Iron Man's popularity should be evident in that this is already his 3rd release in the Marvel Universe line of action figures from Hasbro. Can this classic metal-head stand steel toe to steel toe with his contemporaries, or is he just a little behind the times? Read on to find out!
Name: Iron Man (Classic)
Line: Marvel Universe, Figure 21
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Released: 2nd Quarter 2009
Price: Retail: $7.50-$9.99, Online: $8.95-$12.99
Scale: 3.75 in. (figure is 4.25 in. tall)
Accessories: Energy blast attachment
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I'm going to start out by being blunt: This Iron Man toy is ugly, and there's really only one reason, his wonky proportions. There has been a lot of discussion about his wickedly thin torso, and for good reason, because it's absurd looking for a man (let alone a woman) wearing full plate armor. I nearly called this version, "Iron Man (Corset)". This also makes his whole body look too long, including legs and arms, for just a funky overall appearance. Other than that, there are actually quite a few positive aspects. Costume details are all there, including a number of horizontal lines carved into his boots, gloves, and trunks. These are mostly straight and do a better job of conveying that detail than paint alone would. He also has some nice looking circles on his chest, and even the appropriate repulsor holes on his hand and both boots!. There are a lot of muscles coming through his outfit, but I think a less muscled style would have fit Iron Man better. Unfortunately the muscles on the back of his arms (triceps) look really strange, almost mutant. I'm not an expert in human anatomy, but he has a weird "lip" on the back of his arm, that's very hard to describe. Just know it looks odd, if you're paying attention that closely.
His head is nothing amazing, but it gets the job done and captures the portrait of Iron Man quite well. There are sculpted ear buds, a widow's peak, and even little "eyebrow" extensions where the plastic extends just a little above his eyes. The rectangles of his mouth and eyes may not be perfectly square, but they still look great to the natural eye. The contours of his mask are obvious, which is a good thing, adding a that little human touch with curves at the temples and into the cheeks. His acessory isn't quite so wonderful, even questionable. It's the same energy blast as the one packed with the earlier modern Iron Man release, and I still can't really find a good way to pose with it. It stays on his arm well, but doesn't look that great (or as if it's actually coming out of his hand). It's particularly hard to imagine a repulsor ray with this figure, because his hand can only stay one direction, meaning with his arm extended, the blast would go straight down. The blast itself also looks peculiar, with overlapping layers and blunt edges.
Sculpt Score: 6 / 10
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Hasbro got the red coloring on Iron Man exactly right. It's a bold, rich color that has just enough gloss to make it look shiny and metallic. It matches across his entire body, and I couldn't be much happier with it. The yellow, on the other hand, is just a mess. A part of me wishes that they had actually fully committed to a real yellow, to represent the limited coloring of classic comics, but the yellow/gold they went with is a choice I can accept. This gold comes off just a little wrong to the eye, especially across different body parts. His upper arms and upper legs are cast in the yellow/gold plastic you see. It's really an unusual shade, almost coming off as green in some light, but the real problem is that it doesn't match the other gold aspects of the costume which were painted on, such as his face, chest circle, or limb bottoms. You can see the difference in my photos, but it's even more evident to me looking right at the figure. I wish some extra effort to match these up had been made, even thogh it may not bother anyone too much.
Applications are sadly just average as well. The black lines of his costume grooves are straight and clean in some spots, though sloppy in others. They're also very inconsistent in thickness, which isn't a big deal, it's just noticeable. His face is a mixed bag too. The eyes and mouth are very clean and stand out well (despite being recessed!), but the cut line between red and gold doesn't line up with the sculpt, making for a few eye-sores. The same problem applies to his boot and glove cuffs, where the color switch is handled quite poorly. Iron Man's accessory is exceedingly simple, it's just cast in a clear yellow plastic, and I'd like to think a few brush or wash effects might make it a much better piece; without them it's very bland.
Paint Score: 6 / 10
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I'm still trying to figure out if I like Marvel Universevfigures' articulation (it's hard because they're all different!). Iron Man has what I'm starting to consider the more "standard" MU model, which is a pretty diverse affair for a "3.75 inch" scale figure. There are seemingly a lot of points, and yet posing him seems like such a chore. The arm articulation works wonderfully; it's tight enough but still smooth, and quite poseable. The leg articulation is a different story, because his hips are very difficult to use, feeling gummy and weak (due to plastic ball joints I imagine). They also prevent his legs from going all the way back, making him perpetually lean the tiniest bit forward. His double hinged knees work fine, but the hinges in the ankles require some struggling due to a limiting sculpt. I would really appreciate some sort of upper leg swivel to make the most out of this articulation, although less troublesome hips would suffice. The head has a full range of motion, allowing you to add quite a load of personality to poses, and although it's an ugly joint, his ball style abs also make for some interesting stances.
Articulation Score: 6 / 10
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Iron Man is a top tier comic book character, and that's for a reason: because he's fun! There's just something playable about a man stepping into a flying suit of armor that every kid and adult alike enjoy. Whatever fun is present in the character is regrettably lost in the physical problems of the figure. His articulation is difficult to use, and he looks silly from both a paint and sculpt standpoint. This makes posing him on a shelf more of a struggle than a joy, but thankfully nothing is broken or missing, which helps him from losing even more points here. It's nice that he includes an accessory, it's just not a particularly entertaining one. Thankfully Hasbro didn't stop there, and included a couple extras in the package. First off is the "top secret document" that comes in a sealed folder and reveals some information and story about the character in an interesting way. There's also a small slip of paper with a code on it that allows you to enjoy some interactivity online. These little tidbits do add some longevity to enjoying this figure with some story and background that make play experiences thrive.
Fun Score: 7 / 10
Although Hasbro puts out other 3.75 inch figures at the $7 price point, this Iron Man retails for more in the range of $8 to $9. That's a considerable jump up in price, especially for figures like Iron Man that aren't any bigger than normal, or aren't loaded down with accessories like GI Joes. There are the extra pack ins mentioned before, but these sheets of paper don't improve the perception of value by much at all. I think including a build-a-figure piece would have really helped, or just dropping the price by a dollar or two. The packaging is nice, including the great artwork on the card, so that's a little bonus for your money. There are unique molds being utilized, and that's a good feeling, but it doesn't overcome the weak sculpt and paint that are seen here.
Value Score: 6 / 10
Summary
6 - Awkward looking torso and odd accessory, but otherwise nice details and an accurate head sculpt.
6 - A mixed bag of great colors and bad colors, along with mediocre applications, but a great face.
6 - Substantial number of points, but they're hard to use.
7 - An enjoyable character with some bonuses that's hampered by frustrating articulation.
6 -Comes with extras, but priced just a little too high for the level of quality.
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Overall Score: 64 / 100 - This is an Okay Toy
Iron Man's less than superb sculpt, paint, and articulation all add up to a figure that's, well ...less than superb, but still okay.
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 (thearticulatedone@articulateddiscussion.com)
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