MAFEX Robocop 1/12 scale

[Rogerbee]

RoboCop may undergo a bit of a renaissance thanks to Mortal Kombat Aftermath, a DLC for Mortal Kombat 11 that gives you OCP's finest as a playable character. Even ED-209 shows up to perform fatal blows and fatalities. It's a whole heap of fun and you can turn him into a real bada$$ with character customisation.

 

[a-dev]

I just opened my MAFEX Robocop and Robocop 2 figures for the first time after having them in the shipper box for what feels like years now.

What an amazing pair of action figures these are. I?m blown away by them. I opened up Robocop 2 first and as soon as I pulled it out of the plastic coffin I had this big stupid grin on my face. Posing the figure, seeing the Cain brain and nuke, I haven?t had this much fun with toys in a while. The amount of detail on Robocop and Robocop 2 for six inch figures is just incredible. First time in a while that I actually feel like these are money well spent. I can?t get over how well made these guys are. The joints are smooth without being too tight or too loose. All the swappable parts like the helmets, mouth pieces, thigh holster and hands swap out smoothly and easily. Not once did I feel like I was handling something fragile, a far cry from most of the Robocop figures I own. I love the sheen of the armors on both of these and honestly don?t know which one I like more. The purple and blue hues on both are majestic and I love the battle damaged parts on both of them. They pose exceptionally well too. I love how the different releases have specific hands for certain accessories. I must have tried every possible variation from ?your move creep? after just upholstering his gun to ?we?re only human? with the damaged helmet and wrench. There is so much value here.

I just ordered Robocop 3 before it eventually sells out. I hate the movie but I was looking at pics/videos of it and again, it just looks like a completely solid action figure. I wanna mess with that OCP jetpack and gun arm and compare it to the Robocop 1 and 2 releases. If I?m not feeling the Robocop 3 parts, I?m just going to put the Robocop 1 damage helmet and chest plate on it and have it go up against my NECA ED-209.

Between the three releases I?ve spent probably $230 USD. Assuming I have no issues with the Robocop 3 or and the QC is fine, I?d say these have been the best bang for your buck as far as Robocop goes. These two MAFEX Robo figures are my favorites tied with the Hot Toys Battle Damaged Murphy and Office Murphy two pack. They?re so good. IF MAFEX made a 4th Robocop using this body, I?d buy a battle damaged with unmasked head and Weller likeness in a heartbeat.

I really wish Hot Toys did their joints for Robocop like Medicom did for these Mafex figures. I just don?t understand why Hot Toys thought it would be good to do the joints with rubber and brittle, clear plastic ball joints. It?s just maddening to me.

Right on. They're terrific figures. I have all three and I try to use the primary distinguishing features for each one. Robo 1 is clean and I've got him in a shooting from hip pose, using the cool muzzle-flash effect and his leg holster is open like he got off the shot before it even had time to close. Robo 2 uses the battledamaged parts and he's holding Cain's brain about to smash it into the pavement. Robo 3 of course wears the jetpack and gunarm.

Everything you said basically - they look great, they feel great, they move great, they have most of the same display options as Hot Toys. Probably not as popular as they should be.

The NECA ED-209 works well enough with them although I have to wonder what a MAFEX version would be like. Maybe as good as or close to Hot Toys based on the Robocop figures themselves - and they probably wouldn't be stupid enough to use rubber for the dome.

 

[DiFabio]

RoboCop may undergo a bit of a renaissance thanks to Mortal Kombat Aftermath, a DLC for Mortal Kombat 11 that gives you OCP's finest as a playable character. Even ED-209 shows up to perform fatal blows and fatalities. It's a whole heap of fun and you can turn him into a real bada$$ with character customisation.

I don’t play video games but I was just watching footage and those fatalities are pretty brutal. Robocop executes the characters in a similar way that Alex Murphy was.

Those skins are awesome. I particularly like the “Supereme Officer” skin where it’s essentially Robocop but in the Detroit police gear. Then I love all these alternate helmet looks,



I’d buy figures of some of these designs.


Impressed that Weller did the voice and allowed his likeness to be used. Between all this and those KFC commercials, I wonder if he’s been more open minded on his likeness being used.

I’d LOVE more figures with his likeness.

Right on. They're terrific figures. I have all three and I try to use the primary distinguishing features for each one. Robo 1 is clean and I've got him in a shooting from hip pose, using the cool muzzle-flash effect and his leg holster is open like he got off the shot before it even had time to close. Robo 2 uses the battledamaged parts and he's holding Cain's brain about to smash it into the pavement. Robo 3 of course wears the jetpack and gunarm.

Everything you said basically - they look great, they feel great, they move great, they have most of the same display options as Hot Toys. Probably not as popular as they should be.

The NECA ED-209 works well enough with them although I have to wonder what a MAFEX version would be like. Maybe as good as or close to Hot Toys based on the Robocop figures themselves - and they probably wouldn't be stupid enough to use rubber for the dome.

Yeah I love the muzzle flash. I was messing with it on the figure and, in the right lighting, it looks super legit with how they implemented the translucent plastic and paint. Very convincing. The paint work on both figures is so clean, particularly the battle damaged options for both and the brain of Cain.

Agreed. The NECA ED is fine and works well, but I’d get a MAFEX one assuming it was as nice as these Robocops. As the NECA ED-209 has proven, a plastic sculpted dome is the way to go. Still not sure what Hot Toys was thinking with the rubber on Robocop and ED. They didn’t have to design them the way they did. They’re just so conceited and lazy. It really bugs me that my Hot Toys Robos are going to break no matter how well I take care of them.

Probably in the minority here, but the only thing I feel Hot Toys did right with the Robocop license is the glorious Battle damaged and officer Murphy 2-pack. Everything else from the make of Robocop to ED-209 is just frustrating. I still can’t believe they had the nerve to use those clear plastic ball sockets on the bodies. What an insult. They could easily make up for it with an apology release of a Robocop 2 (sans rubber sleeves, electronics, diecast and brittle plastic joints) with an unmasked Murphy head (simple repaint of the BD) and a revised ED-209 with plastic components instead of rubber, but they clearly don’t care.

What I’d really love is a Robo Cain figure, preferably in 6” form. Imagine how cool that would be with the MAFEX Robocop. It’s all I think of when I see that brain and the nuke.

 

[a-dev]

I think Hot Toys did quite a lot right but that makes it all the more frustrating what they did wrong.

Their Robocop sculpts are pretty damn good and it was Hot Toys who pioneered the range (and method) of display options which MAFEX copied. Hot Toys also gave both Robocop and ED-209 more articulation and better range of motion than any Robocop figures before - again, MAFEX ported over most or all of the same articulation for their tiny figures - and that's impressive - but original credit to Hot Toys. And of course Hot Toys paid Weller for his likeness and gave us those terrific BD Robocop and Alex Murphy figures. Lastly the chair - necessary for every collection? No. But it's an amazing display and most people who got it probably didn't regret it.

Hot Toys failures - ****ing rubber. Despite years of complaints to draw from about its use on the original ED-209 they go and do it again on the new one. This was a smack in the face and it made them look really quite ignorant - refusing to listen to their customers and then, if memory serves, having facebook posts (pages?) deleted which drew attention to it. You ****ing arseholes.

We can't not mention the paint. I know there's an argument from P. that we were probably lying to ourselves about what the paint on that prototype looked like - he has argued that it IS what we got - but be that as it may it's still wrong, way off from the movie and the clean figure doesn't match up with the BD figure - the underlying colour of the BD Robocop is clearly a different colour/finish to the clean figure, dirt and oil notwithstanding. One would have hoped for a more accurate paint job on the clean Robo at high end. Enterbay didn't manage it either to be fair.

ED-209's lame sound effects - I often forget about this because it's been years since I actually used the sounds, not even sure I have batteries in - I may have removed them for fear of leakage. But they infamously re-dubbed ED's voice and as such he doesn't sound like he does in the movie which renders the feature a waste of time and money because no one wants to hear a Hot Toys employee's impression of ED-209. I also believe even the mechanical sounds were a bit disappointing, taken from the movie, yes, but I seem to recall the walking sound being weirdly curtailed and maybe there not being all the possible sounds one would have liked to get. Robocop also didn't get enough voice clips or sound effects. So they screwed up on the electronics.

And now, years later, we have also seen breakages on Robocop due to those clear joints they went with and that's a damn shame because now we must all be afraid to actually use that great articulation. What Hot Toys give us with one hand they take away with the other.


Going back to MAFEX, I haven't heard diddly squat about anything else from them lately so I dunno if ED-209 or Cain are in their plans. And no one makes Cain. Pity.

 

[DiFabio]

MAFEX does mostly Marvel, Superhero and Star Wars now . . .

ED or Cain from them are just a pipe dream.

Pretty happy with everything I have as far as Robocop is concerned. I have the 1/4 Enterbay, 1/4 NECA, multiples of the 1/6 Hot Toys (including the mechanical chair version I dissed on), the BD Murphy two pack, NECA ED-209, NECA 7” Robocop (first one), spring holster, blue version w/ Cobra rifle and Jetpack and now the three MAFEX 6” figures. Had the McFarlane one but it broke way back in the day and I threw it away.

If we never saw anything else Robocop related ever again, I’d be fine with it. I’m content with what I have.


Right now, these are really tempting to me,





Bixby and unmasked Robocop are on the way. IF they make Clarence and the gang, I’ll probably bite.





The kid me would have loved to have had that **** back in the day, especially that Kinney and ED 2-pack.

 

[Rogerbee]

I don’t play video games but I was just watching footage and those fatalities are pretty brutal. Robocop executes the characters in a similar way that Alex Murphy was.

Those skins are awesome. I particularly like the “Supereme Officer” skin where it’s essentially Robocop but in the Detroit police gear. Then I love all these alternate helmet looks,


I’d buy figures of some of these designs.


Impressed that Weller did the voice and allowed his likeness to be used. Between all this and those KFC commercials, I wonder if he’s been more open minded on his likeness being used.

I’d LOVE more figures with his likeness.




Yeah I love the muzzle flash. I was messing with it on the figure and, in the right lighting, it looks super legit with how they implemented the translucent plastic and paint. Very convincing. The paint work on both figures is so clean, particularly the battle damaged options for both and the brain of Cain.

Agreed. The NECA ED is fine and works well, but I’d get a MAFEX one assuming it was as nice as these Robocops. As the NECA ED-209 has proven, a plastic sculpted dome is the way to go. Still not sure what Hot Toys was thinking with the rubber on Robocop and ED. They didn’t have to design them the way they did. They’re just so conceited and lazy. It really bugs me that my Hot Toys Robos are going to break no matter how well I take care of them.

Probably in the minority here, but the only thing I feel Hot Toys did right with the Robocop license is the glorious Battle damaged and officer Murphy 2-pack. Everything else from the make of Robocop to ED-209 is just frustrating. I still can’t believe they had the nerve to use those clear plastic ball sockets on the bodies. What an insult. They could easily make up for it with an apology release of a Robocop 2 (sans rubber sleeves, electronics, diecast and brittle plastic joints) with an unmasked Murphy head (simple repaint of the BD) and a revised ED-209 with plastic components instead of rubber, but they clearly don’t care.

What I’d really love is a Robo Cain figure, preferably in 6” form. Imagine how cool that would be with the MAFEX Robocop. It’s all I think of when I see that brain and the nuke.

The only problem I have with MK11 is that getting a lot of the skins is a real grind and it does take some of the fun out and makes it all a bit repetitive. Since gameplay moved online, cheaters have gone a bit lame and daren't do anything for fear of being banned. Back in the old days, even the game developers had their own cheat codes embedded, so you could get what you wanted without all of the grind if the mood so took you and there were a plethora of third party options, all of which were great fun.. There is a cheat engine available for MK11, but, I'm reluctant to use it in case it breaks the game.

As far as the Mafex goes, if I could have a Murphy head or Lewis and Murphy as cops I'd be happy.

 

[Rogerbee]

MAFEX does mostly Marvel, Superhero and Star Wars now . . .

ED or Cain from them are just a pipe dream.

Pretty happy with everything I have as far as Robocop is concerned. I have the 1/4 Enterbay, 1/4 NECA, multiples of the 1/6 Hot Toys (including the mechanical chair version I dissed on), the BD Murphy two pack, NECA ED-209, NECA 7” Robocop (first one), spring holster, blue version w/ Cobra rifle and Jetpack and now the three MAFEX 6” figures. Had the McFarlane one but it broke way back in the day and I threw it away.

If we never saw anything else Robocop related ever again, I’d be fine with it. I’m content with what I have.


Right now, these are really tempting to me,



Bixby and unmasked Robocop are on the way. IF they make Clarence and the gang, I’ll probably bite.





The kid me would have loved to have had that **** back in the day, especially that Kinney and ED 2-pack.

As fun as they look, we've moved on a long way from that style and for most, me included, it would be a step back to get anything like that now.

 

[DiFabio]

As fun as they look, we've moved on a long way from that style and for most, me included, it would be a step back to get anything like that now.

Yeah exactly. Like I said, if they did Clarence, Leon, Joe and regular Emil I’d probably get it all and leave them carded/boxed. **** Jones and Bob Morton would be tempting as well.

Most likely not going to get those though, no real point in it.

We’ve come a long way since Kenner and Toy Island thankfully,

 

[a-dev]

HIYA toys are doing an ED-209 in 1/18 which looks decent enough. Not sure I need it though.

https://www.bigbadtoystore.com/Product/VariationDetails/121845


Overall I agree, Robocop has been pretty well covered, high-end, low-end and every scale you can think of. This assuming that Cain simply cannot be made for one reason or another and assuming likeness rights precludes anyone from making Anne Lewis or Clarence and his gang.

MAFEX does mostly Marvel, Superhero and Star Wars now . . .

Disappointing to hear, we can probably count them out for everything else then.

 

[a-dev]

Oh, just seeing it DiFabio's latest post, I'd love to get Robocop's squad car to recreate the classic poster image. I'm pretty much out of 1/6 now so I'd say ideally from MAFEX at 1/12. Won't happen though.

 

[DiFabio]

I dunno, when I see figures coming out of 70s/80s nobodies like Hawkins, Dallas, Lambert, Ash, Parker, Brett, Vasquez, Frost, Bishop and friggin Burke, a light bulb goes off in my head.

Somewhere out there in some alternate reality there is a boxed Ultimate Robocop w/ unmasked Peter Weller, a Clarence Boddicker figure, a chase of Boddicker with a cut up face, a grotesquely sculpted melting Emil, a business suit buck for **** Jones and Bob Morton figures and a police officer buck for Anne Lewis and Alex Murphy figures.

I look at Parker and Brett and think, why can’t that be Clarence and Jones?


Even more so with Biff Tanen,






Figure of a 1950s high school student, space truckers and a corporate special projects manager in a life preserver looking scared vs. figures of gun toting 1980s henchmen, tough choice.

 

[Rogerbee]

I get where you're coming from. The thing that always got me was there were loads of figures from both Aliens and RoboCop in the 80's that were aimed squarely at kids, and they were about 10 years away from being old enough to see the movies they'd come from. These days it tends to be the main title characters that are where the bucks are so they go for them and not the co-stars.

With BTTF, Biff and Marty had a lot of screen time together, so NECA went with what they knew fans would want. With Alien, there were a small number of major players, and each was integral to the story, so it made sense for NECA to make them as they knew fans would want that.

 

[a-dev]

I also get what Fabs is saying - you can see these guys as action figures in your mind's eye.

It must be a decision based on the popularity of the main title character(s) of a movie as compared to others. Why does NECA not take a chance on Clarence Boddicker when they make Carter Burke from Aliens? Because Aliens sell better than Robocop I guess, and this in turn elevates the human characters into having a greater likelihood of selling.

Though it could be argued that NECA have never fully tested the popularity of Robocop since they've never paid Weller to use his likeness - no helmetless head and the mouths have never looked like him

 

[DiFabio]

I also get what Fabs is saying - you can see these guys as action figures in your mind's eye.

It must be a decision based on the popularity of the main title character(s) of a movie as compared to others. Why does NECA not take a chance on Clarence Boddicker when they make Carter Burke from Aliens? Because Aliens sell better than Robocop I guess, and this in turn elevates the human characters into having a greater likelihood of selling.

I'd love to see the sale numbers for the different licenses.

I honestly don't think Predator and Alien is more popular than Robocop and Terminator. That could be a bias but I don't think there is anything more toyetic than a cyborg. However, Predator and Alien have been made to have way more variation potential. They somehow got to be like Iron Man or Clone Troopers, which technically makes them more collectible than say Terminator and Robocop. This dates back to Kenner Batman. Tool up a sculpt then release different versions of the same figure.

It does bug me that a figure like Biff Tannen or Brett get double jointed elbows, but figures like Robocop, T2 T-800 and Police Shootout T-800 with their iconic guns do not. A Terminator and Robocop should be able to rock a shot gun, Auto-9 or .45 long slide up to their face convincingly. The fact that the T-800 can't hold the SPAS-12 up on his shoulder naturally bothers the hell out of me.

Well, atleast Biff will be able to hold his porn mags up to his face.

I don't even know what I'm complaining about. I have a good collection. It's just that, I wish the selection I was seeing in other lines and properties were being implemented on the ones I care about.

Though it could be argued that NECA have never fully tested the popularity of Robocop since they've never paid Weller to use his likeness - no helmetless head and the mouths have never looked like him

Bingo.

Not that I'd advocate companies attempting to pull a Mortal Kombat and release 30 "made up" figure variations for Robocop and Terminator mind you, but still. It takes decades for Terminator and Robocop toys to advance forward. NECA Robocop is painful. It started out as an 18" figure. It took years to finally get it scaled down, then more time to just get a opening holster. Same situation with the T-800s. It took years to finally get articulated legs. They get so much reuse out of the preexisting molds.

I do think a Weller likeness approved figure will eventually pop up though. Would be the perfect time for an all new figure that isn't based on the original 2005 sculpt. Then you can pump the new one out a thousand times.

 

[a-dev]

It does bug me that a figure like Biff Tannen or Brett get double jointed elbows, but figures like Robocop, T2 T-800 and Police Shootout T-800 with their iconic guns do not. A Terminator and Robocop should be able to rock a shot gun, Auto-9 or .45 long slide up to their face convincingly. The fact that the T-800 can't hold the SPAS-12 up on his shoulder naturally bothers the hell out of me.

I so want that. While I'm glad to have the more statue-esque figures because articulation can end up being aesthetically inferior it'd be nice now to get figures that go all the way on the articulation front with double jointed elbows, ab-crunch joints and so on. The Tech Noir T-800 in particular has virtually no range in his elbows. It's not gonna happen as long as they're content to simply keep rereleasing the existing 'Ultimates' though.

I do think a Weller likeness approved figure will eventually pop up though. Would be the perfect time for an all new figure that isn't based on the original 2005 sculpt. Then you can pump the new one out a thousand times.

That's a dated old figure isn't it, even not counting the mouth that looks more like Judge Dredd than Peter Weller it has really been made redundant by the (albeit smaller) MAFEX figures. A new Robocop from NECA would need a complete overhaul in every department aswell as have the likeness. And the main reason for me to want that would be if it encouraged them to press on with additional figures like Officers Murphy and Lewis and Clarence Boddicker. I can't be excited by NECA Robocop anymore if its anything short of this.

 

[dukefett]

Concerning Mafex, yeah they do Marvel/Star Wars/Batman, but they've done a few other that are out there including this Robocop. They've done a pair of Kingsmen figures, Alex from Clockwork Orange, 2001, Child's Play, and NBA people. So there is hope for various other properties out there.

 

[Rondesmo]

Great review Di Fabio,

I had the HT BD Robocop, sold it and I agree, the mafex is maybe the best Robocop on the market for the price.

 

[Cybercop]

Here's an update on the MAFEX Robocop unmasked headsculpt!

 

[P.]

i'd say the skil layer is way too thick, it even casts its own shadow.
but at Mafex scale it won't be visible.

 

[a-dev]

Do you mean around the borders where the flesh wraps onto the metal? Or perhaps something about the forehead and top of the skull?

I might agree but otherwise it looks phenomenal. Terrific detail and the likeness appears to be there.