Re: Molecule8 - 1/6th Scale John Lennon
Quick In-Hand Review
I only took this out for a quick look to see what I got for my $300 and 18-month wait. So about 5 minutes and then back in the box and storage. Better in hand than in photos, but this is definitely a hit-and-miss figure. The potential is present, but the execution is flawed. Which is unfortunate.
Positives
Concept and Overall Design--M8 was going for the iconic "Imagine" period, which is a great choice
Packaging -- The packaging is very nice. The box design is beautiful and the foam compartment cutouts both securely protect the figure and accessories, as well as make for an elegant presentation.
Body (weight, concept, articulation) -- There is definitely a metal skeleton inside the body, which is evident as soon as you take it out. In certain respects because it's so much heavier than a typical 1:6 figure, it feels less like a "toy" and more like a substantial collectible.
Magnetic Base -- I only put the figure on it for a minute, but this is a cool innovation. So much better than relying on the crotch/waist grabbers. I don't know if the figure will lean over time or how it impacts posability, but this is something to build upon (and for other companies to copy). Once I pull the collection out of storage and start putting figures on display I'm going to see if there's a way to rig the bases and feet with small magnets. But we all know how many of these bodies have weak joints.
Neutral
Scale of Figure (Body)-- from some of the photos I thought the 5'9" Lennon would be the same height as a 6' figure. But putting it side-by-side against the HT Anakin, this is clearly not the case. That said, because of the under scaled head sculpt and the giraffe neck, it's difficult to tell how accurate it is.
Outfit -- The tailoring is actually not as bad as feared. It's not as good as HT, Blitzway, or even Asmus and ThreeZero, but I've seen worse. The biggest problem is the thickness of the blazer material. Had it been thinner weight it would have laid better and felt better. Instead it looks like something you'd see on a Ken doll. That said, 1970s suits and blazers were pretty tacky, so it could have gotten a pass if there weren't other problems. The materials used for the pants and shirts are better. Unfortunately, I was not able to compare the army jacket because some bozo forgot to put it in the box (note the empty slot).
Head Sculpts (artistic) -- Both sculpts definitely capture Lennon's likeness, especially once the glasses are added. The paints are good, but nothing mind-blowing. These would have been in the "positive" column, but it is evident that some of the detail was lost in the production phase, especially with the hair. Looking back at the original prototypes, you can't help but wonder what could and should have been.
Negatives
Head sculpts (scale) -- This is the unmitigated disaster of the release. Not only is the portrait the most important feature for a 1:6 figure, they know full well Kim's amazing sculpt is what gave them instant cred and sold a lot of folks on the figure. So you would think they would make absolutely sure this, if nothing else, would be perfect. It ain't. Forget 2%, this is closer to 10% too small. Whoever the hell was in charge of QC for these needs to be fired. Had M8 gotten the blinkin' scale right, I think most collectors would have forgiven them for everything else, chocking it up to a "shakedown cruise".
Body (material, execution) -- I didn't subject my eyes to the horror of removing the clothes, but looking at the photos taken by others the body looks like a rubber-covered unic as opposed to an anatomical human. While most 1:6 bodies are sculpted to mimic human anatomy even if they will be covered by clothing, M8 didn't bother with anatomical aesthetics but seemed to only be concerned with functionality. As a result it just looks like the endoskeleton was wrapped with thick rubber. I'm not sure why they didn't make the body look human they way Phicen does, but it's possible that the material they are using can't be molded the same way. At any rate, it just feels like there's a cheap clumsiness to it. But the other issue with this body is that it makes Lennon look 10-15 (scale) pounds too heavy, and it seems to effect the way the clothes hang to a degree. I like the endoskeleton concept, but they need to work out the overlying body... like Cyberdyne Systems.
Guitar -- nice idea. Scale is off. Good grief.
Overall rating: 6.5/10.
Recommendation: The very smartest thing Molecule 8 could do in my opinion is find a top quality manufacturer to rerun the heads at the proper scale. Sure it might cost them, but it will go a long way to salvaging their reputation and showing they are committed to customer satisfaction.
