Review of Dr. Robert Ford - Westworld
Action Figure

Introduction

There are lots of content providers out there, and we all have our own personal favorites. But HBO remains top dog as far as I'm concerned, regularly creating some of the very best shows on television. Right now you can spend your Sunday night watching Jon Oliver, Watchmen, and Silicon Valley, and cap it off Monday night with His Dark Materials.

One of their on going shows that I love is Westworld, heading into it's third season. Diamond Select Toys is producing a series of 7" figures based on the show, and I've already checked out the Man in Black. Tonight I'll look at Dr. Ford, with a review of Dolores coming soon.

A second wave is already announced, along with a couple exclusives, so the line, like the show, doesn't appear to be going anywhere any time soon. These guys will run you around $20 each, depending on the retailer.

Packaging - **1/2
I don't love the look of the very plain packages, and they aren't particularly sturdy either. They are definitely not collector friendly, as you'll be tearing them apart to get at the contents.

Sculpting - ****
Anthony Hopkins is one of my favorite actors, and while we've gotten some so-so versions of his character Hannibal Lector, no one has nailed him in the action figure market quite like this. This portrait is small - remember, this is a 7" scale, making him about 6 3/4" tall - but it's most definitely him, from the expressive brows and squinted eyes, to the shape of the nose and mouth. Pop off the normal head, hand it to anyone, and they'll instantly know it's Hopkins.

This figure comes with a second portrait, this time wearing his black hat. Going with two heads allows them to create a hat in scale to the figure, and is always a smart move when they can afford it. Since he doesn't have a lot of other accessories, they were able to swing it here.

This second portrait is just as good, probably because it's the exact same sculpt with the hat added. Swapping heads is an enormous pain (more on that later), but both look great on him. I'm personally going without the hat (and I wish they'd given us one he could hold), but you won't be disappointed with either head.

The body is wearing the vest, tie, and pants - a three piece suit without the jacket, if you will - and while there aren't a lot of differing textures, the details, like the fob and chain, make it pop.

Paint - ***1/2
Supporting the overall sculpt is a nice paint application head to toe. The work on the hair, skin, and eyes is excellent, although the skin tone is a little washed out. The hairline is decent, with a minor blip or two, and the details on the costume, especially the dots on the tie, look great.

They also used a gloss black for the hat band and flat black for the rest of the hat to add some visual flair, and the white shirt is quite clean and neat.

Articulation - ***1/2
While this isn't the sort of character you'll be putting in ninja poses, he does have a ton of useful articulation.

The ball jointed neck allows for some tilt and lean, but swapping heads is painful. You'll need heat to do it every time, but take care, as that could warp the brim of the hat.

The rotating hinge shoulders, cut biceps, double pin elbows, and rotating hinge wrists allow for lots of arm poses, and you can get a very natural appearance. The torso has a rolling joint, while the legs have hinge hips, cut thighs, double pin knees, and rotating hinge ankles. I wish the ankles allowed for a bit more mobility, but since he doesn't need to take super deep stances, it's not a huge issue.

Accessories - ***
As I mentioned earlier, there's two portraits, and that second head goes a long way to improving this score.

He also has his pooch, who plays somewhat of a pivotal role in the backstory of the character. The sculpt and paint work are good, and scale is reasonable as well.

He has one extra set of relaxed hands, and they swap easily. I wish they'd included a hat for him to hold when using the bare head, but it's a minor quibble.

Finally, there's the small oval black display stand, which uses a foot peg.

Fun Factor - ***
I wouldn't call this figure 'fun' in the traditional sense. But collectors will enjoy coming up with a pose or two, and displaying him on the shelf. There's probably not a lot of reposing potential, but the articulation will allow you to come up with a pretty natural stance that you like, and he'll be able to maintain it long term.

Value - ***
At $20, these are a slightly better than average value. That's the price point of most 6" scale figures, and most 7" figures are closer to $30 these days.

Things to Watch Out For -
As I mentioned, you'll need heat to swap heads easily, but you don't want to overdue it on the hat brim.

Overall - ***1/2
While this isn't the most dynamic series of action figures, DST did do a fantastic job with the sculpts and paint work. They are instantly recognizable, both as the actors and as the characters, and they make for terrific cubicle decorations.

I'll be reviewing Dolores soon, and I've got wave 2 on pre-order as well. This is definitely a series I'll be sticking with!

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

Where to Buy 
Online options include these site sponsors:

- Entertainment Earth has the set of three in wave 1 for $50 and free shipping.

- or you can search ebay for a deal.

Related Links -
Other Westworld figures include the Man in Black, and I'll be reviewing some more soon.

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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