While there is a favor towards Hot Toys around here, it's not so much the company, as many who love their product hate the company, it's favor for their style.
Hot Toys, Enterbay, Blitzway and some others, strive for photo-realism in their products, they want collectors to feel like they have a 3D image of their favorite character on their desk.
For the majority here, that's what they're into and after, so anything falling short doesn't work for them, but the problem really lies in the fact that many are vocal towards other products as trash.
Yes, Sideshow and HCG pieces don't hit the photo-realistic mark that Hot Toys hits, but, they don't deserve the criticism they get because they're not aiming for it, they're into a more classical, artsy look that still captures likeness and character but doesn't have to look like a living person.
Personally, I like both. Yes, the Sideshow Rambo 2 PF isn't a life-like Stallone piece, but, I think it's overally more badass and cool look and enjoy owing it more than the life-like Rambo 3 1/4 scale bust Hot Toys made.
HCG's Stallone pieces look like him, the ones I reject are based on pose or proportion. I wasn't a fan of the Rocky 6 statue Edinho did because of his head size, just looks too small for the body to me, but the actual sculpt looks great, if the proportions suited me more, I might have really gone after it, or if it was mass produced and half the price I might have bit. I don't like the HCG Rocky 3-4 1/6 statue for the pose, even though the sculpt looks great, just doesn't embody Rocky to me. The 1/4 scale is great, but just doesn't fit in my budget. The Rocky 1 1/6 is nicely done, but just not a moment I care about owning.