JUDGE DREDD - Art Figures Artistic Interpretation "Heavy Cop" Version 2.0 Review

This was the final assembly day for Judge Dredd, and it was absolutely as aggravating as I had anticipated. The final assembly involved threading his belt through all of the included accessories, as well as the four loops at the bottom of the vest and the top loop of the holster. Everything actually went really well, for the most part, until the very last step. Go figure. I checked some pictures online to see where things should go (he's got a lot of stuff!). There's a round disc in a pouch (can't remember what that is) to the left of his belt buckle, the two pouches with 2 spare magazines each, the medical kit, the breather bag, a grenade, his combat knife and the holster.

I used two pairs of tweezers to help me thread things through, and I was able to get everything pretty much where I wanted. Then it was time to attach the main portion of the holster itself to his thigh. Sounds simple enough, but it wasn't. The problem was that the straps were not long enough to wrap around the thigh and the pants to buckle closed. I literally fought with those things for nearly an hour. The straps can be pulled out a little, but it's no simple task. I tugged with the tweezers and with my fingers (terrified the entire time that something would break), lost my patience a half-dozen times and finally, in the end, got the thing buckled into place. I intentionally left the knife off - it's got a very thin clip on the back and I'm afraid it will break off if I try to attach it, so it's going back in the box until I want it in his hand. So (Finally!), Judge Joseph Dredd, Karl Urban style, is fully kitted and outfitted. And, man, he looks good...

Art Figures' Heavy Cop is an unlicensed 1/6 scale figure of the main character from the movie, Dredd. It's one of my personal favorite films, and Karl Urban's depiction of Judge Joseph Dredd is outstanding. The film seems to have a pretty dedicated, if small, following. With hopes for a sequel longingly housed in the back of my mind, I'm thrilled to be able to add a movie Dredd to my toy collection. It's not my ideal (1:12 scale is my dream), but it will do for now. In fact, the figure is so well-done that I've gone ahead and purchased a 1:6 scale Art Figures Boy Black (aka Riddick) to stand alongside him!

Art Figures released a movie version of this figure some time back. I missed out on it, but thankfully caught this version just as it was released. This version, which I'm calling "2.0" features Dredd outfitted in "classic blue" comic-book colors (in the film, he wore black). This version also features shoulder pauldrons that are prominently gold (the first edition had darker pauldrons, with the gold mostly washed out), an unblemished helmet (version 1.0 had a few battle-damage scars), and the inclusion of a hair piece. Once completely outfitted, the figure looks striking and complete as Judge Dredd. The outfit is faux leather and the armor portions are plastic. The articulation is sufficient to strike some poses, but I tend to keep my figures pretty static for display. Besides the pain I had to endure getting this figure outfitted, I really only have two complaints. First, I hate the hands. The feature bendy fingers, and with the added bulk of the gloves, I can not get them to look natural. I'd much rather be able to swap them out like I can with my One:12 Collective Dredd hands. Second, the Lawgiver (and other accessories) are too plain. They have the shape and design they should (and there's even a sticker on the gun mimicking the "ammo display", but other than that it's all just plain blue plastic. Comparing that to the level of detail that Mezco got into their Dredd Lawgivers, I can't help but feel disappointed. I think they all would probably have looked better in black, on the original version. But here, they look like toy plastic.

Other than that, there's really nothing else for me to say about Heavy Cop. He looks outstanding, feels like quality, and is the only collectible figure based on Dredd out there. Blue Version 2.0 is limited to 300 pieces worldwide, so if interested at all, I'd suggest jumping on it rather than waiting! He looks right at home beside my only other high-end 12" figures: Dark Knight Batman (Hot Toys) and War Machine (Hot Toys)...