Review of Michael Jackson - Bad DX03
Sixth Scale Action Figure

Introduction

Hot Toys does some amazing sixth scale action figures, but their Deluxe series is intended to be the cream of the crop. There have been two DX figures so far, both in the Dark Knight series: The Joker and Sonar Batman. Their third in the series dips into the world of pop legend and icon Michael Jackson, recreating his look from one of his greatest albums - Bad.

This isn't the first time they've tackled the King of Pop. They've already produced a Thriller version and a Billie Jean version. However, this deluxe version appears to be extremely popular, selling out as a pre-order while the Thriller version is still available in stock.

Hot Toys figures are never cheap, but the DX series is even more expensive than usual. If you snagged this guy when the pre-orders first went up, you could have paid $170 - $180, but now finding the figure at all is tricky. Like I said, this guy has pretty much sold out on pre-order, but you may still get lucky and snag one for under $200 with a little determination.

Also, this is a bit of an early review. International buyers will be getting theirs any day, but U.S. distributors tend to be a bit behind the curve.

Packaging - ****

Hot Toys always does a nice job with their packaging, but DX figures get extra special treatment. Here, there's a large wrap around cover, held in place with magnets. Open that up and you'll see a top layer with a prop 45 single, complete with the Bad logo.

Beneath that foam layer is the second foam tray, where the figure is cradled. Pop that one out, and you'll find the final foam layer complete with the accessories.

Everything here is completely collector friendly, with no twisties or tape. You can easily remove everything and put it all back, slicker than spit on a door knob.

They've also included a small instruction booklet that shows you how to put the batteries in the base, move the eyeballs, and swap hands.

Sculpting - ****
Every time I think I've seen the best Hot Toys has to offer in portraits, I see something else that just blows me away. This is a fantastic MJ sculpt, capturing a serious expression, but not taking it too far. The nose is just about right for this time in his life, as is the square jaw with cleft  chin.

The finely detailed hair hides the PERS function. The lower back section is held in place with a magnet, and several soft rubber locks trail down to hide the seam.

Remove the hunk of hair and you can move the stick, controlling the position of both eyes at the same time. You can get just about any look, even quite a few crazy ones.

The sculpted hands give the figure even more posing potential, and the scale on most of them is pretty good. A couple of them, particularly the most relaxed, are a bit larger than they should be, but this is a pretty common issue with HT figures.

Paint - ****
We all know how amazing Hot Toys sculpts are. But it's the production paint ops that make their figures shine.

I don't know if all the employees had to sell their souls or just Howard Chan, but only a deal with the devil could possibly allow them to create such lifelike complexions, eyes and hair in a mass production situation.

The aforementioned PERS system does mean that the eyes are more lifelike than ever, but it's the glassy, wet, slightly veined appearance that still sets them apart.

The lips are just about perfect, and his finely detailed eyebrows are clean and neat just like you'd expect from a well groomed pop star.

The jet black hair is consistent, even though there's two different plastics, the softer rubbery hair strands and the hard, solid majority. The paint doesn't announce this with any discrepancy in the color or finish.

Articulation - ***1/2
Michael comes on the TrueType slim body, which is another exceptionally well articulated TT. The joints are all tight, sturdy, and the clothing doesn't restrict the posability.

I do wish that this body had a better ball jointed neck. The slim body doesn't have the double joint that some of the newer, larger bodies sport, especially with the movable eyes. A greater range of movement in the neck would have allowed you to exploit the PERS system even more.

I also found swapping hands somewhat annoying, but this was largely a costume issue, not a joint issue, so I'll be hitting the figure up there for the problem.

Accessories - ***
The only thing that's been consistent with the DX series is the PERS system and the lighted base. However, most of us assume that you'll get quite a few additional accessories as well.

That's not really the case this time. Perhaps it's because coming up with cool accessories for Michael was a stumper for Hot Toys, but even a microphone would have been welcome.

You do get plenty of hands though, 9 in all. There's the two relaxed pose hands he comes wearing, plus 5 more rights and two more lefts.  All the right hands have the pointed studs on the back of the glove, and the hand sculpts are all great looking poses.

There's some extra wrist pegs, and the lighted base as well. However, from an 'accessories' perspective, that's about it.

There is a white shirt and white t-shirt though, which I'm throwing into this category rather than the next. These two pieces of clothing were included so you could get the Dirty Diana look as well, if you were interested in stripping him down above the waist. The observant will notice that I skipped switching the outfits - I much prefer the Bad outfit to the Diana outfit - but you can swap them pretty easily if you so desire.

Light Feature - ***
The light feature is pretty basic - two LED lights are at either front corner of the base. Three AAA batteries (not included) will power them when you flip the switch in back. They're nice and bright, but not all that exciting.

Outfit - ***1/2
The Bad outfit is a very intricate affair, with multiple belts, a ton of hooks, hangers, studs, buckles, rivets, zippers and other extras. The fit is excellent, and the tailoring matches the slim body perfectly.

The pants include the cool buckles down the leg, and the pattern is mirrored on the sculpted feet/boots. The red stripe on the outer leg adds some nice color to the otherwise black and white outfit.

My only problem with the outfit involves the cuffs over the wrists. Under the sculpted rubber gauntlets is a nylon sleeve that fits tight over the ball wrist. If you pull the entire wrist off with the hand, you can have a lot of trouble (I sure did) getting the wrist pegs properly back inside the little sleeves, and get them back on the forearms. Do whatever you can to remove the hands without removing the wrist pegs - you'll thank me for it.

Fun Factor - ***
Nope, this isn't a toy for a child, although the irony of a child playing with Michael Jackson is not lost on me. But for the big MJ fan, this is a terrific figure for display and posing. You'll be able to swap him into just about any dance pose any time you'd like, giving your shelf an ever changing look.

Value - **
While the PERS system is pretty damn cool, I have to say that the extra $30, $50 or even more that this guy will cost you over the recent T-1000 is a lot to swallow. The outfit is great, but there's just not enough extras to make the high price tag seem appropriate.

Things to Watch Out For -
Remember to swap those hands by leaving the wrist pegs in place if possible - you can get them back inside the sleeves with a little effort, but better to not have to if you can avoid it.

Overall - ***1/2
I'm not a huge Michael Jackson fan, but because of my love for zombies, I had to have the Thriller version. But as good as that figure is, this version (including the extra Dirty Diana shirts) is far more iconic for his many fans.

It shows too, with this figure sold out most places long before it has started to ship. I somehow doubt this will be the last version of MJ that Hot Toys produces, but it's likely to be the most desired.

I did have a couple issues that held it back from a perfect score, though. The annoying nylon sleeves at the wrists were one issue, but the overall lack of extras at this price point was his undoing. I suspect that serious fans will have no trouble overlooking these and any other issues, and will focus on the exceptional sculpt, paint and costume.

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

Where to Buy 
Online options include these site sponsors:

- or you can search ebay for a deal.

Related Links -
I've done a number of MJ reviews:

- Hot Toys did a Thriller version, and a Billie Jean version as well.

- And if you'd rather not spend $200 on this one, try out the Playmates versions...here's their Billie Jean. At $40, they are a much cheaper alternative.

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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