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Review of Iron Man MK III Construction Diorama
Sixth Scale Action Figure

Hot Toys
Date Published:
Written By:
Overall Average Rating: 3.5 out of 4

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Iron Man MKIII Construction Diorama by Hot Toys

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Introduction

My favorite displays are dioramas, set ups where the figure is placed in a complete world.  This works best for sixth scale, although it can be expensive and time consuming to pull off properly. That's where extra diorama pieces from various companies come into play.

Just about every sixth scale company has produced some sort of extra items to go along with their larger series, but the work Hot Toys has done with Iron Man has been pretty impressive. From the gantry to the Hall of Armor, you can create the majority of Tony's lab with their add on display items, and now they've created another key piece that was seen in the original Iron Man flick - the construction version of the MKIII.

At one point in the film, Tony is repairing the very cool Mark III suit in his lab as it hangs from the ceiling. This suit design is a fan favorite, so it's not surprising that we got this version, even if it is in pieces.

You can pick it up for around $150 at most retailers, and it's currently in stock.

Click on the image below for a Life Size version
Iron Man MKIII Construction Diorama by Hot Toys

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Packaging - ***
There's nothing particularly unique or unusual with this box.  It's the normal shoe box design that Hot Toys tends to go with as the default these days, with decent graphics on the outer lid. On the inside there is another card covering the plastic trays, but it's pretty basic this time around.  The double trays hold everything safe and sound, and it's all collector friendly.

Iron Man MKIII Construction Diorama by Hot Toys

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Sculpting - ***1/2
If you crossed Iron Man with the Walking Dead, this is what you'd get. I think of it as the Bicycle Girl version of a Mark III suit, guts all dangling out behind. The upper torso is the standard MKIII armor, and looks just like any other Hot Toys Iron Man - same sculpt, paint and build quality. There's no articulation, but there are some removable parts to give you a couple display options.

First you assemble the top and bottom plastic pieces to the solid metal support rod.  Be sure to get the rod all the way in both the top and bottom, otherwise you'll have a tough time getting a couple of the cords to reach their intended slots.

Then you hang the torso from the top with two metal chains. The hooks holding him up on both the top and on his shoulders are metal as well - no breakage issues here. Once he's in place, you can plug in the various cords and tubes. Easy peasy!

The suit is sixth scale of course, and the overall assembly stands almost 16 inches tall. The torso is held at just about the right height for Tony to work on it without bending down or reaching up. There's some circuit boards attached at the bottom, hanging down, that he's probably using to run diagnostics and tests, and there is a nice variety to the cords - some clear plastic, some standard black tubes, some flex hose, some that are simply wires.

There are two detachable pieces as well. The red chest armor can be removed, as can the bottom hunk of torso skeleton. These are both held in place with magnets.  This gives you four different looks for the shelf, and I've included photos of three of them.  Personally, I like the chest armor off, but with the lower torso skeleton in place. Your mileage will most likely vary.

There's a large battery - "Road Warrior" - that is sorta, kinda an accessory.  It ends up hidden inside the box on the base, and comes with a couple stickers to complete the look. You could always toss it up on Tony's lab table that you got with one of the other diorama sets.

Iron Man MKIII Construction Diorama by Hot Toys

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Paint - ***1/2
While there's not as much here, paint-wise, as there is with something like the Bones release, the paint quality is the usual top notch work. There's almost no variation in color or tone n any one piece of plastic, and the metal parts - like the chains and hooks - blend right in with the plastic sections. There's nothing toy-ish or cheap looking about this paint job, and he'll fit right in with the rest of your House Party Protocol.

There is one area that bugs me - more stickers. You know how much I dislike stickers on something this expensive, but here we get two small and two large to place on the included battery. This battery goes inside the box at the base, where the wires terminate. They actually included an extra set of the stickers in case you mess up and tear one, which is a good idea since most of us can be a bit clumsy.

Iron Man MKIII Construction Diorama by Hot Toys

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Articulation - Bupkis
This won't be effecting my Overall, since I knew in advance that it wasn't articulated and I wasn't expecting it. Others might expect a neck or shoulder joint though, and they'd be disappointed.

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Light Feature - ****
There are more lights this time around, thanks to the additional illumination on the top and bottom of the stand.

He has the usual light up eyes, chest and arms, although there's no hands. That's actually pretty cool, since the bright blue LED's in the forearms show through at the elbow and wrist on the left, and light up the entire lower right arm.

There are two small, angled 'spot' lights on the base, and two downward facing lights on the ceiling as well. This gives the overall display plenty of light in even a very dark room, and they all show up pretty well under bright room lighting as well.

The switch is easy to get to on the back, and they've included a spot for a AC plug, supplied by you of course. The three triple AAA batteries, also supplied by you, are easy to insert into the battery compartment on the bottom. Overall it's an extremely effective light feature that's easy to use and maintain.

Iron Man MKIII Construction Diorama by Hot Toys

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Fun Factor - **1/2
Unlike most sixth scale figures, there's not a lot of posing and altering going on here. This display has one look, with some minor variation thanks to the removable pieces on the torso.  That means not a lot of 'fun', depending on your definition. But it will make your Tony Stark set up look way better!

Value - **1/2
While $150 isn't cheap, you rarely get any diorama pieces for less than that these days...and they rarely light up with such intensity and attractiveness.  I have no problem calling this an average value, although picking it up for another $20 cheaper would be ideal.  That might be possible, although some places seem to be sold out at this point.

Iron Man MKIII Construction Diorama by Hot Toys

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Things to Watch Out For -
Be careful, but make sure the top and bottom are all the way on the metal rod.  If they aren't, you'll know it - a couple of the wires (including the one that works the lights) won't reach.  It can take some force, but once you have the rod all the way in both the top and bottom, everything will connect just fine.

Overall - ***1/2
If you're picking up an Iron Man here, an Iron Man there, with a fairly straight forward display theme, this is probably not going to speak to you. It's really intended for those collectors that have been grabbing up enough Hall of Armor sets and other diorama equipment to pimp out their Stark Labs display.

This isn't a centerpiece item, but rather an add on. It's not for everyone, but it will add some additional realism and depth to your Iron Man set up. One of the coolest displays at last year's SDCC was the full lab, with various extras along with all the suits, and by adding pieces like this, you can have the same set up in your collection.

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

Iron Man MKIII Construction Diorama by Hot Toys

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Where to Buy 
Online options include these site sponsors:

- Sideshow had this set for $150.

- has it in stock for $150.

- or you can search ebay for a deal.

Related Links -
My most recent Iron Man review was just a week or so ago, when I looked at Bones. Earlier reviews include the diecast Whiplash, as well as the diecast AoU War Machine.

Other diecast Iron Men variations include the Iron Man 3 War Machine, the Iron Patriot, and the newer MK42.  And don't forget that Hot Toys also did an all plastic War Machine from his first appearance.

Other Iron Man related releases include the Mandarin, the Power Pose MKXLII, the Iron Monger, the Mark V, the Secret Project version, the MKVI, the very cool War Machine, the hot chick Black WidowWhiplash, the Mark III figure, Mark II figure, Mark I figure, and additional Tony Stark men's suit. There are also guest reviews of the Battle Damaged Iron Man and Mech Suit Tony Stark.

You should also hit the Search Reviews page, in case any other applicable reviews were done after this one was published.

Discussion:
Want to chat about this review?  Try out one of these terrific forums where I'll be discussing it!

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Iron Man MKIII Construction Diorama by Hot Toys

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This product was provided for the review by the manufacturer. Photos and text by Michael Crawford.

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