[TAO's Note: Ewan has already reviewed the Mark I and Mark II figures from this line, and today we're privileged to read about Mark III! Keep reading to see how this version stands up to the other two.]
Name: Iron Man (Mark III)
Line: Iron Man 2: Movie Series
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Released: March 2010
Price: Online: $9.99-$12.99, Retail: $7.99-$8.99
Scale: 3.75 in.
Accessories: Flip-Up Armor, 3 x Mk III Armor Cards, Base (1 peg) with Armor Card stand
Mark III is the exactly the same as Mk II with a different paint job, just like in the movie. From head to toe, from the one open and one closed fist—nothing's different sculpt-wise. But here's what I don't get: Mk III's all knocked-kneed, with the left especially bent inwards. For some reason, his knees are really warped. At first I cursed my luck for not spotting it in the package, then I made another run at the toys to pick up Classic Iron Man and Crimson Dynamo, and I found that all ten or so Mark IIIs on the pegs had a warped left leg. So now I'm wondering if it's a problem with the material for the knee joints they used on MK III—somehow the joint didn't stand up well to the pressures of packaging. At least the inward warp is not too noticeable once you bend the joint, and thank goodness he still stands fine and has full range of motion in the knees.
Instead of a clip-on arm cannon, Mk III comes with a wearable suit of 'flip-up armor. It's made of hard-ish plastic and you wear in on him like a t-shirt. The armor fits really nice and doesn't restrict the cheast pivot at all. It also looks like a decent power-up modification for added protection. What's cool is that the gold stripes on it flip up to reveal of missile ports/laser cannons. What's not so cool is the soft rubber they sculpted the gold flip-up portions out of. So while they look all right, they feel really dispappointing to the touch. I'm also afraid of tearing them off or scratching off the gold paint when (literally) peeling them from out of the grooves of the armor upgrade.
Like MK II, Mk III's got a great sculpt. But this guy loses major points for a really soft left knee and equally soft 'rabbit ears' on his flip-up amor.
Sculpt Score: 7 / 10
The reason I got Mark III was because it's the definitive suit of armor from the Hollywood blockbuster--it's the first version in the movie to bear the gold and hot rod red, has protection against icing as a result, and is the armor Tony Stark uses to take down big bad Iron Monger in the movie's climax. So I had to get it since it's the first time the character appears in 3.75 inch scale. But unfortunately, the paint is the one thing that completely lets this figure down.
Right out of the package Mk III looks wet and sticky, probably due to the glossy coat of red that's too thick in some areas and too thin in others. It's like they couldn't decide if they wanted him shimmery or just glossy. Thank goodness in hand his paint's solid to the touch.
From what I can see of the inside of his flip-up armor and unsprayed spot below his chin (they actaully missed the spot, sheesh!), it looks as if Mk III was cast in orange/yellow plastic, coated once over in a thick glossy red, then had his gold parts painted. Maybe this would've worked better if they didn't botch up the thickness of the first red coat, because it gives Mk III a really uneven red all over. For example, his stomach has a nice shimmering quality you can see from the paint, while his chest doesn't have it. Also, his legs are pretty uneven, with the knee guard and left boot a slightly darker shade of red than the right. Even his shoulder guards are a darker red than the rest of him. But the places which are hit the worst are the joints. His right elbow ball is too lightly coated (revealing a little of the orange plastic), while the left is fine. His right knee joint is full of red paint, while the left joint paint is a little thin.
Perhaps that's why the left knee joint ended up being softer than the right...
As for the gold, his face is nice and sharp, and finding a figure with a good face wasn't tough at all. But the overall paint lacks consistency, and on my Mk III, the gold on the thighs is messy at the upper edges and has a huge spill spot on the right thigh. I did see this when buying, but I thought better a thigh slop than a face botch. The thigh I can at least attempt to remove without being too worried about screwing it up.
One more thing: his arc reactor. You'll be hard pressed to find one with a clean blue circle with a bright white center. Most of them have a pink center with blue edges. And I think what's happened here is the transfer/sticker they used for it was applied when the red paint was still wet. The red soaked through to mix with the white and we have girly Iron Man. His eyes, though, which are subject to the same treatment as the armor's power source, are done well.
Paint Score: 6 / 10
He's got 22 points overall, but his head has a really good range of motion all around, while his elbows can do 90 degrees. He's got double-jointed knees like the recent GI Joes, and he's got a flexible yet stable chest pivot that not just works front to back, but side to side and all the way round as well.
He's got the same limitations as the Mk II, with limited in the ankles and shoulders. While he can get about a quarter turn out of swivelling his ankles, he can't point or pivot his feet. His shoulders' hinge movements are actually fine, except that if you raise his arms higher than his head, his shoulder guards will pop off.
Also, his hip joints are really tight due to the heavily applied red paint, so you've got to be careful with them since the knee joints are soft. You don't want to end up ripping his lower leg off.
Articulation Score: 8 / 10
The best fun I can think of with this guy is with an Iron Monger, since you'll probably remember him best from the final battle atop Stark Industries. Somehow when I think of that battle I think of Jeff Bridges as Obadiah Stane, and who can forget Bridges as The Dude if you've seen The Big Lebowski? Those who have seen it know full well how fun a movie that is. And didn't Mr. Bridges just win an Academy Award? ;) But I digress....
Where were we? Ah, yes. Fun. The flip up armor is actually a pretty good accessory—it's not just another clip on cannon or rubber enrrgy blast. Mk II can wear and take off the armor easily and it actually has play value in its flip up 'compartments' despite the flip-ups being made of thin rubber.
Somehow getting a version, any version, of Iron Man armor never seems dull. I guess you could always add it to the 'retired' section of the Hall of Armor if you get bored or are unhappy with it, just like Tony Stark does.
Fun Score: 7.5 / 10
It seems like the suits from the first movie are pretty hot. The Mark Is have disappeared off the racks in Singapore, while Mark IIs are getting scarce. There were still a few of this guy left when I checked out the local department store but at the rate their going, you should snag this guy first if you can. At the very least, you get an accessory that'll fit on any other standard sized Iron Man, a stand and the three awesome Armor Cards.
Value Score: 7 / 10
7 / 10 - This sculpt has it's fair share of problems: the left knee and the soft flip up parts. But it's still a solid rendering of the first movie's iconic armor.
6 / 10 - Somehow the consistency of the red is rather absent, while the gold gets messy in lots of places. There's also the pink arc reactor. Depsite these, the eyes are great, as are the repulsors on the palms. And I did find one with a good head, so not much wrong there either.
8 / 10 - Mark III's as good as Mk II, which is very good. He's got nice double-Jointed knees and a really flexible neck joint. Still, he can't look up directly (for straight ahead flight) and his shoulders are limited by (detachable) shoulder guards. His ankle hinges are also blocked.
7.5 / 10 - He was definitive in the movie, but as with all Iron Man armors, he got obsolete and entered into the ol' Hall of Armor. But there's no denying that it would fun to recreate that climactic moment where he takes out Iron Monger on low power. All you need now is Iron Monger...
7 / 10 - A lower price point makes for greater sales for this line, at least for now. Mk III also comes with a unique accessory in his flip up armor. That alone made me want to get him (but damn those rabbit ear covers!) He also comes with the standard stand and those loveable, colorful Armor Cards.
71 / 100 - This is a Good Toy
This is a good toy (despite my focus on the less pleasant aspects of the Mk III). It's a good example of how bad paint can not only mess up a figure aesthetically, but functionally as well. Stiff joints, soft joints, and a poor choice of materials used for certain parts really detract from how good this toy was as Mk II. You could skip him and get a Mark VI (which looks like it'll be Stark's main armor in the next movie) or you could just buy 'em all anyway. I'm sure that's what Tony Stark would do.
-Ewan
This could be the figure given away in this month's Review Commentator Contest. Join the discussion by leaving a comment on this review for a chance to win!
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