"Maria" From Metropolis (1927)

This is a really beautiful rendition of what probably has become the standard for every movie robot ever built, with “Star Wars” C3PO being the most obvious and a definite 'nod' from George Lucas.. The 1927 silent Fritz Lang film from which it came is a bit muddled at times but still is a visually stunning to say the least. Perhaps its weaknesses are primarily due to a number of sections of the film which have been lost to the ages for one reason or another. There are several restorations that are on YouTube to watch if you're so inclined. A celebrated animated version was also produced in 2001 which is similar in name although it does share a few of the original's concepts.

The complicated plot tells of a future society which is a utopia for some and dystopian for the masses. The robot (called Maria for reasons I won't go into here) acts as a human impersonator to disrupt a growing rebellious movement of the down trodden workers. Kinda sounds like the current political atmosphere, doesn't it? Click here to read a more detailed synopsis of the story: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metropolis_(1927_film).

The kit, such that it is, is a fairly tall (17” with the base) vinyl, articulated version of 'Maria' from the Japanese manufacturer, Masudaya. The 1990 kit is no longer in production so I'm struggling with whether I should enhance it in any way or just leave it the hell alone. There is slight movement at the neck, elbows and abdomen, so slight that I can't help wonder why they even bothered with these 'features'. The base has a pair of LEDs mounted flush to light the robot from below (see photos). It is a very nice representation of 'Maria' and even left alone, it is a nice addition to any collection of our metal friends. The picture to the right is the box art.

I did some poking around on Google and found a gorgeous build up of this figure seated in an electric chair (for lack of a better description). I have NO idea who did this build but if any of you do, please get back to me so I can give credit where it is truly due. If I was to decide to play around with this figure, I'd probably go with this versi

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