If one wants to create one's own figure would you prefer to start from a base that has clearly defined features or one that is topologically correct but bland?

To make a sweeping generalization, look at the plethora of characters based on the Millennium figures. How many are easily identified as brothers or sisters of the original and how many are distinctly a unique character in their own right?

I feel that the figures provided are ideal for the purpose for which they were intended.