"Mafex, what are you doing?! Not recommended for purchase!!
This is already the fourth product in Mafex's "Terminator" series, to be honest, the first three "Arnold T-800" figures were decent, and the previous product, The Mandalorian 2.0, was also of very high quality. This time, with the Endoskeleton figure, it's supposed to represent the humanoid mechanical soldiers produced by Skynet for ground combat, as well as the internal skeleton of the T-800 series humanoid robots. With Mafex releasing it at a high price point, I thought they might be targeting the high-quality market. Maybe they would incorporate a lot of metal materials? Perhaps the paint job would have some electrical effects? Maybe there would be extremely detailed sculpting details? Perhaps even some mind-blowing articulation?
Sorry, none of that.
The only thing I'm satisfied with is the packaging design, but when you actually hold the figure, it feels light and flimsy. The only metal part seems to be the thin soles of its feet. The sculpting might be better than NECA's, which I think is to be expected in today's market in 2024, but the main body lacks intricate details, and some areas are just glossed over. Large areas like the "spine" also feel rough upon closer inspection.
In terms of paint, the silver color doesn't match the official images at all. The actual gray-silver color looks extremely cheap! There are some slight weathering and shading in certain areas of the main body, but overall, it feels very plasticky.
In terms of articulation, the head barely has any upward range of motion, making it difficult to recreate the crawling-on-the-ground motion while still grabbing a target. The wrists and ankles have been converted to "ball joints" this time, and the hand articulation is okay, but the lower body is just awful. The range of motion for the feet is not great to begin with, and it's further limited by the "hydraulic arms". If you push the thighs too far back, the hydraulic arms pop out, and because the main body is thin and the rubber material is not great, you have to be extremely careful when twisting it! I was really disappointed that for this price, there wasn't a more next-gen articulation for the T-800 skeleton.
As for accessories, there are only interchangeable hands and two laser rifles. The interchangeable hands are made of "semi-soft rubber", but when the rifles are held in the "holding hand" position, there's a risk of breaking the thumb because the finger rubber is too thin. Also, for this price, the lack of accessories is quite disappointing. How about throwing in a bottle of the forearm severed from T2?
Overall, while the accuracy of the sculpt and the height are improved, that's about it. In every other aspect, it doesn't meet the standards of craftsmanship in 2024. I really wonder how and why it's being sold at a higher price than the previous three figures. Unless you're fixated on the height of the figure, I totally don't recommend this thing. Save your money for something else, you deserve better."
