1/6 Hot Toys - MMS 279 - Star Wars Episode IV: 1/6th scale Darth Vader

[paramoremcr88]

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[Asta]

 

[Jaymas]

The irony is that in the opening shot of the video, the SS looks better than the HT.

The HT there reminds me of the old Hasbro talking Vader.

Posed right, and using padding for the arms and thighs (or simply using the robes and cape to hide them), the SS looks good.

But posed right the HT has been shown to stomp all over the SS!

The SS pose is similar to the way I have mine posed, except I have his left hand on his belt buckle and his legs are posed better and the robes are futz better. I really like my Vader figure posed that way. I never use the SS saber, because it is oversized, but would like to pose Vader from with his saber from time to time. I had hoped that a HT Vader would look good in both kind of poses, but it seems like SS is better at gesturing poses; mostly because of the gloves. And again, I love my SS Vader posed like that.

I do agree that the HT Vader does look like Hasrbo there
But he looks pretty awesome in many other pictures.

I think the HT figure is clearly the better of the two when looking at the strength and weaknesses of each. If I didn't have a Vader I would get the HT one. BUT, deciding to upgrade after already having the SS one is a much tougher decision that is harder to justify.

 

[Johnny6666]

Yeah, this video was a huge surprise.

I got around to ordering the HT last night after waiting for RPs to accumulate. Reviews here seemed to be so favourable, apart from the glove issue. And then this video.

Has to be a futzing/posing issue, as there are some incredible photos of Vader posted in this thread by paramore and QuiGonFishing, and others whose names I can't remember right now.

I dunno. I think the short legs problem is more a clothing/costume issue with the HT Vader that might be diminished with some cod piece and boot adjustment. And, although I understand the need for a comparison between the HT and SS (particularly for those who own the latter and are considering purchasing the former), I feel any scale issues with the HT Vader would be better legitimated when compared against the other figures in the HT Star Wars line.

I know some will be mixing and matching their different SW 1/6 scale figures, but in terms of critical assessment I look mainly for consistency across a particular brand line - because, as we all know, different companies are never consistent with scale design and straight comparisons can often lead to disappointment.

 

[SithThundercracker]

Honestly, gloves excluded, there is no single point that makes me prefer the SSC. Prowse was bulky, the suit was sort of "fat", the helmet was huge.

 

[Cavlcade]

awesome picture

I'm probably going to buy this expensive figure.... and it's your fault.

Thanks

 

[ZE_501]

[...]Prowse was bulky, the suit was sort of "fat", the helmet was huge.

Decades of Expanded Universe media have distorted the images of many characters. Stormtroopers went from lanky, awkward '70s British dudes in plastic suits to bulky Elite Special Forces ***-Kickers in Super-Armour.

Vader went from being a scenery-chewing amalgam of Samurai movies, Dune's far-future neo-classical techno aesthetic and Flash Gordon villains, wearing essentially a plastic Dr. Who bad-guy helmet to this over-the-top emo, operatic tragic figure bearing false gravitas and depth with mad superhero powers.

It's like people don't "see" the characters and costumes anymore in the original source material. Which pretty much defines Myth anyway, so I suppose that says something about the cultural impact of Star Wars.

 

[Jaymas]

I dunno. I think the short legs problem is more a clothing/costume issue with the HT Vader that might be diminished with some cod piece and boot adjustment.

I agree. It looks to me like the inseam is a bit too short in the pants, but they probably did this to allow more range of motion. Cheating the cod piece up in the pictures I have seen seems to help with thus.

Honestly, gloves excluded, there is no single point that makes me prefer the SSC. Prowse was bulky, the suit was sort of "fat", the helmet was huge.

I agree. The reviewers thoughts about scaling down the top half of the figure, including the helmet, is nonsense. The helmet looks in scale to me as it is. When the HT Vader is posed in a realistic and natural standing kind of pose he doesn't look too bulky at all. But if you stand him up all ridged with him flat footed, legs apart, and to the side as if they can't go all the way down like a Hasbro toy, then he will look like a Hasbro toy where you wonder if things are oversized. But as paramoremcr88 and others have shown in their pictures, when posed right he looks just about right when it comes to size.

Now, as for the gloves. It is hard to me to just dismiss this as a minor problem. Unfortunately I think it takes away a lot from the look of the over all figure unless you pose him in a way that minimizes an emphasis on his hands.

 

[Jaymas]

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Vader's hands look perfect in this shot

But seriously, thanks for another great picture Paramoremcr88

 

[Johnny6666]

It's like people don't "see" the characters and costumes anymore in the original source material. Which pretty much defines Myth anyway, so I suppose that says something about the cultural impact of Star Wars.

Very insightful post, indeed.

And it's those very 'flaws' of the original Star Wars that still make it so appealing to me: Prowse does look awkward in his suit, and the helmet does look utterly unwieldy at times. When he leans forward during the discussion on the Tantive IV about the escape pod, it looks like it's about to fall off! It was huge!

Now, as for the gloves. It is hard to me to just dismiss this as a minor problem. Unfortunately I think it takes away a lot from the look of the over all figure unless you pose him in a way that minimizes an emphasis on his hands.

That's the only real criticism that is truly warranted, in my view. The gloves just look awkward, and are distracting once you've noted how odd they look. But I can swallow that, given how exceptional all other aspects of the figure are.

 

[Tinman2000]

Yeah, I'm really looking forward to getting mine, although after watching the Clipper King's review I don't intend on powering up the voice box; not putting the mechanism in the display stand was a BIG HT fail.

 

[WhoaItsJBot]

In some pictures this looks great, in others it makes me want to wait for the ESB version after all.

Tiny body with giant head, the SS version looks better here. Never thought I'd say that.

 

[SithThundercracker]

No it's not. Cape and robe are just better futzed in the SSC one (and left HT glove is ultra-ugly), but the rest is just in plain sight: too tall, too skinny, small dome. If we are talking about Darth Vader. If we're comparing two guys, yes the one on the left is surely in better shape and the smaller helmet is making him look slender and classy.

 

[paramoremcr88]

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[TonTon]

So glad I bit the bullet on this.

 

[QuiGonFishing]

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Epic....

 

[cel3027]

Do we have any idea yet when ss will ship

 

[Tinman2000]

So glad I bit the bullet on this.

Bit the bullet; does that mean you purchased it or passed on it?

 

[mustang33guy]

Do we have any idea yet when ss will ship

I just asked SSC that question and seems like he will ship around Christmas. Here is my email with their Reps:

 

[zipstore]

Do we have any idea yet when ss will ship

My final payment has been changed from dec 15 to dec 25 and there already has the shipping cost. So I think it is going to be shipped until dec 30.