Review of King Shark - Suicide Squad
Sixth Scale Action Figure

Introduction

I was not a fan of the first Suicide Squad movie. There were moments, and I actually liked Smith's Deadshot. Of course, I always love Harley. But the Joker was unimpressive, and the plot of the film overall was weak, with a finale ripped right off from Ghostbusters.

But the second film was a step up, thanks in large part to James Gunn. It still had some issues, but overall it was entertaining. My least favorite character was Peacemaker, and yet he went on to be in one of the best DC shows in recent history, again thanks to Gunn. And yes, I'm very interested in seeing what he does with the DC Universe going forward.

Hot Toys hasn't done much in the way of figures for the second movie, however. They did a number of sixth scale figures based on the awful first flick, and have announced a Peacemaker based off the show, but pretty much ignored The Suicide Squad overall. With one exception. King Shark. Yea, the big boy got the Hot Toys treatment, and just started shipping. He was originally around $220.

Packaging - ***
The box has some nice graphics, and of course it's all collector friendly. No need to damage the box or trays to remove all the goodies.

But it's also pretty basic stuff, and the outer box itself is quite thin, especially for a figure this heavy.

Sculpting - ***1/2
This is a 'power pose' figure, not a 'movie masterpiece'. The purpose of the Power Pose line was to produce lower cost sixth scale figures, starting with Iron Man MK XLII. At least at the beginning, where the MK XLII was at least $60 cheaper than the same thing in the fully articulated release.

The concept never really took off. The prices went up - the big MKXXXV was up at $250 - and the concept languished. In fact, this King Shark is just the sixth Power Pose figure they've done in ten years.

But the design of the character doesn't lend itself to much articulation, so using the Power Pose line instead of the MMS line makes a lot of sense. The sculpt takes precedence over joints, and the few that are here don't damage the look of the sculpt - much.

The figure stands about 13" tall, but he's bulky, taking up a lot of volume. The dark, dead eyes look great, and the skin is textured in a very realistic way. He stands fantastic on his own, and the sculpted hands are posed in specific ways.

While you can't see the upper teeth from most angles, they are there. The bottom teeth are life-like and deadly, and the expression is...well, it's a shark.

Paint - **1/2
The paint work on the eyes, teeth, and mouth looks fantastic. The skin tone looks good, and there's a nice variation in color that matches the on screen appearance.

They've also added some scarring and topical damage with the paint. Most of it looks good, but there are spots, particularly on the lighter areas of skin, that look just like scratches or damage, rather than natural harm.

In the end, the paint work just seemed underwhelming. I can't quite put my figure on it, but there's something about it that's more toy-ish than usual.

Articulation - **
As I mentioned, this is a Power Pose figure, and you shouldn't expect much articulation. But even for this series, he's pretty statue-like.

There's no neck or torso movement, and the shoulders are simple cut joints. I will give them some credit though, because they manage to keep the shoulders even with the torso even when the arms are moved. Obviously, you can't put them over his head and keep the arms and torso lined up, but even raised slightly they still maintain a clean sculpt line.

The ankles are cut joints, and the wrists are the usual ball pegs. The hands swap pretty easily, and they cover the wrist joint with a softer plastic to maintain the look.

Accessories - **1/2
He doesn't have much in the way of extras, although he's not a character where accessories make a lot of sense.

He does have a second set of hands, with shorter fingers. These swap pretty easily.

He also has a book, "The Varieties of Religious Experience", which is printed on every page and you can open. While none of the hands work perfectly with it, you can get him to hold it with a little creativity.

He also has a spore, courtesy of Starro. This wasn't originally advertised with the figure, so it's a nice little surprise.

That's it, and no, there isn't any stand. You won't need one - he stands extremely well on his own - but it's worth noting.

Outfit - ***
His outfit is pretty basic - shorts. These have a velcro front, but the instructions warn you not to remove them.

The stitching and quality are fine, but lets' be honest - these aren't complicated or difficult to do. Not much material, not much skill, these basic shorts aren't going to get them much in this category.

Fun Factor - *1/2
There's very little you can do with this figure. Think of it as a statue, with some very slight posability.

Value - **
At $220 or so, you're not getting a whole lot. The Iron Studios 1/10 scale statue, only slightly smaller, is just $180, and the size difference isn't a $40 - $50 up sell. There's some nice bulk here, I'll give you that, but Hot Toys' prices are pushing the limit with some of these releases.

Things to Watch Out For -
Not a thing. It's all sturdy and well made, with no worries about breakage.

Overall - **1/2
While I'm not thrilled by this release, I am glad I picked him up. I wish we'd get some other figures from The Suicide Squad, including Polka Dot Man, but if I have to be satisfied with King Shark and Peacemaker, so be it.

This is also a figure you're never going to see them produce again, so once the stock is sold, I expect we'll see him get more expensive. He has a nice presence on the shelf, even with the characters from the first film, I've always been a sucker for these bigger character releases.

But I have to admit this King Shark is making me really, really want a series of action figures based on the animated Harley Quinn. C'mon, McFarlane!

Score Recap (out of ****):
Packaging - ***
Sculpting - ***
Paint - **1/2
Articulation - **
Accessories - **1/2
Outfit - ***
Fun Factor - *1/2
Value - **
Overall - **1/2

Where to Buy 
Online options include these site sponsors:

- or you can search ebay for a deal.

Related Links -
McFarlane did their 7" scale King Shark as a BAF, or as a boxed figure. The first Suicide Squad movie also saw Hot Toys figures of Harley, Arkham Asylum Harley, Deadshot, Purple Coat Joker, Arkham Asylum Joker, and Tuxedo Joker.

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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