Tag Archives: neca

Oct 5 2011

Tomb Raider: Lara Croft 1:6 Scale Talking Figure by NECA

So long as I was looking at two 1:6 scale video game queens this week, I thought I might as well make it a trifecta by digging out Ms. Lara Croft herself. Lara’s been no stranger to the action figure and collectibles market, and much like her games, her history in plastic has been pretty hit and miss over the years. Today we’re going to take a gander at NECA’s large scale talking figure. But, before we get started, let’s get some semantics out of the way first. NECA calls this thing a figure, but in reality it’s more of a statue with limited articulation. With that out of the way, let’s see what we’ve got…

Lara comes in a pretty nice window box. It’s nothing special, but it does get the job done and shows off the figure pretty well. While this figure is certainly based on the Tomb Raider: Legend game, Legend doesn’t actually appear anywhere on the box. You can get everything out without tearing it up too badly, although I opted to keep some of the accessories on the tray, but more on that in a bit. I tend to like storing my 12-inch figures in their boxes in a bookcase, so the collector friendly nature of the box is welcome.
The statue is very faithful to the way Lara looked in the Tomb Raider: Legend game. NECA usually does a fine job with their sculpts and Ms Croft here is no exception. She’s a bit more realistically proportioned, particularly in the ta-ta’s department and her aqua shirt and short shorts have given way to a brown half-shirt and well… short shorts. Ok, so some things never change. I have absolutely no quibbles about the sculpt itself. Her face is attractive, with a stern look. Her hair is sculpted and her pony tail is shorter than we’ve seen in the older games and curled down the front of her shoulder. The skin texture is pretty realistic, with a little muscle sculpted in, but not too much. Her equipment is meticulously created from her boots with the socks peeking out the top, to her belt buckle, to her backpack and the string of grenades lining the back of her belt. Lara also has a pair of holsters for her guns. The only thing I can complain about here is the rather unsightly seaming along the sides.
The paintwork here is a little hit and miss. It’s generally pretty good where it counts, but there is some unsightly slop along the top of her shorts. There’s also a bit of smudging around the flesh paint. That part doesn’t bother me so much since it just looks like she got a little dirty from crawling around in tombs. I’ve actually seen more paint issues on statues that are a lot more expensive than this one, so I’m not going to come down to hard on these issues.
Articulation? Yes, there are in fact seven points. You get a rotating head, ball joints in the shoulders, and swivels in the biceps and wrists. For a figure, that sucks. For a statue, that’s pretty good. You’ll have to make the call on which. You can basically just position which way she’s pointing her guns.
Speaking of guns, Lara does come with some accessories. Yep, two of those are her automatic pistols. They feature detailed sculpts and can be removed from her hands and put into her holsters. She also comes with a shotgun, grenade launcher and the Excalibur sword. They’re all cool enough pieces, but her pose doesn’t really allow her to hold any of them very convincingly, so that’s why I left them on the insert. Lastly, you get a plain black oval base with a peg to plug into the hole on the bottom of her foot. The stand isn’t necessary to stand her up, but it does help. I think I would have liked either a shield with the title of the game or a base made to look like actual ground.

As you may have noticed, this is a “talking figure” which means she’s got a sound chip in her and spouts off a bunch of phrases recorded from the game. There’s an On/Off switch on her and a large button below that. Press it and you get to hear a different phrase each time. I’ve got a couple issues with this gimmick, the least of which is, why bother? Lara doesn’t really have a retinue of catch phrases and nothing she says here is all that memorable or great. But the bigger problem is the sound quality of the clips is just terrible. There’s a ton of background hissing and there’s a ridiculous amount of extraneous breathing that should have been filtered out. It sounds like it was recorded over the telephone… with a bad connection… while the actress was half asleep. The lovely Keeley Hawes voiced Lara in several of her games, and I believe Legend was one of them, but whether or not this is actually her voice, I just can’t tell. The quality is just that bad.

Nonetheless, here’s what she says…
  • Grand entrances are always impractical, that’s what makes them grand.
  • Well, this is a tomb. I’ll make them feel at home.
  • From this moment, you’re every breath is a gift from me.
  • Death by irony is always painful
 All in all, NECA’s Lara ain’t a bad statue. Not at all. She looks great on the shelf and really captures everything there is about the character as she appeared in this particular game. On the other hand, the sound gimmick is absolutely horrible and pointless and should have been left out. It serves no purpose other than to inflate the cost of the statue. Pretend it doesn’t exist and you should be very happy with this piece if you decide to add it to your collection. I picked up mine on clearance for about $20. Not a bad deal.
Aug 28 2011

Player Select: Soul Reaver Raziel (Reissue) by NECA

I don’t usually plug online stores or other Interweb sites here, but I do like to give credit where credit is due. I’ve wanted this Raziel figure FOREVER (which in quantitative terms is at least around 10 years or so) and I owe the fact that I finally have him in my collection to the folks over at Infinite Hollywood.  I try to hit Infinite Hollywood at least once a week and it’s almost always worth the visit, but a week or so back they featured this figure and mentioned that NECA had re-released it. I immediately went fleeing to a few online toy retailers until I was able to find one and order it. So, what’s the big deal? Well, on a personal level, I’m a huge fan of the Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver games and I’ve wanted a Raziel figure for the better part of a decade. On the more practical level, if you didn’t snap him up when he was first released, Raziel become a pretty expensive figure to get on the second hand market. I’ve literally hovered over a Buy It Now on this guy for $100 before backing down. So thanks to this great tip I was able to pick him up for a laughable ten bucks. Ten bucks! TEN BUCKS! Had I known he was this good, I probably would have paid a premium for him years ago. Let’s check him out…

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I try to always talk about the packaging first, and a good thing too since I can get the only bad thing about this figure out of the way first. Ok, so the packaging isn’t really bad, but kind of blah. Raziel comes in a huge bubble on a fairly utilitarian cardback. It’s got the Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver title on the top and some serviceable backdrop artwork to frame the figure. If you’re a MOC collector, the packaging may not serve you all that well. There’s a pretty big and unnecessary illustrated insert inside the bubble that blocks the lower half of the figure from view. The insert does list Raziel’s accessories and that the figure has 24 points of articulation, but NECA could have easily put that on a side insert to better preserve the in-package presentation. To make matters worse, Raziel is a really heavy figure and the card doesn’t seem to hold up all that well under the weight of the bubble. Getting a card that isn’t bent to hell may be difficult. Of course, none of this matters to me, as I shredded the package like a rabid cat to get to my new figure.
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Keep in mind, while I’ve drooled over tons of pictures of this figure online over the years, I’ve never actually seen it in person. So three thoughts came to mind as I first removed this figure from the shipping box. One, it’s huge. Much bigger than I expected. Two, the sculpt is amazing. And I mean… daaaayyym amazing. Three, the paintwork and colors used for the plastic are incredibly vibrant. This figure immediately impresses and delivered a wow factor that I seldom experience even among some of my favorite figures. The quality of the plastic is excellent and I’m thrilled with the texturework on his claws and muscles. His torn and attrophied wings are very well done, as is the cowl that covers his missing jaw. Not to forget the head sculpt, which is absolutely spot on, and of course his cowl is removable so you can check out poor Raziel’s horribly mutilated head in its entirety. Aesthetically, this figure really is perfect to me.
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NECA usually impresses with their sculpts, but not so often with their articulation. While I think they’ve been generally better than McFarlane in this department, the truth is NECA turns out their fair share of statue figures. Apparently Raziel here is the exception, because like the package states he sports 24 points of articulation, making him a bona fide action figure rather than just a display piece. Some of his ball joints are a little funky and take a bit of coaxing to get into the right position, but in the end Raziel is more poseable than I could have possibly hoped for.
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Raziel comes with all the necessary accessories, and a few unnecessary ones. You get his Soul Reaver sword, which fits snugly onto his hand and includes a second spiraled piece of plastic that wraps around his arm to simulate the spectral tendrils of the Reaver that bind the sword to his essence. The blade is cast in a semi translucent blue plastic which nicely simulates the blade’s otherworldly nature in the game. You also get a torch, which was a pretty commonly used accessory in the game. Those unnecessary accessories I mentioned are the extra set of non-articulated claws. I’m not complaining, but I really don’t see the benefit. The articulated claws that come on the figure are just fine.
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If you’re even half as fanatical over the Soul Reaver games as I am, you really need to get yourself this figure. I think it’s damn near perfect and that’s coming from someone with a lot of high and long held expectations. NECA delivered with an amazing sculpt, excellent articulation, and really superb coloring and quality. And the price tag is just as amazing. Raziel here can hang with just about any $20-25 figure on the shelf and come out on top. I’ve given him a place of honor standing beside my computer. It’s a spot reserved for newly acquired figures that I just can’t stop staring at or playing around with, and I think he’ll probably stay there for a while now. So, hey NECA, how about Kain?
Aug 22 2011

Robocop 7-inch Figure by NECA

Here’s a helpful tip to all toy companies. Make Robocop figures and I will give you my money. Some people have a weird nerd fascination with Boba Fett, but for me it’s Robocop. Besides loving the movies, well two out of three ain’t bad, I’ll even happily suffer through episodes of the often terrible TV series just because I love Robocop so much. I’ve looked at more than a couple of the various vintage Robocop figures that have been produced over the years, and while some of those have their charm, I’ve been jonesing for a really solid modern figure of Robo for a while now and I was happy to see that NECA stepped up to deliver.

Robocop comes in what has become NECA’s standard sealed clamshell with a printed insert. The artwork and presentation is a tad on the cheesy side, but than watch the credits for the original Robocop film and you’ll see this presentation really suits it well. I love that they printed his Prime Directives on the insert and the back of the insert has a nice little blurb just in case you don’t know what this Robocop business is all about. The front insert does block the figure a bit, but only from the knees down. The best thing about NECA’s packaging is that a little deft work with a razor blade and you can get the figure out without damaging the package. And that’s cool, because this baby is going to hang on my wall.
In terms of sculpt, NECA really nailed it with this figure. The armor is beautifully recreated with all the tiny little panel lines and OCP writing right where it should be. Even the lower part of Murphy’s face looks right on target. There is one thing to watch out for, though.The little pistons that connect his ankles to his calves are only pegged in and one of mine flew off the figure when I removed him from the package. Luckily I was able to find it, but I’m definitely going to drop a dab of glue on each of these to keep them from popping off and getting lost. The big question most people have about this figure concerns the leg holster. Is it represented? Nope. And honestly, apart from having a whole piece that replaces half his leg, I can’t see anyway it could have been done on a figure in this scale and price range while still maintaining the sculpt. On the other hand, it would have been nice to get a second head showing Murphy without the visor and helmet.
Speaking of extra bits… you get only two accessories with Robocop. You get his trademark Auto-9 sidearm and an extra hand that has his computer interface spike deployed. The gun is obviously a requirement, but the spike hand is a nice extra bonus. I still would have liked that second head, though.
Robocop sports 14 points of articulation. These include: A ball jointed neck, ball jointed shoulders, hinged elbows, swivel wrists, rotating hips, hinged knees, hinged ankles, a swivel at the waist, and a ball joint in the chest. There’s certainly the right number of points, but some of them, like the elbows, don’t offer a huge range of motion. I’m not going to complain, though, as Robocop isn’t exactly the most agile crime fighter around and the figure really can hit all the poses that he should be able to do. The only thing I would have added would be lateral hinges in the ankles. Robocop’s legs can achieve a nice wide stance, but without these extra points, his feet can’t lay flat on the ground. Not a big deal, but I still thought I’d mention it.
If you can find him at Toys R Us or a specialty shop, NECA’s Robocop should run you about fifteen bucks. Mine set me back $20 with shipping and I think it was well worth it. Great sculpt, good articulation, nice heft and quality, and an all around fun figure for the scale and price range. Is it a definitive Robocop figure? Nope, and I’m still looking into picking up the forthcoming Figma version to satisfy my ultimate Robocop itch, but for now, this one suits me pretty well.
Apr 28 2010

A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010): Freddy Krueger by NECA

I practically grew up on the Nightmare on Elm Street movies. If you’re pushing forty like me, you probably remember that Freddy Krueger was a huge part of the pop culture of the time and there was always a bizarre amount of merchandising around the character. I had comic books, a toy freddy glove and I even had a poster of him (I won it spinning a wheel on the Jersey boardwalk) hanging in my room. Yeah… I had a poster of an undead child murderer hanging in my room. Amazing I turned out as well as I did. Hell, there was even a weekly TV series. Of all the crazed slashers that hit the theaters in the 80s, none of them had more appeal (or a better agent) than the K-Man.

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Obviously, the Elm Street franchise changed a lot during its lifetime. The first movie was pretty damn creepy, the second was pretty damn crappy, and beyond that the series quickly turned into a parody of itself. That’s not an insult, mind you, I think the series really came into its own when it achieved a campy comic book-style wackiness mixed with some nuggets of true horror. I enjoyed the franchise for most of its stretch, and I was always willing to go see Freddy quick with his razor glove and the one-liners. Alas, by the time The New Nightmare came out, I just didn’t care any more. A lot of my friends still swear by that movie. I may have to check it out again. Anyway, reminiscing isn’t really why we’re here today. Nightmare on Elm Street got a remake and NECA stepped up with two action figures of the new Freddy Kreuger. There’s Freddy before and after getting the zippo equivalent of a lynching. I found both of these figures at Toys R Us today, but I opted to just bring home the “After” figure, since the first one is just some dude to me. I thought it funny that he was also hanging right next to a pair of figures from the older Elm Street films. Some day I may have to pick those up too.
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It seems there’s a lot of mixed feelings about the new Freddy design, or more specifically his face. Personally, I like it a lot. The burns are more realistic and his face is a lot creepier than his original style. Either way, this isn’t Robert Englund anymore, so he really should look different. Well, like the new look or not, the headsculpt on NECA’s figure (or sculpts, since he comes with two heads) is excellent and very close to the stills I’ve seen from the new movie. I think he looks a lot less human and more demonic. There’s a ton of intricate texturing in the sculpt and the coolest thing is the fedora is removable, so you can display either head with or without it. As for the two heads, there really isn’t a huge amount of difference. The one he had on in the package has the mouth closed, the other has it open in a partial snarl. The snarl head shows a bit more exposed muscle to the left cheek and as such, I think I like that one a little more. Overall, its just more expressive.

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The rest of the figure’s sculpt is just as good. The texturing on his ratty trademark sweater is excellent, both in the simulated fabric and the subtle tears and distressing. There are even some holes worn through it in the back. The red and green paint on the sweater looks really good too. It’s possibly a little too glossy for fabric, as it tends to look like its wet, but I’m really nitpicking to complain about anything. Of course, he wouldn’t be Freddy without his glove. The glove is nicely detailed and its sculpted into a partially open position that allows for a good looking pose in just about any position you move his arm. I’m a little disappointed that NECA didn’t go for a swappable glove in a different position. I would have definitely preferred that over getting the two portraits, but what’s here is still plenty good.

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What’s not so good is the articulation. I think NECA’s inconsistency with articulation is the company’s only failing. In this case, Freddy is a statue from the waist down. Ok, technically his ankles are balljoints, but between the sculpting of his pants cuffs and the lack of articulation in his legs, these joints are useless. His upper body is thankfully a different story. He has a slight ability to swivel at the waist. His arms feature balljoints in both the shoulders and elbows. His head is balljointed, and his wrists have swivel cuts. You can get a pretty good range of poses, just nothing terribly dynamic.

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Freddy set me back $13.99, which is pretty much what all the other figures in TRU’s “collectible” action figure aisle go for these days. It’s hard to quarrel with that price when the sculpt and paint are this good. I’m very happy with him and whether or not the movie flops or rises to the occasion, I’m glad to have this reimagined Kreuger in my collection.

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As for the movie… I’m not one of those people who rabidly object to Hollywood trying a remake. Yeah, many of them are souless cash grabs, but I think many of them have actually been fairly successful when it comes to the horror reboots. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre was really well done. The Hills Have Eyes was awesome and Friday the 13th… well, as Meat Loaf says, “two out of three ain’t bad.” But while some are wailing over their beloved Freddy getting rebooted, I’m actually interested to see the results. On the one hand, it looks like they’re definitely going for scares over campy laughs, but then judging from the trailers, I’m worried that the thing is going to be too much of a shot-by-shot remake. Well, we’ll know soon enough. I’ll be hitting the theater the week it comes out.