1/5 Robby the Robot (Forbidden Planet)

Robby's back! Masudaya has created a simple-to-build (it's virtually complete in the box) model of that all-time classic robot design from Forbidden Planet, Robby the Robot.

This 40cm tall kit is made from soft vinyl and a few injection-plastic parts. To complete the kit, all you need to do is install a few clear parts into his head dome, paint a few buttons and other details, and slide his hands into place (comes with two sets of hands -- those pictured here, and the hooks he uses to fly the spaceship). Like the Lost In Space YM-3 Robot, Robby has a voice box that repeats lines from the film, activated by a small button in his chest. To add to the atmosphere, his "mouth" blinks in rhythm with the words he speaks.

Robby is "posable" to a certain extent -- his arms rotate 360 degrees, as does his head and body. His legs are rigid, and filled with plaster to make him stand better. Unfortunately, this weight makes it impossible to ship him by economical "small packet" rates.