Wednesday, February 1, 2012

A Tale of Three Robocops

Never before was there a character that could be called an untra-violent action hero, scifi curiosity and cybernetic super hero all at once. Robocop is a creation we would not soon forget...so of course toys were a no-brainer! As the films were released, we saw many a sad little hunk of plastic pretending to be our favorite tin man, but it was not until McFarlane stepped up that we really saw what we were missing.

An amazing 7 1/2 inch sculpt is enhanced by a killer silver paint job with the slightest of blue washes over it. You'll find dimension in details like his power port, feet, hips, shoulders and chest, making the overall piece seem more substantial. A mix of glossy and flat paint ties it all together. Sadly, there are spots where it looks like they slopped the paint on and his gun is made of the flimsiest plastic, assuring it would be a rounded mess today...but from 2 feet away on your self, he was a dream come true.












Flash forward to 2011. NECA, masters of translating your movie icons to plastic, take on Officer Murphy with mixed results. NECA go for a flatter look for their 7 inch figure with not as much black wash and less depth. NECA's Robo seems slimmer when stood next to McFarlane's creation. While I think McFarlane nailed the pursed lips, NECA went a step further and has the tiniest bit of nose peeking out the bottom of his visor. Had they made that visor removable, revealing Peter Weller beneath, I would have lost my mind...but sadly, it could not be. Instead, we get enhanced articulation offering slightly more movement than McFarlane's figure. The crowning achievement is in the head, resting on a ball joint, allowing the piece to emote in a way no Robocop toy (at this scale) had ever done before. A tip of the head makes it appear Officer Murphy is trying to work things out...programming vs humanity in a constant struggle. It is amazing what one little joint can do for a figure. NECA also popped in an extra right arm bit with the spike interface on his hand! I'll also mention that NECA's Robocop has a gun made from a more rigid plastic that feels substantial and won't warp over time.


























That same year, a company across the water called Max Factory takes on Officer Murphy in a 6 inch scale, creating the ultimate super posable Robocop. They go for a semi gloss look with slight red highlights, no doubt mirroring the original movie poster. This Robocop has ball joints across the board, allowing for full hip movement and excellent range in the shoulders, though wrists that tip forward and back would have been excellent along with a better engineered head that is blocked by the sculpt and thus, appears to be looking down most of the time. Luckily, we've got mid torso articulation, allowing the figure to stand shoulders back when you like. If you've been looking for extras in a Robocop figure, this is the mother load. The Max Factory figma Robocop comes packed with his Auto 9 gun and gunfire flash to attach to the end, a battle damaged top of his head you can swap out, leg pieces allowing it to look like he is deploying his gun from within, EIGHT extra hands (fists, interface spike, pointing for when he wants to boogie and gripping), a translucent base that plugs into his back for aerial action and a handy little zip lock bag to hold all your parts when you bust him out..as you well should. This guy is MADE FOR PLAY..and no end of pew pew noises. Slight drawbacks include a crotch that seems to have been "attached" as an afterthought, so it hangs like loose jockey shorts, and joints that pop out very easily. They also re-attach very easily, so no need to panic there. I'll also note that this Robo's line of a mouth makes him appear to be the cartoony addition to the crew.






























note: all three figures have working pistons on the backs of their legs!

While the McFarlane figure is long gone (and will run you 20 to 60 bucks on ebay), NECA and Max Factory's Robocop are available now.































CLICK HERE to grab your Max Factory figma Robocop!
CLICK HERE to snap up the NECA Robocop action figure!

2 comments :

  1. You know Robocop and The Crow have a lot in common. Both from Detroit and both came back from the dead....really makes you think.

    ReplyDelete