Review of Thor - Avengers: Infinity War
Sixth Scale Action Figure

Introduction

Count me as one of the nerds that really enjoyed Avengers: Infinity War, but as a collector, I've been getting Avengers allergic.  We've had so many of the main characters, that picking up a complete additional set from the latest movie smacked of over indulgence. I gave up on Iron Man awhile back - how many more Thors and Caps do I need as well?

But in the end, I picked up a few, several that I thought looked great based on the altered costumes and additional features. I recently reviewed the blonde short hair Black Widow, and tonight I'm checking out - you guessed it - another Thor.

He's just started shipping to retailers, and will cost you around $265, depending on the seller.

Packaging - ***
As Hot Toys packaging goes, this is pretty basic stuff. The cover sports nice looking Thor artwork, although it's not exactly what the figure looks like (even the scarring around the eye is a little different). The interior is completely collector friendly, and the figure and accessories are packed safely in a single plastic tray.  There's some plastic wrap you'll need to remove (including around the ankles), and some you don't have to if you prefer not (around the wrists under the gauntlets). There's instructions as well, which come in handy when working with the light feature.

Sculpting - ***1/2
One thing that is pretty much always true with a Hot Toys sculpt - it's realistic. They've reached a point where it's very hard to compete with them on the life-like attributes of any portrait.  This Thor is another great example. The amount of fine detail work in the hair and beard is really amazing, and the eyes and skin texture are good enough to fool people on first glance at macro photos.

I do think the scarring around his right eye could be a bit more obvious, but it's a minor nit. More important is the question - is it accurate? The bearded, short hair look is familiar to anyone who has the Gladiator Thor, and I'm not sold on whether this is an all new sculpt or just one that's slightly revamped.  I see some differences - the face is a little rounder, the beard has more detail, and of course that scar - but it's not vastly unique.

One plus it definitely has over the Gladiator version - no seam since there's no removable hair. Also on the plus side is the rounder face, which looks less 'horsey' than the Gladiator release.  On the negative side - there's something about the nose that looks off to me.  It's a little wider and larger, although it's less obvious in hand than in macro photos.

This head sculpt is separate from the neck, and some people aren't fond of these two piece head/neck designs. The seam is largely hidden here though, and it gives you better neck articulation with the high collar on the armor.

The sculpted armor looks great, and while the hands are a little out of scale, the sculpts work well with the accessories. He stands just over 12 1/2" tall.

Paint - ****
I'm not sure I can find a single nit to pick with the paint work, but that's not a surprise.

The skin tone is super realistic, and the hair line and facial hair look fantastic. The eyes are extremely life-like, and they have natural catch lights and depth.  The whites are a little tinted, but since it's probably due to the 'luminescence effect' (more on that in a minute), I'll cut them some slack.

The costume doesn't have a lot of color, but there are some very nice small details, including on the tiny eye patches. The translucent blue colors of the lightning effects look good as well, even when not illuminated.

Articulation - **1/2
Unfortunately, this is one of the lesser articulated Hot Toys figures I've seen in awhile.

He does have that jawline ball joint, which allows for some decent tilt and lean.  The double ball shoulders are a little tight, but you can get the arms above the head with some patience.  There are actually two sets of arms - one with sleeves, one bare with rubber skin - but neither have particularly good elbows. The skin and armor remove much of the elbow bend, making arm poses less dynamic.

The wrists are the usual rotating hinge joints, and there are both black and skin tone balls. The black works a little better with the gauntlets, but you can decide.  These posts have a tough time fitting in the wrists on the arms though, making swapping hands harder than usual.

The torso can turn a *smidge*, but the armor makes anything more impossible. The softer pants and two piece boots give the hips, knees and ankles a decent range of movement, and you can get short to deep stances.

Accessories - ****
Thor is a higher priced figure, even by Hot Toys standards. Fortunately, you're getting quite a few extras for your money.

He has an assortment of hands of course, including a relaxed set he comes wearing, a set of fists, a set of tight grips, and a set of splayed hands. Swapping these was harder than usual, and the short pegs that fit in the hands had a hard time reaching in far enough. There's a couple extra wrist pegs, just in case, but only in flesh tone, not black.

He also comes with an extra set of arms, bare and covered in rubber skin. Popping off the sleeved arms and popping these on was pretty easy, but neither had great elbow articulation.

He comes with two different eye patches as well. These are held in place over the eye with a magnet. While I commend them on trying new things, I didn't particularly like either patch, and they look too large on his face.  Getting them in the perfect spot can be tricky, and keeping them there just as frustrating.

The bare arms are included so he can go without the cape, giving him two distinct looks. But to lose the cape - which simply pops off the shoulders - you need several pieces of extra armor.  There's a piece which goes back over the shoulders, snapping in place, as well as two slightly different chest pieces.

Part of this particular figure's draw is the unique light up feature, which requires a number of lightning effects for the chest.  There are six pieces that you swap in for the black, metallic painted circles on his torso.  There are also two smaller pieces that wrap around his wrists and hands.

He has to have Stormbreaker of course, and this one is die cast metal. The sculpt is great, and the long, detailed handle fits neatly in the provided hands.

As always, there's a display stand. The base is simple, sporting the appropriate logo, but it has a bendable metal support rod and heavy duty waist clip, perfect for jumping or flight poses.

Light Feature - ****
The figure has a rather unique light feature - and one that's sort of like 'glow in the dark', although not quite.

There are three button batteries included, and the compartment and switch are high on his back. Inserting the batteries was simple, and there is nothing in the way (at least when he's wearing the cape) of flipping the switch. This lights up the six circles on his torso. When the translucent effects are in place, they glow brightly. It looks great, shows up even in a brightly lit room, and is easy to work with.

There's a second 'light' effect, but unfortunately, I can't comment as to its effectiveness. This effect involves the eyes. If you have a UV light, they are supposed to 'glow'. I threw out my last black light in, oh, about 1982, and I have no plans to buy a new one any time soon. If you swing by the old folks home there might be an aging hippie there who will lend you one. Let me know how well the effect works.  And yes, I still own a lava lamp, but that's different.

Outfit - ***1/2
The overall outfit looks great, although it is pretty restrictive. I particularly like the cape, which comes out of the box nicely pleated and hanging just about perfect down his back. There's less you can do with it yourself, but it's nice to get something that looks great right out of the tray.

Fun Factor - ***
The lack of articulation is annoying of course, but you can still get some decent poses. The light up feature works great, and because you can easily reach the switch under the cape, it's something you might use more often when showing off the figure.

Value - **
You're getting a ton of extras and a solid light up feature, which makes the high price - $260 - $270 at most retailers - a little less painful. Still, Hot Toys is pushing the limit right now with pricing, and I have a tough time going over the $250 mark for a figure like this.

Things to Watch Out For -
Not much. Be careful popping off the black circles on his chest, as using any sort of sharp item might damage them. Also, the chest effects go on one way and one way only. Pay attention to how the tabs line up. Otherwise, you should be good to go!

Overall - ***1/2
There have been a lot of Thor figures produced by Hot Toys. If you're only looking for one, it's going to be a tough choice. Short hair, long hair, which costume, which weapons...it's a plethora of decisions.

This release has some very nice points, including an excellent light up feature and the ability to swap between multiple looks. The short hair and beard may not be your first choice, but the adaptability of this figure is a huge plus.

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

Where to Buy 
Online options include these site sponsors:

- Sideshow has him for $267.

- or you can search ebay for a deal.

Related Links -
I haven't covered a bunch of the Infinity War figures yet, but I did review Black Widow. Other Hot Toys Thor figures include Gladiator Thor, the Roadworn version, the version from Dark World, and the Dark World Loki. Also worth mentioning is the first Hot Toys Thor, as well as their first Loki. And don't forget his dad, Odin!

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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