Background
Released in July 2013, The Wolverine is the sixth installment in the X-Men film series. The movie is based on the 1982 four issue limited comic book series from Chris Claremont (writing) and Frank Miller (pencils). In the X-Men timeline, the events of The Wolverine follow X-Men: The Last Stand, with Wolverine traveling to Japan to visit and old friend. Like the previous (and subsequent) films, it features Hugh Jackman in the role of Wolverine.
With Hot Toys having the license to produce sixth-scale collectibles based on various Marvel films, it was a given that they’d provide collectors their third Wolverine figure from the company. The figure from The Wolverine follows versions of the character from X Men Origins: Wolverine and X-Men: The Last Stand, and is graced with a brand new head sculpt.
Thankfully, Sideshow Collectibles has provided us with this piece to review.
The Facts
The Wolverine Sixth Scale Figure
Series: Movie Masterpiece Series
Manufacturer: Hot Toys
Authorized Likeness: Hugh Jackman as Wolverine
Material: Plastic articulated figure
Dimensions: Sixth Scale
Points of Articulation: Over 30 points
Outfit: Outfit 1 - Black blazer; Black coat; Black shirt; Black tie; Black pants; Black belt; Black socks; Black shoes. Outfit 2 – White wife-beater; Grey jeans; Grey belt; Brown boots.
Accessories: Pair of fists with metal claws; Pair of fists with bone claws; Pair of fists; Pair of hands for holding sword; Engraved metal Japanese sword with sheath; Figure stand with Wolverine nameplate and movie logo
Pricing: $224.99
Packaging
The front of The Wolverine packaging features the image from the black and white illustrated movie poster. It also has the movie logo below the image. The back (and sides) of the box features photos of the actual sixth scale figure. Inside, Wolverine’s claws, pants, and shoes are attached to the lid. And covering the figure, you have a card featuring another poster used to hype the film. The image shows Wolverine’s claw marks over the red sun of Japan’s flag.
Our Opinion
Even though they’re all under the Marvel umbrella, films from the three studios (Sony, Fox, and Marvel Studios/Disney) that own Marvel movie rights often have different hardcore fan bases. While I’ve seen all of the Marvel Studios/Disney films, I’ve only seen a few from the other two studios. But I did get a chance to check out The Wolverine and found the film pretty entertaining.
With the movie being set in Japan, there are plenty of references to ninjas and samurai. One of the main accessories that Hot Toys’ sixth scale Wolverine comes with is an engraved metal Japanese sword with a sheath. It’s made of actual metal and is engraved with six Japanese characters. The sword is by far the most impressive accessory included with the figure.
While they might not technically count as accessories, Wolverine includes five sets of hands: Closed Fists; Open Hands; Sword-holding Hands; Fists with Metal Claws; Fists with Bone Claws. The metal claws are made of actual metal similar to that of the sword. For this reason, both the sword and claws should be handled with care. You probably don’t want to have to explain to a doctor how you stabbed yourself with a toy.
You’ll also get a pair of outfits with Wolverine. He comes dressed in a black suit, shirt, shoes, and tie combo. But if you’re going for a less formal look, you can doll him up in grey jeans, a white “wifebeater”, and brown boots.
The figure features a new head sculpt featuring the likeness of Hugh Jackman. Looking at photos of some of their past Wolverine releases, this is by far Hot Toys’ best sculpt. It’s the best representation of Jackman’s facial features. Also, with the difficulty some companies have sculpting and painting facial hair, I have zero complaints about the fairly hairy Weapon X.
There are many nuances that can be overlooked. For instance, the crazy work on the arms. Yes…Wolverine is supposed to be a hairy dude, which is why you can see individually painted-on hairs speckling his arms. And all of the metal embellishments, which could have easily been produced in plastic to save money, show how it’s a high quality collectible.
To pick one up, check out the following:
Sideshow Collectibles: $224.99
