V For Vendetta (2006)
The Toy: A talking V doll from NECA, fond of spouting such alliterative nonsense as, "Voilà! In view, a humble vaudevillian veteran, cast vicariously as both victim and villain by the vicissitudes of Fate. This visage, no mere veneer of vanity, is a vestige of the vox populi, now vacant, vanished. However, this valourous visitation of a by-gone vexation, stands vivified and has vowed to vanquish these venal and virulent vermin van-guarding vice and vouchsafing the violently vicious and voracious violation of volition. The only verdict is vengeance; a vendetta, held as a votive, not in vain, for the value and veracity of such shall one day vindicate the vigilant and the virtuous. Verily, this vichyssoise of verbiage veers most verbose, so let me simply add that it’s my very good honour to meet you and you may call me V." Got that?
Coolest Detail: Verbiage aside, we like the six (count them!) daggers that come as part of V's costume. Ready for trouble, isn't he?
Ghost Rider (2007)
The Toy: Hot Toys take on Johnny Blaze with this awesome figurine boasting both Nic Cage's overacting mug and the flaming skull of the Rider himself. The hair looks a tad iffy on the Blaze headpiece, but then again, so did Cage's in the movie.
Coolest Detail: The bike of course! It's ruddy brilliant.
Army Of Darkness (1992)
The Toy: The pick of NECA's Cult Classics' Army Of Darkness line is this figure of Ash in his S-Mart gear. His facial scars are a nice departure from the movie scene, in which they've long healed over.
Coolest Detail: The iron fist is a truly excellent touch. Handy for dealing with shoplifters and / or Deadites.
Batman Begins (2005)
The Toy: Hot Toys' brilliantly realised take on Scarecrow, who comes as part of a set with the fear gas version of Batman. Very expensive, but if you've got money to burn…
Coolest Detail: The Scarecrow mask is brilliantly rendered, capturing every hideous cranny of Dr. Crane's frightening alter-ego.
The Silence Of The Lambs (1991)
The Toy: NECA's talking version of Hannibal Lecter, sporting his trademark mask and programmed to recite five choice phrases on command. And yes, one of them is that lip-smacking noise…
Coolest Detail: The gurney and straightjacket combo is a cool way of presenting the character.
Bride Of Chucky (1998)
The Toy: Buying a Chucky doll seems a bit like tempting fate, but then again, this collector's pairing of Chucky and Tiffany is too cool to resist. Chucky's been through the wars a bit, hasn't he?
Coolest Detail: The accessories are brill, with Chucky tugging on a cigarette and Tiffany quaffing a bottle of Champagne. Oh and there's also a knife, of course.
X-Men (2000)
The Toy: Not only is Toybiz's Uncanny X-Men series a slice of pure nostalgia, it also produced some excellent figures. Our favourite is Cyclops, sporting an early incarnation of his X-Men costume, complete with his trademark yellow visor.
Coolest Detail: Press a button on Cyclops' back and his red eye-laser lights up. Awesome!
G.I. Joe: The Rise Of Cobra (2009)
The Toy: Hasbro's 2010 line Pursuit Of Cobra Wave 3 hits the high notes with this achingly cool version of Snake Eyes. Just about as tooled up as you could ask an action figure to be!
Coolest Detail: Snake Eyes' pistol comes with a removable silencer. Now that's cool…
Sin City (2005)
The Toy: McFarlane's controversial Death Row Marv figure, that shows the hulking hero strapped to the electric chair. Naturally, parents groups got their knickers in a twist, but given the movie's general tone, we think this figure sums things up pretty well!
Coolest Detail: The chair has a switch you can flip in order to send Marv to the sweet hereafter.
Return Of The Jedi #1 (1983)
The Toy: The highlight of the Kenner Power Of The Force line is the model Star Wars fans had waited 14 long years to get their hands on… Vader with a removable helmet. There's that withered old face we know and love!
Coolest Detail: The scarring on his deathly-white skull is a nice grisly touch.
Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011)
The Toys: Hot Toys' On Stranger Tides tie-in is unarguably the definitive Jack Sparrow, boasting a pair of interchangeable faces as well as a raft of clothing accessories. Snappy dresser, our Jack…
Coolest Detail: The tiny ship in a bottle version of The Black Pearl that comes as an accessory.
RoboCop (1987)
The Toy: A special release from NECA to celebrate the film's 25th anniversary, this new version of RoboCop shows the law-enforcer in a state of disrepair, having taken a bit of a pounding in the line of duty. Well done that robot!
Coolest Detail: The broken armour and general battle damage make this our favourite RoboCop toy going!
Masters Of The Universe (1987)
The Toy: It's Modulok, "evil beast of a thousand bodies", from Mattel's Masters Of The Universe collection. Ugly so and so, isn't he?
Coolest Detail: Each and every body part is detachable and interchangeable, allowing you to create endless variations of this hideous beastie.
Platoon (1986)
The Toy: A Hot Toys version of Sergeant Barnes that captures Tom Berenger's war-ravaged expression to a tee. As you'd expect, it includes lots of awesome accessories including dog tags, grenades and a humble cigarette.
Coolest Detail: The facial detailing is superb, particularly the attention to detail lavished on Barnes' many scars.
X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)
The Toy: The Marvel Legends take on Deadpool is nothing short of awesome, and far more badass than Ryan Reynolds' on-screen version. He even comes with sidekick, Doop! Where was Doop in Origins , eh?
Coolest Detail: The changeable heads are pretty cool, with the unmasked Wade Wilson showing off a particularly manic grin.
E.T. (1982)
The Toy: If your heart isn't warmed by NECA's comically cute E.T. seven inch, you may well be dead. Look at the little fellow… he's just adorable!
Coolest Detail: Our favourite accessories are the wig, dress and basket E.T. uses to disguise himself as a human. Not the most convincing, but he tries his best.
A Nightmare On Elm Street (1984)
The Toy: Another from McFarlane's Movie Maniacs range, this time featuring dreamstalker extraordinaire, Freddy Krueger. Many, many models have been made of the horror icon, but none more faithful than this.
Coolest Detail: The look of genuine malice on Freddy's face. No comedy cackling here!
Raiders Of The Lost Ark (1981)
The Toy: Kenner's 1982 take on Indy remains a nostalgic favourite. The facial detailing might look more like a melted candle than Harrison Ford, but these were simpler times! The fedora and leather jacket more than make up for it.
Coolest Detail: Indy's left arm had an ace whip-cracking motion. What more do you need?
X-Men: The Last Stand (2006)
The Toy: He's the Juggernaut, bitch! Not the Vinnie Jones version, granted, but that's probably for the best. A highlight of the 2004 Toy Biz Marvel Legends series.
Coolest Detail: Those bulging veins on his biceps are the icing on the cake. He makes Bane look like a right pansy.
Saw (2004)
The Toy: NECA more than do justice to that creepiest of horror movie icons, the Billy puppet used by the villainous Jigsaw to terrorise his victims. Weird little fellow, isn't he?
Coolest Detail: Billy comes with his signature tricycle included. There's something about the fact that he rides a child's toy that makes him all the more unsettling…
Batman (Comics)
The Toy: Not taken from a movie this one, but so cool we had to include it anyway. Inspired by the story arc of the same name, this DC Direct Hush series produced arguably the most badass Batman figurine of all time. Lovely stuff.
Coolest Detail: Look at that jawline. More than a man, indeed...
Enter The Dragon (1973)
The Toy: Another sterling effort from Hot Toys, who've recreated Bruce Lee's iconic Enter The Dragon pose with their typical forensic eye for detail. Everything from the scars to the muscles is absolutely spot on.
Coolest Detail: The abdominal wounds look as though they're genuinely oozing blood.
Captain America (2011)
The Toy: Hot Toys turn their attention to the first Avenger, with this version of Steve Rogers sporting a natty jumpsuit and mask combo. Lovely shiny shield, too.
Coolest Detail: The glorious paint-job on that shield really stands out against the more sober tones of Cap's suit.
Donnie Darko (2001)
The Toy: A talking model of Frank the bunny from the Cult Classics collection. Unnerving as all fuck, particularly when spouting such enigmatic quotes as, "why are you wearing that stupid man-suit?"
Coolest Detail: Frank comes with an alternate head piece, showing off his human form. If anything, it looks even more bizarre.
Evil Dead 2 (1987)
The Toy: To coincide with the film's 25th anniversary, NECA have released a new 7-inch version of everyone's favourite S-Mart employee. Chainsaw? Check. Exquisitely chiseled jaw? Check. Remington? Check.
Coolest Detail: when you buy a toy bearing the promise, "includes possessed deer head accessory”, you know it's money well spent.
Batman (1989)
The Toy: A lovingly recreated model of the Clown Prince of Crime, as played by Jack Nicholson in Tim Burton's first Batman outing. Gorgeously detailed, it's another brilliant offering from Japanese company Hot Toys, although an expensive one at around $265!
Coolest Detail: The accessories are just awesome, particularly the replica of Joker's comically large gun…
The Dark Knight (2008)
The Toy: Now this is just glorious. It's Heath Ledger's Joker, looking every bit as deranged as he did in the film. Every detail is spot on, right down to the concealed blade in the toe of his boot. We want this so bad…
Coolest Detail: The wealth of accessories on display, including everything from the "magic" pencil to the carefully boxed ferry-bomb detonator. Amazing.
