I haven't actually managed to see Hellboy II yet, but when I spotted this figure at Toys R Us, it called to me. They've only had Series 1 figures until this last week, and it was a nice surprise to find Series 2 figures. I'm glad I decided to take the risk on Mezco's coatless variant, because he's a very good figure. 

Sculpt

  Ron Perlman never looked so good as the sculpt on this figure. Hellboy looks absolutely fantastic and exactly like his counterpart in the movie. The face is extremely detailed with every  crease and furl making its way onto the figure. Hellboy's stone hand is also full of little cracks, glyphs, and markings. Other small details making the cut are a great belt buckle, very natural pant folds, texture on his shirt, and a huge handgun. The accessories included with Hellboy also look great, especially his gun, but the cat and beer cans look like the real deal too. This is a good looking figure from every angle as Mezco didn't hold anything back, every little part received its fair share of attention during the sculpting process. The only complaint here is that some of the articulation compromises a perfect appearance for the figure. 

Sculpt Score: 9 / 10 - Great details in clothes, face, and hand, good size and proportions, articulation doesn't go with sculpt in some places. 

Paint

This toy is painted very well. Just looking at him generally gives a good sense of the character with darker tones and the idea that everything is a little worn out. His colors are perfect, his red skin a nice rich hue, while his big hand is darker variation. His clothing is a strong black with some gray wash that really points out the texture for a great effect. Applications are solid and pretty consistent if not quite exceptional. There is a little bit of slop in very small areas like his belt buckle and hairline, but it's better than average. The accessories also feature strong paint, his cat with a subtle color change and his beer with fine details. There's nothing amazing about his paint job, but altogether it has a nice look to it.   

Paint Score: 9 / 10 - Good color tones, consistent applications with little slop, feels like attention was paid to the figure, good overall look.

Articulation

Hellboy has a lot more articulation than I was expecting him to. He has everything you'd expect plus a little more. The joints all worked well right out of the package and most of them have a full range of motion. His head won't really look down with might be a problem with some posing, but shouldn't be a big issue. He fits in lots of fun poses and finding the perfect one will be a blast. He will function quite well in any play setting too, kicking and punching demons till the cows come home. Unfortunately some of the articulation, particularly the balls at his hips, makes him look a little bit wonky. It doesn't always look natural, but given the choice, I would probably take articulation anyday. 

Articulation Score: 9 / 10 - Surprising number of points, everything works well and moves freely. Messes with sculpt just a little.

Fun

Just looking at Hellboy is fun I think, so getting to play with his toy is a dream come true. He has an absolutely lovely design that kids and grownups alike should be drawn toward. He's pretty obiviously a demon, but can be a good guy for those of us that know the character, or a generic bad guy in any other play scenario. He has a gun and a giant stone fist, so what more could you ask for? He's loaded down with articulation and seems extremely durable, meaning he'll last through any play fight. He stands well and look amazing on the shelf, adding to his fun worthiness. He comes with a number of accessories, including a gun with articulation, a cat, and some beer (soda for your kids). There's very little they could've done to make this figure more fun than he is.  

Fun Score: 10 / 10 - Lots of articulation, very interesting and eye catching design, plays and poses well, loaded with accessories. 

Value

Helloboy was roughly $16 at Toys R Us, and that's about an average price for him I'd say. At that pricepoint you're getting a hefty 7" figure with a number of accessories, and it's really not a terrible deal. It might be a few dollars overpriced, but he's just a really well made figure that uses a strong, heavy plastic that feels like $16 in your hands. Coming with accessories and in nice packaging never hurts. I think this toy would also survive through a nuclear war, because he feels super durable. If you've got the money and like Hellboy, or just think it's a cool looking figure, you should make the purchase.

Summary

9

9

9

10

9

Overall Score: 92 / 100 - This is a Wonderful Toy

Hellboy's a nice figure that any fan of the movie or the comic would absolutely love. Mezco has produced a figure that's strong in every category, but most importantly he's just fun.

P.S. This might just be the figure I'm giving away this month. Leave a comment for a chance to win (if this one is the one). 

-The Articulated One