Figma
Robocop
5 Inch Scale
By: Max Factory
$49.99 (price varies)
Part Man. Part Machine. ALL Cop. Paul Verhoeven's 1987 Robocop film transformed the concept of a cyborg. Robocop was a movie that had a lot of social commentary, gratuitous violence and one of the coolest looking "robots" in film history. It also instantly became a hit with kids, which is pretty amazing because the movie is actually Rated R. That didn't stop toys from being made, cartoons from being launched and Robocop becoming everything that perhaps the movie was against.


None of that matters though, because Robocop is a badass. I love Robocop, even the bad sequels and the underrated TV show. I owned a ton of the Kenner figures and I bought quite a few of the Toy Island figures, even Commander Cash! Despite a ton of attempts from McFarlane, NECA and even Hot Toys, I'm not certain we've ever had a perfect Robocop figure.


Ultimately, this figure isn't "perfect" either, but it's damn close. I'm sure Hot Toy's second attempt at Robcop will be perfect... But it will also run you $300 or so. For $60 or less, you won't find a better Robocop figure than the Figma. This guy is incredible, both in detail and design, but most importantly in articulation. This is the most poseable Robcop to date and he's an amazing figure because of it.

Packaging:
The packaging is a fairly plain window box. The presentation is nice, but not nearly as sweet as Revoltech or the Bandai MonsterArts packages. This does it's job, but won't likely make you want to keep it MIB for display.


The package art does conjure up a bit of a Robocop feel, but I think they could have had a lot more fun with that concept. The back has some details about the posing and accessories.


There's a picture of the figure on the sides.


The nicest part of the package is actually the inside backing card. It has a lot of little wires and circuitry as well as the Robocop logo. As usual, kind of a shame when the nicest part of the package is something you see the least of.

Sculpt/Paint:
The sculpting on the Figma Robocop is fantastic, with just about as much detail as the McFarlane figure, at around half the size. Robocop has actually had a pretty good run with figures, as they've always had a lot of sculpted detail. Toy Island did nice work, and Kenner wasn't too bad, but the Figma is really amazing for the small size.


It's a stunning figure and is immediately recognizable as Robocop. The paint has a mix of blue and purple hues in it, but in some shots it looks like there is too much purple. I would say that there is a TAD too much purple, but it's not as bad as some photos may have you believe. I'd rather they went with more blue than purple, but such is life.


The other area that is of concern to many collectors is the mouth. This doesn't appear to be Peter Weller. It looks pretty generic and the lips aren't given a lot of detail, making this look a bit flat. It doesn't bother me, but it's worth noting. You could sculpt a bit more detail in yourself, but honestly macro function cameras are tricking you for the most part... In hand you're not seeing the face as close up.


To many, the McFarlane Robocop is still the standard bearer and Figma's Robocop does not have quite as much detail. However, for the most part, the detail is very close. Given the difference in size, it doesn't seem like anything was directly omitted.


This Figma Robocop even has working pistons on the heels. In fact these pistons work quite a bit better than the other pistons on similar figures, because you can move these around a lot more. Although they can pop out and are TINY so don't lose them (I almost did) if you drop them.


The pins can come out, so be careful.


The intricate detail at this scale is pretty astonishing. He's just the right amount of bulky, complex and slick. Some Robcop figures just don't seem to nail the overall feel of Robocop, NECA's is gangly, McFarlane's head is a bit small but Max Factory has succeeded in getting just the perfect mix.


The body looks good and the articulation is hidden rather seamlessly. This has often been a problem with other Robocops, but it's not an issue here.


The hands all look great and there are quite a few to choose from. The data spike hand is particularly impressive. It's tiny, but so well detailed for it's size.


They managed to cram in a lot of details.


The figure's height will get to a lot of people. He's more in line with 5 inch figures than he is 6 inchers. That means he'll look great with Doctor Who, but won't work with Marvel Legends or DCUC. He matches up okay with the old Kenner Terminator, though.


The scale doesn't bother me too much...


So long as Max Factory gives us a Figma ED-209! He's too big for my old version. I'd like a RoboKane too please!


The crowning achievement of this figure, though, has to be the opening leg compartment for his gun. This is an important part of Robocop that is often not made into a figure for various reasons.


Figma has nailed it! While it's not "fully" functional, it's perfect for recreating those iconic poses.


Articulation:
The articulation is the other truly amazing part of this figure. He's just so much damn fun to fiddle around with. Robocop toys usually get a pass because Robocop didn't seem all that poseable in real life... But this one isn't a big hunk of unarticulated junk.


Robocop can finally disco dance!


Or meditate!


Or do his best Shawn Michaels impersonation!


Or even relax after using his roboweiner to rock Anne Lewis's world!


Seriously though, this guy is super poseable. The joints all move smoothly and they're not clicky like a Revoltech. They are just easy to function. Nothing strange or odd about them.


This means you can put Robocop in lots of wacky poses that you might never had imagined him in before.


But it also means you can help him hit essential Robocop poses, better than ever before. Nothing you can't do within reason with this articulation.


Accessories:
Japanese toys tend to load you down with accessories and low and behold, Figma's Robcop is no exception.


You get a total of 10 different hands. Two look nearly identical, but they are actually different stages of trigger pulling. You also get a Figma stand, a bag for your accessories (this is a nice little bag) and a battle damaged head. Not to mention the removable leg for the gun, his actual Auto 9 and a little gun blast effect.


"WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOUR FACE?!?!"
The helmet just pops off to replace it with the battle damaged version. It's easy to remove, but at the same time, it's not going to fall off either.


The battle damaged helmet looks great and although there isn't a matching chest piece, you can remove parts of him to make him seem more damaged.


Like an arm!


The outer thigh pops off to reveal the inside where you can attach the opening gun leg portion. That is two separate pieces that plug in.


Note the very minor differences in these sculpts. Not necessary for some people, but quite cool to be included.


The Auto 9 is an incredible sculpt and the firing effect is decent, but a bit cumbersome to plug in.


The stand is a of a pretty high quality. It's not the best stand, but it can help you to acheive some poses. He stands fine on his own in most posing situations, though.


Everything is really well made, no cheap flexible plastic. This is all made to last.

Value:
Of course the kicker here is that this guy is at least $50 in most locations. That's certainly a lot more than a MOTUC or something you might find at retail. He's also under 6 inches, which will upset a lot of people. However, if you're a big Robocop fan, you simply can't not have this in your collection. All other Robocop figures pale in comparison and I should know, I pretty much have them all. If there continues to be more Robocop Figmas, I will be in LOVE. I can only hope we get several more figures from the Robocop films in the Figma format!


Score Recap:
Packaging - 7
Sculpting - 9
Paint - 9
Articulation - 10
Accessories - 10 Hands, Stand, Auto 9, Blast Effect, Battle Damage Head, Bag, Leg Pieces
Value - 9
Overall - 9.5 out of 10

This is not perfection... But it is close. It's as close as we've ever gotten and I'm not sure we'll ever get any closer at a price point this low. For that reason, he's very much worth it.


Sometimes you have to pay a little more, to get a little more.


If the mouth sculpt was a little tighter, the purple a little less and perhaps more blue, this guy would be perfect. As is, he's an essential for Robocop nuts like myself. Don't miss out on this one.


Your move...


Creep!