Packaging - ***
The packaging of these figures is distinguished by the clipped diagonal corners of the large boxes. There's a lot of clear window to provide a good view of the figures from the front, side, and top. On the front is a representation of a ravaged cityscape, overlain by the Terminator Salvation movie title and the character's name. A small square label provides the short bio for the specific character.

The back of the packages show pictures of all the large scale product line. What is not obvious from the package is that the Marcus figure is a full 3 inches shorter than the T-600 figure.

A few tape slices, and tab untucks opens the top of the package so that the inner tray can be slid out. The plastic tray is affixed to the inner card by tabs on the tray inserted through the card and taped to the back. By slicing those, you can pull the plastic tray from the card to gain access to the handful of wire ties holding the parts to the tray.

Sculpting - T-600: **1/2  Marcus: **
The sculpts reflect that price point and target market for these toy store offerings. The sculpts lack the finer definition or texture found on something like a McFarlane or Sideshow figure. The movie is not out yet, so it remains to be seen how closely the sculpts match the source material.

The T-600 sculpt is believable as an early Terminator model. It is reminiscent of the T-800 gold standard endoskull, yet has some detailing that distinguishes it as a less advanced model. The detailing of the jaw, teeth, and mechanisms lacks crisp detail. The bulging, red, eyes would look better set deeper into the skull. Those eyes are red LEDs that light up when a panel on the right of the skull is pressed. The twin of that panel on the left side is the battery cover for the light up action feature.

The Marcus sculpt is of a Terminator with the majority of the left side of the face torn off of the underlying endoskull. As a toy-store offering, it is not as gruesome as you might think. There is not a trace of blood on the figure, despite the torn flesh. His hair is remarkably well coiffed considering portions of the scalp are ripped away to reveal the metal underneath.

Paint - **1/2
For the most part, the figures are fabricated out of different colored plastic, rather than relying on paint ops. Highlights, and washes have been applied to dress up the solid colored base. Those details are brought out successfully on both figures.

For the T-600 the base plastic appears to the be underlying silver metal  color. Some washes have been applied over the mechanical parts to provide some rust and dirt detailing. It helps to bring out the molded in machine details. The tattered brown pants are molded plastic and similarly dressed up with some darker washes. So is the shredded green shirt.

For Marcus the base plastic for the torso is flesh colored, with the mechanical parts painted silver and detailed with a dark wash. The scarred skin also has an orange wash to bring out some of the molded scars.

On both figures some of the paint details are a bit sloppy. The silver does not always stop crisply at the molded edge of the torn flesh. Given that the joints on Marcus are visible, it seems to me that they could have been presented as machine parts rather than have them cast as flesh. They missed an opportunity to present the articulation as machinery.

Articulation - T-600: **1/2  Marcus: **
The articulation on these figures is mixed. There are some high points, and frustrating missing joints.

The neck joint on both figures is a simple cut joint set in a pocket between the shoulders. They turn left and right, and that is all.

Both figures also feature ball socket shoulder joints. Each has the typical shoulder pin connected to a ring set in the top of the arm. The T-600 shoulder molds prevent the arms from being raised more than about 45 degrees out to the sides. Marcus has a much more human range of motion for raising his arms to the side.

The Marcus figure has single jointed elbow hinges that can bend to not quite a right angle. That joint also rotates around a pin set into the bicep, so Marcus can bring his hands together in front of the torso.

The T-600 figure also has a single elbow hinge on each side, allowing a right angle bend. There is no rotation of the forearm around the bicep joint, so the hands cannot be brought together in front of the torso.

Both figures have simple cut joints for the wrists, and no hand articulation. Marcus is molded of a soft plastic and can grasp items with the soft fingers. The T-600 has harder plastic hands that cannot be flexed easily to grip items.

Each figure has a simple cut waist joint. Marcus pivots around the beltline in an unrestricted full rotation. He can literally turn around at the waist and look behind himself. The T-600 has a spring loaded cut joint at the top of the endo-spine that connects just below the sternum. It only moves a few degrees to either side, and springs back to center when released. I am not sure what the purpose of that limited joint is. It could have just as easily been a full rotation that would hold its place.

The T-600 hip joints are pin and ring ball joints. He can do a side split or raise both legs forward almost to a right angle. A molded butt pouch prevents the left leg from angling backward more than a few degrees. The right leg can move back a bit further before the molded pant leg comes against the molded upper pants.

The Marcus hip joint is a disappointing cut joint. It moves forward and backward, not out to the side. The molding of the pant legs keeps the legs from moving more than about 45 degrees forward or 20 degrees backward.

Both figures have single hinge knee joints. The T-600 can bend its knees back to greater than a right angle. Marcus cannot quite manage a right angle. That means he cannot kneel.

Marcus has a cut joint at the top of each boot. The T-600 has no ankle rotation. His boots are in style most often seen on the Frankenstein Monster. Long, wide, and blocky. With no ankle articulation and those big feet, you won't be slipping and pants onto the T-600.

Accessories - ***
Each figure comes with some spiffy accessories.

The T-600 comes with a soft vinyl full head skin that can be placed over the endoskull. It is reminiscent of the old Captain Action masks, with eye holes cut out for the LED robot eyes to shine through. The mask is soft enough to allow pressing the eye activating button through the mask.

The T-600 also comes with a minigun, backback, and ammo belt. The backpack for the ammo presses into mounting sockets on the back. No shoulder straps needed. The minigun fits snuggly in the right hand, with a loop snapped over the forearm. The ammo belt is attached to the pack and can be fed through a slot on the minigun. When the belt is pulled through the gun slot, the gun barrels rotate.

Marcus comes with two accessories. A removable, rubbery vest, and an attacking hydrobot that is almost a figure in and of itself. It has a fixed, molded  set of front claws, a set of mechanical vertebrae that snap together, and a tail with a spring loaded stinger.

Fun Factor :
These seem like solid figures that kids could play with. I will be using them in diorama displays and/or photostories with my other Terminator figures.

Value - T-600: ***  Marcus: **1/2
At under $20 at local stores, the value for these is pretty high for Terminator fans.

The T-600 will stand well alongside 1:6 figures, as shown by the pictures along side GIJoe, RoboCop, and Arnold as The Terminator.

The Marcus figure is too short for a 1:6 display, has sub-par articulation, but includes the spiffy hyrobot figure that could be used in a 1:6 display.

Things to Watch For:
Keep an eye on the paint ops. The large amount of box window space should allow spot checks of how well the lines between flesh and metal are perserved.

Overall - T-600 ***; Marcus **1/2
The dual strikes of lesser articulation and same price charged for a smaller figure, brought Marcus down in relation to the T-600.

Score Recap:
Packaging - ***
Sculpting - T-600: **1/2  Marcus: **
Paint - **1/2
Articulation - T-600:**1/2  Marcus:**
Accessories - ***
Value - T-600:***  Marcus:**1/2
Overall - T-600 ***; Marcus **1/2

Where to Buy -
I got mine at K-Mart of $19.99 each.