My first Hot Toy review on this blog! Right off the get go I want to point out that these reviews are mostly just all about letting the pictures do the work since it's really hard to do the figure justice just with words. But obviously I'll be putting my opinion as well as geeking out with how awesome this figure is! With that said, let's just get right into the review of Hot Toys Iron Man Mark VI Die Cast Edition.
I don't normally put a big picture of boxes but Hot Toys boxes are a different breed. The design is just something to admire. Much like the figure itself inside, the color schemes are dominantly red, highlighted with gold, and a touch of grey. Of course a nice image of the product that wraps around the box is something that completes the aesthetics.
And if the sleek looking box isn't something to admire before getting to the figure inside, do know that this is a heavy duty beast. It serves as a protection for the pricey investment within.
Credit to the people who are responsible for this figure. I wish I can name them all in every single paragraph.
Taking extra precautions, Hot Toys puts their figures inside stylophone cases, which I can't complain about. With an engraved 'Mark VI' etched into it, one can never forget which figure is on hand!
Taking the top off the stylophone, here is Mark VI in all its beauty. Clearly it's obvious to see what it comes with. Four pair of hands, an alternate chest piece, and swappable heads might be a lot for the common retail figures, but not for a Hot Toy. And the great thing is that it's not all it comes with:
Underneath the stylophone itself are more accessories, the batteries, and the stand. So for anyone not familiar with Hot Toys, expect more than a few goodies to help with photoshoots and display options.
Now what can be said about this handsome figure without being so redundant? First let's talk about all the sculpted details that are visible and non visible. Everything from the lining, the armor plates, each separate pieces, every one was given care and attention to ensure that it organically feels like an Iron Man figure--an expensive Iron Man figure, that is.
Nothing about this figure from base perspective looks short handed. It looks and feels (it's die-cast after all) like high-end collector's item.
The marvelous attention are consistent throughout the figure. Just looking at this backside, Iron Man still has the finer details.
Speaking of attention to details, there are functional flaps that we see Iron Man use throughout the Cinematic Movies. They are all well sculpted and definitely detailed. They are also well hidden so they're not so obvious and marring to the overall look of the figure.
Functions and details that they didn't necessarily have to put in, they did, so for that, I can't help but really geek out at all this additions.
Paint wise, there's not much to say but continue my appreciation of it. The dominant red is dark, metallic, and definitely suiting of an Iron Man armor. It's clean and well painted and for those who notice the 'scuffs' and gashes, it's all part of the overall theme of the armor. But that's mostly on the red and a little bit on the silver. The gold and grey that help give the character contrast; something that is credited to the Cinematic portrayal of Tony Stark, but it's still Hot Toys' fantastic job of replicating it to figure form.
I know I've mentioned details and being well sculpted a million times, but that's something that I can't help. To piggy back on that, look at Arc Reactor. And to some, the intended wear and tear may be a bit off-putting, but honestly, it adds something to the figure.
Taking off the chest plate, we are once again treated to the many things that makes me geek out. I mean, just look at all of that!
Now the reason why someone would take out the chest piece is because of the option of putting the battle damaged version. Both the chest piece and the helmet get their own worn out pieces. And while the rest of the armor gets the scuffs and gashes, the alternate mask and chest pieces get the treatment of getting mauled by Iron Man's foes. They look convincingly real and it mirrors how he looked in Iron Man 2 after the battle with Whiplash. The details underneath with the wiring and what not really plays well with the open gashes on the chest; and those bullet holes!
The alternate head is the Robert Downey Jr. face. This is my third Iron Man Hot Toy and the Mark VI is the second one in those three that gives us the alternate head of the iconic actor of the MCU. And just like everything else with the figure, they do not shortcut anything! It looks like the Tony Stark actor!
It's slightly nerve wracking just how accurate this figure is to RDJ. I wonder what he'd say if he was holding one of these? Heck, if I was him, I'd own all of them!
And if the sculpted work wasn't enough, light up features are available (as they are in all Hot Toys from my knowledge). I'll have to mention that it's a pain in the butt getting the batteries in the tiny slots that they are meant to port to. At least they are included with the figure and not a separate purchase.
There's a light up feature on his eyes, Arc Reactor, and both his Repulsors, but I had problem with his right hand so that won't be functional.
Next we'll be showcasing the many artillery that comes with the Mark VI. He may not be as 'vocal' with his weapons like War Machine, but he does pack a few hitters. The first of the ones that are worth mentioning are the lasers that we saw in Iron Man 2 that annihilated the Hammer Drones. A pair of fisted hands can be used so that Mark VI can imitate that weapon in Hot Toy form.
With the alternate fists, we get the special effects that replicate Iron Man shooting out lasers. They have a nice translucent pink paint and they plug in to the hole on the accessory. They're not bad, but I won't be using them too often for display.
Again, Iron Man doesn't showcase all his weaponry like his War Machine counterpart; he's a little more discreet, at least with his weapons. We've seen him utilize these shoulder mounts to incapacitate enemies and for the most part, they are efficient. In figure form, they look pretty good.
There are also alternate platings on his forearms that showcases the other weaponry that Iron Man carries with him to battle. Like the batteries and the shoulder mounts, they are a pain to put in so be very careful.
It's neat that you can mix and match however you want it all to go.
More than enough display options for those who like swapping and changing the look of their collector items.
Another armor related accessory that comes with Mark VI is this special edition helmet. It doesn't connect to the Mark VI itself, but it's more of a design piece that has its own light-up feature.
The Silver Centurion came with a burning Iron Man helmet, so it makes sense that the Mark VI gets its own special accessory.
Last accessory that comes with Mark VI is the stand. Now for all intent and purpose, this is the one thing that didn't translate as well into plastic form. In the Avengers movie, this was a mobile apparatus that disassembles Iron Man's armor from his body while he is walking. Sadly, the circle and the arms are too small to replicate that scene. It's nicely painted and sculpted just like the rest of the figure, but again, won't be doing what it was meant to imitate. It does come with your standard Hot Toy figure holder, which isn't pictured.
Now to address the articulation department. For those familiar with Hot Toys will immediately know what they are getting into. While Mark VI (and all Hot Toys for that matter) are far from fancy statues with five-point of articulation, they're not exactly figures like #Figma or #MarvelLegends. Mark VI is still hindered despite it being able to replicate some key poses from the movie/s. The best way I can describe it is that he can't do the famous Iron Man landing pose without looking to awkward or forcing some of his joints (and for a price point this high, would you want to force certain joints?). In the past, especially with the first edition of the Mark V, getting him just to have the appropriate angle to perform a repulsor blast dynamic pose was hard.
Luckily over a few Hot Toys, they rectified that by adding alternate hands that are meant for repulsor blasts. He also hands closed fists for action poses that require fully closed fists rather than what the articulated hands can give.
Here is Mark VI next to the first edition of Mark V. The 'suitcase armor' is special in many ways because it literally pays homage to the funny fact that in the comics, Tony Stark use to put his armor inside a suitcase. Also, I first thought that it would be the only time we'll see a Silver Centurion; luckily that's not the case.
Here is Mark VI next to the official Silver Centurion of the MCU, the Mark XXXIII. Definitely more in scale. As a Hot Toy, both share some similar qualities, which is why I will spend a few more pics just to show case their similarities.
Both are pretty impressive with the accessories they are given. Mark VI may come with more swap outs, but Silver Centurion still has its signature weapons (the blades were never a thing in the comics from my knowledge, however).
The two also have alternate heads with Robert Downey Jr.'s popular face as Tony Stark. Silver Centurion of course mirrors how he looked while he wore this armor: bloodied and beaten up.
Now with most of my reviews, I go over the flaws as we go through the accessories, the articulation, and the overall presentation of the figure. For a Hot Toy, I want to spend a section to express my qualms. I want to be perfectly honest with all of you; even if it's a damn good figure, it truly has some things to gripe about, so here they are.
Fragility: A high end figure should be expected to have these but at the same token, a high end figure shouldn't have issues with pieces disconnecting and needing some super glue. If this only happened to one of my Hot Toys, I would say it's a singular issue. Unfortunately, it happened to Mark V, to Mark XXXIII, and now I have the alternate armor platings with missiles needing some glue because they were either not properly glued prior, or the travel caused some parts to fall off.
Battery included & inserted: There might be an issue with having batteries inserted for a long time, but I found it cumbersome to try and put those small batteries inside the tiny slots they are meant to go. Small complaint, but I found it to be an issue with Mark VI since the right hand will not have the light up feature for me.
Body frame: With Mark V and Mark XXXIII, I didn't necessarily had an issue with certain poses looking weird because the body looked natural with most poses I was able to give them. With Mark VI, there are some angles that the arms look too robotic. I hid most of it through camera illusion, but it can still be seen here and there. Not a big issue also, but definitely worth mentioning.
The overall verdict for this figure is a positive one. I expected it to be as such and having two Hot Toys before I knew it could only be a good experience. It's not an everyday purchase and only for those who have the funds (and time). Sideshow does offer some payment plans that allows one to pay in increments, which of course, allows figures such as these to be more of a reasonable purchase over a span of a few months. As an Iron Man fan, I knew I had to have this since it's one of my favorite Cinematic Armor (Silver Centurion, the Mark XLV and the Infinity War armor are high on the list as well; Hulkbuster is another breed). In conclusion, I am terribly pleased with my purchase. Great aesthetics, impressive details, good amount of accessories, and just a solid figure. I can only imagine where this guy will stand for 2018's list.
Until Next Time!
