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Introduction
It's been awhile since the Vision made his film debut in the Avengers: AoU, but Hot Toys takes their time with some releases. Just look at Drax, a figure we are still waiting on to complete our Guardians of the Galaxy.
It's a little more unfortunate when they wait so long that a second version of the same character is about to debut on screen. We know we'll see the Vision again in just a couple weeks in Captain America: Civil War, and knowing Hot Toys, there will be another release of the character in sixth scale before too long. That can greatly reduce the demand for the previous release, and is an unfortunate way they end up cannibalizing their own sales.
This AoU version will run you around $220, depending on the retailer, and is currently shipping. There's no exclusives or special versions.
Packaging - ***
Nothing too exciting with the packaging, but at least it remains consistent. The Avengers logo is front and center, and they used a marketing still of the
character on the outer slip cover. This one is definitely an improvement over the awkward looking angle we had with Quicksilver.
It's all collector friendly of course, although there is some plastic wrapping on the ankles and wrists that you'll need to remove. Just pop off the hands and
feet, remove the armor, and the wrap comes right off.
Sculpting - ****
It's pretty easy to find a nice,
clear still from the film for comparison. As always, I consider three aspects to a sculpt like this - realism, life-like, and accuracy.
The overall accuracy is extremely good, although some people may complain that the ridges and edges are a bit to pronounced on this smaller version. That's not an issue in hand, because the smaller scale requires that extra definition to create a realistic appearance. If it wasn't there, the details would be completely lost in the small size. The match to the actor is excellent as well, although the forehead to chin ratio could be *slightly* better. The upper part of the head is a little narrow, but it's a very small nit.
The realism is excellent as well. The skin texture is very, very subtle, as it should be since he is more machine than human. The texture around the eyes looks great, and the green Infinity Stone at his forehead looks fantastic. But it's the eyes that are so spooky real this time that it's hard to look away - the gaze captures your eye and holds it.
Finally, there's that life-like quality that goes beyond realism, that takes what could be just a simply great looking mannequin and turns it into a figure with life. Usually, this is done with an appropriate expression, a tightening of the facial muscles, a wry smile, a squint of the eyes. But the Vision isn't a particularly emotive character, so going wild with his facial expression would be inappropriate. And yet, they manage to pull it off, creating a very, very life-like glint in his eye without going too dynamic with the rest of the face.
They've also included some sculpted pieces on the body, under the suit, that add to the look. The most obvious examples are around the shoulders and upper chest, where the added piece can be seen creating lines and definition in the suit. I think here may also be an added piece on the thighs, although it's a little tougher to tell...and you won't be removing this suit to find out.
The Vision is sixth scale of course, coming in at about 12 1/4 inches tall, and he will fit in great with the rest of your Hot Toys Avengers figures.
Paint - ****
You expect great paint operations with Hot Toys, and that's because you usually get them. Once again, they show off their skills here, even without the usual realistic
skin that sets them apart.
The eyes are the real draw, although part of that is because of the hypnotic swirls. They are easy to see in macro photos, but they make an impact in hand, where they are less defined and more subtle.
The colors are clean and bright, and have an excellent consistency in tone and finish. My one nit is around some of the edges, particularly between the silver and red on the head and neck. There is a bit of slop - not a lot, but a bit - and it's unusual for a figure like this from them. I expected crisp edges, and there are several areas where the red is edging its way up onto the silver areas. It's not bad enough to pull down the score, but it's worth noting.
Still, it's an outstanding looking figure in hand. You may see lighter spots or lines in the photos, but these are not imperfections but light reflections.
Articulation - ***1/2
The underlying TrueType has the usual tremendous level of articulation, and you can easily get it to take and maintain natural, flowing poses. The body suit is
far less restrictive than similar versions - for example, Spider-Man - and the ankles, torso, arms, and legs all have pretty much a complete range of movement.
Whether or not the more dynamic poses will effect the rubbery material used for the suit remains to be seen. But the suit is much more pliable and soft this time, hopefully reducing the longer term issues.
Another point of articulation is the cape, or rather its edge. All along the outside edge, from one shoulder to the other, there is a sturdy wire. This one is thicker than some recent versions we've seen as well, making it much easier to pose the cape in some pretty cool ways.
The one problem is with the neck. There is the single ball joint at the jaw line, but because of the thicker, sculpted neck, there's no real movement at the torso. This reduces some of the personality and attitude you can add to your poses, although it's a fairly minor issue overall.
Accessories - *1/2
This is the category that has been the bane for Hot Toys figures the last few releases. While they continue to hold to their $220 average price, they are stripping the
accessories down to the bare minimum.
Here we get 3 extra sets of hands to go with the pair he comes wearing. There are fists, tight grips, relaxed grips, and splayed sets, and they swap easily and cleanly. They included a couple extra wrist pegs just in case.
Since a big moment in the movie was when he wielded Thor's hammer, they've included a metal headed version here, but let's be honest - while nice, it's a re-use from an earlier Thor.
Finally, he has a stand. Not quite a basic version, not quite a deluxe version, this hybrid falls in between. The base itself is pretty standard in size and style, based on the Avengers theme. There is the usual crotch support post, but there is also a specially designed flight support, one of the flexible metal rods that we've seen with the larger deluxe bases. It works pretty well, although with the smaller diameter base you may find the wilder fight poses tough to balance. It's also not super long, which means you will only be able to float him slightly off the ground.
And that's it. I'm always amused by people that say "Yea, but what else could he have?" as though the lack of potential extras gives them free reign to charge just as much for a figure like this. Here's a novel idea - if you can't be creative enough to come up with something extra, charge $180 for him instead.
Outfit - ***1/2
I ragged pretty hard on Hot Toys for the $220 price tag but lower output of Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch. The big difference with the Vision comes with the
outfit, which is more complex and simply more interesting.
The rubbery body suit reminds me of the recent Spider-Man suits they've done, as well as the Man of Steel Superman. However, it feels a little thinner, or at least a little less restrictive, and doesn't alter the posability nearly as much. That might be a good thing or a bad thing over time, but right out of the box it was a positive.
It's textured of course, and has some additional components around the waist. The armor on the forearms and calves is removable and adjustable, but the shoulder armor and cape are not. Perhaps the highlight of the outfit is this cape, made in a very thin material that flows beautifully. The added wiring makes posing it a breeze, and the colorful pattern adds some pop to the shelf. It also looks a bit like a shower curtain, bu that's not Hot Toys fault.
I'm not super keen on the way the cape lays at the very top of the back. You can't get it very wide around the shoulders, and certainly not over the shoulders in any way. Still, the final look and function are much better than average, and elevate the figure above some of the other aforementioned Avengers costumes.
Fun Factor - ***1/2
With the terrific posability of this figure, along with the floating pose display base, you should have plenty of fun posing and re-posing him with the rest of the
Avengers line up.
Value - *1/2
At $220, he comes in $10 over Quicksilver and $10 under Scarlet Witch, and right at what appears to be Hot Toys current 'average' price point. With so few accessories,
it's hard to justify the cost. With someone like Quicksilver, where the odds you'll ever see another release are close to zero, a high price point is likely to be
less a factor. However, you know this won't be the last time we get a Vision figure, making it tough to determine if it's really worth the spend at this point.
Considering that the next release could be here sooner rather than later, I suspect some people will hesitate on pulling the trigger.
Things to Watch Out For -
When you unpack the figure, you'll notice they usual plastic wrapping at the feet and hands. But this time it's designed to keep the hard plastic armor from resting on
the softer, rubbery suit. When I was a kid, you would see similar sorts of material damage each other long term. If you ever had a Marx Best of the West hard
plastic horse, and you left his softer rubber saddle on long term, you know what I'm talking about. Normally I simply toss this plastic wrapping when I open a
figure, since it's just around the hands and feet and really there to protect the paint and finish. But this time I put this wrapping back in place when I re-boxed the
figure, and I'd suggest that you do the same, particularly if the figure will be in the box for awhile.
I also found that there is a washer and nut at the top of the flexible support rod that you need to remove before putting the clamp in place. Once the clamp is in place, replace the washer and nut.
Overall - ***1/2
Like the other two recent Avengers, Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver, this guy has one major issue - he's too damn expensive considering the dearth of accessories.
If all else had been equal, he would have ended up with three stars, similar to Scarlet. But all else wasn't equal, thanks to a costume I felt was superior in appearance and quality. Add in Thor's hammer, even if it is a re-use, along with the floating display base, and you get a figure that manages to squeak back into the usual Hot Toys scoring range, even at the $220 price point.
That does not answer a bigger question, however. With the new film coming in just two weeks (and yes, I have my IMAX tickets - do you?), will this figure end up relegated to the back of the shelf or an ebay listing in a year? It's tough to tell at this point, but I can certainly see the argument in waiting this time around, considering their track record of releases.
Score Recap (out of ****):
Packaging - ***
Sculpting - ****
Paint - ****
Articulation - ***1/2
Accessories - *1/2
Outfit - ***1/2
Fun Factor - ***1/2
Value - *1/2
Overall - ***1/2
Where to Buy
Online options include these site sponsors:
- Sideshow has him at the full $220 as well.
- or you can search ebay for a deal.
Related Links -
The most recent Avenger was Quicksilver, and his sister Scarlet
Witch. Before that we had Pepper Potts and the MK IV set. Other related characters
include Maria Hill, AoU Captain
America, the Winter Soldier, Red Skull, Black Widow, Hawkeye, Nick Fury,
Agent Coulson, Hulk, and Bruce
Banner. I've also covered a ton of Iron Man releases, and one of my favorites is the die cast
MK43.
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 purchased for the review by the reviewer. Photos and text by Michael Crawford.