 | Hello Guest - Sign In or New Account |
| Hello Guest - Sign In or New Account |
Write a Review link for that item. Mortal Kombat (Infinite Concepts) (Infinite Concepts)Mortal Kombat is a property that has opened itself up to many toy lines, thanks to the unique cast of characters and uber-goriness. Storm did a great but sadly ended line of (mostly) high-quality figures, and McFarlane is returning to it with a Klassic line, something I've been wanting for a while, and then there's Infinite Concepts. If you haven't heard of them, it's because they weren't around for long, with their only releases being a wave of MK figures in the start of the new millennium. They're not easy to find and even most costly to get, but I was lucky to find Sub-Zero for a decent price. These figures come on huge cardbacks, and they just scream late-90s/early-2000s figure packaging design. From fire on the front to thunder on the back complementing a cross-sell and a description of IC's "Center of Gravity Joint Integrity Technology" (more on that later), the motif creates a look that both fits the license and looks quite appealing. Again, this is a cardback, done before clamshells and boxes became the norm for collector-focused toys, so it's easy to get open. The card touts these as "hyper-realized" action figures, and I assume that meant IC was going for a realistic look, but with a bit of exaggeration. Sub-Zero in particular seems to have his design lifted from Mortal Kombat 4, save for the scar over his right eye, and the portrait is pretty good. It doesn't look perfect, as the shape is a bit odd, but it's from the company's first (and only) line of figures, and it was done in the late 90s, so I can cut them some slack. The paint is very solid and bold on this figure, which is surprising for something from this time frame, and while the shade of blue on the mask is darker than it should be to match the rest, the lines are clean, and the slight red on the eyelids gives him a bit more realism. One thing to note about these figures is that they're massive, with Sub-Zero being just over 8" tall. He's sculpted in a semi-fighting pose, with legs spread, chest forward, shoulders towards the back, one hand closed, and the other hand in a grasping pose. While not quite realistic, the muscular body looks great even with the semi-exaggerated design and odd shoulder placement, and the articulation blends in very well whilst being more plentiful than most figures around the time. This is part of that aforementioned "Center of Gravity Joint Integrity Technology," as the sculptor(s) wanted a more aesthetically pleasing figure that can still manage good poses. The torso and part of the arms seem to be a generic mold for this line, judging by the similar build of the other male figures and the straps being a separate piece that pegs together at the belt/waist. Not too surprising given IC was likely a small company. The blue parts have plenty of wash to help make them pop, and there's some on the arms as well to make Sub-Zero look slightly more realistic. As for articulation, it's nothing special nowadays, but it was still a lot for its time. The set-up here is a ball-jointed head, swivel/hinge shoulders, T-crotch hips, hinged elbows, knees, and ankles, semi-ball wrists designed to bend inwards, and a swivel waist. The head can be propped up a bit on the ball for a bit more tilt, and the waist's peg is also seemingly designed for a bit of rolling motion. The arm joints blend in great, especially the elbows and their deep bend, but the wrists could've been handled better, as you have to force the inward motion, which carries the risk of breaking the peg. The legs can manage a squat thanks to the knee and ankle joints, though they don't bend as deep as the elbows. Overall, the articulation works well enough for basic fighting poses, but nothing too extreme. There's one other joint I forgot to mention, and it's in the foot. Namely, it's a hinge going halfway through the feet vertically. This unique bit of engineering is sort of like an early ankle rocket, being designed for both dynamic poses and balance. This is part of that C.O.G.J.I.T. thing Infinite was trying to push, as the joint is meant to help the figure shift its weight to balance itself when standing on one foot. I'm not sure if it's just me, but Sub-Zero hasn't been able to balance like that without something to support him, possibly because he's solid plastic and just so darn heavy. Still, it helps with deeper stances a lot. By the way, these figures have no accessories, save for Mileena who gets her sai, and I just wanted to point that out. Despite having a very short lifespan, Infinite Concepts managed to make themselves known for a line of figures that tried to set a new standard, and they did a pretty decent job. Granted, we have a lot better figures when it comes to MK nowadays, but IC's ability to blend sculpt and articulation near-seamlessly combined with amazing paint work is something to appreciate. Now to decide whether or not I want to sell this thing off. - 6/16/25    by RMaster007 |
| Bart (Skateboard / Blue Shirt) |  | Submission Order |  | None |
| None | | Mortal Kombat (Infinite Concepts) Series | | None |
| Bart (Skateboard / Blue Shirt) | | Written by RMaster007 | | None |
Please wait...
Update Your Review