the year 2029 by the artificial intelligence network, Skynet to terminate Sarah Connor, the woman who will give birth to the future’s Resistance movement leader, John Connor

The original terminator movie was released in 1984 and is considered one of the best sci-fi films ever made, It featured terrific action sequences, a well written story and incredible special effects for it’s time.

Name: T-800
Line: Movie Masterpiece Series
Product Code: MMS 136
Manufacturer: Hot Toys
Released: 2010
Price: $180 to $260 MIB
Scale: 1:6
Accessories: Figure base with T-800 nameplate and the movie logo


LIST OF PARTS
Inside the box you get the following items:

One T-800 figure
One interchangeable Alternate battle damaged head
Seven pieces of interchangeable palms including:
One pair of relaxed palms
One pair of gloved fists
One pair for holding gun
One damaged right arm
One dark grey jacket with metal chain on left shoulder
One black patterned under shirt
One pair of khaki pants
One pair of black boots with chain on left side
One long slide pistol
One machine gun
One long shotgun
One medical pincer
One medical knife
Four pairs of medical scissors
One figure base with T-800 nameplate and the movie logo
One set of instructions


SCULPTING

The head sculpt, for me, is always the focal point on any figure.  With this figure you get two, one undamaged version and a wounded, burnt, blood covered version. Both head sculpts are instantly recognizable as Arnold Schwarzenegger, I tend to like the un-damaged version the best out of the two. It has that determined, angry look which suits it quite well. Whereas the wounded/burnt version looks great, with its missing eye brows and closed up eye. The body is the same type that comes with the Terminator 2 T-800 with a slight improvement, namely being that the ends of the neck/chest section now extends over/up to the arms, making it look much more realistic in my eyes. The body features plenty of muscle detail and is a very good representation of Schwarzenegger’s body from the film. The gloves are also nicely done as are the boots. The only other sculpted items are the weapons which are excellent and appear to be scaled quite well with the figure.

PAINT

Time and time again Hot Toys’ paint applications are always done incredibly well and almost make the figures look alive. The main application of paint is on the face, on both heads there is no slop at all and the paint work is very neat; the eyes, lips, skin tone and hair line are all done exceptionally well. Also the gloves are painted and the work on the wounded extra arm and head is great too.


ARTICULATION

Articulation for the T-800 is as follows: double ball jointed neck, swivel/hinged shoulders, hinged arms (up to 90 degrees motion) swivel/hinged wrist, chest pivot, swivel waist, swivel/hinged thighs, double joined knees, and double ball jointed ankles. This is similar to  Royce’s (Wolverine)  muscle body, if not exactly the same. You can achieve pretty much any pose the human body can and you can get it to “hang” in a very realistic way. However some poses are restricted by the body for example the neck/chest region does lack poseability and that the elbows only move up to 90 degrees motion does affect some poses. I really like the direction Hot Toys are taking this particular body type in; it has become a very good balance of possibility and aesthetic appearance, there will be small trade offs here and there but overall the articulation is great.

 
ACCESSORIES

The T-800’s Outfit consists of a number of gloved hands, grey punk jacket, khaki cargo/climbing pants, black tank top undershirt and boots. As with all Hot Toys figures the clothing is tailored exceptionally and fits well on the T-800. The grey punk jacket is the stand out for me with black leather sections with studs and the chain on the left shoulder making it very detailed. You might find a stray thread, but it’s quite rare. The boots and gloves/hands are sculpted, however they still look great; I feel the boots could be slightly smaller, but they do have to support the large bulky frame of the Terminator’s muscled body. The gloved hands look great with studs sculpted on the gloves among other details, I’ve found the end of the gloves where the glove meets the wrist peg does restrict it partly, still, there is a good range of motion and many nice poses can still be achieved. The weapons the T-800 comes with are: Long Slide Pistol, Shotgun and Uzi 9mm. All these weapons are used by the Terminator in the first part of the film and all look great, once again this are well made and up to the standard you expect from Hot Toys, with removable ammo clips moving parts etc.


POTENTIAL PROBLEMS

One potential problem can be damage to the neck of the T-800 muscle body; make sure you carefully turn and pose the head/neck according to the included instructions, as you can tear the softer rubber/pvc material which makes up the chest and neck of the body. I haven’t heard any stories of damage to this area, but I wouldn’t want to find out the hard way! Besides the possibility of breaking the wrist pegs  there are some parts that can be a little brittle or delicate, such as the chain attached to the jacket or the medical scissors, but otherwise they are minimal as long as you handle the figure with care after all you’ve paid a fair amount of hard earned money for these high end figures and of course ALWAYS read the instructions that come with the figure first before anything else.


PRICE

I paid $180 AUD for the T-800 and that’s right to my front door. Of course shipping cost is always something to take into account as it does tend to affect the overall price you pay. But, there are always bargains to be had on eBay, I try to always shop around and find the best price. With all Hot Toys figures, its best to try and purchase them around the time of release, as the price for most figures tends to sky rocket pretty quickly!


OVERALL

I’m not going to lie, this version of the Terminator, is without a doubt my favorite, so that makes this review ever so slightly biased. However something tells me Hot Toys have to be a fan of the Terminator too, after all their first movie masterpiece figures were from the same Terminator movie! Finally, having a quality Terminator figure, from the original movie, is a dream come true as far as I’m concerned. I’ve studied enough screen shots from the movie to be able to tell that this figure is a very faithful to the source material. I would really like to see a second Terminator figure and at least a new version of Kyle Reese. Only time will tell if we get to see these figures made If you are a fan of the original Terminator movie or the Terminator in general, I highly recommend this figure, it would make an excellent addition to any Terminator fan’s collection.