I guess one advantage of time-traveling naked guys in the Terminator franchise is it really opens the door to costume changes. The Terminator (Tech Noir Jacket) had 4 different figures in the first wave if you include the skeletons, which shows just how popular the character is and how nifty those costumes were.
While the Endoskeleton is a figure I dislike a little more every day, this Terminator in the jacket is a decent sculpt with a subpar execution. The face is Arnoldy enough, and the costume is good - the sculpted detail is better than I would expect for a figure of 1984, but the texture is unlike much I've seen in this style. Really, the choices of plastic and paint are what hurt this figure - a simple redeco or perhaps a different factory would have done it proud.
At 4-inches tall, it's a bit bigger and more imposing than his peers. From a toy perspective you want this character and actor to be big and imposing, but his real height is estimated anywhere from 5'10" to 6'2" - in other words, kinda short to be 4-inches tall were this a true 1:18 scale replica other than a stylized retro toy. Because of his role as an imposing villain it works - the jacket fits nicely and the body is somewhat sleight, taking away from the character's actual body. It's certainly notable to see a minor detail on an iconic character change and have that which makes him scary pretty much evaporate before your eyes while retaining the unique brow and costume.
The back of this 5-jointed figure is where it really sings. The glossy black gloves and jacket carry through, but the collar shine also appears as a design on the back. The contrast is more exaggerated than the film prop, and it's not a perfect match. When it comes to older figures I sort of appreciate this, because when you look at older Star Trek and Star Wars toys there's a certain sense of non-accurate accuracy. It's clearly the character you mean to represent - all the parts are there - but sometimes the colors or proportions are off a bit in a charming way. Arnold's jacket is a little too light on the figure, with the black seeming a little too dark.
As an exaggerated, arguably comical take on the classic character this figure really does work. There have been several larger and more realistic takes on the figure and costume before, so it's not like our one and only shot at this character from this movie in this costume has been dashed - instead, we got something different and weird. It feels like a figure that could have been released in 1984 before anyone saw the movie, designed mostly from black-and-white photographs. That kind of offbeat inaccuracy is hard to find on newer products in the era of digital props and well-documented costumes, so I have to say that inauthentic authenticity helps sell me on this figure.
Engineering is acceptable - like many of the figures, it feels fragile and the joints are a little too stiff. The bottom of the torso doesn't seem to be properly welded shut, meaning I assume that with time the torso could pry apart. Were this a toy for kids I'd say it's a problem, and depending on how he's stored, over time, this could be an issue for collectors. If you get him and open him, be careful - store him in a hard case when you move, don't throw him in a bag in a box with other figures. Or just leave him packaged - it's a neat enough design, and as of earlier this year the price started to dip. For $5 or less it's great, for over $10 it's probably worth skipping.
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