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

[Darth Madden]

What is this new years code you speak of? I tried my 20$ calibrate one and it did not let me.

Its NewYear15 and its only good until the 4th. Tested it and it worked on Vader... now I just need to pull the trigger.

 

[Cap'n Cook]

View attachment 155694

'Correctamundo'.

 

[YankeesFanboy]

'Correctamundo'.

What does Darth Vader look like, mate?

 

[Cap'n Cook]

..

 

[YankeesFanboy]

..

He's black. He's bald.

Does he look like a *****?

What?

(Cuts off arm with lightsaber)

Then why is HT trying to **** us like a *****?

 

[Wor-Gar]

(Edited from above post)

Gosh Darn dats beautiful. (G rated per mods instruction)

Who's is that? Great Vader!!!

 

[Invictus Sol]

I think the heightened complaining for the ANH look comes from the fact that Sideshow already made an ANH Vader that many deemed to be inaccurate. I think the hope among many that this would be an improvement over the past efforts instead of bringing back some old issues. I also think people expect a level of accuracy that is not possible on a mass produced scale.

I dunno, Tamashii's 3PO is a pretty excellent example of how close 1:6 can get to the source material (notwithstanding pistons). An HT Vader could never be perfect, but no doubt in my mind it could be closer. I'm not really one for toy conspiracy theories, but I think a lot of it comes down to what LFL will approve. That said, I'm still pretty happy with the figure. Just I get where the criticism is coming from and for the most part I think it's reasonable.

 

[SwedishHeat]

So, when you watch the movie, do you like Vader's appearance or do you wish the helmet wasn't crooked and the mask symetrical? (And in regards to your dome example, I'm sure it would be molded to only fit one way, so there wouldn't be any room for interpretation on part of the person assembling them.) I don't understand how you can think the critiques are complaining for complaining's sake. Fans liked the ANH look and want fidelity to that look from the figure. What's difficult to comprehend about that?

I have never noticed that Vader's helmet was crooked and asymmetrical until people pointed it out here. So, it's not an "either/or" decision for me, I can't want something I never knew existed. The only thing I've ever really felt separates Vader's helmet looks is that the ANH is duller and has red lenses. These pictures showing what Vader's helmet "really" looks like, it looks wrong to me, it looks like it was warped in the mold, and glued on wrong.

I don't have any difficulty comprehending someone's appreciation for Vader's ANH look. I understand what they want, I don't share that same feeling. I look at the images of the figure and I think it looks really nice. I compare the product photos to what he looks like in ANH and I can see a number of things that are not screen accurate, but that's where the disconnect occurs. I don't feel the compulsion to take that next step and get angry or frustrated about it. There's a reason the Interest threads section exists in this forum, for those that desire the ultimate in accuracy, someone can get that one going.

The irony to me is that, Star Wars interest threads seem to garner very little interest in those areas. Considering how picky Star Wars fans are, it's surprising to me that there has never been any runs for accurate ANH domes, even when the SSC figure came out. FFS, we had an interest thread for Nike shwooshes within hours of the Marty figure being revealed. We have screen accurate backpacks for Daniel Plainview, shoes for Nucky Thompson. It's just crazy that for all the complaining about how inaccurate both Sideshow's and Hot Toys's Star Wars figures are, there's never any custom products to correct these inaccuracies. That's why I think it's complaining for complaining's sake. It's all just talk.

I say it's complaining for complaining's sake, because this same cycle happens every single time a Hot Toys figure is announced. The pics go up, people freak out about how awesome it is, then the nit picking starts, and people talk about how Hot Toys doesn't care, and then we complain about how long it takes, then people get excited for the Backstage Pass, then it arrives and everyone's excited again. All the people that aren't buying it and complain, move on to the next thing because there's something else to talk about. The complaining is just a part of the cycle. My problem is that the "critiques" are mean spirited, it's not constructive. It's endless repetition of the same sentiment "How could they get this wrong?", "Hot Toys doesn't care".

Who out there, cares enough to make a product for people that is screen accurate?

Who out there, cares enough, to pay a fair price for the time it takes to produce a screen accurate product?

 

[Pixelpiper]

IMO, this HT Vader wouldn't be rescued by an asymmetrical dome and weathering. Sure those things are missing, but those aren't the things that immediately jump out and scream "this isn't Vader from the movies." In other words, they could mangle the helmet up a bit and alter the mask, but it wouldn't change the overall appearance of this thing. The whole figure is just stylized from head to toe - this is like Kenner/Hasbro POTF2. Like Vader is some bulked up 20-something 7 foot tall wunderkind under his tight-fitting blinged-out outfit.

No one is going to mistake it as Vader, but then no one did with the 1977 Kenner figures either, both 3 3/4" and 12" (13"). HT's version is just not the movie Vader - and that is what many people want in a collectible, not a toy-like DC/Marvel Vader-esque superhero..

The images DiFabio posted speak more clearly and concisely than any words.

And there's definitely a repetitive cycle with every release - that doesn't change the fact this Vader figure isn't good enough for many people and isn't a very good representation of "ANH Vader." IMO, Hot Toys have never been very good with accuracy. They product generally good to high quality product, but accuracy is not their strongest attribute - for whatever reason.

 

[demorathis]

I care....


Btw I forget who posted this ,
So I apologize for not giving credit,
but it is an example of how to average the sides to make a symmetrical vader that still looks like the ot vader....
Vs choosing one side to favor and then mirror

 

[Bloodyedge]

so true

I have never noticed that Vader's helmet was crooked and asymmetrical until people pointed it out here. So, it's not an "either/or" decision for me, I can't want something I never knew existed. The only thing I've ever really felt separates Vader's helmet looks is that the ANH is duller and has red lenses. These pictures showing what Vader's helmet "really" looks like, it looks wrong to me, it looks like it was warped in the mold, and glued on wrong.

I don't have any difficulty comprehending someone's appreciation for Vader's ANH look. I understand what they want, I don't share that same feeling. I look at the images of the figure and I think it looks really nice. I compare the product photos to what he looks like in ANH and I can see a number of things that are not screen accurate, but that's where the disconnect occurs. I don't feel the compulsion to take that next step and get angry or frustrated about it. There's a reason the Interest threads section exists in this forum, for those that desire the ultimate in accuracy, someone can get that one going.

The irony to me is that, Star Wars interest threads seem to garner very little interest in those areas. Considering how picky Star Wars fans are, it's surprising to me that there has never been any runs for accurate ANH domes, even when the SSC figure came out. FFS, we had an interest thread for Nike shwooshes within hours of the Marty figure being revealed. We have screen accurate backpacks for Daniel Plainview, shoes for Nucky Thompson. It's just crazy that for all the complaining about how inaccurate both Sideshow's and Hot Toys's Star Wars figures are, there's never any custom products to correct these inaccuracies. That's why I think it's complaining for complaining's sake. It's all just talk.

I say it's complaining for complaining's sake, because this same cycle happens every single time a Hot Toys figure is announced. The pics go up, people freak out about how awesome it is, then the nit picking starts, and people talk about how Hot Toys doesn't care, and then we complain about how long it takes, then people get excited for the Backstage Pass, then it arrives and everyone's excited again. All the people that aren't buying it and complain, move on to the next thing because there's something else to talk about. The complaining is just a part of the cycle. My problem is that the "critiques" are mean spirited, it's not constructive. It's endless repetition of the same sentiment "How could they get this wrong?", "Hot Toys doesn't care".

Who out there, cares enough to make a product for people that is screen accurate?

Who out there, cares enough, to pay a fair price for the time it takes to produce a screen accurate product?

 

[Wor-Gar]

Its NewYear15 and its only good until the 4th. Tested it and it worked on Vader... now I just need to pull the trigger.

So when it expires on the 4th do you lose the $20 savings on that day? Or do you have until the 4th to use it and the $20 savings will hold until that item is delivered?

 

[Darth Madden]

So when it expires on the 4th do you lose the $20 savings on that day? Or do you have until the 4th to use it and the $20 savings will hold until that item is delivered?

You can't use it after the 4th... it won't disappear from your pre-orders. None of the monthly codes have done that.

 

[Cap'n Cook]

May the 4th be with you.

 

[YankeesFanboy]

May the 4th be with you.

Oh Tim...this is gonna hurt me more than it hurts you...

 

[Wor-Gar]

You can't use it after the 4th... it won't disappear from your pre-orders. None of the monthly codes have done that.

Thanks, yeah, obvious. I'm still recovering from last night's drinking.

 

[greygoose]

I bet my bollocks to a barn dance HT have been told to do this stylized version.

Could be right; we are talking about Disney now. Maybe they requested a stylised Vader.

 

[GodParticle]

I've watched the movies dozens of times and never notice half the **** people complain about. Crooked helmets? Asymmetry?

 

[K1NG J0RDAN]

It could release exactly as the prototype is and people would still be impressed when they are over at your place admiring the figure and your collection. I consider myself a pretty huge Star Wars fan and even I'm not worrying about all that.

 

[Sardo Numspa]

I know everyone is tired of the height aspect, but something just occurred to me.
As it's been mentioned before Disney/LFL have final say about products before they are released. Could it be that they have decided that this is how he should scale compared to everyone else in 1/6? In other words, regardless of how he stands in various shots of the movie, perhaps in their "official" canon, Vader is supposed to be 6'7" or so, and therefore, the SSC and HT figures are all as tall as they are...
Maybe they just disagree with the fans on this point.