Review of Remis Lupin - Harry Potter
Deluxe Sixth Scale Action Figure

Introduction

The Harry Potter films and books remain one of the most popular franchises of the past several decades. Star Ace continues to treat fans to their sixth scale line, with new announcements - the Head Goblin at Gringotts - and several figures shipping soon.  Their latest release is Remus Lupin, professor at Hogwarts, and unfortunate werewolf.

They did two versions of this figure, the regular, which represents the teacher, and the deluxe, that includes a second wolfy portrait. Both have just started shipping. The regular will run you around $200, while the deluxe is closer to $225, depending on the retailer. I'll be looking at the deluxe tonight.

Packaging - ***
The box sports a nice photo of the actual character, always a gutsy move by a company. You can directly compare the contents of the box with the actual actor, without a google image search.

It's all collector friendly too, and you can pop everything out without any real damage. Of course, there are still enough pscyho's out there who think if you cut a piece of tape or loose a piece of plastic, the figure has plummeted in value, but for the sane collector who knows the real value is in displaying their figures, this packaging works great.

Sculpting - ***
Remus Lupin is played by the terrific actor David Thewlis. The deluxe version comes with two portraits - his normal professorial look, and his somewhat more lupine appearance.

They've done a solid job capturing his normal appearance. The nose is a bit large, but the actor does have a big snoze, and it looks appropriate from the front. Profile shots will show it off more. The lips, eyes, and skin texture are quite realistic, and they do a great job with the hair, including the loose bits hanging down over the forehead.

The wolf face extends that big nose and the jaw line even more, starting to create the snout. The teeth and lips extend as well, which is appropriate for a transformational visage like this. Again, the skin texture, eyes, and facial hair are very realistic, and both portraits include key scars.

The teeth and fangs are a bit soft, but this is due more to the paint than the sculpt. I think a repaint on them would allow the sculpted detail to come through better.

He has a second set of hands with a hairier, thicker, more claw-like appearance as well. These work well with the deluxe head, but can be used with the regular head as well as an early indication of 'the change' coming on.

Paint - **1/2
The overall paint work is great, but I had one spot that really bugged me, pulling the score down.

The skin tone on the regular portrait is quite realistic, and it's clear that Star Ace continues to work on improving their production paint operations. The eyes are clear and reflective, creating their own natural catch lights, and the hair has a nice wash that pulls out the sculpt detail. Even the facial hair is subtle and natural, and the thin scars have just the right color.

The more extreme wolf face has the same nice work on the skin tone, with a bit more dark coloration that implies the change. The eyes are looking up as well, a good placement for the expression. But it's those teeth that are bugging me, where the slightly clumpy, thicker paint work is taking away the edges of the fangs, especially along the uppers. Correct that, and the score would go up a half star, maybe even a full star.

Articulation - ***
The underlying body is the usual Star Ace buck. Nothing surprising here, and the heads and hands swap easily enough without fear of breakage. The hands were a little tough, but didn't require heat.

The neck, shoulders, elbows, wrists, torso, waist, hips, knees, and ankles all move in the usual ways. I had no trouble getting decent tilt and lean out of the neck and torso, and you should be able to avoid creating unnatural straight lines.

The shoes do restrict the ankles a bit, and the ankles have always been an issue for this body. I can't get as much rocker as I'd like, making deeper stances a bit wonky looking when compared to the best bodies on the market.

Accessories - ***1/2
I'm rating the deluxe - the regular would drop a half star in this category.

That's because the deluxe gets the second portrait, and it's a huge seller. I'm probably going with the wolf face on my shelf, although it may end up depending on who I have around him. Having both means I can switch things up over time, always a big plus.

Both versions include three extra hands to go with the relaxed set he comes wearing - a normal wand holding right, and a pair of slightly beastly hands.  Swapping was a little tough, and using a little heat wouldn't be a bad idea, but I didn't find it necessary.

Every Potter character needs their wand, and Lupin's looks great. He also comes with a bolt of clear energy, which attaches to the end of his wand. It's a little heavy for long term display - I'd be worried about sagging over time - but looks great short term.

After the extra head, his best accessory is the Marauder's Map, which he and his buds created as kids. It folds out to show the entire map, and is a very nicely printed extra that works with him, or with the kids.

Outfit - ***1/2
The outfit consists of his shirt, tie, coat, pants, belt, and shoes.

Remus was not exactly a fashion plate. The guy liked his basic brown, fitting considering his alternate ego. The clothing is really well tailored, especially for the ticker material of the coat and pants. It matches the on screen look quite well, and the small details are nicely done.

While people might think 'It's just a suit, how hard can it be", doing a suit that's properly tailored with correctly sized collars, pockets, and buttons is surprisingly tough. Of particular note on this one is the collar, both on the coat and the shirt, which are just about perfect. The shirt collar is also tacked down, a big plus that makes it look much more clean and neat.

I do wish the tie were just a smidge smaller. The knot is where the size really shows, but they matched the look of the thicker material from on screen, and that created the slightly oversized knot.  This thicker material also causes the tie to jut out a bit, but I think that over time, with a bit of water and patience, I'll be able to get it to lay flat.

The shoe sculpt and paint job look great, but they do create some issues with the ankles that I mentioned earlier. Still, overall this is a nice looking suit, appropriate for the character and solid quality.

Fun Factor - ***
The fun with these figures is posing and re-posing, and while the body has an issue or two, it's the use of the two heads that really make him versatile. I can see swapping him up pretty often, particularly with different other characters.

Value - **
While the regular release is down around $200, I think Star Ace figures are best in the $180 - $190 range. The deluxe adds another $25, and while I really like the extra head, that's also a bit high. Had they managed to get this into the $190 - $215 range for the two versions, I would have gone another half star and an average value.

This guy is pretty much sold out at regular retailers though, and I checked ebay to find the price is well above retail right now, so demand may have been greater than they anticipated.

Things to Watch Out For -
Not a thing!

Overall - ***
This is a solid release who is going to look great on the shelf with the rest of the series. In fact, once I got this series out and together in a display, I realized just how terrific it all really is, and it increased my appreciation for the line.

I had three main issues - the sloppy teeth, the lack of rocker movement in the ankles, and the slightly high price point. Take away those three, and you can add another half star to this overall.

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

Where to Buy 
Most places are sold out at this point, but you can always search ebay for a deal.

Related Links -
Star Ace has done a ton of sixth scale Harry Potter figures. Most recent reviews are Wormtail, the Dementor, and Griphook.

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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