JustinLuck
Super Freak
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- Nov 14, 2005
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First I must say, if you have any interest in 1/6 figures, whatsoever, you owe it to yourself to buy a Hot Toys GL body. Even if it is to just see what kind of quality you can expect with a $26 figure from a different collectibles company, it is worth every penny.
Up until now, the only 1/6 figures that I owned, were from Sideshow. But even then, I knew things could be better. The problems I had, with the Sideshow body, were not nitpicks that had to be searched out, but rather serious limitations in producing natural looking stances that were obvious right out of the box.
What surprised me, was that even though I already had high expectations with the HT body (after it being delayed for months), those expectations were exceeded in every respect, with the major exception of the shoulders (which I will get to later).
When you first pick up a HT body in one hand and hold a Sideshow body in the other, you can readily feel the difference. This difference isn't in the plastic, but in the joints.
On all of my Sideshow figures, the ankle joints are loose and the feet readily twirl, to and fro. The same can be said with the shoulder joint. I know all 1/6 bodies loosen with time, but these qualities have always been experienced right out of the box. The elbow and knee joints are stiffer, but they have a ratchet-like quality to them.
The surprise I wasn't prepared for with the HT body was the feel of its joints. On both HT bodies that I purchased, the joints have a stiff and yet extremely smooth feel to them. And I mean, smooth. There are no ratchet joints, which was a shock to me after being so used to Sideshow bodies for almost a year. The feeling in the joints is so distinct, that after posing a HT body, the Sideshow body feels arthritic in comparison. It's definitely a quality can't be conveyed in words or in pictures. It has to be experienced first hand.
While taking photos for this review, posing the Sideshow body was a constant struggle (understatement of the year). The combination of small feet, loose ankle joints, ratchet joints, and a high center of gravity made posing the Sideshow body a tedious experience to say the least. That is not to mention the extraordinary amount of time it takes to get the Sideshow body to stand freely in any pose without a support stand.
While I had to continually catch Sideshow’s falling body to protect poor Skinner’s noggin, the HT body stood there patiently with ease, even when I extended his limbs out in odd directions. The tight, smooth joints combined with a lower center of gravity, and better proportioned feet, truly make posing the HT body an effortless experience. Not only does the HT body stand easily, but it falls into natural looking poses without even trying.
This ease of natural posing is not only thanks to the strong joints, but also due to the great proportions and degree of articulation. When looking at a HT body, there is not a hint of 'monkey arms' or 'monkey legs'. Everything, for exception of the shoulders, looks the correct size and length. In addition, the parts themselves are molded to look like the surface anatomy of a human body. So even though there are plenty of articulated joints, the body is still aesthetically pleasing to the eye.
The wrist joints on the HT body are a godsend. I really don't know why Sideshow hasn't implemented something like this yet, as their current wrist joint offers absolutely no advantage and is an eyesore to look at.
The HT bendy hands aren't that great for gripping poses, but they are perfect for various open hand poses. Infact, they deliver so many posing possibilities, I really wish Sideshow would include a pair of bendy hands with all of their figures.
The elbows and knee caps are molded on the HT body to emulate the olecranon process and patella. These features add greatly to realism. You can really appreciate the difference after having a Sideshow Luke in his tight jumpsuit with his oddly U curved elbows.
And guess what? These HT figures actually have a butt! After having to stuff all of my Sideshow figures with cotton just so that the pants would have a natural fit, there is finally a figure that looks great in pants without any padding! It is possible Sideshow. Really, it's true!
The HT's neck articulation has a greater degree of motion thanks to the ball socket joints. There are two of them. One that connects the torso to the neck and one from the neck to the head. These socket joints are not only great for articulation, but make swapping heads so much easier. The heads stay on tightly, but you don't need to resort to a hair dryer every time you want to pull them on or off.
After thorough analysis of both bodies, there is one feature that Sideshow beats Hot Toys hands down. This is unfortunate, because the HT body really is the superior figure with one Achilles flaw--the shoulders.
I'm not quite sure why they did this, but the shoulders on the HT body are abnormally broad. This works great for larger than life characters like Superman and Batman, or the Terminator. But for the average sized person, the shoulders just look odd. Not only that, but because of the width of the shoulders, I cannot get the HT body to fit any of the Sideshow clothes. This is a very disappointing drawback, and it was unexpected to be found on a basic body. Bluesparrow says he's had some success with clothes fitting, so maybe there is hope?
With that huge drawback in mind, I can still wholeheartedly recommend purchasing at least one of these bodies. In fact, Sideshow designers, you NEED to purchase one of these bodies to see what is possible in 1/6 scale. Sideshow, if you can emulate this design and shrink down the shoulders a bit, you will have an almost perfect figure on your hands.
At this point in time, after experiencing the quality of a HT figure, I will be much more selective in my Sideshow purchases. Even though I am a Star Wars fan, the serious drawbacks of the current Sideshow body will make me think twice before placing an order. I have taken the red pill, folks. There is no turning back. Will you join me?
Up until now, the only 1/6 figures that I owned, were from Sideshow. But even then, I knew things could be better. The problems I had, with the Sideshow body, were not nitpicks that had to be searched out, but rather serious limitations in producing natural looking stances that were obvious right out of the box.
What surprised me, was that even though I already had high expectations with the HT body (after it being delayed for months), those expectations were exceeded in every respect, with the major exception of the shoulders (which I will get to later).
When you first pick up a HT body in one hand and hold a Sideshow body in the other, you can readily feel the difference. This difference isn't in the plastic, but in the joints.
On all of my Sideshow figures, the ankle joints are loose and the feet readily twirl, to and fro. The same can be said with the shoulder joint. I know all 1/6 bodies loosen with time, but these qualities have always been experienced right out of the box. The elbow and knee joints are stiffer, but they have a ratchet-like quality to them.
The surprise I wasn't prepared for with the HT body was the feel of its joints. On both HT bodies that I purchased, the joints have a stiff and yet extremely smooth feel to them. And I mean, smooth. There are no ratchet joints, which was a shock to me after being so used to Sideshow bodies for almost a year. The feeling in the joints is so distinct, that after posing a HT body, the Sideshow body feels arthritic in comparison. It's definitely a quality can't be conveyed in words or in pictures. It has to be experienced first hand.
While taking photos for this review, posing the Sideshow body was a constant struggle (understatement of the year). The combination of small feet, loose ankle joints, ratchet joints, and a high center of gravity made posing the Sideshow body a tedious experience to say the least. That is not to mention the extraordinary amount of time it takes to get the Sideshow body to stand freely in any pose without a support stand.
While I had to continually catch Sideshow’s falling body to protect poor Skinner’s noggin, the HT body stood there patiently with ease, even when I extended his limbs out in odd directions. The tight, smooth joints combined with a lower center of gravity, and better proportioned feet, truly make posing the HT body an effortless experience. Not only does the HT body stand easily, but it falls into natural looking poses without even trying.
This ease of natural posing is not only thanks to the strong joints, but also due to the great proportions and degree of articulation. When looking at a HT body, there is not a hint of 'monkey arms' or 'monkey legs'. Everything, for exception of the shoulders, looks the correct size and length. In addition, the parts themselves are molded to look like the surface anatomy of a human body. So even though there are plenty of articulated joints, the body is still aesthetically pleasing to the eye.
The wrist joints on the HT body are a godsend. I really don't know why Sideshow hasn't implemented something like this yet, as their current wrist joint offers absolutely no advantage and is an eyesore to look at.
The HT bendy hands aren't that great for gripping poses, but they are perfect for various open hand poses. Infact, they deliver so many posing possibilities, I really wish Sideshow would include a pair of bendy hands with all of their figures.
The elbows and knee caps are molded on the HT body to emulate the olecranon process and patella. These features add greatly to realism. You can really appreciate the difference after having a Sideshow Luke in his tight jumpsuit with his oddly U curved elbows.
And guess what? These HT figures actually have a butt! After having to stuff all of my Sideshow figures with cotton just so that the pants would have a natural fit, there is finally a figure that looks great in pants without any padding! It is possible Sideshow. Really, it's true!
The HT's neck articulation has a greater degree of motion thanks to the ball socket joints. There are two of them. One that connects the torso to the neck and one from the neck to the head. These socket joints are not only great for articulation, but make swapping heads so much easier. The heads stay on tightly, but you don't need to resort to a hair dryer every time you want to pull them on or off.
After thorough analysis of both bodies, there is one feature that Sideshow beats Hot Toys hands down. This is unfortunate, because the HT body really is the superior figure with one Achilles flaw--the shoulders.
I'm not quite sure why they did this, but the shoulders on the HT body are abnormally broad. This works great for larger than life characters like Superman and Batman, or the Terminator. But for the average sized person, the shoulders just look odd. Not only that, but because of the width of the shoulders, I cannot get the HT body to fit any of the Sideshow clothes. This is a very disappointing drawback, and it was unexpected to be found on a basic body. Bluesparrow says he's had some success with clothes fitting, so maybe there is hope?
With that huge drawback in mind, I can still wholeheartedly recommend purchasing at least one of these bodies. In fact, Sideshow designers, you NEED to purchase one of these bodies to see what is possible in 1/6 scale. Sideshow, if you can emulate this design and shrink down the shoulders a bit, you will have an almost perfect figure on your hands.
At this point in time, after experiencing the quality of a HT figure, I will be much more selective in my Sideshow purchases. Even though I am a Star Wars fan, the serious drawbacks of the current Sideshow body will make me think twice before placing an order. I have taken the red pill, folks. There is no turning back. Will you join me?
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