Bandai: S.H. Figuarts Iron Man Movie Mark 3

I still think the Marvel Cinematic Universe Iron Man Mark 3 is the best armor. Sure, sure, subsequent armors have gotten sleeker and more formfitting, but the Mark 3 is the one that still defines movie Iron Man.

The Mark 3 was first seen in Marvel’s Iron Man back in 2008. Hold on. Let’s stop for a second. 2008, eight years ago. Whoa. Wow. It’s difficult to remember that Iron Man was the movie that launched the new Marvel Cinematic Universe. Sure there were Marvel movies before that, but it was Iron Man that made everything click into place. Robert Downey Jr.’s portrayal of Tony Stork was the performance that opened the flood gates. And it is still one of my favorite Marvel movies.

I. Love. This. Figure.

Yeah, I am throwing that out there right now. I love this figure. I keep getting in new figures that become the next figure of the year. This is one of them. Hands down another fantastic S.H. Figuarts, another great Marvel Cinematic figure, another beautifully engineered action figure, another beautifully painted action figure. It’s hand candy, the kind that needs to be loved and caressed; you might even have to whisper sweet nothings as you roll this toy between your fingers.

Bandai’s Mark 3 from the first Iron Man movie is the latest in their new journey to cover all the Iron Man suits in their S.H. Figuarts line of action figures. And this is the last Iron Man release this year. Shipping from Japanese retailers now, this figure is one of Bandai’s best releases to date. That’s a statement that, for the most part, I keep repeating with each release.

The engineering of this figure is amazing. So many moving parts that move effortlessly and have an incredible range of motion. I am shocked and surprised as how tight the joints are, but none are so tight that it causes stress or problems. Of all the engineering aspects that could go wrong, the only “loose” joint I have is on the hand armor — the hinge is so loose that they upper (against the wrist) part flops over. Really, it’s a minor quibble if I take in the whole sum of the figure.

Industrial pointed out to me that the he thought the waist looked too thin. After some googling, I’ll have to agree; the waist is a bit tight, kinda like he’s wearing a corset. I think there was a major challenge in getting that waist, ab, and chest section to move properly and look right, but it’s not so far off from some of the stills that I’ll cry havoc.

There’s a ton of accessories in this figure’s box: a bevy of hands, the usual repulsor blasts, and back stabilizers. I love the accessories and it is a pack of accessorizes that makes the price point of the figure feel worth it. All of them are tons of fun to put on and off and play with. But I’m gonna pass showing them off for this review. There is nothing new in the accessories that haven’t been covered in previous Iron Man reviews. They work the same.

The big question is do you need this figure? I can never really answer that question when we start getting into high-end imports. I can tell you if I needed this figure. And I do. I never liked the Hasbro version, I did not like the Revoltech version, and Hot Toys isn’t in my preferred 6-inch scale. I needed this figure. My family needed this figure. My oldest son couldn’t wait to take it out of the box and pose it, and my youngest looks at it like it is some long lost treasure. It was the Iron Man we’d been waiting for.

You can pick up this figure here:

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