Hot Toys Does “The Matrix” in 1/6th (Licensed versus Bootleg)

Hot Toys had announced on the last day of November, that they have acquired the rights to produce collectible figures from “The Matrix”, and on December 1st, NEO and MR SMITH were on display a the 2nd annual Tokyo Comic Con 2017!






This slice of news felt particularly 'awesome' for me (in a “OMFG-BWAHAHAHAHAHA”-way), reminding me of the “good old days” of 1/6th-scale hobby (circa early 2000s), when Hot Toys started off with bootlegged licensed figures! Branded as “Famous Types” - featuring the “likeness” of “George Lucas” and “Tom Cruise” (from “Mission Impossible 2”)! But the FIRST figure to have been released, was “NEO” from “The Matrix”! Featuring the “likeness” of Keanu Reeves, and I remembered GAGGING for it too!


I never did purchase that (but managed to score both George and Tom eventually lol), and instead purchased a slightly later release featuring the Keanu head in casual wear (with tanned cargo pants and sneakers), which we more my preference of collecting "casual wear" back in the day … BUT of course, the headscupt has “improved” since those days, hasn’t it? :)

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A trilogy of films started with “The Matrix” in 1999, led to a shift in filmmaking nearly 2 decades ago, leaving an indelible footprint(s) until the current incarnation of celluloid action, folks of the current Z-generation might not have had the chance to watch, no doubt “outdated” to the current sensibilities … but it was always remain a turning point of the media we enjoy now …


*SPOILERS: For Folks Who Have Not Watched THE MATRIX!*

I had by then completed work on three local feature films (I was Production Designing/Art Directing for feature films by then…), and about to embark on my 4th overseas , when this film blew my mind! I knew THIS was a movie I would loved to have been involved in! But alas this remains a dream, and continue to… so on a personal-level, this resonated with me deeply.

Nearly two decades later, while looking at the video clips off the film, folks might perhaps bulk; ”Make a 20 year old license for what?” - understandably so...

I certainly hope this might lead folks to/back-to “The Matrix” trilogy (or at least the first film :p), and ponder whether Hot Toys’ has since gone “full circle” with their “bootleg-to-legit-license” evolution/growth? Or just plain “economics”? :)

So would you take the BLUE pill? Or the RED pill?
Andy TOYSREVIL


(Event pics from TCC via @amiamihobbynews & @hottoys_japan / Screengrabs via video on youtube / “Classic” Hot Toys NEO pics courtesy of “jrtoyman” @ hottoysph.com)