Review of Wonder Woman 1/4 scale action figure

Introduction

The Wonder Woman film - and her character in general - are arguably the best thing DC has done on the big screen in years. There's more than a little irony in the fact that a character who couldn't get her own movie for decades has now surpassed the big two - Batman and Superman - in current popularity.

The collectibles have been many and varied of course, but one I've been looking forward to is the NECA 1/4 scale figure. I love these huge action figures, and I always have. I still have my Lord of Darkness and Pumpkinhead from SOTA, and my Hellboy from Mezco, along with dozens of others. NECA has become the master of this style over the last 5 or 6 years, and getting a movie based Wonder Woman was a no brainer for me.

She's just started shipping, and will run you around $100 - $120, depending on the retailer.

Packaging - **1/2
Nothing too exciting here, but the large window gives you good visibility with the figure and accessories. This is NOT a collector friendly package - tearing things up is necessary if you want to free the accessories - but it is attractive and sturdy.

Sculpting - **1/2
The detail work and realism are good here, but I'm not feeling the accuracy of the portrait.

First, let's talk scale. Remember, this is a quarter scale figure, and Dianna comes in at a full 18" tall. Her proportions are good, especially through the head, torso, and legs. The arms are a little thin, but it's a minor nit.

This is the Gal Gadot version of course, and the while the hair, head band, and face have good detail work, the shape of the face is throwing it off for me. This sculpt has a rounder, shorter face than Gal, but I do think they captured the lips, nose, and eyes properly.

There's a few other basic issues as well. Remember, this is a huge figure. And yet areas like the eyebrows and lips have almost no texture at all, leaving very little (other than paint) to set them apart. There's a few mold lines too, particularly on the thighs and shoulders, that distract from the overall look.

The hand sculpts are good, with designs that work nicely with the accessories and a proper scale, and the costume details (especially the textures) are clean and sharp.

Paint - ***1/2
While I'm not head over heels on the sculpt, the paint applications and operations are extremely clean. Of course you kinda expect it considering the sheer size of this figure - it's not like the eyes and lips are 'tiny'. There's a natural, non-makeup look to the eyes and lips, appropriate for the character.

Edges are sharp and clean, sometimes a little too sharp - check out those eyebrows! The eyes are straight and even, and the wear and tear that's been added to the costume through washes and paint dabs look great.

There's a few rub marks on the skin of the legs and arms, but it's a minor issue on an otherwise excellent paint job.

Articulation - **
This is one area where there's been some major strides with these figures over the last couple years...and where I was the most disappointed this time around.

There's some necessary immobility, as you'd expect. The hair keeps the head from doing much other than a little turn and a slight tilt.  The armor stops any articulation in the chest or waist. But the arms and legs have plenty of joints...they just don't work all that well.

The rotating hinge shoulders are good, and like several of the other joints (particularly the hips), they are ratchet style so they click into place.  There's a cut bicep as well. The wrists are blocked a bit by the gauntlets, but they hands swap easily and cleanly. The double pin elbows are a let down though. The plastic is a bit soft, and I was worried about damaging the joint even after freeing it up with some heat.  Getting the arm to move at both pins was risky, and I was afraid that over time I could tear the connector. It doesn't help that this is one butt ugly joint too.

The ratchet hips worked well enough, and the single pin knees work as you'd expect. Again, there's one real disappointment - the ankles. They were loose, making stances hard for the figure to maintain, and while there's a little rocker movement, 'little' is the operative word.

To add insult to injury, there are four straps - two on each ankle - that were popped loose right out of the package. These straps wrap around the top of the ankle, and were VERY difficult to get into proper place. You'll notice in the very first photo that they are right where they should be, but as I worked with the figure, they popped out once again. The movement of the foot and ankle was too much for them. In the photo below, you can see what I'm referring to.

I'm being harsh here, I know, but after the excellent Deadpool, Catwoman, and Daredevil, my expectations in this category are pretty high.

Accessories - ***
Wonder Woman has her critical extras - Godkiller sword, shield, and lasso.

She also has several extra hands, including a tight pair of grips, a rope grip set, and a set of fists. They swap easily and remain in place when posing. They are soft enough to work with the accessories, but not so soft as to be poor quality.

The shield looks great, and it can fit over the gauntlet with a little work. I'd recommend putting the gripping hand on the shield strap first, then sliding the shield onto the arm and pushing the hand onto the wrist post.

The sword looks terrific as well, with a nice sculpt and paint ops. The long Lasso of Truth has a wire running the entire length, and can be positioned in lots of dynamic ways. It can also be looped together and hung on the right side of her chest strap, but you want to take some care popping open and closing the rubbery holder.

Speaking of the strap, it is removable if you prefer that look, but she comes wearing it in the package.

It's not a ton of extras, but getting any extras is a pretty new thing in the 1/4 scale figure market.

Fun Factor - **1/2
The limited articulation is frustrating, and causes this score to drop a bit.  I really like the pose in the very first photo in the review, and that was the very first pose I put her in. I never really liked another pose I came up with. That tells me you'll find one you like for the shelf, and she'll probably stay that way for a long time.

Value - **1/2
At around $100 or so, this one is in line with previous releases. She's selling out a lot of shops though, so clearly the price point isn't an issue for pre-order types. It's an average value for me, and won't hurt or help my Overall.

Things to Watch Out For -
I mentioned the annoying straps on the ankles, and taking some care with the straps on the shield and the posts on the belt loop for the rope. Other than that, you should be good to go!

Overall - **1/2
This isn't a terrible figure, but it is a bit of a disappointment after seeing several of their other recent releases. The paint quality is great, and they tried to give you all the articulation you could want...but the engineering falls a bit short. The portrait is attractive, but not a great Gal Gadot, and there are enough nits for me here to pull her score down. I'm glad I picked her up, because I love this format and scale, but compared to others like Daredevil and Deadpool, she's not quite at the same level.

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

Where to Buy 
Online options include these site sponsors:

- Entertainment Earth is at $100, and they have free shipping!

- or you can search ebay for a deal.

Related Links -
Other recent NECA 1/4 scale figures include Daredevil, Deadpool, Doctor Strange, and Catwoman.

And if you're looking for a great Gadot Wonder Woman, check out either the Hot Toys action figure or the Kotobukiya statue.

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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