REVIEW: Hot Toys’ Whiplash

Background

Iron Man 2 was the 2010 follow-up to the immensely popular original film. This one introduces several new characters, including Ivan Vanko – played by Mickey Rourke. Vanko is a combination of two Iron Man comic book villains - Whiplash and the Crimson Dynamo. Vanko is described as “a disgruntled Russian physicist and Bratva member with a grudge against the Stark family”.

In most merchandise, Vanko is referred to as Whiplash. That’s the case with Hot Toys 1/6th scale version of the character. While this is not the first Iron Man figure that Hot Toys has released, so how does it rate amongst the others?

The Facts  

Whiplash
Series: Movie Masterpiece Series - Iron Man 2
Manufacturer: Hot Toys
Painted by: JC Hong
Sculpted by: Kojun
Authorized Likeness: Mickey Rourke
Material: Articulated Figure
Dimensions: 12” tall
Points of Articulation: Over 30 points – Hot Toys’ True Type body
Outfit: Brown jumpsuit with burns and holes; Metallic electricity generator with light-up function; Hydraulic exoskeleton with brown faux leather harness; Brown faux leather belt; Pair of brown buckled boots; Necklace with cross-shaped pendant
Accessories: Two pairs of hands – holding whips and fists; Pair of metallic whips with realistic flashes and wires; 12-inch figure stand with Whiplash nameplate and Iron Man 2 movie logo

Packaging

The Whiplash packaging features an outer sleeve with a photo of Rourke as Whiplash on the front. On the rear, there are several photos of the actual figure. This outer sleeve features a metallic finish to it. The interior box has a plastic windowpane, so you can see the figure. And the Whiplash figure is secured between interlocking plastic trays.

Our Opinion

I was very psyched about this figure. I have yet to see Iron Man 2, but I was a fan of the first one. And just comparing the sculpt to Mickey Rourke, I came in thinking this might be Hot Toys’ best figure yet. However, there were a few negatives I ran in to.

Whiplash has his own light-up arc reactor in the middle of his chest. There is a little black plastic box and switch on his back that controls the lights. However, there must have been a short in this piece. The light would constantly flicker…like Whiplash was losing his life force. Also, part of his rigging gear actually snapped as I was trying to attach the whips. And, thirdly, he has very weak ankles, so the figure falls forward a lot.

So those were some fairly big negatives, but there are plenty of positives as well. The sculpting work on Whiplash is really amazing. Hot Toys is known for being the leader of the pack as far as sculpting…and they didn’t let us down. The face sculpt features Rourke with a slightly opened mouth. The hair – both facial and the layered hairdo – looks spectacular. And, of course, the sculpting would be nothing without Hot Toys’ A+ paintwork.

Whiplash includes Hot Toys’ muscular rubber body suit. This allows all of those tattoos to be displayed. And it also gives the figure some added muscle the normal body lacks. The actual faux leather and faux metal rigging is extremely detailed, albeit fragile. And the rest of the outfit consists of a burnt up brown jumpsuit that’s pulled down around the waist.

As far as accessories, there aren’t many (probably because he’s complete with his rig and whips). There are the two whips, as well as the electrical accents, and a pair of closed fists. Of course, Whiplash does come with a character specific display stand.

OVERALL: If you get rid of those three negatives (flickering light, broken rig and weak ankles), you’d have a contender for best articulated figure. The sculpting and paintwork (even on the body) are amazing. Some folks might not like the dearth of accessories, especially since Hot Toys is so well known for overindulging our accessory needs, but the figure has everything the character needs.