Top Figures From My Collection

[July 15, 2016]

This is list of my top action figures from my collection in no particular order.

Revoltech, Movie Ultron

This figure looks amazing and simply rocks because of its realism, wide range of dynamic poses, and espressiveness: you don't see many figures of robots that can do that!  Superb head and face sculpt that looks light years better than the SH Figuarts Ultron Prime, and have movable eyes that add expressiveness to the statically menacing face.  The beauty of the Revoltech joints shine with Ultron and allow for some of the most dynamic and expressive poses for a robot:  I've also put Ultron in various mundane poses (typing on a laptop, contemplating life) just because I can.  Although some people complain, the double ball joint shoulders permit that wide range of body language that other figures just don't do.  The leg hip joints are very odd and only really let the legs swing sideways about 45-60 degrees from center but not directly forward like most action figures: this is a compromise that allow for those dynamic looking poses but isn't so good for the more subtle poses where the legs swing straight in front.  Though I wish there were more than the included 2 pair of hands, the closed fist and open claw hands in particular, are surprisingly versatile.  There are still the usual Revoltech issues (joints sometimes coming apart, inconsistent tightness of the joint pegs, difficult articulation), but for the cool poses I can get out of Ultron, it's totally worth it.  

Revol Mini, Zapp Renfro

Zapp is my first Revol Mini figure and I'm probably spoiled by the high level of articulation on a sub-4 inch figure that comes with a versatile and "fun" batch of accessories, including an arm and claw base, that might not all be there on other Revol Minis.  The cartoony proportions of the figure with the extra long legs and oversized hands and feet with the short torso just has a really dramatic look about it, and thankfully the articulation matches.  I also really like his 3 faces, all with completely different expressions (neutral, slyly smoking a cigar, and cartoon whatever that is).  This isn't a perfect figure, his small stature leads to compromises like his weird neck joint which doesn't let him look up and the elbow end range that while decent, could be a wee bit better.

For me, the biggest reason why this figure just works is the double-pivot shoulder joints: they allow his shoulders to come up and towards his neck, that let his arms point out sideways, which in my opinion unleashes the wide expressiveness of the character.  And that weird neck joint gives him that slouching look that Zapp is known for in the anime.  Also, Revoltech decided to use a harder plastic than their softer almost rubbery material like on their Star Wars Storm Trooper, which give the figure a much nicer and solid feel to work with.  Note that unlike full-sized Revoltech figures, Revol Minis don't often come with ratcheting joints, some people will prefer the smoother joints and I think it's the right choice on this size of figure.  I do wish the elbow joints were bigger as they seem a bit flimsy.  Overall, I really enjoy posing this figure in mundane to dynamic poses.  I don't suggest paying full price, but if you can find Zapp for 3000 Japanese Yen or less, this figure is definitely worth owning.

SH Figuarts, Body-Kun/Chan DX

I've been looking for generic looking figures for a long while simply because each character figure I've seen understandably compromises articulation for aesthetics and I wanted maximum articulation all around.  The Body Kun (male) and Body Chan (female) DX deliver in that regard.  The DX set (for deluxe) is the kit to get over the non-DX because it comes with a ton of varied accessories and a total of 9.5 sets of hands, plus a clever stand/base that stores all the accessories inside!  The male and female sculpts are nowhere near identical not only because of the significant size difference, but also because most of the joints are implemented differently which results in different ranges of motion.  Still, neither figure has any major shortcomings with articulation and I've managed a wide variety of mundane and action poses alike.  It's worth reiterating just how cool having all those accessories are, they add so many more possibilities which really suits the theme of a generic figure.  If there is any complaint, the shoulders on the Chan are not easy to rotate and can get tight when the arms are positioned sideways, causing the shoulder to rub against the inner shoulder ring (its purpose is to hide big gaps in the shoulder area).  Otherwise, these figures are totally worth owning for the action figure enthusiast.

SH Figuarts, Bruce Lee

A true professional: easy to work with, delivers.  Tons of hands and 4 really awesome faces made with Bandai's 3D printing technology all look so real it's uncanny.  This figure is very easy to pose and that's what you would expect from an action figured modeled after one of the most famous martial artists.  The hip joints in particular are a big part of the figure's generally excellent articulation:  Bandai uses unconventional larger pivot-and-hinge joints that allow a wide range of sideways swing that do so very smoothly and easily.  There's also a great ab crunch and back arch as well, something I don't see together often.  The double-jointed shoulders pivot inside the body and have a very good range, allowing for some expressive and realistic poses like both arms straight ahead holding nunchuks.  I don't like the ankles at all, there's a very limited toe pointing angle that handicap what is otherwise some of the best articulation I've seen on a figure.  And the wrists don't do it for me either:  the forearms have recessed ball sockets with posts that the hands attach to which I assume is done for aesthetics but at the great expense of wrist articulation.  I'll briefly mention that adding a base would've been very suitable but that's not the Bandai way.  If Bandai had not done these two joints the way they did, they would have what I believe would be the (near) perfect 6-inch action figure.  Overall, Bandai has done an excellent job with their Bruce Lee figure, and again, every figure enthusiast should have one in their collection (Amazon currently seems to still have stock on a once very hot item but now at more reasonable prices).