Review of Gorgo - 300
Armored Version Sixth Scale Action Figure

Introduction

One of the things I like best about the second tier sixth scale companies is their work with smaller licenses. While the big blockbusters are all Hot Toys seems to do these days, companies like Asmus, ThreeZero, Blitzway, and Star Ace pick up the oddballs, the unique properties, and those with a smaller but often very rabid fanbase.

The film 300, along with it's sequel, is one of those licenses. It helps that the Greek mythology and costuming were already popular with historical collectors, and when you add in a big time movie (I'm talking the first film, of course), it increases the interest across the board.

It's never going to be the MCU, but a license like this does have a market, and it does allow the company to go a bit deeper in the character selection. Tonight I'm checking out Gorgo from the original film, which Star Ace has just started shipping. Expect to pay around $225 depending on the retailer.

Packaging - ***
The standard 300 artwork looks great, and there's a nice head shot of the character. There's also a sticker to let you know this is the 'armored version'. It's all collector friendly, but I do think they need to provide a spot for the stand and support rod inside a tray, rather than simply taping them on the underside of the single plastic tray.

Sculpting - ***
I normally use a straight ahead or slightly off center photo for this section, but because my favorite aspect of the portrait is actually the hair, I used an angle that's closer to profile.

That's not to say the likeness, realism, and emotive aspects aren't solid. They are. The realism i the best of these three, with a nice skin texture, great hairline that blends nicely, a subtle lip skin, and clean brows.

The emotive aspect is good, with a slightly thoughtful expression and a harder set to the jaw. It works for a variety of poses, but I do wish there was a little more life in the eyes themselves.

The accuracy is the weakest aspect, although it's not terrible. She does have a rather long face, but so does the character - that box front photo makes for a good comparison. In fact, while I can say without a doubt that something is off, making her less recognizable, I can't quite put my finger on what it is. That usually means it's several subtle things, rather than one simple obvious flaw.

Another problem is the neck, which throws off the look of the head, but I'll discuss that more in the Articulation section.

But the big positive that really stands out to me is the hair. I've mentioned before that both Star Ace and Asmus are playing around with a combination of rooted and sculpted hair, and the technique is improving with every release. This is an excellent example, and is the best marriage of the two styles to date.

Yes, in well lit macro photos, you're going to tell the slightly less detailed stranding of the sculpted section from the rooted section. Yes, in those same photos the finish will not match exactly. And yes, you can see a mold line on the sculpted section. The macro photo is important because it allows you to see there ARE two sections, but it doesn't tell the full story. In hand these two sections blend extremely well, and it is much less obvious. It's even far less obvious in the full body photos, and this is a terrific example of how this technique can be used to give us the best of both worlds.  I have high hopes that we'll see more of this moving forward, and it's an innovation that other companies need to consider.

Paint - ***
Overall, the paint work is solid. It's not going to win awards, but it's clean and realistic, and avoids any Barbie-esque comparisons.

The eyes are even and neat, but there's a bit of bleed into the whites. The makeup - lashes, liner, etc. - is particularly good, and the skin tone has just the right amount of freckling to be realistic.

Under normal light and normal conditions, the sculpted/painted hair blends nicely with the rooted hair. The color is quite close, not an easy feat for such different materials. However the face and neck are different in tone, and the lighter colored arms definitely stand out.

Articulation - ***1/2
This is a higher end body for Star Ace, with the rubber skin over the arms and shoulders, metal pegs for wrist joints, and a very sturdy skeleton. And yes Virginia, she has squishy boobs. Regular sixth scale collectors will recognize the body, and may appreciate the switch.

The two piece head and neck have a decent range of movement, but some of it is reduced by the skin covering the lower joint.  The shoulders and elbows are also slightly restricted by their skin covering, although it's not as extreme as you might imagine.

The torso leans and tilts, and the hips, knees, and ankles can manage natural short stances to wide battle stances.  The joints are tight, and can maintain just about any pose long term.

What's the one problem that plagues almost all male sixth scale bodies? Yes, that's right - the ridiculously oversized hands. We keep talking about it, and hopefully they'll eventually do something about it. But it's not just the men with a consistent issue, as the female sixth scale bodies have a consistent problem as well.  It's the neck. When there's a two piece head/neck figure like this one, the neck is always too thin around the jawline where the head attaches. It makes the head look oversized, and in itself looks less realistic. Hopefully this is another area we'll see them address eventually.

Accessories - **1/2
While there's a reasonable number, you've seen a couple of these before.

She has one extra set of hands, designed for gripping the other accessories. Swapping is easy, and the metal wrists posts are definitely not going to snap.

She has a wolf's tooth necklace, which you can put in place by popping off the head. Likewise, when you have the hand and gauntlet off, you can slip the arm band over her bicep as well.

You've seen the sword and shield before, but they are very nicely done. She can hold them in just about any pose, and putting the shield in place was quite easy.

Finally, there's the small display stand with support rod. You won't necessarily need it, but it comes in hand for consistency in your display.

Outfit - ***
This is the 'armored' version, and she's definitely ready for battle. Okay, so it's still a pretty damn skimpy outfit, but the greaves and gauntlets count, and they look quite good.

She also has a belt/necklace combo deal that looks great over the unique black dress. The tailoring and quality of materials is quite good, in line with my expectations.

However, I do wish they'd given her actual sandals, rather than sculpted on the feet. That's the sort of detail that can support a higher price tag.

Fun Factor - ***
If you have the previous figure, this one makes a nice addition. She's poseable enough to provide lots of fun, and is a definite improvement in looks over the previous female release.

Value - **
While this figure is cheaper than their other releases in this license, at $225 she's still on the high side. She does have two things going for her in this category however - she is supposedly a 250 piece limited edition (or so the marketing materials claim), and the rooted hair/sculpted hair assembly can't be cheap.

Things to Watch Out For -
Not a thing. Everything is sturdy and well made, although you might want to keep some of the plastic between the costume and the skin. We all know that this rubbery style fake skin can sometimes absorb dye from clothing over time.

Overall - ***
Of the four characters they've released, this one takes my number 2 spot, just behind King Leonidas. While the accuracy of the portrait needs to be better, the realism is good and the hair technique looks terrific in hand.  She's a solid release, although getting her for around $200 would be more in line with the current market.

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

Where to Buy 
Online options include these site sponsors:

- or you can search ebay for a deal.

Related Links -
Other Star Ace 300 figures include Artemisia, King Leonidas, and Thermistokles.

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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