Review of Voldemort - Harry Potter

Introduction

Weird things have been going on with the Harry Potter/Fantastic Beasts licenses, particularly in the world of action figures. Star Ace did a series of 1/6 figures, some amazing, some not so much. Then Star Ace made a conscious decision to move away from sixth scale for many of their licensed figures, going to 1/8th instead and calling them 'Real Masters'. The line has included some DC characters like Green Arrow, as well as a relaunch of their Harry Potter line.

Then there's the kissing cousin license, Fantastic Beasts. Star Ace also had this license for sixth scale, and produced a solid Newt Scamander based on the first film. But now Hot Toys has jumped in with the second film, announcing a new Newt, as well as a Grindelwald. Confused yet? Welcome to my world.

Tonight I'm checking out one half of the new 1/8 scale Harry Potter Voldemort/Dementor two pack from Star Ace. I'll hit up the Dementor in the next week or so as well. These guys have just started shipping, and the basic Voldemort will cost you around $110, with the two pack coming in at $200. There's also a special light up version of Voldemort that costs $20 or so more, depending on the retailer.

Packaging - ***
Pretty basic stuff, but the graphics are attractive, and the interior plastic trays keep things safe and sound. The box is sturdy, and it's all collector friendly, requiring no damage when freeing the figure and accessories. There's also a brief set of instructions, although the inclusion of the instructions around the LED version may cause some confusion for those with the basic release.

Sculpting - ***1/2
Star Ace did a cracking Voldemort in their sixth scale line, so it's no surprise that the sculpt is well done in this smaller series. He comes wearing a screaming face, and while this one matches the expression of the older sixth scale figure, it is not simply the same sculpt shrunk down. The mouth is open wider, and there's variation in the muscle and wrinkle patterns. It's extremely realistic, particularly for this scale - remember, this is 1/8, and Voldemort is about 9" tall in his bare feet - and there's a nice skin texture to help create this life-like appearance.

There's a second portrait as well, this time with gritted teeth and the upper lip pulled way back in an extreme sneer. Again, there's an excellent skin texture, and the wrinkling around the eyes is quite impressive.  Both of these portraits are excellent, but there are some paint issues holding them back a bit - more on that in the next section.

Paint - ***
The skin tone is translucent and realistic, with a webbing of veins across the head. It's subtle, but it's there, and combined with a speckling of spots, creates a very life-like appearance. The darker skin around the eyes looks great, and the eyes themselves are very clean, neat, and straight.

The problem crops up with the teeth. The lips, tongue (on the open mouth portrait), and gums are great, with a nice color and wet looking gloss finish. But the teeth are clumpy and uneven, and even at this scale - which is smaller, but not that small - it's a pretty obvious issue.

The nails on the hands are painted as well, a nice detail that I didn't notice at first.  The skin tone matches between the hands and arms, as does the neck and head.

Articulation - ***1/2
The underlying body they are working with is much more posable with a free wheeling outfit like this. With flowing robes and bare feet, Voldie can do much more than some other characters using this same body.

The ball neck has plenty of tilt and lean, and the heads swapped fairly easily. The shoulders, elbows, and wrists allow for great poses, both with and without the wand. The chest crunches and turns, and the hips, knees, and ankles can take short to deep stances. The ankles work nicely here without any boots to restrict them, and you can get enough rocker movement to keep the feet flat on the ground in deeper stances.

There's also a thin wire in the bottom of the cloak, as well as a thicker wire along all edges of the 'scarf'.

Accessories - ***1/2
I almost went four stars here - that's how much I love it when I get a second portrait.

Sadly, there's only one extra hand. He comes wearing an open left and a posed right, and there's a second right with pointed finger that works great with the wand. The hands swapped easily, and stayed in place as I was posing him.

He has his normal wand, nicely scaled, with a second version with lightning blasting from the tip. This second one is also used with the LED version I believe, hence its slightly odd shape.

There's also a nice hunk of fire that fits over the open left hand. It then appears as though he is holding a ball of flame - nice effect.

Of course, there's also a display base. The black base includes a posable metal rod and clamp, perfect for leaping and floating poses. There's also two small plastic clips to attach the posable cloth extensions to the rod.

Outfit - ***1/2
He comes wearing a flowing robe, with a snap in front. The tailoring is appropriate, and it hangs off him nicely. The quality of material and construction are excellent as well.

One extra is the three pronged piece of cloth extensions. These three pieces are attached to each another on one end, and the instructions explain how to hook them to the support rod on the display base. However, I don't like to use the bases, so I experimented with wrapping them around his arms and torso, and found that you could get them to work pretty well without using the base. The edges have very thick wires, making it possible to get all kinds of dynamic poses.

Fun Factor - ***1/2
With a decent number of accessories and a very posable body, you'll find yourself visiting this figure over and over again, looking for your next favorite stance.

Value - **1/2
The usual release from Star Ace in this series is $120, which would illicit a two star score in this category from me. However, this guy has been running in the $100 - $110 range, and as part of the two pack, costs just $100, much more in line with the overall quality and accessories provided.

Things to Watch Out For -
Not a thing. Heads and hands swapped cleanly, and I wasn't afraid of breakage with any of the accessories.

Overall - ***1/2
The new 9" format was an interesting choice for Star Ace. Of the various releases I've seen, I have to say the Harry Potter license seems to be fitting in best so far. This is an excellent Voldemort, and I'm interested in checking out other characters in the series now. While it won't replace the sixth scale line in my display - a scale that's been near and dear to my heart for 50 years now - it does exhibit some nice quality and an opportunity to have more figures in a smaller display. The lower cost will also be a draw for the cost conscious collectors and fans.

Score Recap (out of ****):
Packaging - ***
Sculpting - ***1/2
Paint - ***
Articulation - ***1/2
Accessories - ***1/2
Outfit - ***1/2
Fun Factor - ***1/2
Value - **1/2
Overall - ***1/2

Where to Buy 
Online options include these site sponsors:

- Entertainment Earth has the regular non-LED version for $120, but with free shipping.

- or you can search ebay for a deal.

Related Links -
Star Ace also did a terrific 1:6 scale Voldemort.

You should also hit the Search Reviews page, in case any other applicable reviews were done after this one was published.

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