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The T-1000 (played by Robert Patrick), considered by many to be among the top on-screen villains, can now be added to your own collection in excruciating detail. Hong Kong-based Hot Toys has created an incredibly film-accurate 1/6th scale figure that blows away all competition, including Sideshow’s attempt just a few years back. Oh, how toys can be so easily replaced.
Hot Toys has released a handful of figures for Terminator 2 already including the T-800, Sarah Connor, and a T-1000 in Sarah Connor Disguise (read our review HERE). This piece will cost you about $150, but for the quality and total package, it’s most certainly worth every penny.
The packaging, much like the rest of the line, is a metallic slip sleeve over a basic window box. Inside that box is a plastic tray and cover containing the figure and its accessories. The package does well protecting its contents but isn’t great visually as I know Hot Toys is capable. The slip on cover gets tight and a bit of a hassle to get off and on, even if you want to get a quick glimpse of the figure inside so I’d actually prefer some sort of opening flap in this instance. It does looks elegant enough but I’d much prefer something that pops a bit more.
The sculpt is a dead-on likeness of actor Robert Patrick, as good as anything Hot Toys has done thus far, and that’s no easy task. Sculptor Jeon Young Tae has done a remarkable job on the stern facial expression as well as the other portraits. The included head with this figure is a version of the T-1000 healing himself from a wound that split his head in half. The texture of the skin is a nice contrast to the liquid metal on the inside of his noggin. (There’s another bullet-damaged head included with T-1000 in Sarah Connor disguise that is equally cool).
Getting to the paint, it really is impressive on these T-1000 heads. The piercing eyes along with realistic skin tones, detailed eyebrows, make this one great figure. The paint work on the alternate head shows T-1000 looking off to the side. It doesn’t quite work. The T-1000 spends more time looking straight-forward than to the side so it’s a minor issue. I prefer the standard head anyhow.
The accessories themselves have a decent application of paint. The metal weapons really do look metal with their silvery shine, and they gradually fade to the blue hue of the police uniform so as to complete the look. This is the type of attention to detail that is usually lacking with other companies but Hot Toys nails it every time.
On the articulation front, the T-1000 makes use of the standard TrueType body containing over 30 points of articulation. This includes ball neck, shoulders, wrists, hips, heels and many other necessary joints to recreate your favorite looks.
With all the swappable parts, I found the feet and hand swapping to be easiest. The hands are plugged in with a peg in the wrists (spares are included) and the boots and shoes are snapped into a ball joint. With the ease of those, I discovered the difficulty of swapping the head. My T-1000 had a collar joint that would pull out entirely rather than letting go at the neck, making the NECESSARY head swaps practically unbearable. For the included helmet, instructions call for the bottom half of the helmet to be put on while the head is off, and only afterwards can the top of the helmet be completed. I’ve done some research on the forums and read that many don’t have this issue so hopefully yours will be perfectly fine. This setback however will cause me to forever display my T-1000 in its standard gear as it became time consuming.
On a positive note, and it’s a huge one, are the accessories. Hot Toys has given us the motherload. Not only do we have a slew of accessories, weapons, and display stand, we’re given an entire outfit! We’ll start with the main point, and that’s the interchangeable battle damaged head. It’s really going to spoil me rotten when I get a figure that only comes with portrait.
T-1000 also comes with a total of 8 hands and 3 arm attachments, a total of 11 possible swaps. Two hands are made for running, two natural stance, two for holding guns, one pointing left hand, and one right hand with needle pin. There’s also a pair of metallic hook arms to recreate the moment where he’s chasing after the trio and there’s also one metallic blade arm. Other features that support our liquid metal friend are his detachable magnetic bullet wounds, seven in all. These attach around the waist, chest, and back and stay in place very well.
Other accessories support the look of the T-1000, and included here are two completely separate outfits! I would have been happy with just one in all honesty. I may have to buy a separate body just to display the other outfit. The first outfit is the standard Los Angeles Police Officer outfit with badge and nametag already on and the belt with holster and other pockets are also placed on for us. He’s wearing a police blues shirt with snaps up the front, white shirt underneath, and pants with Velcro sealing up in the back. There’s also his pistol, two magazines, handcuffs, walkie, and flashlight (torch) that all fit into the police belt. A tiny ballpoint pen accessory fits into a small slot above his chest left pocket.
The second outfit represents the T-1000 after he stole the Police Motorcycle. This outfit includes a two-part helmet, sunglasses, jacket, pants with stripes on side, boots, standard belt with buckle, and submachine gun. Swapping the outfits can be a laborious move but for those who prefer this look, it’s definitely worth it.
Guys, this is the genuine article. If you have the Sideshow 12” figure, that’s just not good enough anymore. It’s time for an upgrade and one that will be hard to beat. This figure is still in stock at various e-tailers for around $150, a great price actually for the quality of the sculpt, the boundless accessories, and a second outfit. I did have a bit of a snafu with the head swapping but at the end of the day, I’m still wowed by the incredible likeness this figure has.
