S.H. Figuarts Review | Captain America & Tamashii Effect Explosion (Avengers: Infinity War)
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Phil Roberts 
In the war against Thanos who better to call in than the Tamashii Nations’ Steve Rogers?
Donning a completely new sculpt, Captain America (Avengers: Infinity War) is joining the S.H. Figuarts series. Battle damage detailing to his costume has been carefully replicated and a digitally coloured head is included. The set includes interchangeable hand parts (2 left & 2 right), Corvus Glaive’s Spear and Tamashii effect explosion.
In recent years, Tamashii Nations has excelled with its incredible range of premium action figures. From the great characters of the DC Universe to the heroes of the Star Wars saga, and even the Harry Potter franchise, the S.H Figuarts line has them all. And standing out at the front of the pack are the characters from the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The Avengers: Infinity War version of Captain America is one of those figures that every fan wants to add to their collection. The unswerving hero of the Avengers is simply a must-have. After his fall from grace in Captain America: Civil War, the former star-spangled man has shunned his traditional all-American attire to sport a darker, solemn suit reflective of his new fugitive persona.
From the outset, the packaging looks flawless and the imagery gives you a real sense of grandeur and builds the excitement for what awaits you inside the box. As mentioned above, this set comes complete with two sets of changeable hands, three signature Tamashii explosion effects and Corvus Glaive‘s spear. Sadly, missing from this set is a changeable head and a Wakanda shield. An additional head sculpt would have been most welcome and is something I have come to expect from a deluxe edition of this size but sadly, the sculpt included, though boasting digital face recognition is far from perfect.
The figure itself is wonderful to look at. In fact, it is one of the best figures in the Avengers range. The new suit has been recreated to perfection and has been weathered faultlessly which gives the figure a realistic finish. The proportions have been replicated well and I love the attention to detail on the new body sculpt. Every section has been lovingly recreated. The figure comes with an amazing amount of articulation making it super posable for your shelf display or toy photography.
Now, herein lies my only vice with this figure. There is no denying it, the face is awful. In fact, its probably the worst face I have EVER seen on an action figure and I’ve seen many in my time. It offers only a passing resemblance to Chris Evans and detracts from what otherwise is an exceptional figure. The face offers very little in the way of definition and the quality of the eyes falls far short of the standards I have come to expect from Figuarts. The hair is fine, despite an overly bronze finish which looks more metallic than realistic, and the beard suffers in the same way. The extra section of hair located just above the neck is a new concept designed to offer more freedom of movement for the head but in all honesty, it offers very little in the way of extra articulation.
In regard to the accessories, and I have more grievances with this set. The two sets of changeable hands are most welcome, as is Corvus Glaive’s spear and the inclusion of the Tamashii explosion effects is a serious mark in the plus column. However, missing from this set is an alternate head and more importantly, a Wakandan shield. I find it baffling that Bandai chose to include Corvus Glaive’s spear (a weapon Steve Rogers uses for twenty seconds at most) over the Wakandan shield which he sports throughout the entire end battle. For my review, I have used the Marvel Legends shield, but as you will see, the weapon is not up to scale.
Up Close:
Final Thoughts:
Overall, I have mixed feelings about this figure. Yes, it is glorious to look at. Yes, it’s a solid figure with a great new body sculpt but the awful face mould outweighs the brilliance of the figure overall. The Tamashii explosion effects are a welcome addition, as is the inclusion of Corvus Glaive’s spear, however, the overall lack of Cap’s Wakandan shield and the alternate head leave you feeling a little short-changed.
With a retail price ranging between £65.00 and £100.00, I expected more. I can live without the shield, in fact, I have sourced a replacement from the internet, but I simply cannot and will not accept the awful face sculpt. Therefore, I have taken the plunge and ordered a replacement head from Giantoy.com. The new head looks exceptional and will vastly improve this figure and hopefully make it the best it can be. Fingers crossed. I have opted for the beardless head to give me better options, but a bearded version is also readily available.
Would I recommend this figure? Overall, I’d say yes. The figure itself is great. The body is exceptional. The accessories, despite lacking some essential elements are well worth adding to your collection, but the face is just the worst! If you can live with it, then good luck to you. But if you’re like me and meticulous about facial accuracy, I’d recommend you order a replacement head as I have. But then again, with these flaws taken into consideration, I would definitely weigh up my options before clicking the buy button!
Avengers Assemble!
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Phil Roberts is the owner, daily content manager, and editor-in-chief of The Future of the Force. He is a huge fan of Star Wars, Batman, DC, Marvel, Star Trek, Indiana Jones, Ghostbusters, King Kong, and the Ray Harryhausen movies.
If he’s not in the cinema he’s probably streaming something equally awesome!
