[wp-review id=”79323″]
Back in 2013, The MCU introduced the world to what Tony Stark has been tinkering with during his sleepless nights since the events from THE AVENGERS that he calls The House Party Protocol. One of the armors in the group is the Mark XLI or Bones and this one is wearing the Retro Armor in red, gold, and silver.
NOTE: One thing I’d like to mention up front is that throughout the review, I’ll refer to the figure as “whole” when he is in his together form and “split” when he is in separate parts.
So let’s dive right in!
PACKAGING:
The packaging for him is similar to some of the other figures from IRON MAN 3 like the Mark XXVI: Gamma or the Mark XXVII: Disco. They have the profile image of the armor with the number, title and Roman numeral under it. The paint colors are the same as the figure with red, gold, and silver. It’s translucent and very catching to the eye. There is also a Sideshow Collectibles emblem silver sticker that says “exclusive” in the top corner. The sides are in a red/gold color with the colors on the opposite parts on the opposing side. The back is red with gold writing of the credits and the names who worked on this project.
Hot Toys didn’t start off with the boxes with this design for IRON MAN 3 but I do appreciate that once they found a style that they liked, the company became consistent and collectors always appreciate that. This is especially beneficial to the types of collectors that keep the figures in the box or that display the figure in front of the box.
There is a slipcover that when taken off, reveals the figure behind a plastic window on a holder. The rest of the parts and accessories are in the multilayered packaging as well.
LIKENESS:
The figure is the same sculpt as the original Bones but the coloring is completely different. The original figure has a black and copper paint scheme look where this figure is a red, gold, and silver. Depending on the lighting, the red can look like a deep, Torino red or change to a brighter, cherry shade. The gold is shimmery in a subtle way that doesn’t overpower the other colors. The silver looks like chrome or unfinished metal on various parts on the suit and adds that little something that Hot Toys is known to do. The combination of paints and tight sculpts really brings out the intricacies that makes the armor earn its name. The arc reactor has some detailing around the outside and in the center of the light. The majority of elements are on the torso with a lot of the edges being very aggressive. Smooth places are few and far between which is completely appropriate on this guy.
They didn’t forget about the headsculpt and added complexities around the helmet. The top of the head is removable and hides the switch to activate the lights in the eyes. The red here matches the body and the faceplate has a beautiful, reflective paint job. The gold stretches around the head to add a sharp accent and makes his look even more discernible from others.
The more you look over the figure, the more you see. While the filming of the video portion of this review, I kept finding new detailed spots on the limbs and his back. When you get him all unboxed, spend some time and look over the meticulous work that Hot Toys put into recreating him.
ACCESSORIES:
In the way of accessories, there isn’t much included but that’s because an Iron Man armor doesn’t usually have them. He does include the three pairs of hands, eight life-like thrusters, and one figure stand with figure art as well as arms on the stand for posing the parts when he is split.
Also worth mentioning, Hot Toys has included button-cell batteries for the arc reactor in the chest, the head, and the two repulsors in the arms.
The included hands are one pair of fists, one pair of repulsor-firing palms, and one pair with articulated fingers. The fists are solid plastic with red paint on the fingers and palm with the back of the hands painted gold. The other two pairs of hands have the same paint scheme but the repulsors in the middle of the palms light up from the light in the wrist with a white light.
Two of the thrusters can be used while the figure is whole and the others are for posing to show off their self-propulsion. They have used these on other figures like the Mark XLV but I feel like the pieces have been improved some. I’m not sure if its because they aren’t as dense so the light can move through them easier or they are produced differently but whatever it is, it works. Plus, they’re lighter and stay on the figure a lot better than the previous iterations.
The stand keeps its balance when the figure’s split look is positioned properly. As I mentioned in my video review, some other companies might have done a clear stand for this but the arms that Hot Toys uses can hold weight better than those acrylic arms. They’re tougher and very flexible. The peg hole attached to the stand seems to be glued on so don’t try to remove it or you could possibly break it.
My only real gripe about the stand is the fact that they didn’t include a swappable piece to allow the figure to use the stand when the figure is whole. They could’ve even included a separate squeeze clamp to swap out and be like one of their typical dynamic stands or some of the previous armors released in this line. He’s light enough that nothing would need to be changed, just added. It’s not the end of the world but it is odd to not include a stand.
ARTICULATION:
With this figure, you can almost look at the articulation in two ways: when he is whole and he is split.
When it is whole, the articulation is superb. This is partially due to the double-joints but also the magnetic connections around the body. There are no limitations on the forearms and the legs are extendable to have a great range of motion. He can do the classic poses, power posses like the ones that Hot Toys tends for releases and so much more if you get creative.
The head is magnetically attached to the body with a sort of cushioned material to keep it from scratching the top of the neck. It can move further than any other figure and, like the arms, allows poses that are just not possible on other figures.
When he is split, it mimics the exact look from the movie when Bones separates to take out a large group of Extremis soldiers, only to reassemble and move on to the next group of enemies. His parts can be adjusted to get the desired pose with the thrusters attached and positioned on the stand. There are clamps that hold the appendages to the arms and they’re adjustable so you’re not limited to only the knee or the ankle. Be aware that balance plays heavily into what you can clamp as well. Balance is key.
THE BOTTOM LINE:
Going back and watching the scene with Bones really makes me feel that Hot Toys understood how to translate this from the screen. This figure has completely exceeded my expectations. It really takes seeing him in person and being able to look him over to appreciate how cool he is. As I mentioned, the intricacies on the armor is unlike any that I have seen to date and seem endless when examining him. Even the armors that have removable plates to see their inner workings don’t even hold a candle to this figure because his entire body is composed of gears, springs, and hydraulics. There isn’t a single spot on the armor that has been overlooked and you can see the armor’s skeleton (Bones…skeleton…get it?). Anyway, the paint finish looks like metals with the glossy shimmer. The red, gold, and silver give him that classic look but he is still unique. Also, his articulation is impressive due to his detachable pieces and that he can be manipulated in more ways than your typical Iron Man figure. I’m not really keen on the lack of a stand for the figure when he is whole but getting another stand isn’t difficult to do. Sideshow Collectibles made a good choice with this figure as one of their SDCC Exclusives this year and maybe they’ll do the Mark XXXVII Hammerhead next year. Either way, I highly recommend grabbing this figure before he is gone because he is a solid addition to any collection.
