Thor The Mighty Avenger 3.75" Hammer Smash Thor

It's been more than a year since the Thor movie hit theatres and a good 15 months since the toys hit the shelves.  So that can only mean one thing--it's clearance time for the line! ;)

So I'm minding my own business in the toy section (sheah, right) at the local Takashimaya department store, when I chance upon a whole load of Thor The Mighty Avenger movie 3.75" figures going for clearance at 1/2 price.  Sure, it wasn't the excellent S$5 deal from another department store, OG.  But lo and behold, they had this Thor figure with the helmeted head going for S$9.90.  They also had a bunch of deluxe Blaster Armor Thor (unwanted) and Ice Attack Frost Giants at S$12 a pop.

Army builders!

A couple of Frost Giants and a Thor later, and I'm a happier man. (Does the dance of joy.)  I've been waiting to get the helmeted Thor for a long time now.  Ditto for the Frost Giant army.  And just when I wasn't really looking at all, I find them!  Both and the same time too, to boot.

Am I happy with them?  Hells yeah.  Especially since this helmeted Thor has the proportion of helmet-to-head ratio the way I like it.  You only have to look as far as the Thor 6" Thor figure to find a ridiculously small helmet, while the helmetless version has just been released in the Avengers movie line as a Walmart Exclusive!

So I'm thankful I found Hammer Smash Thor in the wild on the cheap, while not having to agonize over if/when I'd be able to have helmeted/helmetless Thor heads in 3.75" scale!

Like:  The helmet!  It's the right size for me and it's painted a bright shiny silver that matches with the feel of movie Asgardian metal.  Like any of us know what the hell that means.  Lol.  Ok, I guess we kinda all do.

Dislike: The paint on the edge of the helmet is sloppy and spills over onto his face.  It's not a matter of if you can find one that doesn't spill, but rather if you can find one that spills neatly.  I picked out a neat one, but I've seen some with horrendous spillage.

Like: That (besides the head) there are minor changes in the deco from Sword Spike Thor.  It's hard to notice without the figures side by side, but this version has washed armour on the arms and silver circles instead of pale gold on the torso.

I like that these are subtle changes because if you're not inclined towards getting both a helmeted and  helmetless Thor, then you can get one or the other and not really worry if you're missing out.  Look what I did?  I got them both so I'm really not not missing out.  Really!

Helmet Head and Ginger Spice

Like: That the cape is glued on instead of removable like it is for Sword Spike (helmetless) Thor.  This is weird, I know, because it usually means one less accessory or less ways to pose/play with the guy.  But the problem with the removable cape is that it falls off rather easily.  So if you use it to prop the other Thor up, the cape usually falls off while Thor goes crashing down.  In this instance, he stands up real well!  Besides, he'd also look pretty silly with this grand helm and no cape. Lol.

Dislike: His hip armour/panels get in the way of his legs' forward movement.  It's a pity, because the swivel/hinge ball joints they use for the movie figures have all the flexibility and none of the looseness that the Marvel Universe ball-sockets joints suffer from.  But I think what I may do here, in my new found calling as a quixotic customizer, is cut out those panels and glue them to the upper thighs.  Yeah, that job might just solve the problem while leaving his hips protected from his enemies.

Like: I think I prefer the paint decos on this guy then compared to Sword Spike Thor.  The ink-washed mail sleeves are better, for one.  And I do so prefer the way the face been painted beneath the helm.  The slightly worried/determined/perplexed look is not lost beneath all the colour.

Like: His face sculpt!  This is something I should have mentioned earlier because it was one of the reasons I got the guy--the helmet and the face sculpt.  It's the closest to Chris Hemsworth I've seen in this scale.  I have to say it's surprising that it comes with helmeted figure.  I guess I usually expect sculptors to do a better job with less clutter on the noggin'.  But hey, whadda I know? ;)

RATINGS

Aesthetics: 9/10 - Bonus points for the head!  Not just for the perfect-sized helmet, but also for the great face sculpt.  I probably have only ever seen a better one for the actor on a Hot Toys figure.  So at like 5% of the price this is a masterpiece on and of itself.

There's also the small matter of that unpainted neck hinge this line somehow has a problem with.  But I say better a neck hinge than none at all!

I've not mentioned the fantastically sculpted armour with all the intricate details, but there's hardly anywhere on him that isn't covered in some wrinkle or has some sculpted pattern.

Poseability: 7.5/10 - He would definitely benefit from not having his legs blocked by his armour.  Even then, that swivel hinge head and something like 27 PoAs on my count already make this Thor an amazing poser.  Verily.

Fun: 8/10 - I just love my superheroes and mythical characters.  That's probably why I'm liking Thor more and more.  Oh, and there's that movie that I keep watching again and again that has him team up with some mere mortals for a jaunt on Midgaard.  And there's also that older one where he actually tastes mortal-hood for a bit and learns that pet shops don't sell horses.

I think the fun factor for redecoed figures like this Thor is that you can buy them on clearance and then take the best of its parts and swap 'em in on another figure that has other parts you like.  It's a bit of a mix and match but ultimately, you get the "perfect" movie Thor.  It's a page I'm taking out of the Rangerlord's book.  We both have too many action figures and, like everyone out there, are trying to get the "best" version of the characters we like.  So what better way than to do-it-yourself and have some spare parts to kitbash or better yet trade/sell off?  Better yet, you can offer them as giveaways on your site!  Giveways?  well, watch this space! ;)

Value: 7.5/10 - A new head is the only change to a previously released figure.  But it's a good one.  Hammer Smash Thor comes with the standard Mjolnir and the overly fat and nonsensical "sword" that I suppose smashes hammers.  His cape might not come off because its glued on, but if you want to make it removable you could probably try some hot water or take a hair dryer to it.

For the amount I paid for this guy on clearance (more than 50%off), he's a steal!  Of course, I denied myself the pleasure of enjoying the figure and the world of a review for a year just to save some bucks. ;P

Overall: 8/10 - It's a Keeper! - With the way The Avengers 3.75" scale figures turned out, the quality of the older movie figures are really showing through.  It's most obvious with the Thor figures because they pack a highly detailed sculpt with great articulation and the right accessories.

Also, Thor movie figures have so far been the only ones to have the actors' and actresses' likenesses used freely for the face sculpt.  You'd be hard pressed to find that Avengers unmasked Captain America variant and as far as I know, there's no Tony Stark Robert Downey Jr head.  Nick Fury out of Iron Man 2 is in a 4-pack that's also rare, while the new Avengers Fury figure is yet to come of at all.  Jeremey Renner's Hawkeye is set to be shortpacked, while the ScarJo Black Widow is even rarer. All this makes Chris Hemsworth Thor more worthwhile to have!