I would not typically describe myself as a ‘high-end’ collector, but certain pieces compel me to add them to my collection. Certain pieces like the Hot Toys Avengers Captain America, which arrived just before the holidays. Cap is my first Hot Toys figure, so I wasn’t entirely sure of what to expect. Now that I’ve had a few weeks with him, this is a fantastic toy.
From the very minute I opened the cardboard shipping box, I was impressed. The packaging is great, with a very clean minimalist aesthetic. The silver accents on the blue outer cover really pop. Inside the inner box laid the figure in a multi-layer tray. The first layer contained Cap, an alternate head, a hood, and 8 extra hands. The bottom layer of the inner tray contained the stand, a Chitauri weapon and two versions of Captain America’s iconic shield – one pristine and the other battle damaged. Each level of the tray also included a cover piece, ensuring that all the contents of the box stay exactly where they should.
Once out of the packaging, I was awestruck by how ‘spot-on’ the figure was. With most 1/6th scale figures I have the clothing is the weakest link – fabrics just don’t behave the same way when scaled down. In the case of Cap, I don’t see any compromises that resulted from the limitations of the fabric costume. It really looks like they took a full size Captain America uniform and shrunk it down, truly impressive. The articulation of the figure is fantastic, I won’t document all the joints in this figure but there are alot of them. Of course, with the cloth costume, the available range of motion where Cap will hold a pose is limited to some extent. The head sculpt, something Hot Toys figures are known for, is spot on – both in the hooded and unhooded heads. I would have preferred a more neutral expression on the unhooded Chris Evans head, but I do recall ‘angry Cap’ from the movie so his expression does make sense. Once I got over the shock of how awesome the figure was, I was next impressed by Cap’s shield. If I didn’t know better, I’d think it was made of vibranium – the metallic shine is impressive.
I have encountered a few problems with the figure which warrant attention. Cap’s belt is held on with two hooks that grab on to thread loops. On the first day I owned him, one of those loops came undone, leaving the belt secured at only one spot. I plan on replacing both hooks with velcro in the near future – I think it’s a better long term solution as it is just a matter of time until the second loop fails. The second problem I’ve encountered has been with the hood which is used with the alternate head. The hood should snap onto the costume with three very small snaps, however when trying to attach the hood I had one snap attach, the second one break and the third one not engage. I don’t see me attempting to use the hood again. Due to the scale of the figure, I understand that very small snaps need to be used – but I’m not sure how practical plastic snaps are at these dimensions.
These two problems aside, the figure is amazing – featuring excellent articulation, an incredible sculpt and spot on accessories. While I wasn’t sure what to expect from a $200 figure, I’m certainly not disappointed and this won’t be my last Hot Toys figure. Avengers Captain America is available now from Sideshow Toys for $214.99.
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