Review: Kaustic Plastik KP04 1:6 scale Generation K 12-inch Muscle Body is awesome!

This is a review of the Kaustic Plastik KP04 Generation K Muscle Body which I received as part of my April 2015 haul posted earlier HERE. There will be three versions of the KP04 and this is supposed to be "KP04A - Caucasian (Suggested for XXL set 2)". There's going to be "KP04B - Caucasian" and "KP04C - Afro American".

According to the manufacturer Kaustic Plastik, this body is designed and built with high production technologies. Kaustic Plastik 1/6 scale Generation K Muscular Body Features: Soft Rubber Torso with internal mechanisms (3D Cad designed internal mechanisms), Two Sets of Arms, 30+ Points of Articulation, Extraordinarily lifelike muscle definition, and 8 posing hands. The head sculpt on this "KP04A - Caucasian" Generation K Muscle Body bears a strong resemblance to actor Russell Crowe, who played the role of loyal Roman general Maximus Decimus Meridius in the 2000 American-British epic historical drama film "Gladiator" directed by Ridley Scott. In the film, Maximus Decimus Meridius is betrayed when Commodus, the ambitious son of Emperor Marcus Aurelius, murders his father and seizes the throne. Reduced to slavery, Maximus rises through the ranks of the gladiatorial arena to avenge the murders of his family and his emperor.

I have reviewed other Kaustic Plastik 12-inch figure bodies in the past, most recent being the Kaustic Plastik KP02XXL Heroik Muscle Body XXL Limited Edition 12-inch figure body (posted on my toy blog HERE). Before that, there was the Kaustic Plastik 1/6 scale Athletik Muscle Body KP03B Caucasian version reviewed HERE and HERE as well as the review of Kaustic Plastik 1/6 scale Athletik Muscle Body KP03C Afro (African) American version posted HERE. Let's see how this latest 12-inch figure released by Kaustic Plastik fares.

Scroll down to see all the pictures.
Click on them for bigger and better views.

It's nice to see that there are more hand options available with this latest release. Altogether there are four pairs of hands included (fists, relaxed, trigger and gripping hands) and two sets of arms. More on the arms later in this post. The hands that are most coveted are the gripping hands for swords / spears. If one is to use this figure for sword fighting battles and poses, the trigger hands just don't cut it. The trigger hands have too wide a grip for swords and spears since they are designed for pistol grips. Furthermore, the protruding index finger of the trigger hand doesn't do anything when it comes to swords, knives or daggers. The gripping hands (they are attached to the alternate set of arms) are really useful and GREAT for kitbashing and customizing. More manufacturers should learn from Kaustic Plastik and release figures with these hands as well. Well done, KP!

The Kaustic Plastik KP04 Instruction sheet shows you how to switch out the hands and feet. It also tells you how much the soft rubber torso can bend and warns against turning the body at the waist area.

Here's the Kaustic Plastik KP04 Generation K 12-inch Muscle Body out of the box, with hands strategically placed for those modest types. The Soft Rubber Torso covers the base "body" which has the internal mechanisms. What they are I do not know as it is not possible to see under the "skin" without damaging the figure. The torso looks rather realistic and nicely sculpted. It would be a shame to have to cover the torso. The joints of this figure is tight and has no problems standing on its own or holding poses.

On a side note: Slavery existed in Roman society from an early stage of its development. Prisoners were taken to the slave-markets where they were paraded naked, with placards around their necks explaining their best and worst qualities. In the Gladiator film, Slave traders find Maximus and take him to Zucchabar, a rugged province in North Africa, where he is purchased by Proximo, the head of a local gladiator school. Check out the turnaround views.

Here's the Kaustic Plastik KP04 Generation K Muscle Body taking a knee. Looks realistic and natural.

Scroll down to see close-up pictures of the Kaustic Plastik KP04 Generation K Muscle Body 1:6 scale head sculpt with Russell Crowe likeness. IMHO Russell Crowe looked his best in his role as Roman general Maximus Decimus Meridius. He was in his best physical form and it showed.

Check out the two different sets of arms that came with this Kaustic Plastik KP04 Generation K Muscle Body. Kudos to Kaustic Plastik for listening to collectors' requests on the forums and giving us options when it comes to the muscle arms. In the picture below, I'm showing the figure with different right and left arms to show how different each type of arm looks and moves. The right arm is the one with double-hinged elbow which also has a ball joint at the shoulder and pivot joint bicep for more dynamic poses. The left arm has only the ball joint elbow which is what Hot Toys has used for most of their figures when their arms are exposed. The left arm has limited range of articulation as compared to the right arm. KP04 comes with two sets of these arms so that you can choose which you prefer.

The picture below shows how much farther the right arm can flex compared with the left arm which has limited range of articulation. Switching of the arms is fairly easy and didn't cause any hassle whatsoever. They simply pop in and pop out, really smooth. And the arms stay in place once they are in, no loose joints, no dislocating shoulders as you pose. All is good!

The pictures below show the Kaustic Plastik KP04 Generation K Muscle Body with the alternate arms that come with the ball joint shoulder, pivot joint bicep and double-hinged elbow. Modesty has gone out the window when it comes to a fight LOL Anyway, these are just 12-inch figures designed to be attired in 1:6 scale fabric costumes / outfits and accessories. They are not made to procreate. Most of the time their crotch will be covered so why do some manufacturers feel that they have to be anatomically correct by adding private parts that serve no purpose? That is so unnecessary. Case-in-point: Worldbox VT003 1/6th Durable Body with narrow shoulder posted earlier HERE

The alternate set of arms look better in action poses. When in a standing position with arms extended, the hinge becomes more obvious and less realistic. These are compromises we have to accept when it comes to wanting realistic muscle bodies. When they are bodies that are hidden under layers of fabric outfits and equipment, they can have many cuts and joints since they can't be seen under the outfit / costume but for figures that are designed to show off their torso and arms, muscle bodies give the more real-like appearance but in achieving realism, some articulation / poseability will undoubtedly be compromised. There's only one 12-inch male figure I know of that had a seamless body with lots of articulation: Hot Toys Movie Masterpiece Series MMS114 1/6th scale "300" Spartan King Leonidas (Gerard Butler) 12-inch collectible figure. You can see my review and pictures HERE, HERE and HERE.

Scroll down to see the close-up photos taken of the Kaustic Plastik KP04 Generation K Muscle Body with alternate set of arms

In summary, I would say that this Kaustic Plastik KP04 Generation K Muscle Body is a GREAT figure and I highly recommend it for those of us who are into kitbashing and customization, or who just want to have a great looking body.

NEXT: See how this KP04 muscle body looks with the Kaustic Plastik XXL Set 2 – 1/6th scale The Arena Fighter Outfit Set. Two becoming as one.