I'm stunned at the amount of detail that has been worked into this figure's tiny frame. There is enough intricate sculpting here that he would still look detailed at a 6" size, which means he's amazing in this much smaller scale. He makes Mattel's DC Infinite Heroes line look soft and lazy. Let me just lay out some of the flourishes, which are each crisp in their implementation. He has pouches with latches, a belt buckle, clothes wrinkles, boot laces, boot stitchings, boot treads, a scaled upper body, and raised symbols instead of just decals. All of these small elements added up together give him a very real-world kind of look, unlike a more toyish style of a lot of smaller figures. There is a much greater attention to detail played in Captain America than even other figures in the same line, partially because his design lends well to adding intricacies. On the design note, it's a variation on the classic with much more modern flair and it looks great. This is my personal favorite Captain America design, so I'm glad to see it here. Like many figures, Captain America looks almost too stretched out, with a quite lean build. I imagine him much thicker usually, but he does match the style of the line, where many other figures are unnaturally slim. He also suffers from a minor mismatch in leg length, so posing him in a straight stance isn't always easy. His proportions are otherwise okay, with realistic muscles sizes and a seemingly normal sized head, hands, and feet. The defining element of the character is of course hi circle shield, which is perfectly molded, as perfectly round as can be. It also feels like it's the right size in comparison to the figure and just deeply curved enough. The big problem with it is that the hook used to attach it to his arm isn't strong enough to actually lock on, often expanding too much and falling off his arm. The shield also includes elastic straps that allow Cap to place the shield over his shoulders like a backpack, which is a great extra touch of style. The head mold here is sharp enough to denote all of his features, including his stern expression. The mask is very subtly sculpted in, not just painted, as is the "A" on his forehead. It's a nicely detailed face with a look that's neutral, although still good.

Sculpt Score: 8 / 10

 Captain America is heavily reliant on the good old red, white, and blue, but thankfully this toy diversifies a little by adding in the good old brown, and gray. The classic color scheme is presented in a less vibrant, and much more realistic tone with this figure. That more earthy feel is aided even further by adding brown pouches and gray patches in his costume, making him look like someone who might actually exist instead of an American flag brought to life. Hasbro also goes heavy on a dark wash across almost the whole figure, and while some may think it makes him look "dirty", it's actually a nice effect that pulls him totally out of the looking toyish risk. There are a few places that this wash globs up and comes out wrong, but it's mostly okay. The paint and decal applications are pretty tight across the board, with a clean chest-star, "A" on the forehead, and stripes at his torso. The pouches are often a little oversprayed, and where the blue meets the gray on his upper body is never perfect, but on such a small figure, getting things absolutely perfect is unrealistic. Plus, it's really difficult to spot these problems without the aid of a still photograph and perfect light, so you may never see a thing wrong with yours. Cap's shield is pretty good, with very "straight" circles lines, but the blue in the center suffers from some color fading, offering a much lighter blue on one side than the other. There is also some wonky color on the border between the red and the blue which doesn't look right. On a good note, the star is perfect looking. The biggest weakness with Captain America is the skin color on his face, which does a really poor job of covering up the blue color of the plastic underneath. Some blue comes through all the way, but most of his face just comes across as filthy, almost green. It seems to look better in the white light of the photos, though in person it's considerably worse. The applications around his ears are poor too, leaving a lot of blue that should be skin. His eyes are actually good, even though they're so small, so I can't ask for anything more there. 

Paint Score: 7 / 10

 If there's one thing that will keep this Marvel Universe line on top of the 3 3/4" battle royale, then it will be an amazing articulation model in a majority of the figures. Captain America has enough joints for just about any scale, which is to say he's amazingly poseable for a toy this small. He has ball style shoulders, hips, neck, and torso; hinges at his elbows, ankles, and two at each knee; swivels at the waist, calves, biceps, and wrists. You can put this toy in a lot of different poses and he's fun to play with to boot. Whether he's facing off against Batman in a cross-dimensional fight or just standing next to Iron Man on a shelf, he's going to look good and be easy to use too. The only points that might be useful are hinges at the wrist, as well as some side to side movement in his ankles, but no one is going to complain with this many points on offer. A couple points (his left shoulder and calf swivel) are a little loose; not enough to be a big problem though. One great thing about Captain America is that his costume lends itself to articulation is a very attractive way. Swivels work into the edge of his boots and gloves without a hitch, the torso articulation lines up above the ab stripes perfectly, and even his belt aids in distracting the eye from the ugly crotch. It's definitely still ugly, but everything else looks pretty good. 

Articulation Score: 9 / 10

   

 Hasbro really might be at the top of the pile when it comes to making action figures fun, and Captain America is another one that's a blast to own. First things first, articulation is a hoot, and as mentioned above, Captain America has a lot of it. You can play with him in just about any way, and poses that you can find on the shelf are near limitless. He also includes his natural accessory, the shield, which can be used on his arm or his back, and being able to vary how you use it, even storing it on the character when not in use is a great element to add play value. Above all that, is simply that Cap is a classic character that so many people love, this design capturing both the classic and modern styles, allowing it to please a broad audience. Iconography like Cap's is one of a kind, and this action figure captures it quite well. This toy line includes a really fun diversion whereby you can enter a packed-in code on the internet and receive "top secret" information on that character and its current activity in the comics. Adding this online collectors element and potential future mail-away figure to the line are great surprises. The packaging also includes this same "Fury Files" theme, unifying the entire line and adding a continuing narrative so that the toy has a story right out of the box. A card with statistics, a biography, and a unique image is also included, adding even more fuel to the fun fire. Hasbro understands that there is more to the toy than just the physical form, making the context it operates in a living, breathing narrative, Captain America benefiting from this just as much as anyone else. None of this fun is hampered by frustrating elements or broken parts, meaning he takes full advantage of all the enjoyment on tap. 

Fun Score: 10 / 10

 Captain America was purchased at retail for $8.44, which is a surprisingly large amount for a less than 4" figure, even these days in an ever increasing price market. The DC Infinite Heroes figures are approximately $1-2 dollars less, but their quality is so much lower that they manage to be worth even less than do these MU figures. Captain America is a well made figure that should be able to stand up to a large number of rough playing hours. He doesn't feel cheap or breakable, all of his joints worked smoothly, and the plastic he's made of feels thick and plenty strong. He's got a really detailed sculpt and thorough paint job, even if they aren't top-notch, it's still clear someone spent a lot of time on them, increasing the sense of value by a lot. He does include an accessory and a number of fun pack-ins like the previously mentioned Bio Card and number code for the interactive online experience, so those little things add up quickly. There's a lot that this toy has to offer a potential buyer; it would just be more reasonable a dollar or two cheaper than it currently stands. 

Value Score: 7 / 10 

Summary

 8 - Unbelievable amount of details, suffers from an untypical frame, good proportions, shield is dead on in looks but not in function, face is simple but it works. 

 7 - The colors are all great shades that don't come across as too plastic-like, nice wash effect that occasionally gobs up too much, applications are okay, blue on shield is faded and inconsistent, face looks dirty. 

 9 - Costume works well with sculpt/articulation visual balance, joints generally work well but a few are loose, lots and lots of points for this scale, crotch is really ugly. 

 10 - There's not much more you could ask for, playful articulation, included accessory, enjoyable pack-ins, nothing annoying, context and narrative waiting to be explored. 

 7 - Includes a lot of elements to make it worth your money, high production values, quality materials, accessories and pack-ins, just costs too much money. 

Overall Score: 84 / 100 - This is a Great Toy

Captain America doesn't get everything right in the technical department, but he'll fight his way into your toy box on undeniable charm with a lot of fun to give you once he's there.  

P.S. This could be the figure I'm giving away this month, just leave a comment for a chance to win (if it's the one).

-The Articulated One