Toy Review: Walmart Exclusive Mark V

05/8/10

Walmart Exclusive Mark V

Having just completed a glowing review of the awesome 6″ Walmart Exclusive War Machine and Mark VI, it pains me to say that the Mark V is nowhere in the same class as those two gorgeous figures.

I’ll admit that I have a bias to favor this design since I really do love the idea of carrying around an exoskeleton that makes you a superhero in a briefcase. When I got the 3.75″ Mark V, I enjoyed the hell out of it. It was a nice little figure of a very memorable scene in the movie. While the armor itself wasn’t as powerful as the others in Tony Stark’s armory, it’s purpose was clear, and that made it an essential part of my collection.

Having liked the smaller version so much, I wasn’t daunted by the Php 1,200.00 price tag on this figure in Rtoys, a toy store owned by a fellow collector on the second floor of VMall in Greenhills Shopping Center. Considering what I went through just to get the War Machine and Mark VI, the extra Php 200.00 seemed like a bargain.

From the package, it looks like Rbert sourced these from Hasbro Canada, rather than the US. There aren’t any real differences other than the “Hasbro Canada” in small print on the back and the folded over plastic tab of the bubble being perforated. The figure still looks great in the package if you’re a Mint-On-Card sort.

That perforation doesn’t really do anything to ease the opening of the toy. You’ll still need to cut it open and pull out the tray inside, which holds the figure and accessories in molded depressions.

If there is one thing that Hasbro did right on this figure it’s the accessories. He comes with three sets of hands, just like the previous figures. One is a set of fists, the second is a set of open palms that can be posed to look as if they are firing repulsor blasts, and the last set is in a relaxed, open position that can hold the other accessory that he comes with.

That last accessory is the suitcase that the Mark V is supposed to fold out from. It’s relatively well done, with nice details sculpted into the plastic. The paint could use some work, but we’ll get to that.

There aren’t really any gimmicks to this piece. There isn’t any launcher gimmick like the 3.75″ figure’s case, and there aren’t any secret latches to open the thing up. I’d have liked to see it open so that you could put a figures arms into it like Tony did in the movie, but seeing how hard it is to get ANY accessories nowadays, I’ll settle for this.

If you have a figure in a suit and can make a custom 6″ Stark figure, this thing would go great in his had. If you had a display… sweet.

The Mark V Figure itself is highly detailed. Unlike the smaller version, it looks like they followed the computer model fairly closely, with all the plates apparent in the sculpt. The color scheme looks as if it follows the movie’s armor more closely as well, with the entire chest painted silver.

The back of the figure is REALLY impressive. If you’re a detail fan, you’re going to love this toy.

Articulation wise, he’s… ok. While he’s way ahead of most toys from the 90’s, he lacks a few key things to put him up there with the first two toys.

One, his ankle joints are plain swivels.

This is far more dissappointing than I can verbalize. The first two figures had ankles that could swivel around, rock side to side, and up and down. This made for great, stable footing. This figure’s feet can only go around in a 350 degree circle. He constantly falls over. It is unbelievably aggravating to hear him crash to the floor every night, possibly bringing down other toys with him.

Two, dispite the double swivel/post hips and the torso crunch, he can’t really do much with the combination. Both joints are limited and the combination doesn’t really allow any believable poses.

Paint is a problem with the figure. When I bought this the other day at RToys, there were about 10 pieces. Of those, 8 had glaring splotches of red on their silver areas, many on the face plate. I was able to get one that looked decent, but seriously, Hasbro really should have this stuff down by now.

Another difference between this one and the War Machine and Mark VI is the plastic. I don’t know if it’s because of the heat or the way they were shipped, but the plastic feels distinctly softer and more pliable than the first two. The double hinge joints of the knee and elbows are particular areas where this is felt. It’s definitely more rubbery. It really kills my geekgasm.

Ultimately, what I really don’t like about the figure is the proportions. The other 6″ toys feel closer to what you see in the film; a guy in a suit. This figure has a much slimmer torso and hips. You could argue that the suit is supposed to be thinner than the more advanced models, but that’s not really the case from the movie model, or the smaller 3.75″ version. The way he’s built, the Mark V looks more like a set of tights streched over a gymnast in a corset.

At Php 1,200.00, I can’t really recommend this purchase. The glaring quality control issues can’t be ignored, and the sub-par sculpt after Hasbro raised the bar so high with the first set really kills the value of this third figure.

If we see him at retail in the Php 1,000.00 or cheaper it might be worth it. Those extra hands and the suitcase really do add a lot of play value, but it’s not a figure that you’re going to want to spend a lot of time hunting for.