It’s been almost four weeks since Terminator: Salvation was released to theaters, and fans and critics have not been kind. With a disappointing 33% on Rotten Tomatoes, it’s not even as well liked as the God awful Rise of the Machines.
Ah, but Hot Toys is producing a series of sixth scale figures based on the film, and let’s face it – if it’s Hot Toys, it has to be good. They have both John Connor and Marcus Wright coming soon, as well as a very cool T-600, but the first release is the T-700.
Hot Toys isn’t new to the Terminator license, and one of their best figures is the T-800 Endoskeleton based on Terminator 2, which they released a couple years ago. This figure came with several weapons, and set a new standard at the time for well designed articulation.
While the T-700 is a predecessor to the T-800 we all know and love, it’s still a very similar beast, particularly under the skin. Perhaps Hot Toys realized that, because they went with a different route for this figure, stripping him of his accessories and offering him at a considerably lower price point. While you can expect to pay around $150 for most Hot Toys figures, this guy comes in at closer to $110 at most retailers.
If you have any questions or comments, drop me a line at mwc@mwctoys.com, or check out my site at Michael’s Review of the Week – Captain Toy. Now, on to the review!
Hot Toys T-700 sixth scale action figure
Packaging – ****
While much of this figure has a been there, done that feel due to the earlier Hot Toys T-800 release, the one area that really took me by surprise was the package. This thing is way cool! It comes in a dark gray (almost black) hard foam (very hard) package, with just a top and bottom held together by a much smaller than usual outer sleeve. The foam is intricately carved, giving it a machined appearance. It’s very striking, and one of Hot Toys most innovative box designs in quite awhile.
Inside, you get the figure carefully packed and no twisties or other annoying encumbrances. The package is very collector friendly, with no need to damage or destroy anything in the removal of the figure.
Sculpting – ****
I haven’t reviewed a lot of Hot Toys figures here at QSE, but I cover quite a few at my site. And believe me, they are the finest sixth scale figures on the market today. This Endoskeleton is a thing of beauty, with sharply defined sculpting, excellent small detail work, and an amazing level of movie accuracy.
However, Hot Toys isn’t the first company to produce an amazing looking Endoskeleton, T-700 or otherwise. But they go beyond just the sculpt, engineering the figure to combine this amazing realism with stupendous articulation. It’s figures like this one that prove you don’t have to forfeit articulation for great looks.
The mechanical nature of this monster requires a sharp edge to the sculpt. Pieces need to look like machined metal, not soft plastic, and here again Hot Toys manages to give us the closest thing to the real deal possible. The surface of the figure is also scored and pocked, much like wrought iron, adding to the metallic effect. You really have to see this guy in person to appreciate the work.
I do wish he was a smidge bigger. Yea, I know. He’s the interior skeleton of a slightly larger than normal human male. So he’s not going to be quite as big as a figure with skin and muscle on him, but I would have personally preferred a little more height.
Paint – ****
The paint work here isn’t complex, but the potential to over do it is there, and other companies have certainly had less restraint. The temptation to try to do too much is hard to resist, but that wouldn’t make this figure better.
I’ve said before that the paint can improve any sculpt, and here it adds to the appearance of the metal body. Had they gone with something too shiny, that iron works style texturing wouldn’t have looked right. Instead, they’ve matched the color with the style of sculpt perfectly.
Articulation – ****
Other companies that produce robots or figures in armor usually throw in the towel when it comes to articulation. The pistons, gears, and other small mechanical devices makes it impossible to have useful joints, or so most people think.
Hot Toys doesn’t believe it though, and they continue to prove that it’s possible to engineer joints that work with even the most complicated robotic sculpts. Here, the pistons move smoothly at each of the joints, especially the jaw, ball jointed neck, shoulders, wrists, elbows, waist, knees and ankles. While it might appear that there is no way these joints could have much range of movement due to the complicated nature of the mechanics, they actually do. It’s really quite impressive!
Even the toes are articulated, and the fingers have multiple joints. There’s a joint at each knuckle, and a joint at the base of the finger that allows them to spread wider or come together close! Getting the fingers in just the right position can be a bit frustrating, and they can be a little loose at times, but you have to be impressed with the overall workmanship.
They also seem much more stable and sturdy than the similar joints on their earlier endoskeleton. Hot Toys is improving, even when it seems like they’ve already hit perfection.
Actually, they do still have one joint on these figures that could use a little improvement – the hips. They do move in and out from the plane of the body slightly, but not as much as I’d really like. But deducting for that after seeing all the other exceptional joints just doesn’t seem appropriate.
Accessories – *1/2
While the other Terminator related figures from Hot Toys have been loaded with accessories, this guy only comes with his T-700 base, made to look like a factory platform. It’s a nice looking base, and includes a spot to connect the wire arm that could attach around his waist. I’ll be skipping the arm however, and just standing him on the base, since he has no trouble staying upright on his own. The hole for the arm is hidden well enough to make this possible.
Light up Feature – ***
Like the later model that came out first, he has light up eyes. These are activated with a small, well hidden button on his back. The two small, red LED eyes are bright and clean when lit, and the wiring for this feature doesn’t get in the way of the articulation or appearance. The batteries are relatively easy to swap, and he comes with a set already installed.
However, one of the eyes is slightly brighter than the other, and I noticed that the batteries seem to be dying pretty fast. They are minor quibbles, but enough to pull this down a bit. I haven’t had that issue with my Iron Man figures from Hot Toys, or the first T-800, and I didn’t expect to have it here.
Fun Factor ***
Even with the small fingers and tiny joints, this guy is remarkably sturdy. He feels much less likely to break when you’re posing and handling than the earlier T-800 endoskeleton does. Hard to believe it, but somehow Hot Toys continues to improve.
That being said, breaking the smaller joints and even some of the pistons would be pretty easy if you don’t take some basic care. He’s sturdy enough that an older kid who loves the license could get some great poses out of him, but the under ten crowd would be like Sarah Connor to this guy.
Value – **1/2
I commend Hot Toys on finding a way to drop the price on this figure, especially since he’s similar to their earlier release. A bennie ain’t cheap no matter what though, and by dropping the accessories to drop the price, the value ends up washing out at average.
Things to Watch Out For –
While these joints are sturdier than I expected, you still have to take care when posing him. The fingers are especially tricky, but that’s part of the price you pay for this type of realism.
Overall – ***1/2
With three key four star categories, this guy was bucking for a four star overall. I held off slightly though, because I do really, really miss any accessories, even at the lower price point. I can’t argue with the sculpt, paint or articulation, but we’ve seen this figure – almost – already once before, and I really wish we’d gotten something a little extra this time around. Hot Toys did that with their Iron Man line, where they knew that the MKII figure needed something extra, since he was so close to the MKIII (in terms of the sculpt). This time around, they cut back on the price rather than give us anything extra, and I can appreciate the sentiment…but the lack of accessories still hurts this guy for me.
Scoring Recap –
Packaging – ****
Sculpting -****
Paint – ****
Articulation – ****
Accessories – *1/2
Light Up Feature – ***
Fun Factor – ***
Value – **1/2
Overall – ***1/2
Where to Buy –
You have a number of great online options:
– Urban Collector has a great price at $106.
– Alter Ego Comics has him at $108.
– Corner Store Comics also has it at $108.
– Show Piece Collectibles doesn’t have the T-700, but they have a great price on the T-660 at just $168. Most other sites are pre-selling this guy for around $200!
Related Reviews:
Check out Hot Toys previous Endoskeleton, the T-800.
Comments: 2 Comments
2 Responses to “Toy Box: Hot Toys Terminator T-700 Sixth Scale Action Figure”Leave a Reply |
June 18th, 2009 at 3:36 pm
Nice review Michael. Love your work how dou you pay for all this?
June 22nd, 2009 at 8:02 am
Sponsors, baby, sponsors! Couldn’t do it without them.