Review of Ant-Man - Ant-Man and the Wasp
Sixth Scale Action Figure

Introduction

Several years ago, Hot Toys released their first Ant-Man figure, based on his look in the older Marvel Cinematic Universe releases. While they did provide a Paul Rudd face, it was a helmeted portrait, not a completely uncovered one.

That's why many were anticipating their new release based on the film Ant-Man and the Wasp. This time around they went with the more traditional masked head/unmasked head, and it was the reason I bit a second time on the character.

He's just started shipping over the last few weeks, and will run you around $250 depending on the retailer.

Packaging - ***
Nothing new here. The basic shoe box design works fine, and the graphics are good. Inside, everything is packed in a collector friendly way. It's serviceable, clean, and simple, but it's not breaking any ground.

Sculpting - **1/2
As I said, this time around we get two heads. He comes with the helmeted head in place, and the work here is excellent. The detail work is well done, with sharp clean lines and lots of sculpted bits and bobs. Underneath the mask is a partial face, so you can see the eyes through the lens. This is particularly useful with the light up feature.

But it was the unmasked portrait that everyone was waiting for, and sadly, it misses the mark. Accuracy isn't bad - it's clearly Paul Rudd. The detail work in the hair and skin texture is excellent, just as you'd expect. Even the wrinkling around the eyes, part of his smiling expression, looks great. It's an accurate portrait, and a realistic portrait. But what about the emotive aspect?

That's where they went terribly wrong. They tried a more dynamic look this time, with a broad smile and happy face. That's not a bad thing in itself, as both the character and the actor are generally in a good mood, even when they shouldn't be.

The smile shows a lot of top gum line, and the way the teeth meet with the lower lip is odd looking. It's almost as if the lips are pulled back from the teeth, creating more of an animalistic snarl than a happy grin. What could have been a happy expression ends up looking insane, psychotic, and more than a little creepy.

It's too bad, since this could have been a much better release overall than the first, but it fails in a big way with one of the most important pieces.

I'm also docking them here slightly for the hand sculpts. They include a long handle for the building, so you can use it like a roller bag, but there's no grasping hand included that works well with it.

Paint - **1/2
The mess with the teeth is not helped by the paint work.

Of course, the skin tone, five o'clock shadow, and eyes look terrific. The paint work on the helmet is excellent, with no slop and sharp lines. All the small plastic details on the costume are perfect as well. Normally the paint work is an easy four star category for Hot Toys.

Which makes it all the more obvious when there's a problem like this. The teeth, lips, and gums look like the toy they are. This wouldn't be weird if this was a $20 or $30 figure, but we've come to expect realism with Hot Toys figures, especially at this price point. The work on the mouth falls short of that, and it only exacerbates the goofy look of the portrait.

Articulation - **1/2
The first version of this figure wasn't very posable, and I didn't really expect this one to break the mold.

The ball jointed neck works fine, allowing some decent tilt and lean even with the helmet.  But the shoulders and elbows are quite restricted by the tight suit, as are the hips and knees. The torso can turn slightly, and there's a little crunch and lean possible, but not much.

The two piece boots also have less ankle mobility than you'd expect, thanks to the tops which drop down on either side. I wasn't expecting the overall posability to change from the first release, and my expectations were pretty much met.

Accessories - ***
I already mentioned the second, unmasked head. While it's inclusion does a lot for this category normally, it was enough of a disappointment this time to have far less effect.

There's also two extra sets of hands to go with the fists he comes wearing. There's a wide pose set, and a tight grip set. The latter is particularly useful for the Particle Discs, of which he has two. These are re-used from the first release. Unfortunately, none of these grips works well with the handles for the building.

The headquarters is the shrunk down version that he and the Wasp have to retrieve at one point in the film. There's a short handle already inserted in the top when you remove the accessory, but this can be replaced with an extended version. There's even rolling wheels on the bottom! This is the nicest of his extras, including the second head.

Speaking of that second head, there's also a folded back helmet that you can attach for when you're using the unmasked head. Nothing too special here, but it's a nice touch and makes the figure more screen accurate.

Another re-use of sorts is the inch tall version of Scott, on a clear plastic base. Technically this is not a re-use, because the sculpt and paint work are distinctly different. But we already got one of these with the first release, and it seems rather lazy to include a second one here.

Hot Toys has been including a cardboard backdrop with a lot of their figures lately, and Scott gets one with poster style art. I'm not a big fan, since they aren't wide enough or tall enough to make a great diorama addition, but it's something.

Finally, there's his display stand with a crotch support rod. Nothing too special, but useful for those living in earthquake zones.

Light Feature - **1/2
I wasn't a huge fan of this light feature on the first release, but now that the helmet doesn't open, it's slightly better. Getting the top off the head is easier, so flipping the switch isn't quite as much of a nightmare.

However it's still not a particularly bright light, and red is always tricky, so you'll need a darkened room to even notice that it's on. It's best feature is how it illuminates the eyes behind the lens', but sadly you'll have to be in a cave to see it.

Outfit - ***1/2
I do like the outfit, and the work on the details and textures is really nice. It's a tighter fit than the first release, and looks more professional and powerful as well. It's a very well done marriage of plastic and fabric.

The tailoring is tight and clean, but that does mean it's restrictive. I mentioned that in the Articulation section, but you won't be getting any extreme poses out of this guy.

Fun Factor - **1/2
You'll come up with a pose, something slightly better than a maquette, and you'll leave him like that until the end of time. You might flip on the light once in awhile for friends, but it better be pretty dark for them to appreciate it. He'll be a little better with the Wasp by his side, but on his own he's a very static figure.

Value - *1/2
I paid about $240 for this guy through Sideshow. That's a pretty hefty price tag, although Hot Toys seems determined to get the average price back up there.

Had they nailed the second portrait, this would have gotten the extra star and an average score, negating any effect of the cost. However, the portrait was a miss, killing one of the big selling points for this release.

Things to Watch Out For -
Not a thing. Everything was sturdy, and I had no worries about breakage or damage while working with him.

Overall - **1/2
I'm not alone in my disappointment with the Scott Lang head sculpt, and since that was a major selling point with this release, it really hurts the Overall more than a simple single messed up portrait might otherwise. The costume is great, and the accessories are solid if not quite perfect. But this second head was a big reason many of us were picking up the figure, and it's shocking when Hot Toys misses the mark this badly.

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

Where to Buy 
Online options include these site sponsors:

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Related Links -
I reviewed their first Ant-Man of course, and will be covering the Wasp soon I hope.

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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