The only thing I like as much as a figure with a good set of curves is a figure that has a look of a derange psychopath. I don't have too many of those in 1/6 scale because, well, prices are bit much to be randomly buying those for kicks, especially with that nasty Sideshow markup. But, sometimes the stars align and things happen.
Antman comes in a standard shoebox style packaging, so nothing fancy there to report. They can't all be Dr. Strange 1.0 boxes.
Contents of the set are relatively light, being namely:
- 1 x Main Figure
- 1 Unhelmeted Sculpt
- 6 x Posing/Gripping Hands
- 1 x Mini Antman
- 2 x Pym Particle Discs (One Red, One Blue)
- 1 x Travel Laboratory
- 1 x Long Handle for Laboratory
- 1 x Antman & The Wasp Backdrop
- 1 x Base and Stand
The kit is kind of light, but I think my favourite part is, unless I'm mistaken, none of the included hands actually allow you to grip the handle of the Travel Laboratory. Good times, huh?
So lets get the most obvious thing out of the way - the unhelmeted head sculpt.
If you're in the know about Hot Toys, then you'll have heard to tale of the Antman 3.0 figure from the second Antman movie. After the less than stellar outing that was the Civil War figure, it was hoped that Hot Toys would be able to improve upon that disappointing headsculpt, while carrying forward improvements made with regards to articulation from the 1.0 to the 2.0.
Well... one out two isn't too bad.
You COULD argue that this new head sculpt is a step in the right direction, as it does have a better overall resemblance to Paul Rudd than the Civil War figure ever did. It's certainly not as accurate or cool as the 1.0 with its face inside the helmet , but at least it bears a passing resemblance to the actor. But that expression.... it's like they tried to capture the boyish smirk of Paul Rudd, and went full on psycho with the smile.
This sculpt is so terrible that despite not owning the figure, I wanted to buy the head so I could own this piece of artistry, kind of like how I absolutely needed to get my hands on a Hentai Woody. I've used it in a few photos, but didn't really have a body that would work well with the head.
Until now!
So once again, unsurprisingly the figure, while may not recreate the on screen counterpart from a proportions perspective, does a pretty good recreating the visual aspects of the on screen costume. Body suits is of a soft vinyl material as opposed to a body sock. Paint work on the figure is gorgeous, in particular the silver paint apps that are actually capable of reflection just like a mirror.
The helmet features LEDs that when on, illuminate the eyes within the helmet. , just like in the movie.
Articulation isn't bad considering what you're working with here - you do get a decent range of motion in the arms and legs, though the torso is effective a block due to the restrictive nature of the body armour. The Pauldrons limit shoulder articulation, Chest armour is firm, but soft enough that you can actually get some arm crossing action into your poses. Ankles aren't terrible considering the fact they're effectively one piece boots, with a partial segmentation just above the ankle to permit some more motion. All-in-all, you can get some poses out of the figure, much more than you'd think considering the body suit, but ultimately you're not getting any major lunging or dynamic poses.
Build Quality continues to be what you'd expect from Hot Toys, where the worst thing that typically happens is that glue has dried and resulted in some parts detaching. Things fit together just fine and joints hold their position. Finishes on the various parts are superb. Again, not surprising given the pedigree of the figure.
It's always neat to handle a Hot Toys figure that features a "fabric" outfit, as they always find a way to use plastics and paints to mimic any finishes you see on screen. I also understand why characters like this are bought and sold relatively quickly - the suit looks good, but you're generally not doing any iconic or dynamic posing, so ultimately it comes down how much you like seeing that particular outfit on a static mannequin.
For the casual collector who doesn't care about engineering or quality, just wants the latest and greatest thing, they're gonna tire of a particular look as soon as it is retired, and will move on to the next big thing.
If you're me, though, you appreciate the artistry, and might just try to find fun things to do with a figure that features a really screwed up head sculpt, so don't be surprised if you see more of him in the future, limitations and all.
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