Review of Terminator Endoskeleton 1/4 scale action figure

Introduction

One of the most enduring collectibles license is the Terminator. Like the evil Endoskeleton itself, it has survived for decades, even when it seemed like some directors were intent on killing it.

That's largely due to the exceptional design of the Terminator's themselves. While the fleshy versions have been consistently cool, the stripped down Endoskeleton is truly iconic.

There have been plenty of collectible versions, including a fair share from Hot Toys. But most of these are in sixth scale and smaller, beautiful as they might be.

Hot Toys has started their quarter scale series - labeled appropriately QS - and the first release was Batman. Have no fear, I'll be covering him before the end of the year. But with their dedication to the Terminator license, you knew they wouldn't wait too long before getting around to something in the QS series.

QS002 is their Endoskeleton, based on his look from the first film.  This guy is big in size and price - he'll run you around $400, if you can find him. He's sold out a lot of places, believe it or not. There are actually two versions, a regular with just one plasma blaster, and the exclusive (reviewed here) that has two plasma blasters.

Packaging - ****
The box is large, but not overly so. There's really no waste or excess, which is always good.

The box is great, with a very thick outer sleeve that has a great Endoskeleton head in profile. This head is a separate piece, attached to the front, and it looks fantastic.

Inside is a foam layer that holds the figure, as well as a plastic tray that contains the accessories. Everything is safe and sound, and it's completely collector friendly - no need to damage a thing in removing him.

Sculpting - ****
This figure is truly impressive, perhaps the most overall impressive figure I've seen this year.

The engineering alone is astounding. This figure is predominately metal - I'd say at least 80%, maybe more - and they've made all the pistons and joints extremely strong and very smooth to work with. It has serious heft, and is quite imposing on the shelf.

Every little detail is carefully sculpted and every piece is crafted to fit together perfectly. Lines are sharp and crisp, and they've captured the evil and vehemence in the facial expression, right from the screen.

He's a big boy, coming in at the full 18". I've included a photo of him with one of the Sideshow T-800 Premium Format statues so you can get a feel for how he stacks up, scale-wise.

Paint - ****
While it's not exactly 'paint', the finish on the metal is critical. It's slightly worn, slightly aged, not really 'damaged', but very realistic in the patterns and wear.

Even more critical is to get the color and finish on the few plastic pieces to match exactly. You shouldn't be able to tell what's metal and what's not just by looking, and you can't.

While this sort of paint wok isn't as impressive at first glance as some of the human skin tones on other figures, it's just as critical and difficult to get right.

There is a tint to the metal and plastic, sort of a burnished look. It's not the pure silver/gray you see in the top photo - I converted that one to gray scale because I liked the way it looked, but the color in the other photos is more accurate to reality.

Articulation - ****
All that amazing engineering means this is a figure that has a tremendous range of movement, especially considering the complexity of the character.

I've included a couple goofy poses to make the point. This isn't a figure that can just take one or two decent stances - you'll spend hours messing with the articulation.

The head turns, leans and twists slightly, with the back pistons moving up and down. The lower neck also turns and tilts slightly, making the head much more posable than I anticipated.

Don't forget the articulated jaw, which opens wide or closes shut tightly.

The shoulders allow the arms to move up and out, forward and back, while the cut bicep turns 180 degrees. The elbow moves forward and back as well, and there's another cut at the top of the forearm that turns the full 360 degrees. The arms finish off with wrists that tilt in all directions, thanks to the working pistons in the forearm.

Each finger and thumb is completely articulated with 3 joints, allowing them to take just about any pose and hold the blasters tightly.

The torso leans forward and back a surprising distance. That's because the spine itself has an excellent range of movement, with each vertebrate a separate piece. You can even turn him slightly at the waist, lifting one piston higher than the other.

The hips can't move out too far, but the forward and backward movement is better than I expected, again thanks to a very intelligent design on the pistons. The knees move forward and back, and again there's a cut joint just below that can turn a full 360 degrees. The legs finish off with moving ankles, a half foot joint, and one joint on each individual toe.

There are additional parts that move to make this all possible - the pistons of course, but also the abdominal plate and shoulder plates are articulated.

I was blown away by the amazing engineering that Hot Toys did with their sixth scale Endoskeletons, Iron Men, and even their Robocop. But this guy puts them all to shame.

Accessories - ***
If there's one area where this guy falls a little short, it's in the extras department.

The regular version includes one Plasma Blaster, which is done in a very lightweight plastic. That's good, because the gun doesn't weigh down the arms any more than the arms themselves already do. The sculpt and paint are great, and there's even an extra little support that you can attach to the inside of the gun and then to the arm. It's not necessary for him to hold the weapon, but it does make it a bit more stable.

The exclusive includes an additional blaster for that two fisted attack. It also has the additional support included, which works quite well.

Both versions include a small diorama style base, complete with the littered broken skulls of the vanquished humans. I like the design - the post has the butt hooks that allow the figure to sit back on it, with plenty of support.

There's also a couple extra of the softer springy hoses that run through his shoulders. Mine were fine, but they include a few in case you damage something.

That's about it though, which is a tad light for a figure in this price range, all metal or not. While coming up with sensible extras for this particular character might be tough, I'm sure the creative minds at Hot Toys could have thought of something.

Light Feature - ****
Obviously, his eyes light up. Without the eyes shining a bright red, it's not an Endo. Or at least, not a functioning one.

The eyes are very bright, enough so that they are obvious even in room lighting. That's a nice touch, since you don't want to dim the lights every time you want to show him off.

The back of the head pops off easily, and the edge of the cover follows the existing lines, hiding it nicely. Inside is a button and battery compartment. The figure comes with batteries initially, which work quite well. I had no trouble with the brightness fading while I was shooting the photos.

Changing the batteries will require a screwdriver, but that's a minor inconvenience.

Fun Factor - ****
This is one of the more sturdy Hot Toys figures I've seen. It's all that metal of course, and the construction is amazingly solid. Of course, only a fool would hand a $400 figure to a child, no matter how sturdy it is. Even if he didn't break the Endo, he'd probably kill the cat with a single swing.

But for the collector, this is an amazingly fun addition. You'll giggle like a school girl when you take him out of the foam tray, and spend hours just getting the perfect pose. And then you'll change it up next week!

Value - ***
How can I possibly give an above average value score to something that costs $400? Easy - you're getting what you're paying for plus some.

You'll spend that much money on a premium format statue in this same scale, stuck in the pose picked for you. An all metal, completely posable Endoskeleton? I was surprised it was only $400. The fact that it's selling out all over tends to imply others agree.

Things to Watch Out For -
The instructions point out the various degrees you can move the joints. Pay attention, since you don't want to over extend anything.

While all the pistons and rods are metal, it still is possible to bend or damage them by squeezing inward on the thighs or forearms. You don't need to baby this figure, but be cognizant of how much pressure you are putting on any one area when you are moving the joints.

Overall - ****
It's hard to express to you just how cool this figure is. You really need to handle it, to feel the weight of the metal, to move and manipulate the joints, and put him in a few poses for your self. It's impossible to not be impressed by the ingenuity and creativity that went into the design. A figure that's almost all metal, with great articulation, sculpting and paint, for about the same price as an unposable statue? It doesn't get much better than this.

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

Where to Buy 
Online options include these site sponsors:

- Sideshow had the regular and exclusive, but both are sold out. You can get on the wait list however, and both are at $400.

- or you can search ebay for a deal.

Related Links -
Hot Toys has done a number of Terminator sixth scale figures, including the first T-800 , the T-1000, the T-1000 as Sarah Connor, Sarah Connor, the T-800 from T2, Marcus Wright, John Connor and the T-600, the T-600 with skin, as well as the T-700 and T-700 Diorama. They also have a T-800 Endo.

And Sideshow did plenty as well, including Sarah Connor and T-1000. Other Terminator reviews include the Kotobukiya TX, the Aoshima T-800 skeleton, the Mcfarlane 12" Terminator 3, and the Premium Format T-800 from Sideshow.

- NECA also did a smaller version of the Endoskeleton with their Cult Classics, and McFarlane included one with the fifth series of Movie Maniacs. McFarlane also did figures based on T-3.

- and for the fans of smaller figures, there's the T2 mini-figures.

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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