Review of Judy Hopps - Zootopia
Complex Movie Revoltech action figure

Introduction

I'm a sucker for cartoons. I'm also a sucker for cartoon action figures. You have no idea how hard it is to avoid buying all the figures from the latest animated movie, no matter what it might be. It was only through sheer force of will that I don't have a dozen Coco figures right now.  But sometimes my will power is simply not strong enough - such is the case with Zootopia.

This is due in large part to the character designs. The anthropomorphized animals were just so damn cute - I ended up buying the entire mass market line, including vehicles and play sets. They were fun, but when I saw tha Kaiyodo was doing a Judy as part of their 'complex movie revo' series, I hopped all over it. *groan*

These figure aren't cheap, however, especially since they have to be imported. Judy cost $70 originally, but is already going a little higher than that on the secondary market.

Packaging - ***1/2
Nothing super exciting, but it is collector friendly - a big plus in this market and scale. I much prefer a box like this to a carded figure, particularly in this price range. There's instructions included (although they are not particularly necessary) but they're in Japanese.

Sculpting - ****
One of the features of Kaiyodo figures is the exceptional sculpting. People often think animated figures are easier to sculpt than realistic characters, but that's rarely the case. Animated characters can vary from scene to scene and even frame to frame, and their expressions and physical movements can greatly alter their appearance. Getting a three dimensional figure that nails the character is much harder than you might assume.

They've done a fantastic job here, giving us a Judy that looks just like she did on screen. Including five different expressions, all with adjustable eyes, goes a long way to giving everyone a look they'll love, but it's also about the scale of the ears and limbs, the amount of sculpted fur, and the smaller details on the costume.

Some of the articulation is a bit obvious, but I'm good with that. This is a highly posable figure - more on that in a minute - and that's something I want in an 'action' figure. They've done a pretty good job hiding them where they can, and yet not reducing the mobility.

The various faces look great, giving her a wide range of emotions.  My one complaint that pulls her down from a perfect score involves the face plates, however. Some just don't fit as tightly to the back half of the head as I'd like. The line isn't easy to see from the front, but from any side view it's plain to see.

She stands just over 5" tall, including her ears. I'd say that puts her in scale with 6 - 7" regular figures, although it depends on your interpretation of how large she should be compared to other licenses.

Paint - ****
Top quality work from Kaiyodo once again, with super clean lines and no slop even on the tiny details.

Remember, she's only 5" tall even with those big ears, which makes the silver details on the belt all the more impressive. The fur is fairly realistic for an animated character, thanks to a subtle transition between colors. The face plates with visible teeth look particularly good, and the bright costume colors are consistent and even.

Articulation - ****
Revoltech figures are known for their exceptional articulation, and this figure meets that expectation.

There are ball joints at the ears, so she can have them in just about any pose you'd like. The eyes on every face plate can be moved from the inside, and what you'll find is that getting them just perfect is harder than you expect. Not because of the articulation - it works fine - but because it's trickier than you'd imagine to get them lined up just right.

The neck is the one joint - with a rotating hinge - where I had a few problems. You can get some tilt and lean, but turning the ball to allow for that to occur at various spots can be tough.

There are two joints in the torso: the waist and the chest. There are rotating hinges at the shoulders, elbows, wrists, knees, and ankles, with most of those having a rotation at both the top and bottom of the ball hinge. The tail is a ball joint too, as are the hips. Not only is there a lot of articulation, it's all very useful, very tight, and works together to create fluid poses.

Accessories - ***1/2
There are plenty of extras, but this has to be weighed against the cost as well.

I've already mentioned the four extra face plates, and I swapped them in for various photos.  The swapping is easy, and they look good with a ton of poses.

Those are the big add. She does have three extra hands to go with the set of fists she comes wearing - two rights and a left. These also swap easily, and stay in place when posing.

Her one extra to hold is the carrot recorder. It's a nice extra because it works particularly well with one of the included face plates, and it is well sculpted.

The final extra is a clear stand with posable support. You won't need it, but it is a standard add with their figures.

Fun Factor - ****
This is a very fun figure with a ton of possible poses and looks. She's fairly sturdy too, which would allow kids to handle her, although 'playing' with her might be a stretch. Remember, she costs $70.

For collectors, there's a ton of potential on the shelf, particularly once the Nick Wilde figure hits in a month or so.

Value - *1/2
This is a true action figure. It's a mass market toy on steriods, with better everything. But it's still a plastic action figure. Jumping from $20 for one to $70 for one can create quite the sticker shock.

Of course, all those faces are going to drive up prices. And any imported figure is going to cost more than something distributed directly to the U.S. But it's hard to justify the same cost here as you'd see with something like a Mezco One:12 figure.

Things to Watch Out For -
Not a thing.

Overall - ***1/2
I love the movie - I love the character - I love the figure. It's a trifecta! While I had a few nits, this figure shows off the quality you can expect from many of the import figures out there. Revoltech are amazing in general, and it's nice to see an animated character like this get all the love.  I didn't order Nick, thinking I wanted to see if Judy was any good first, and that was a mistake. My usual haunts are all sold out on pre-order now, so I'm going to be forced to the more expensive routes. Don't I warn readers against that very same mistake all the time? D'oh!

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

Where to Buy 
Looks like this one is pretty much sold out everywhere. You can always search ebay for a deal.

Related Links -
While I've bought a lot of Zootopia goodies, this is the first review of any product related to the film that I've done.

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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