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Introduction
There are certain lines on my shelves that I like adding to - Star Ace's sixth scale series of Harry Potter action figures is definitely one of them. Every release isn't a hit, but it's a line with so much depth and diversity that it makes for a fantastic display.
They've recently announced several new figures, including Professor McGonagall, one of my favorites. I have high hopes for her, and I'm really glad we'll be getting such a critical character before the series ends. I have no idea when it will end, but with the pre-orders for McGonall up, I'm a lot less worried about never getting her in the set.
Their latest release is the teen Draco Malfoy. This is one of those characters that has such a punchable face - like Joffrey Lannister, he's just so easy to hate. Star Ace already did the younger version of Draco (twice), but they've been filling out their teen ranks recently with various older versions of the kids.
Draco comes in three versions. You can buy him with his school uniform, or you can get him with his monochromatic suit. Either of these will run
you about $220. You can also get a deluxe version, which I'm reviewing tonight, which includes both costumes and costs around $260, depending on the
retailer.
Packaging - ***
The packaging is attractive, with a photo of the figure on the cover. Inside, everything is packed in a very collector friendly manner, and the
plastic trays holds things safely. It's not unique, but does follow the recent style of the Daily Prophet or the Quibbler for graphics, and it's a
sturdy and well designed package.
Sculpting - ***
This one is tough - it's not a great Draco, but the harshness of the paint work might be causing some additional issues with the likeness.
The expression works, with a hard gaze and mean intent. It's not dead or lifeless, but isn't an over the top emotive expression either.
The detail work on the hair is good, and the skin texture is fairly realistic and life-like. The eyebrows lack detail though, and something about the shape of the head seems slightly off to me. But comparing the final product to this photo of the character, I suspect that most of the issues are actually related to the paint.
He stands about 11 inches tall, fitting in pretty well with the teen Harry.
Paint - **
I suspect that the paint work is causing many of the issues with the portrait, but until we see some talented customizers repaint this sculpt, we
can't be sure.
There's a lot of bleed in the eyes, and the clumpy look of the eyebrows is exacerbated by the paint. The lip color is slightly spotty too, but the bleached blonde hair, often a tough color to capture, is actually quite good.
The best way to describe the paint is 'harsh'. It makes him look older than he is, adding age and definition where there should still be some softness. The eyes are where the most issues are though, with less realism due to the bleed and slop.
Articulation - ***
The underlying body is no surprise, but the overall articulation works pretty well.
The ball jointed neck has plenty of lean and tilt, as does the torso. The ab crunch and waist tilt works great, allowing you to add personality to a pose, and break up any unnatural straight lines.
The multi-layer costumes can be a bit restrictive on the arms, but you should be able to use the shoulders, elbows, and wrists to get relatively natural arm poses. The Star Ace base body has a butt that doesn't allow for a lot of backward movement in the hips, but the knees and ankles work well. If you go with the suit shoes, which are low cut, you'll get better rocker movement in the ankles. The bigger, taller shoes designed for the school uniform aren't quite as good when it comes to ankle articulation.
Draco comes with a ferret and an owl, but both of these are solid sculpts with no articulation.
Accessories - ****
There's a little re-use with Draco, but he has a high number of extras and a few key, new additions specific to Malfoy.
There's four additional hands to go with the set he comes wearing, designed to work with various accessories and poses. The hands swap easily, with no worries about breakage.
The deluxe set comes with both full costumes. He comes wearing his school uniform, which includes the shirt, tie, pants, shoes, sock, sweater, and Slytherin robes. The size of the Slytherin patch is much more in scale than we saw with some of the younger kid versions. There's also the scarf, which you can choose to add or skip.
The black suit includes the shirt, tie, pants, belt, socks (yes, there's two sets of identical black socks), shoes, and jacket. This will be the look I'll use, since I a) want to avoid adding any more school uniforms to the shelf and b) prefer this for his older look. More on both these costumes in the Outfit section.
Malfoy has his particular wand of course, as well as a lightning or spell effect for the tip, made from a translucent plastic. It attaches pretty well, and his arm can support the weight in an extended pose.
There's re-use with the Monster book, but it's such a terrific accessory, with a great sculpt and paint job, that I can see why they'd want to use it again. Another re-use is the Nimbus 2001, which we got with the younger Qudditch themed Draco as well.
More specific - and unique - to Draco is the green apple and Prefect badge. The green apple doesn't have a bite taken out of it, but since this is an older Draco, it is most likely the apple he put in the vanishing cabinet. However, green apples and Draco are a thing, and if you know what Drapple is, you've spent your fair share of time reading Potter fan fiction.
The Prefect badge is another very Draco specific new accessory. Draco became a Prefect, much to Harry's chagrin.
Both the ferret and owl are new to the line as well. The ferret is another version of Draco of course, having been turned into the beast by Moody (although it was really Crouch in disguise at the time). I think I'll add the ferret to the display at the feet of Moody.
The owl is sculpted in a flying pose, and there's a wire designed to insert into the standard support and hold him aloft. This is the huge Eagle Owl, owned by Draco, who delivered him packages from home, among other appearances in the movies. The sculpt and paint work are great, but finding just the right way to display him might take some effort.
Finally, there's the standard display stand with support.
Outfit - ***
This deluxe figure includes two complete costumes.
The first costume, with the pants, shirt, tie, socks, shoes, sweater, scarf, and robes, is his school uniform. We got him as a little kid in his school uniform, but for those looking to create a shelf with consistency in costumes across the kids, this one might be the way to go. You could pick up the teen Ron, Harry, Ginny, and Hermione this way, and have a nice group setting. The tailoring on this outfit is good, and the overall quality of the materials is great. It's not the look I'll be using for this figure, but it's a nice option to have.
The second costume, his all black suit and tie, are shown off nicely in this photo of the character. This is a much more evil look, and it's a more adult appearance as well. Again, the materials and construction are excellent, but the tailoring on the jacket and pants could be a smidge better. The pants are just a little long, and the jacket doesn't quite sit on the shoulders the way it should.
But those are minor nits. My biggest issue is that the collar on the jacket, based on the photo above, doesn't appear screen accurate. They went with an average suit coat, rather than the very specific - and stylish - design he actually wore. I went through a bunch of images, and he always had the jacket with the very small, very unique collar. I'm bummed they missed this detail.
BTW, it's worth noting that the shoes aren't shoes separate from feet, but rather shoes that are feet. I prefer this, but it's worth noting in case you were looking to use these for some sort of custom.
Fun Factor - ***
He is certainly posable enough to afford lots of opportunity to repose over time, and he's a nice villain to go with the other teen heroes in the
line. Having both costumes also means you can really mix things up, if you don't mind taking the time to undress and dress him.
Value - **
With earlier figures and multiple costumes, the price point was closer to $240. That seems more appropriate for this deluxe version as well,
although I have to say that $220 for a single outfit version is not as far off. That's because of all the additional accessories, especially the
ferret and owl, which required new sculpts. The problem isn't with the base price of $220, but rather that simply adding the second costume doesn't
add $40 of value.
Things to Watch Out For -
Not a thing - it was all very sturdy and well made, and I had no worries about breakage or damage.
Overall - ***
I waffled around on this one for awhile. On the one hand, this paint job is not doing the sculpt any favors. I think there's a better looking
portrait hiding under the harsh application, but it really is the only major flaw. On the other hand, the outfits are well done, the accessories are
great (and there's plenty of them), and the figure has plenty of posing potential.
This isn't one the average fan will really need, but he's nice to have to add to the teen display. He's also sold out a lot of places, so there are clearly plenty of Draco fans out there. Sadly, the teens in this series are some of the weakest overall, with only the Tri-Wizard Harry really standing out.
Score Recap (out of ****):
Packaging - ***
Sculpting - ***
Paint - **
Articulation - ***
Accessories - ****
Outfit - ***
Fun Factor - ***
Value - **
Overall - ***
Where to Buy
Online options include these site sponsors:
- or you can search ebay for a deal.
Related Links -
Other Star Ace Potter reviews include the recent Remus Lupin, Wormtail, and Griphook. We've also gotten Draco twice
before - once in his school uniform, and once in his quidditch
gear.
You should also hit the Search Reviews page, in case any other applicable reviews were done after this one was published.
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This product was provided for the review by the manufacturer. Photos and text by Michael Crawford.