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Hot Toys MMS231
Thor: The Dark World- Loki
Thor: The Dark World- Loki
Marvel has been on a roll… I never expected to see so many great comic-based films in such a short period. And it seems the only thing “Marvel” we get more of than films is 1/6 figures from Hot Toys. One of the cornerstones of Marvel’s new films is Thor and for his second stand-alone film, The Dark World, there were 2 new figures of Thor (yep, two) bringing him to a total of 4 versions and the figure reviewed here, Loki, getting his second crack at 1/6 glory.
But does Loki really deserve a 2nd release? He’s certainly an important enough character; I mean if we can have 232 Iron Man and/or Tony Stark figures, certainly Thor’s tricksy adopted brother can have 2… maybe? Let’s take a look and see, shall we…
*All scores are out of a possible five stars
Packaging: ☆☆☆☆1/2
The Avengers packaging for the previous Loki (and the entire series) is hands down some of the nicest work anyone has done in 1/6. They were simple, but man did they look cool and if you have them all it makes an impressive and expensive wall. But with The Dark World Hot Toys has switched it up and went with a very cool Mjornil design. It’s a touch silly, but still visually interesting. As always everything is collector friendly and easy to get to with very little wasted space.
Sculpting: ☆☆☆☆☆
Part of the concern over a 2nd Loki so close on the heels of the Avengers version is whether or not the new sculpt was a step forward (as we’d expect, just look at the new Thors!) or maybe backward. While I don’t have the Avengers figure in hand to make a direct comparison, I prefer this new one. It’s got more of a refined look and while I felt the first one was a touch too feminine, this one seems to better capture his sly, but still masculine, appearance. The hair is particularly well done, and like Thor features a number of individual groups of hair that give it a realistic flowing appearance.
What’s interesting is Hot Toys sculpts seem to look better in production than in prototypes… if you compare the final Loki to the prototype he is much smoother and closer in likeness to Tom Hiddleston. I assume Hot Toys is exaggerating skin texture and other features which then get blunted in production. Sadly this causes some concerns at pre-order, but at least the end product seems to be what we hoped for.
Paint: ☆☆☆☆☆
It’s Hot Toys… so no surprise, but the paint work is top-notch. Everything is neat and clean, no slop and the eyes just sparkle with life and a touch of malice. Skin tone is very life like and he’s on the lighter side of the normal HT paint work giving him a bit of an unhealthy look befitting the character.
Hands are all well done and match the body and head nicely and the accessories are all well done.
Body: ☆☆☆☆1/2
Again, it’s Hot Toys… and their bodies are still the best in the market. He’s got all of the articulation you’ve come to know and love. Movement is a bit restricted by the design of his outfit, and the hair, but you’ll have no trouble getting him into any number of cool poses. One nice feature of Loki is a sculpted long neck plug… it’s thinner than the one from Captain America, but is one of those extra touches you appreciate with a high-end figure.
Outfit: ☆☆☆☆☆
Do I need to say Hot Toys again? I think where this figure really shines is the outfit. He comes with 3 pieces to the outfit and each one is meticulously done with multiple sewn details, layered fabrics and sculpted plastic pieces added in… it’s one of the single most impressive items I’ve seen in production tailoring. Just look at the picture of the back of his pants… 3 separate materials/textures, all for a part of the costume I’m sure most people would never even known about or expected to look a certain way. Whoever made this outfit deserves a raise and likely a stiff drink!
He also has a great looking pair of boots with separate feet allowing him a great range of motion in the ankles. Compared to the Avengers version he does have a bit less going on (no cape or crown and less armor), but I think proportionally he looks better this way.
Accessories: ☆☆☆
This is the category where Loki falls short, especially if you compare him to the Avengers release. He has his dagger, three sets of hands and the prisoner transport manacles. If you got the exclusive you get one additional accessory, the Aether.
While the sculpting and paint work on all of the accessories is at the expected level, it’s a light assortment. Now admittedly he does not interact with a lot during the film, but maybe just tossing in the helmet or cape for good measure would have been nice.
I will add I was pleasantly surprised to see the Aether does light up. It’s nothing fancy, but a welcome and cool looking addition.
Price: ☆☆☆
Um, Hot Toys? Prices rising, cats and dogs living in harmony, yadda yadda.. I think we know the drill. At $240 Loki is on the high end of HT single figure non/DX releases. I think had he come with more accessories then the price would be fair, but even with the incredible outfit he’s about 10%-15% too high. If you got the exclusive I think the price is a bit better, but still not ideal.
Overall: ☆☆☆☆1/2
This is another Hot Toys release that is about as good as it can get. From the outfit to the head sculpt to the paint everything is excellent. It’s just when you consider the price, lack of accessories and recent Avengers release that it tarnishes him a bit.
On his own I think he’s great, and if you missed the Avengers version (like me) or need a 2nd Loki to go with the 4 Thors you already own this one is a definite purchase!
https://bit.ly/buyloki
Customizing/General Suggestions:
- Check back soon**
- Do be careful with the manacles… they seem pretty sturdy, but there is not a lot of range for how far they can move (duh, manacles) and I imagine it would be easy to snap a chain or connector piece.
**As-is Loki is very solid release and nothing seemed like a glaring issue or an opportunity for improvement. However, if you have any suggestions please post them and I’ll add it to the review
-Figure provided for review by Sideshow Collectibles-
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