i finally got my vader last thursday!
:chew
but i didn't have time to provide my comments immediately cos i was away for a short vacation. and my camera has been borrowed so i can't provide pics, but here are just a few quick thoughts on it...
the first thing i noticed was the packaging design. now, fyi this is my first-ever 1/6 figure by sideshow. all this while, i've been accustomed to (and spoiled by) hot toys' amazingly innovative packaging. so comparatively, sideshow's seemed a little boring and uninspired to me. on its own it's not a bad design, just kinda plain. but it has very detailed text on the inside, which is better than ht's stuff which usually has very sparse (and not well-written) info. but head's up sideshow, i spotted a major typo error: "Anakin Skywaler" ???
as soon as i opened it up, i completely forgot about the packaging.
this darth vader is HUGE! i stood him next to my ht predator1, and poor pred looked like a shorty next to vader.
like many folks here have said, he may be a little bit too tall (14.5 inches according to my ruler). but i honestly don't have a problem with his height. vader is and should be an imposing figure, and this excess height sure helps convey that when he's on display.
the helmet issue IS an issue for me. again, this has been endlessly discussed so i won't really elaborate on it. just wanna say that from a front angle with his head completely level, he looks a bit weird. but if u pose him with his head tilted slightly upwards and at a 3/4 angle away from you, the helmet looks perfectly fine. to me, anyway.
the armour, robes and bodysuit all look great, imo. i like the mix of textures and shades, so his costume has clear definition. which is not easy to pull off, considering his predominant colour is black. but sideshow pulled it off.
the cape is a little less successful though. the cloth is too thin to drape as it should in the movies. and it creases too easily. but i put that down to the fact that the material is in 1/6 scale, so it's forgiveable.
the paint apps are also pretty good, and i especially like the high gloss of his helmet dome and the boots. i would've preferred a little less use of grey on the face though. but i understand they were trying to create visual separation between the face panels. a darker grey would've been better imo. not as jarring. still, on the shelf at a distance, it becomes a non-issue and probably helps define vader's visage more clearly.
the only thing i didn't really like was the very limited leg articulation. i know the real costume david prowse wore was also quite restrictive. but this is a figure and i feel some slight liberties should've been taken to allow more freedom of movement. as it is right now, i can't get vader to do much more than a "legs-slightly-apart" pose. when i try bending his knees, he can't stand on his own cos the ankle has almost ZERO articulation. makes for kinda boring poses. however, i'm happy with the pose i've got him in now: the leaning-forward-with-fist-outstretched-in-air pose when confronting luke (after revealing he's his father) on bespin in epV.
overall, i rate this alongside the best hot toys has to offer. if hot toys had done vader, they'd likely have given him a light-up saber and working lights on his armour. other than that, i don't see how much better another company could've done it (helmet issue notwithstanding).
well done sideshow. i've not been impressed with a lot of your comiquettes and 1:1 stuff recently. but this figure shows why u guys are still a major player in the world of collectibles.