"Ahoy, me mateys!" A look at Hot Toys Pirates of the Caribbean 12-inch collectible figures

Having seen three of the Hot Toys Captain Jack Sparrow heads in the previous post, it's time to look at the other 1/6 scale pirate figures that Hot Toys has put out and released over the years. Pirates of the Caribbean is a series of fantasy-adventure films directed by Gore Verbinski (1–3) and Rob Marshall (4), written by Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer. The films started with their first release on the big screen in 2003 with Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. After the success of the first film, Walt Disney Pictures revealed that a trilogy was in the works. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest was released three years later in 2006. The sequel proved successful, breaking records worldwide the day of its premiere. In the end, it earned $1,066,179,725 at the worldwide box office, becoming the fourth and fastest film (at the time) to reach this amount.

C'mere, me beauties. Let's take a good look at ya!

The third film in the series, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, was released in 2007. Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, released on May 20, 2011. It succeeded in grossing more than $1 billion, becoming the eighth and fourth-fastest film to achieve this. So far, the film franchise has grossed $3.72 billion worldwide and it is the only franchise with two films that reached $1 billion worldwide. In July 2011, Johnny Depp confirmed he was closing in on a deal for a fifth installment and that the franchise wouldn't be going ahead without Depp's participation. [source: wiki]


These two Hot Toys Captain Jack Sparrow 12-inch collectible figures have already been covered in some detail in the previous post as well as in entries I had posted in my toy blog earlier when they were just released :) The Jack on the left in the picture below is the Hot Toys first released Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow 1/6 scale 12-inch figure from "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007)" - posted HERE - with new and improved Hot Toys DX06 Captain Jack Sparrow head sculpt. The Jack on the right is the Hot Toys Movie Masterpiece Series (MMS) "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" 1/6 scale Cannibal King Jack Sparrow 12-inch figure - posted HERE - with an amazingly accurate head sculpt of Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow (now Cannibal King). No improvements required for this one - it's still GOOD :)

Here's Hot Toys 1/6 scale Captain Jack Sparrow action figure standing side-by-side with Hot Toys 12-inch Davy Jones (Bill Nighy) figure, captain of the Flying Dutchman (based on the feared ghost ship of the same name featured in nautical lore), roaming the seas in search of souls to serve upon his vessel for a century. The character of Captain Davy Jones is introduced in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006).

Davy Jones was born in Scotland; nothing is known about his youth. (Originally, director Gore Verbinski wanted Jones to be Dutch, as he is the captain of the "Dutch-man". Nighy however responded, "I don't do Dutch. So I decided on Scottish.") Jones fell madly in love with Calypso, the "heathen god[dess]" of the sea who gave him the charge of ferrying souls who died at sea to the "other side," Fiddler's Green. Calypso gave Davy Jones the Flying Dutchman to accomplish this task, promising to reunite with him once every ten years. [source: wiki]

When Calypso did not return to Davy Jones after ten years, Jones (enraged and heartbroken) turned the Pirate Brethren against her, saying that if she were removed from the world, they would be able to claim the seas for themselves. They assembled in the First Brethren Court and Jones taught them how to imprison her into her human bonds (Tia Dalma); the Court agreed with him to imprison her forever.

Unable to deal with Calypso's betrayal, he ripped out his heart and placed it in a chest, burying it on land. This chest became known as the Dead Man's Chest, the primary object being sought after in the second film. (All these for one woman - SIGH!) To view pictures of the chest, check out my earlier post HERE of Hot Toys "Pirates of the Caribbean" 1/6 scale Davy Jones 12-inch collectible figure.

Jones then abandoned his duties, and instead ruled the seas as a tyrant with a damned crew bound by oath to serve aboard the Dutchman for one hundred years each. Bound to the duties of the Flying Dutchman both he and his crew slowly transformed into sea monsters.

Davy Jones' physique was designed by the films' producers to be a mixture of various aquatic flora and fauna features. Jones' most striking feature is his cephalopod-like head, with octopus-like tentacles giving the illusion of a thick beard.

Throughout the films, Jones uses the tentacles of his "beard" like fingers to manipulate objects, such as the Dead Man's Chest key (he shows this during a game of Liar's Dice), his hat (when his ship submerges), and the keys of his vast pipe organ.

A prominent sac bulges from under the back of his barnacle-encrusted tricorne. Jones' face lacks a nose, and instead has one short, hollow tentacle called a siphon (on the left side of his face) that acts as part of his respiratory system, capable of inhaling and exhaling, which is seen in the second film as he smokes his pipe.

The character of Davy Jones has also a crustacean-style claw for his left arm, a long tentacle in place of the index finger on his right hand, and the right leg of a crab (resembling a pegleg). He also speaks with a clearly distinguishable, albeit thick, Scottish accent that's slightly altered to account for his lack of a nose, and presumably, a nasal cavity and/or sinuses.

Here are Hot Toys 1/6 scale Davy Jones standing alongside Hot Toys Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley) 12-inch figure and Hot Toys "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" 1/6 scale Pirate Lord Sao Feng (Chow Yun-Fat) 12-inch collectible figurine.

Elizabeth Swann (later Elizabeth Turner, played by Keira Knightley) is the major character of the first three films in the Pirates of the Caribbean film series. Elizabeth is a spirited, intelligent, and independent-minded character. Her beauty attracted the attention of several men including Will Turner, Hector Barbossa, Pintel and Ragetti, James Norrington, Sao Feng and Captain Jack Sparrow. Throughout the three films, she transforms from a proper lady into a courageous pirate. This is the Hot Toys Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley) 1/6 scale head sculpt.

This is one of the outfits that Keira Knightley as Elizabeth Swann wore in "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End". I'm glad Hot Toys chose to release Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley) in this 1/6 scale Chinese style clothing with armor protection. When the Pirate Lord Sao Feng demands Elizabeth in exchange for the Black Pearl, she agrees in order to protect the crew and later dons this costume / outfit when she takes over the Empress (Sao Feng's ship).

The 1/6 scale outfit that Hot Toys' Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley) wears is mind blowing. The stitching and details on her garment and the intricate edgings of her armor is just breathtaking - you gotta see it first hand to appreciate it. Otherwise, check out more pictures HERE where I posted of this Hot Toys Elizabeth Swann 12-inch female figure wearing the traditional Chinese armour for the Brethren Court as well as during the parlay with Beckett and the climatic maelstrom battle.

And then there's Sao Feng. Sao Feng (Traditional Chinese: 嘯風; Simplified Chinese: 啸风; pinyin: Xiào Fēng; literally "Howling Wind") was portrayed by Chow-Yun Fat in "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End". The character was primarily based on the legendary Cantonese Chinese pirate Cheung Po Tsai. This is the 2007 Hot Toys released 1/6 scale Sao Feng 12-inch Pirate Lord figure with Chow-Yun Fat head sculpt.

Sao Feng was an imposing figure, commonly garbed in robes layered with a shoulder guard and an armor-plated belt inset with jade stones. He bore a dragon tattoo on his body, as did his loyal followers. He wore his moustache and goatee beard long, and kept his head shaved. Ancient dueling scars crossed his face as a testament to his prowess and fearless nature. Feng also wore a single ring on his right pinky finger, which was comprised of a large gold signet set with a small round jade stone, with a red silk scarf attached. The red scarf was once one of the nine Pieces of Eight used to bind Calypso, this Piece belonging to Feng's father, the Pirate Lord of the South China Sea prior to Sao Feng.

Attached to Sao Feng's collar piece, two above each shoulder, are four Tuareg crosses, symbolic jewelry that represents regions in West Africa. The crosses on Sao Feng's shoulders represent the region of Agadez in the country of Niger. Feng wielded a traditional Chinese dao in battle, and was known to utilize everyday sailors' tools, such as the wooden fid, as weapons. [source: pirates wiki]

Feng also possessed a flintlock, which he rarely used, relying on swordplay instead. Here Hot Toys 1/6 scale Sao Feng (Chow-Yun Fat) 12-inch Pirate Lord figure stands beside Captain Jack Sparrow. You can see more pictures of Hot Toys Sao Feng figure in my earlier post HERE.

Related posts:
May 3, 2008 - We are the Pirates Three, Yo-ho-ho!!
December 20, 2008 - Pirates Ahoy!!
January 19, 2009 - Pirate Jack! Most certainly NOT the Jack you are thinking about ;p