If you've been keeping up with this site for the last nine months, you've probably noticed that the toy that I've been most hyped about is the Tony Stark Mech Test Version from Hot Toys. This figure is modeled after actor Robert Downey Jr. from the 2008 film Iron Man. Hot Toys has a reputation for amazingly detailed 1/6-scale figures. The facial sculpts are so realistic that the promotional photos don't look like toys, but like actual shots of the actors themselves.

Hot Toys' products are certainly not cheap, and though I would want to own nearly every product they come out with, the $150-$200 cost is more than I can generally part with. But this one, I just had to own. Was the investment worth it? Do these figures live up to their promotional photos? Hit the jump to find out!

As you may have seen in my unboxing video, Mr. Stark comes in a very cool box. It's features white on black schematics of the arm harness and jet-propelled boots. Each side is foil stamped with the figure's name and description. On the inside a preview board, showing you what the figure just underneath looks like. It's design mimics that of a movie poster. It's a nice touch.

Inside everything is very well protected in two sturdy plastic trays with lids. The first tray contains Tony himself, along with 2 sets of hands (one relaxed pair, and another tensed and ready to fire). There's also set of dress shoes to replace the the boots for when a more formal appearance is required. There are replacement clips for the jet-boots, and two pouches to put on his belt. One pouch is tiny and just for show, the other is meant to hold the "battery box" device which powers the repulsors on his hands.

The second tier contains the base and the figure stand, the "articulated mechanical robot" and wires to attach it to the base (which aren't shown in the pic). Underneath it all is the garage backdrop, a trifolding display that surrounds the base.

So, let's get this guy out of the box and get a good look at him!

Tony is wearing actual fabric clothing, as do pretty much all of the Hot Toys figures. I wasn't prepared for the detail, though. I own many 12" figures with real clothing, and usually the clothes will be too large and loose with exaggerated belt loops and the like. This is a completely different ballgame. The clothes are well fitted and don't appear bulky in the least. And look at the pin-stripes on those dress pants. And those pockets aren't just for show. You could actually put something tiny in them if you were so inclined.

On the upper body, he's wearing a tight black undershirt with a t-shirt over it. He's also sporting a patent leather belt and many straps for holding and supporting his various gear.

The arm harnesses are minutely detailed to a point where you could stare at them a long time. There are wires and pistons aplenty. There's a lot of overlapping and layers of the parts, making it all look very interesting. The arm harness itself is perfectly in tune with the arm's range of movement. It naturally follows the bending of the elbow, and never falls out of position. The loose wires that stretch along the insides of the elbows are another nice touch. They bend out of the way when you bend and relax the arm.

I had to find this out the hard way, but the arm harnesses are not removable. At least they're not meant to be. You can try to take them off as I attempted, but I recommend having super glue at the ready.

Even more impressive than the detailing on the arms is that of the jet boots. These boots have springs and pistons literally all over the place. Again with incredibly intricate detail in the wiring throughout.

The feet each have two points of articulation. One at the ankle and another at the ball of the foot. In another great piece of intricate design work, the pistons on the front of the foot extend and retract to follow the movement of the toes.

However, this is another point where this figure is incredibly fragile. If the pistons get popped out of place they could get permanent bends in them. All of the springs are glued into place. I did have an end of one pop out of place on me. I fitted it back into its home position, and it's fine. Still, it's important to note that great care must be taken with this figure. This is a toy to display, not to play with.

All along his back are lots of wires. Many of the fancy, light-up features are powered externally. It's an interesting touch as most of the wires are actually functional and not just for show. For my tastes, I have to say that from behind it all looks a bit messy. It does fit with the style of the figure, but I might have liked it to be toned down a little more.

Then we have the face. I have to tell you that this is where Hot Toys products really shine. Their facial sculpts are second to none. There is no mistaking that this is Robert Downey Jr. My highest compliments go out to the amazing head sculptor, Kojun, and to JC Hong, the painting controller. The paint is very subtle. It's used to enhance the wrinkles without appearing unnatural (which is an issue that I have with many figures). And the perfect amount of gloss on the eyes really sells it. The glint of light that those eyes catch really makes this figure look human, and not made of plastic.

I do have a couple of nitpicks, but they're relatively minor. The expression that was chosen for this is not conducive to many different situations. Any pose that you display him in has to exude intensity, or it's just going to look weird. For a guy who spent the majority of the movie with an easy-going nature, I find this kind of limiting. Still, it looks fantastic. The other nit-pick doesn't really bug me, but I know that some of our readers are sticklers for details. The paint on the lower part of his goatee doesn't extend out to the face by a tiny fraction of a millimeter. You'd have to be within 7-8 inches to even notice.

Another favorite detail is the arc reactor. It looks incredibly authentic. I would have been happy with just a simple light in the center of his chest. What I got instead was the actual arc reactor in miniature form.

I'll briefly talk about this little guy. The articulated mechanical robot is a really cool accessory. The whole arm moves back and forth slightly the base with pistons that move along with it. The arm can pivot slightly from side to side. There are two rotating joints on the head and it can pivot 180 degrees on its own. The claw opens and closes. It's meant to hold a fire extinguisher, which the instructions say is not meant to be detached. Unfortunately I didn't get to the instructions in time. Not that I would have wanted it to be holding that extinguisher much of the time, anyway. As mentioned earlier, there are wires which can connect it to the base, should you want to keep him realistically on a leash.

Finally we have the base/diorama. It recreates the look of Tony's garage (minus the cars that ease his awkward landings). The clear figure stand has a pinching claw that holds onto Tony's waist and allows him to hover in the air.

Let's talk a bit about these oft mentioned lights. As you can see in the above shots, Tony's arc reactor lights up, as do his palm repulsors and the bottoms of the boots. The boots have their own internal batteries and switches. The arc reactor on his chest is power by batteries contained in his torso, with a switch on his upper back.

It's the repulsors that require the battery pack and all of the wiring.

Wires from the pack run up his back and down to each arm. The switch is on the pack itself. This goes into the pouch that he wears on his belt. This brings up some drawbacks. The pouches don't latch on very well. The belts pop out of place incredibly easily and are an overall pain to get in. Secondly, the wiring on my battery pack is quite finicky, and it needs to be set-up in just the right position, or else the power doesn't make it to the lights. I imagine mine just has a loose connection somewhere. Probably just a one-off. I might have sent it back for a replacement had I not already messed up one of the harnesses.

The light itself comes from the arm, which shoots forward toward the wrist and into either set of detachable hands. When you get it into a dimly lit area, the results are quite impressive.

Overall, I am completely satisfied with my first Hot Toys purchase. I had an absolute blast taking these photos with photographer extraordinaire Tom Ruffo (who would tell you it's just something he does for fun). I only wish we had another 12 hours to get a billion more. Or that I could run right out and buy some more of their figures. (Being poor sucks!)

I can, however, assure you that even though this figure was priced at a premium, it's certainly worth every penny of the cost. From the articulation, the detail of the clothing and accessories, and the always brilliant facial sculpts, these toys live up to the hype. I await that faraway day when I can buy myself another one!

[Photographs by Thomas Ruffo]

Be sure to check the gallery for even more pics!