Back in December of 2020, a little film was released that basically divided its fandom in terms of whether it was acceptable or not. That movie was WW84, and lots of people basically lost their minds after watching it. As for myself, it wasn't great, but I've seen worse. As with most DC and Marvel Superhero projects, it was inevitable that Hot Toys would produce some sort of figures from this film, and it was long known before the move came out that they would be producing a Golden Armour version. They also announced a regular suited version, but I think that came after the film was released. I can't remember exactly when I preordered her, but as usual we get our stuff much slower here in North America as compared to SE Asia, though I suppose a 4 month delay isn't horrible.
So there were two versions of the Golden Armour figure solicited - the Standard and the Deluxe version. The main difference between the two would be the fact the Deluxe version comes with open wings, which are so gigantic that I honestly didn't have room to photography them well, so that will need to wait for another time. I THINK the actual clamp that supports the figure might also be different, as it has an extra piece to support the bracket that holds the wings up.
Even capturing the entire box properly is a challenge (again, due to my small space) but because the wings are just giant plastic pieces (no joints), this box is easily the size of two standard Hot Toy releases side by side.
So what does the Standard have in it? Well, to be honest, not a whole lot, though that's partially due to the fact there wasn't exactly a whole lot affiliated with her on screen depiction to be begin with:
- 1 x Main Figure
- 6 x Posing/Gripping Hands
- 1 x Helmet Inner Liner
- 1 x Helmet
- 1 x Lasso of Truth
- 1 x Lasso of Truth "Effect"
- 1 x Closed Wing Effect
- ! x Base & Stand
- 2 x Extra Wrist Pegs
Price point on the standard edition was definitely higher than your typical Hot Toy figure, likely due to the costs associated with the armour itself.
The base itself is a standard square base, but I do like the print they've done on it. Not sure if this is a Deluxe version exclusive or not.
I feel that for this figure, Hot Toys definitely laid into "form over function" very heavily. If you read the precautions sheet, I think Wonder Woman here has about the same level of motion as the first Captain Marvel, which basically means you really can't pose her that well, or you know, do a proper cross armed bracer pose. Furthermore, basically everything will fall apart if you handle it too much, which includes the gold coating on the Lasso of Truth.
So basically, this figure is a statue with some posing options, but ultimately you're likely going to settle with a museum pose of some sort. But at the very least she LOOKS really nice.
This is my first Hot Toys figure with any sort of chromed plastic, and I have to admit it does look really sharp. Time will tell how durable this gold chromed finish is, though I've not read any complaints from other figures, not like how Pleather is destined to basically peel, regardless of the character. If I had to guess, however, I'd say that the chrome on the bottom of the boots is most likely to go first, as this is a relatively high wear area.
To their credit, Hot Toys did make the torso armour segmented, so there is some articulation in the upper body
Completing the out are the vinyl body suit, and bracers which I think are recycled from earlier Wonder Woman figures. Hands are also likely recycled, with straps painted gold.
The other major component of the main figure would of course be the head. As always, it's about the lighting and the angle in order to get that likeness to come out, but the good news is that unlike many of the other sculpts I have *cough* Black Widow *cough*, at least what you get DOES look like Gadot. So based on that alone, this is already above average in my books. This is also the first Hot Toy I've gotten since Endgame Widow, so maybe this is also a sign that the new batch of sculptors have stepped up their game. Further aiding in the likeness quest is the fact that, unlike my Widows, the rooted hair actually is pretty good right out of the box. As always, you need to tweak it for that ultimate accuracy, but at least it's not horrible and is generally in the right shape. This is also likely the last rooted sculpt that Hot Toys will produce, as no other figure solicited since this figure features rooted hair, and the most recent Scarlet Witch offerings actually have replaceable sculpted hair parts for a some versatility in posing.
Swapping over to her fully armoured form is fairly simple - slap on the helmet parts, remove the chrome plastic space holder in the back and plug in the backpack. The collapsed wings can be removed, and replaced with the expanded wings. As mentioned, however, there are no actual joints on those wings, so you're pretty much either closed or opened for posing purposes, which is why I say I have no room. As one would expect, the resulting product is visually stunning, especially under the right lighting conditions.
I'll definitely be revisiting this figure in the future when I can get outdoors and do some Dawn or Dusk photography, as mid day light really is too harsh, and is a disservice to the photographs. Subject matter aside, though, is this figure for everyone? Like most other releases, probably not, as some people really want that articulation, regardless of what character it is. If you're willing to live with the articulation limitations, however, I think you'll be quite happy with a visually stunning piece that has very good shelf presence. If you actually LIKE this version of Wonder Woman, you'll be happy to know at the end of the day, this is still cheaper than most high end statues, gives you a very good likeness, as well as some different posing options.
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