Customer Reviews

Voltron Lion Die-Cast Masterpiece Action Figure

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

If you could shrink yourself down and get inside this Voltron toy to fight evil, I would think again. Not because of evil or the problems associated with trying to get back to normal size once you're done fighting said evil, but because this toy Voltron collapses under it's own weight. It's terribly disappointing. Also, there are no real controls inside the lions, so it would be kind of a pointless exercise.

The lions by themselves are pretty great. Fun, posable, and a good likeness of their cartoon counterparts. Their metal bodies are well made, but their plastic legs are cheap and fragile. Especially their feet. Still, they look cool (except the black lion, he looks a little goofy. Not chunky like the original toy, but awkward.)

Once assembled into Voltron (only as a last resort of course), the mighty robot tends to fall over at the hip joints. There just isn't enough resistance there to keep him rigid. <cough> His shoulder joints where the red and green lions attach are almost too stiff, and tend to instead rotate part of the chest plate. Defender of the Universe? Maybe in a Universe that can be defended by collapsing into the fetal position.

"What?! A giant monster is attacking?! No problem, I will curl up in a ball."

Voltron is not a toy durable enough to play with. He certainly is durable enough to stay 'mint-in-box', as it were. But that's like buying cases of DVD's to not watch or candy to not eat. I want enjoy fun, not keep it hermetically sealed. But understand, my problem isn't with the idea of collectables. It's with the fact that the manufacturer gave me no choice in the matter. They produced an inferior toy knowing that most wouldn't open the box to see their poor hinge design.

I showed my children the cartoon I loved as a child, and they loved it too. When I was a kid, we couldn't afford a toy like Voltron. And even now, this was a much more expensive toy than they'd normally ever get. But I bought this for them so they could enjoy it, and play with it like I dreamed I could have. But a Voltron that crumples up and falls down kind of shatters the imagination, like some kind of imagination hammer. Not that the hammer is imaginary, but that it smashes things that are. You already got that though, right?

So to sum up the 'Voltron Lion Die-Cast Masterpiece Action Figure':

Voltron: Check. Shaped and styled to look just like Voltron.
Die-cast: Check -ish. Maybe 15% plastic...low grade stuff too.
Masterpiece: It's a master piece of something, that's for sure.
Action Figure: Figure, yes. Action, no.

So thank you for putting out all the effort to reproduce Voltron then failing on the last mile. It's like putting together a cruise ship to Alaska, all the supplies, getting everyone on board, setting sail...only to get right off the coast and announce, "Oh yeah, sorry to inform you Alaska is closed. And also, the Voltron toys in your cabin are garbage."

And finally, thank you for taking some of the shine off of both, Christmas, and the dreams of my children while harvesting $140 from my wallet. May your hip joints fail you as well.

I'm reading reviews of people complaining about the toys durability. Some are forgetting that first and foremost this release was obviously made for the adult collector. Meaning its meant for occasional handling. They are not going to make only 15,000 of these with a numbered certificate of authenticity and in a collectors book style box for any kid to play with or for someone to go crazy with it. If you want a tough die cast version, I recommend going online and find a cheap vintage used one.

Construction: This toy actually does use quite a bit of diecast (its heavy). Any more would make the toy even more unbalanced, floppy and way more expensive than it already is. (note: the vintage voltron also used plastic in the same places this one does, although beefier pieces) If you want the look and style of this version of Voltron without breaking the bank, pick up the plastic version of this set which runs about $50 so if you break it, you wont feel it as much in the wallet. The plastic version is also considered an adult collectible according to the box (it even comes in a styrofoam tray...no toy manufacturer is going to include styrofoam if its intended to be thrown out), but if you must buy one to play with, this is much more cost effective.

No, its not as "beefy" as the original because this was made to be anime correct, it is much more articulated than the original. Legs spread , feet angle, head moves in all directions, can hold sword with both hands etc.

Bottom line: Great as a collectible display piece, not so good to give to a kid at all...dont think it was made to be a full blown toy, which is why its sold at hobby shops and not sold at Toys R Us. Made more as a nostalgia piece for us 80's kids who want to relive the feelings we had watching the show and playing with the old toy. In any case, it fits right in with my other plethora of die cast robots! It even towers over most of them!

This Voltron combiner toy is probably one of the best ever made. It's made of die-cast metal and plastic parts...You can see the quality work that went into making it. It looks really great and all the seperate lions that make up the big robot, Voltron, fit together really nice and tight. Because it's made of metal, it has a heavy feel to it...and it's balanced pretty good when standing alone. This Voltron is better suited for collectors who want to display it, rather than play with it a lot...although it looks like it could take a fair amount play punishment. This one is a winner!!!...quality workmanship...real neat paint job...comes in a book-style display box...will last a very long time.

If you bought this, its gonna be for display only and maybe a once in a blue moon "playtime" item. It is a collectors item, very awesome by the way. This item is for the kid inside you, not for real kids. I had the Matchbox one back in the 80's and absolutely loved it. I am 29 and this makes me feel like I'm 7 all over again without a care in the world. Kinda theraputic if you think about it. Buy them something more durable that they can have hours of fun with. Yes, Voltron really is attractive to kids but there are many other more durable versions you can get them. There are only 15,000 made of these so they might be worth a pretty penny in future years. To summarize, this is a gift for a die hard Voltron fan to have for many years to come, not a toy that will be in pieces in the toy box after it gets "boring".

I bought this for my husband and it has spent the majority of its time in the original box so I don't know about durability. But from a collector's standpoint, my husband LOVES it.

I was on the fence about getting this. I've wanted one really bad for quite awhile, but was a bit uneasy about the price. I thought about getting the plastic version, but knew i wanted to go diecast. I am so very happy i did! Yes, when u form Voltron, he is a tad bit unbalanced. But if u have him holding his sword and/or sheild - or just posed with arms slightly forward; it resolves this issue. If you're not completely sure about getting this; consider the less expensive plastic version (especially if is for play, like with a child). But diecast is so much better. This guy is heavy. I may still just end up getting a plastic one too. The book is awesome, and a fantastic conversation starter when people see it's massive size.

I received this yesterday and I have to say that this Voltron Masterpiece is worth every penny I spent for it. I own the original Matchbox one from the 80's and I love both of them. The older Matchbox one feels a bit sturdier in construction (die cast metal and plastic) but this new Masterpiece is just a bit more close in resemblance to the cartoon Voltron. I do have to say that this toy would be a collectors only toy and not to be given to your 2 year old because the plastic legs on all lions might easily be broken if not handled properly. If I had to compare the two (old and new) I'd say both are worth having and keeping as collector's items only.

The Voltron Masterpiece edition is big and heavy, Which is a good thing but what isnt a good thing is the plastic legs on the die cast bodies. The one I got is pretty loose too when they are in lion form, however when transformed into Voltron it is pretty poseable and stiff. However i digress, It is a really cool toy for any collection or just to play with. Enjoy!!!

Dude, Voltron Rocks! It's almost like, like, God created Voltron just so the world could be more awesome. When I first bought this Voltron action figure, I was like, dude, I totally have the best action figure in the world. It was almost like all the limited edition action figures in the world came together to form the ultimate limited edition action figure in the universe. AWESOME! This toy is so awesome. I will add it to my shelf of 'superbness' between the my almost-nude first edition plaque of Princess Leia in Jabba da Hut's den and her Cryogenically Frozen Han Solo in a pain box counterpart. Awesome. Now the last thing I need to do is find a girlfriend, and I'll be set.

First off let me say how beautiful this toy is. As with most toys in "The Masterpiece Collection" by Toynami, this is the quintessential replica of Voltron. Every physical detail of the sculpt and paint job of the lions is exactly matched to the televison shows lions and the paint itself is vibrant and brilliant with soft flecks of metalic sparkles throughout.

The one qualm I have with the lions stems from the high-quality of materials used, but that is the nature of "The Masterpiece Series". Basically, the toys are constructed of such high-quality matierials that they lose durability and thus playability. For example, The lion's bodies are made of a heavy metal; while this gives each of the lions a substantial mass that makes it feel more like a work of art than a toy, it also limits one's ability to play with the toy as the hard metal bodies are so strong that they can easily scratch the beautiful paint jobs if you are not increadibly careful with them and the bodies themselves are so heavy that the lions will not be able to stand under their own weight if you play with the toys and loosen their stiff, just out of the box, joints.
For a collector that is looking for an exquisite replica of Voltron that also features the ability to transform between 5 lions and Voltron, this is perfect for you. You can transform voltron once a month or year and otherwise keep it/them as statues.
But if you're like me and you're a collector who likes to have nice replicas of the toys you had as a child that can be displayed as statues but can also be played with because you still remember the simple joy of playing with a transformer, then the plastic version may be a better choice. Hence 4 and not 5 stars