The Facts:
Height: 7 1/2 inches
Articulation: Hinged ankles, double hinged knees, thigh swivels, swivel/hinge hips, balljointed mid-torso, swivel/hinge shoulders, bicep swivels, hinged elbows, swivel wrists, balljointed neck, and a balljointed head.
Accessories: 2 tonfas and a mask.
Original Retail Price: $10-$12 dollars
Year of Release: 2004
The Positives:
* Kroenen is a creepy looking fellow and his slender, leather clad figure is captured quite well by Mezco. Mezco gave the Hellboy film line a slightly exaggerated appearance which honestly was a nice fit for the film's style. The detail may not be as crisp as on some modern lines but at the time it was pretty solid, especially in some of the areas where there is a lot of detail.
* Kroenen's mask comes off to reveal one of the most gruesome visages I've ever seen on an action figure. I mean, sheesh! This is some scary stuff! Kroenen has a surgery fetish/ addiction, and thus has had many extraneous parts of his body such as his lips and eyelids surgically removed. Actually, I think it's implied that he might have done it himself. This guy is so darn creepy!
* Kroenen has also given himself a clockwork heart, and thus he has this incredibly detailed chest plate that shows the knob that needs to be wound to start him up. I love the design here! It's very intricate and beautiful despite being on such an evil character.
* Kroenen's black suit is covered with various leather straps. Some of them are for holding on the chest plate or are belts, while others hold sheathes with daggers inside. The daggers are not removable, but they look cool.
* Kroenen is quite well articulated. He's has double hinged knees, a few swivel/ hinge joints, and a balljointed neck and head. You can get some great poses out of him! There weren't many companies offering this much articulation at the time, so the Hellboy figures really stood out. Kroenen is also quite durable and feels very well made.
* Kroenen comes wielding two tonfa-like blades. They look legitimately sharp (they actually are kind of sharp) and have some excellent paint applications on them.
The Negatives:
* The tonfa handles feel kind of brittle, as if they could bend or break when you slide them in Kroenen's hands. His hands are very tight, too, so I really was nervous removing them for a few of the pictures in this review.
* I really have never liked the look of these swivel/hinge hips, particularly when they have a swivel for the thigh so close to the top of the leg. They just look awkward to me, even on modern figures that attempt to use the same articulation model.
This is the first figure of Karl Ruprecht Kroenen I've reviewed.
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