Union Jack is a character I'm not very familiar with, but I must admit I'm intrigued. This figure's design caught me eye and prompted a purchase over other Marvel Universe characters I like more, so I laid down my dollars. Did I really get something worthwhile out of them, or is Hasbro practicing taxation without representation? Read on to see if it's time to start a revolution!
Name: Union Jack
Line: Marvel Universe, Figure 026
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Released: Summer 2009
Price: Retail: $8.50-$9.99; Online: $11.99-$19.99
Scale: 3.75 in. (figure is 4.00 in. tall)
Accessories: Knife and pistol
Sponsor Listings: Past Generation Toys-$13.95, Amazon-$11.95
Union Jack has a much shorter and stockier build than other lanky MU figures; his muscles are large and make him look dense; he comes off as a body builder more than an athlete, almost too much so; the muscles are nicely defined from a sculpt standpoint though; left hand is in an open position, which means he can't hold both accessories simultaneously; costume details aren't left out and look good, such as boot/glove edges and cuffs at the ankles and wrists; belt pouches and holsters look great, but the buckle is very sloppily sculpted; head is basic due to mask, but all the necessary elements are present; both accessories look the part despite being simple; gun and knife fit into the holsters on his belt perfectly; he looks cool, everything considered, if just a hair too squat.
Sculpt Score: 7 / 10
Cast in a very dark blue/gray as a base for all the paint, and it does look good underneath; a lighter blue is airbrushed onto various parts of his body, and while it looks fine from afar when taking in the entire figure, if you start to look closely, each individual section looks pretty bad, particularly a perfect circle at the top of his head; red flag details on his chest contrast well with the blue and make his costume stand out to the eye; the white outer lines on his chest are very splotchy and fuzzy on the edges, but decent for this scale; eyes aren't terrible, they just don't look good either; belt is brown with an ugly dark wash worked in that effectively makes it look old, though a little too messy; accessories look bland with a very flat gray and brown, with applications that aren't very clean; belt buckle is an ugly mess to match the weak sculpt.
Paint Score: 6 / 10
This figure has been much easier to pose than some of my past MU toys, and it's a relief; he features a lot of points, most of which work smoothly; his hips are limited by the belt above, and they also feel gummy and weak due to the plastic ball and socket set-up being utilized here, but they do still work; arm articulation is wonderful and allows for a lot of fun/dynamic poses; ball neck is great for added touches of personality when on display; although a swivel above the knee would help him achieve more poses, it's not a huge problem that he's missing it; none of the joints are too limited; these style hips would typically look ugly, but they're well hidden by his belt and costume colors; the cuffs at his wrists and ankles also hide articulation nicely.
Articulation Score: 9 / 10
May not be an extremely well known character, but he has an emblem many people will recognize and enjoy; the articulation makes him an excellent addition to your Marvel Universe display or just as a standout piece on his own; he's a joy to pose (see Spider-Man fight below) and play with; there are two included accessories that you can store on his belt, which is always a great addition to any figure; Hasbro also includes a lot of fun pack-ins like a trading card with biographical information and a great comic-style portrait, along with a cool top-secret file with story elements to inspire play; the package has great art and cross-sells to make it worth looking at more than once; there's nothing too frustrating to steal away from all the stuff already mentioned.
Fun Score: 10 / 10
At $8.50 or more at retail, and even higher online, this isn't a cheap figure for his size; he's only 4 inches tall, and many people won't be willing to spend over $2 an inch at this quality level; he does feel durable enough to withstand high-falls or other dangerous incidents (within reason); comes with two very small accessories, but also lots of pack-ins mentioned previously; packaging is quite nice; not a big-name character that you just have to have; a build-a-figure piece would really make this one a great value, or just being a dollar or two cheaper.
Value Score: 6 / 10
77 / 100 - This is a Good Toy
This is my favorite Marvel Universe figure in a while thanks in part to being enjoyable and well articulated. Just be wary if you're a paint aficionado or tight with mone, because it might be better spent eleswhere.
-The Articulated One
This could be the figure given away in this month's Review Commentator Contest. Join the discussion by leaving a comment for a chance to win!
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