Sculpting - ****
Two of the most common words used when describing any Hot Toys Iron Man figure are "engineering" and "marvel", usually together.

Let's start with the sheer size of this bad boy. He's intended to fit in with the sixth scale Iron Man figures that Hot Toys has produced, and I think he does that very well. He's a solid 18" tall, similar in stature to a quarter scale figure.

The iron texture is perfect, and the sharply cut edges and crucial small details (like rivets and bolts) are spot on.

The hidden Obadiah sculpt is solid work, although it's not the star this time around. Once you put the head in place, you won't see it very often, but it's still an added benefit that makes the overall effect of the figure that much more impressive.

Paint - ****
The human paint jobs are always uncanny, and the Stane portrait looks amazingly realistic. But this is one of those times where it's not the subtle skin tone, glassy eyes and perfect hair that sets the paint job apart - it's the metallic appearance of the overall machine.

It's not as simple as it sounds to make plastic look like metal, especially slightly worn, rough iron. Of course, the sculpted texture on the 'iron', and smooth finish on the 'steel' is a big part of that realism, but you can't underestimate the critical importance of the subtle paint work.

There's not a ton of small details, since the majority of the figure is some shade of gray. But there are a few spots, like the rockets on his left arm, and these are all done very cleanly, with no slop or issues.

Articulation - ****
This guy could have had a great sculpt and great paint, but he still would have been a statue without great articulation. That of course is not the case.

The neck is a ball joint, but there's not a lot of tilting side to side due to the design. It does tilt backward though, and turns side to side.

Although the shoulders, upper and lower arms, and upper and lower legs are all attached to a multitude of pistons, they all move cleanly. He can hold his arm out straight from the shoulder in a firing position, something not all regular sixth scale figures can do! While the knees and elbows are pretty impressive (and there's even cut joints at the bicep that allow the arms to turn inward and outward), I think it's the hips that most impressed me. There's six pistons on the inner thigh of each leg, and all of them move cleanly and smoothly, allowing the legs to move in and out. The legs also move forward and back at the hip, and you should have no trouble getting natural, solid stances out of him.

I was surprised that the waist is also a cut joint, since I assumed the electronics would interfere.

The ankles are another wonder, designed to work both in a standing pose and in a flying pose with the included thrusters. There's four or five points at which the ankles bend and turn, and the shin armor even slides down the leg.

I almost forgot the hands! There's ball jointed wrists, and each finger has two pin joints. These joints are tight enough to allow him to grasp objects easily.

Along with all this standard articulation, there's the areas that open, close and extend. Three panels open up on his back, one for the light switch and two for the cannon. The cannon extends up and out, far enough to allow a clean shot over the shoulder piston.

On the front, both large panels pop forward and slip downward, allowing the arc reactor to move outward and down as well. The head and neck pieces are hinged, so that it opens to reveal the Stane head.

And if that's not enough, the gatling gun on his right arm extends forward. It's not a long way, but it's still pretty cool.

Accessories - ***
This is a bit fuzzy this time, since what you consider an 'accessory' might be different than me.

He comes with the Obadiah Stane/Jeff Bridges head sculpt, but it's not really an extra head. You follow the instructions to (carefully!) open the top of the suit, and place the head on the neck post. It can stay there with the helmet closed, and the inside of the helmet is padded to avoid damage.

I've had some readers ask about the neck and head. Inside the armor is the neck and shoulders of a regular TrueType, and the head is the same as any other Hot Toys head. It pops on and off the neck post easily, and you could make your own Stane figure with another body and business suit.

There's also his necklace, which of course can remain on him as well.

There's a rocket for the shoulder cannon, and like the head and necklace, once you have it in place it can store back in the armored body. Pretty cool, eh?

The only accessories that can't stay in place are the leg thrusters, which you can use for flying poses. He doesn't come with a display stand though, so you'll have to find something pretty sturdy to hold him aloft. The ankles open up, the flaps extend out, and the thrusters can be inserted into peg holes on the hidden interior. It looks great on, but isn't likely to be a standard pose for most collectors.

Light Feature - ****
The light feature on some of the past Iron Man figures has been pretty dim right out of the box, or dimmed fairly quickly. I'm not seeing that here, and all six LED areas are very bright and clear.

The eyes light up of course, and they do that in concert with arc reactor on the chest. Both of these are controlled with a switch hidden under the right back panel.

Each arm has two light up spots - the palm, as well as the weapon. These are operated with a switch on the inside of each arm. All the switches are well hidden and work great.

Fun Factor - ***1/2
No child will ever play with this figure, but adult collectors are going to have a ball with the articulation and design. They'll spend hours marveling at how posable he is, considering the large mechanical suit design. Thankfully, he's sturdy enough to handle all that posing and manipulating, as long as you take some basic care and have some patience.

Value - **
This is a truly impressive figure, something that makes a person say "Wow". It's the light up feature, it's the opening suit, it's the articulation, it's the size...and it's the price. Tell someone you paid $450 for this, and I can promise you they'll say 'Wow". This will be followed by them asking you for  a) a divorce or b) a loan.

But this is not a figure that your average collector will have on the shelf. Like the Samurai Predator, you have to be a major fan of the license, or a major fan of the company, to shell out this kind of cash. And for those two groups, there's no doubt that they'll be happy with the purchase.

Things to Watch Out For -
While this figure is VERY articulated, that doesn't mean you just want to start cranking on the arms and legs. At times, certain pieces can be in the way of the full range of movement, or the pistons can get slightly out of alignment. Look at what might be blocking the limb before turning or twisting too hard, get things lined up just right, and you'll get even better poses than you might expect.

It's also worth noting that you should pay attention to the instructions when it comes to opening and adjusting the panels. The panel for the back switch does open up the whole way, but it is a tight fit that pops into an open position.

There are two panels for the shoulder cannon. The top back shoulder panel slides to the left, and you should try to get it open on the left side first. That will make sliding it over much easier. Below that is the other opening panel, and like the one covering the switch, it does open fully and pop into place. The cannon arm extends up very far, allowing the launcher to rest flat over the shoulder piston. Be careful extending it, and returning it to its original position. The rocket itself can be kept inside the launcher and the plates will return to their original position.

There's also the head - the two chest panels pop out and slide downward, and the arc reactor moves outward and then down as well. You have to adjust the edges of the panels however, to allow the reactor to come completely forward.

Overall - ****
Iron Man fans, me included, have been long wanting this figure to offset the million MK outfits on the shelf. Now that he's here, I have to say it's worth the wait.

The high price is no doubt an issue, and I can't argue with that. But there's also no doubt that this is an engineering marvel, one of the ten action figure wonders of the world.

I've always been impressed by how much articulation and posability Hot Toys has gotten out of the restrictive Iron Man suit, but this is even a step above that. Add in the Stane portrait hidden in the chest, the retracting shoulder cannon, and exceptional light feature and you have one of the best figures in the series.

Make sure you scroll down through all the photos - I've included quite a few this time, including some of the smaller details.

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

Where to Buy -
Sideshow has him at the whopping retail of $480. Online options include these site sponsors:

- Alter Ego Comics has him at $442.

- Big Bad Toy Store is at $445.

- or you can search ebay for a bargain.

Related Links -
Hot Toys has done a ton of Iron Man figures, including the Mark V, the Secret Project version, the MKVI, the very cool War Machine, the hot chick Black Widow, Whiplash, the Mark III figure, Mark II figure, Mark I figure, and additional Tony Stark men's suit. There are also guest reviews of the Battle Damaged Iron Man and Mech Suit Tony Stark.

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