Jul 5 2016

The Terminator: Ultimate T-800 (Tech Noir) by NECA

Any day that a new “Ultimate” figure from NECA hits my doorstep, I know is going to be a great one. After three solid releases in the Ultimate Terminator 2 line, NECA is headed back to the film that started it all with the T-800 and his rampage through Club Tech Noir. I can’t wait to check this figure out!

What’s the first thing I expect from NECA’s Ultimate line? Killer packaging. The figure comes in a box that looks like an over-sized VHS sleeve. You get the title, The Terminator, clearly laid out on both side panels and that iconic poster on the front. The back features some shots of the toy and there’s a velcro-secured opening front flap that allows you to feast your peepers on the figure and accessories inside. Back when I was a kid I joined one of those movie clubs where they let you pick out a bunch of movies for cheap and then you agree to buy one a month for a while. The Terminator was one of the first tapes I got from there, so this box art holds some major nostalgia for me.

I’d wager that most folks would consider the black leather jacket and shades as the iconic look for the T-800 in the original film. Well, we’re getting that, so be patient. In the meantime, that’s what makes this figure all the more special, because I never thought we’d get this version. Besides being the outfit he wore in the nightclub assault, this is what he was wearing during one of my favorite scenes with Dick Miller in the gun shop. In other words, I dig this look and really happy to get it in figure form.

The crazy gray jacket is a freaking work of art. The sculpted detail on the stitching and pockets and rumpled fabric is all so incredibly well done. Not to mention the chain looped through the left epaulet and all the studs on the back of the jacket. The zippers are all painted gold, even the one on the back of the collar. Underneath the jacket you get a crazy shirt with the graffiti all over it. This is crazy. I never even noticed how totally metal this outfit was until right now, and I’ve seen this movie a hell of a lot of times.

You get three portraits with the figure via three swappable heads, and here’s where things get even better. The first head features the T-800’s long hair from the beginning of the scene up to the Club battle. Is it even worth pointing out that this is a great sculpt with a great likeness? Probably not, because NECA has been killing it with the Schwarzenegger likeness for a long, long time now. It’s hard enough for some companies to get the general likeness right, but NECA has done a great job even nailing the age differences.

After Tech Noir, the T-800 literally gets his hair and eyebrows burned to a crisp, which is reflected in the second head. You also get a slightly different expression. Wow, he really looks pissed. “My eyebrows will be back!”

The third noggin reflects the shorter hair and no eyebrows, but this time with some facial damage. It’s not as extensive as what we saw in the T2 damaged head, and that’s appropriate, but he does have one eye closed and some bloody paint apps.

Articulation has been a big part of these Ultimate figures and it’s the only category where this figure comes up a bit short. Don’t get me wrong, the points are all there, but some of them have issues working with the sculpt. Let me run them down before explaining what I mean. You get rotating hinges in the shoulders, elbows, hips, knees, and ankles. The wrists are ball jointed, as is the neck. The legs swivel at the hips and have swivel cuts at the tops of the boots. Finally, you get a ball joint just above the waist. The issue here is all in the elbows. The way the sleeves are sculpted make the range of motion there very limited. I think NECA was worried about sacrificing aesthetics in the arms and as much as I would have liked more elbow movement, I still think they made the right choice. Alas, it does make it difficult to make use of the next extra bits that I’m going to talk about…

Yes, you get a replacement right forearm recreating the scene where the T-800 had to do a little self-maintenance. You also get two pairs of forceps. He can even hold them pretty well in the extra left hand, but with those elbow limitations, he can’t really get them anywhere near the arm to look like he’s poking around in there. Still, it’s a cool piece with some impressive sculpting and paintwork that shows the inner workings of his arm with all the “meat” torn away. Hey, how about some guns?

The 12-gauge auto loader. It’s Italian!

The .45 long slide with laser sighting. It’s a good gun. Just touch the trigger, the beam comes on and you put the red dot where you want the bullet to go. You can’t miss! Phased plasma rifle in the 40-Watt range? Hey, just what you see, pal!

And the Uzi 9mm. The T-800’s right hand is sculpted to accommodate any of the guns, and his left fist can be swapped out with a second gun-toting hand so he can dual wield his hardware.

The Ultimate line continues to do NECA proud with collector grade packaging, some amazing sculpt and paint, and a hearty helping of accessories. And once again I have to call out just what a great value these figures are. At $22, this T-800 doesn’t quite feel on par with the T2 figures in terms of extras, but it sure feels like I’m getting a lot more than what I paid for. You simply cannot find this kind of craftsmanship and value anywhere else in the toy aisle these days. So long as NECA keeps putting these out there, I’ll keep picking them up!

May 25 2016

Heroes of the Storm: Arthas (Warcraft) by NECA

I’m continuing to dig through the pile of figures waiting to be opened on the floor of my closet and I’m proud to say that I can finally see carpet and there’s a light at the end of the tunnel! This time I’m returning to NECA’s Heroes of the Storm line and after a brief interlude with Diablo’s Tyrael back in April, it’s back to Warcraft with Arthas!

This is the fourth time showcasing this packaging, so I don’t have much new to say about it. We’re back to the sealed clamshell, which is most decidedly not collector friendly and therefore requires a trusty, and preferably not cursed, blade to open it. It also rewards you by releasing the sweet, noxious gasses of plastic goodness. Ahhh, nobody gives plastic fumes like NECA does. So good!

Arthas, aka The Lich King, needs no introduction to any followers of Warcraft lore. He’s as iconic a character as they come and NECA did a beautiful job here reproducing him in action figure form. The proportions, with chunky hands and feet, convey that delightfully distinctive WoW style that is instantly recognizable and this figure is absolutely packed with rich sculpted goodness. From the hammered finish on his boots, to the amazing skull-adorned armor plates on his legs, arms, waist, and shoulders, every little detail of The Lich King’s gear is lovingly recreated here. All the armor plates are sculpted over a cross-thatch chain mail texture that give the suit a satisfying feeling of depth. Oh, and is that soft goods I see?

Indeed it is! You get a purple cloth sash and cape, which are certainly not firsts for NECA, but definitely this line. I dig it!

Arthas’ portrait is mostly obscured by his elaborate helmet, complete with the spire-like spikes that rise off the top in a crownly fashion. Strands of his blue hair cascade down the sides and if you get in there close enough you can make out his eyes and mouth. It looks like there’s a fully realized head sculpt under that helmet, and that kind of effort impresses the hell out of me.

The paint on this figure is phenomenal. You get a muted mix of grays and silvers with copper painted rivets and borders. The mix of drab grey and metallic silver does a fine job of picking out all the careful texturing and sculpted scrollwork on some of those armor plates, as well as weathering. I especially love the effect in the eyes of most of the skulls, which use various shades of blue to give off an illumination effect. It’s brilliant. The paint is rounded out with some buffed brown for the leather gauntlets and straps and some tan for the tufted fringe on the gauntlets and boots.

For a guy in a clunky suit of armor, Arthas sports some damn fine articulation. NECA kitted him out with rotating hinges in the shoulders, elbows, hips, knees, and ankles. He’s got swivels in the wrists, a swivel in the waist, a ball joint under the chest and a ball joint in the neck. Both the knee and shoulder armor are soft plastic so as not to inhibit those joints. I had to do a little gentle coaxing on one of the elbow hinges, but once I got him warmed up the joints all feel great and he’s a pretty limber fellow.

The Lich King comes with one accessory, and as any Warcraft fan could have guessed, it is indeed the cursed sword Frostbourne. It’s lovingly recreated with the iconic ram skull at the center of the guard and the blade features a tarnished paint with a copper center. The hilt is designed to come apart so as to stick the hilt into the enclosed fingers on his right hand from the bottom and the top part of the hilt and blade into the top, pegging them together in his grip.

NECA is absolutely killing it with the HotS line and I can’t say enough good things about these guys. Of course, that’s coming from someone who doesn’t even play Heroes of the Storm, but rather I collect this because it’s populated by familiar characters from Blizzard games that I have played. But even if I’d never spent a single day venturing in Azeroth, I think I’d still be buying these. The crazy money I spent on The Four Horseman’s Mythic Legions figures (which should be shipping any time now) prove that I’m a sucker for 6-inch scale fantasy and there’s no doubt that Arthas fits that bill nicely. Now I just have to pick up the Deluxe Stitches figure and I’ll be all caught up!

May 17 2016

Aliens: Space Marine Lt. Ripley (Kenner Version) by NECA

Kenner’s line of Aliens figures defies all sense and logic by its very existence. It was originally inspired by the planned cartoon series Aliens Operation, Yes, a cartoon based on an R-rated film franchise. The cartoon was scrapped, but the figures survived and came out under the name Aliens thus becoming a line of figures directly based on an R-rated movie that was at that point some six years old. Craziness! Nonetheless it was a fun and wildly creative line that was sadly released at a time when I had zero interest in collecting toys. Nonetheless, when NECA decided to celebrate Alien Day on 4/26 and release a Kenner-inspired repaint of their Aliens Lt Ripley figure, I was definitely on board.

Ripley was exclusive to Toys R Us and GoHastings and sold out really fast online, but eventually came back into stock at TRU. The figure comes in NECA’s traditional sealed blister pack, and while the Aliens title up at the top is the same as what we saw with NECA’s Aliens line, the rest of the package art has been re-branded to reflect the Kenner animated look, complete with a brand new insert and a “cardback” that imitates the Kenner line. It’s a fun and colorful package and in this case I’m glad I wound up with two, because one of them is staying in the package and going right up on my wall.

If you own NECA’s original release of Ripley from Aliens, then the sculpt should be instantly familiar to you. This is a straight repaint to the Kenner colors with the ammo strap reversed and an added neckerchief. Keep in mind, that’s not a criticism. For starters, the original release of this figure is both excellent and a tough item to get anywhere near the original price point. Secondly, it’s amazing how well this homage works with just a fresh coat of paint. When I look at it, I don’t see the repaint, just a fully realized Kenner-style figure.

The new coloring includes the bright yellow shit-kickers, darker blue pants, the maroon top and tan neckerchief. The ammo strap is black with orange cartridges. The paint is all very clean, right down to the black watch on her left wrist. For a 90’s line, the coloring here isn’t as obnoxious as one might expect. In fact, the only thing that’s really out of the ordinary are her bright yellow boots and I still think they look great.

The portrait on this figure was pretty solid to begin with and it not only still looks great, but I’m surprised how well it works on this homage. I particularly love what they did with the hair sculpt. On the downside, this figure uses flesh toned plastic, rather than paint, so you do get a bit of the waxy finish. Granted, it looks a lot more shiny under the studio lights than it does most of the time. Aw hell, she’s lugging a big gun around, running around hunting Xenomorphs, I’ve got to imagine Ripley’s going to be perspiring a bit.

Speaking of running around, Ripley features some solid articulation. You get rotating hinges in the shoulders, elbows, wrists, hips, and knees. The ankles are hinged and have lateral rockers, there’s a ball joint just above the waist, and another in the neck. Not bad!

Ripley comes with one accessory and that’s her Smartgun. I don’t have a lot of the Colonial Marines figures, so this is my first encounter with this accessory and I like it a lot. It’s a beautifully intricate sculpt and while it looks like it would be unwieldy and difficult to work with, the truth is it’s got so many grab points that I was able to have a lot of fun with it.

The only downside of this figure is that the availability was spotty at release because of quick sell outs leading to a run on Ebay and doubling the price of the figure. But now all that has settled down, and at the time I’m posting this Feature, Ripley is available on TRU’s website for the original $24.99. Obviously, this figure is aimed at the 90’s kids who have nostalgia for the original toy line, but I’m proof positive that the figure’s appeal can transcend that. Seeing as I don’t own the original release of Aliens Ripley, I’m very happy to have this mold on my shelf and the coloring just makes her all the more special.

May 3 2016

E.T. The Extra Terrestrial (Series 2) by NECA

Fun fact: I saw E.T. a couple of times as a kid when it was originally out in theaters and I don’t think I’ve seen it all the way through since. Why? Because it freaking traumatized the living shit out of me! Even after all this time I still have that image in my head of white, half-dead E.T. lying like garbage on a creek bed with leaves stuck to him. My parents had to practically drag me out of that theater screaming. For some reason, they took me back to see it a little later and things went a little better. Oddly enough, I still loved E.T. and I had all the LJN toys and a whole bunch of stuffed E.T.’s, some of which were probably weird bootlegs. I can even remember one that was fashioned out of a leather-like material that felt like it came from a real skinned alien. Jesus! Anyway, I saw the Series 2 figures from NECA for a good price and they called out to me. I was in the mood for some nostalgia and NECA rarely ever steers me wrong.

These fellas come in sealed clam shells, which aren’t really collector friendly, unless you carefully cut across the back. Either way you’ll need a strong blade to get in and a stronger constitution to withstand the rush of plastic fumes that spray out. Mmmmm… Glorious!!! Series 1 consisted of “Galactic Friend” E.T. and “Transvestite” E.T. (with the second being my un-official name for him) whereas this one includes “Telepathic” E.T. and “Night Flight” E.T. Let’s start with the later…

As the name suggests, this version recreates the moonlit bike flight where E.T. is all bundled up in a towel in the basket of Elliot’s bike. As such, the figure looks absolutely spot on. The towel is flexible plastic with a cloth texture and plenty of realistic wrinkles. It surrounds the entire figure and only allows his adorable face to peek out. It’s a shame there isn’t a bike and basket to go with him. And that leads me to the reason I’ve passed this figure up a few times when I saw it on the pegs. I’m a dope, and I actually thought you were seeing all you were getting. But, nope…

The plastic blanket can be “unwrapped” and there is indeed a fully realized and articulated figure in there. You just unpeg the flap and unfold it. The E.T. that lies within is a fantastic figure with an absolutely spot-on sculpt. The wrinkles and creases in the skin alone are worth the price of admission and the color used here is right on the money. Even with all the E.T. figures and dolls I had as a kid, I would have killed for something this good.

Even from the back you can see his creepy back ribs and more of the effort that went into making the skin look super realistic. The articulation here is no slouch either, at least not considering E.T.’s rather limited nature. You get rotating hinges in the shoulders, elbows, and wrists. The feet are also attached on rotating hinges. “I don’t like his feet!” SHUT UP, GERTIE!!! The collapsed neck is attached to the body with a ball joint and to the head with another. Remember that… two ball joints. It’ll be important later.

The portrait is superb. I don’t want to overdo it with my adoration of the skin texturing on this figure, but damn, there it is again in the face. The eyes feature a bit of a cartoony look to them, but I think it rather suits the figure. He’s also sporting his lovable, almost noble, expression. This is how I like to remember him most, rather than being dressed up like a crazy Aunt or dying on the bathroom floor. E.T. is just one of those timeless designs that walks the fine line between adorable and terrifying. I think that’s a big part of what made him work so well on the screen.

And so what we have here is a fantastic little all-purpose E.T figure for your shelf. The only way you can possibly follow up a figure this perfect is with E.T. in his bathrobe drunk out of his mind on Coors… so let’s do that!

While I would have voted for “Drunk E.T.” to appear on the package, NECA went with “Telepathic E.T.” and I can appreciate why. Obviously, this guy shares some parts with the vanilla E.T. we just looked at, but there’s plenty new here too. The body and feet are the same and that’s about it. The bathrobe uses that old trick we’ve seen out of Hasbro plenty of times, where the sculpted robe is basically a vest and the sleeves are part of the arm sculpts. It works well here and allows for full articulation in those shoulder joints. The baggy sleeves, on the other hand, do limit the range of those rotating hinges in the elbows a bit. It would have been interesting to see this figure attempted with a soft goods robe, but I still dig what we got here a lot.

The new head sculpt is absolutely hysterical. E.T. has had a few too many Coors and he’s starting to feel it. Ugh, I know exactly how he feels. Just looking at him makes me want to re-evaluate some of my life choices. His slack jaw and slightly exposed teeth are perfect.

This figure comes with a couple of neat accessories and one that I found too much to bother with. First up, we have the flowers that he brought back from the dead and then somehow went on to act as a barometer to his own health status. These look really good, both in terms of paint and sculpt, even if I didn’t fully comprehend the mumbo-jumbo surrounding their role in the movie.

Next up, you get the Speak n’Spell that he used to learn how to communicate with. Only he didn’t. That’s always how I remembered it, but he really just cannibalized it for parts and seemed to learn his communication skills from the television and Gertie. This is a decent accessory and I appreciate that they actually sculpted the damn thing, rather than just slap a sticker on a piece of plastic. Now, there is also an extended neck piece included in the box, but it is a nightmare to get the short neck to detach from the head. I did it once, but for a moment, I thought I had snapped off the ball joint. I wasn’t about to try it again. Sorry! In theory, though, it will work with either figure.

If I seem a little familiar with some particulars of a movie that I haven’t watched since I was a kid. That’s because I specifically cued it up before sitting down to write this and watched it all the way through for the first time in ages. My initial appraisal holds. This is a really weird film that drives home just how messed up a lot of kids movies were back in the day. I can see why it terrified and disturbed me so much, but I can also see why I fell in love with the character the way I did. In any event, these are fantastic figures and while I’ll probably never watch this damn movie again, I’m happy to have E.T. represented on my shelf. For good or for ill, he was a very influential character in my formative years and just maybe helped to plant the seeds that turned me into a hardcore horror movie junkie by the time I was in my teens.

Apr 26 2016

Aliens: Xenomorph Warrior and Sgt. Craig Windrix by NECA

Star Wars has May the 4th and now Alien has April 26th… as in 4/26… as in LV-426. Was this a thing last year? Because I honestly have no memory of it. Anyway, what better way to celebrate then by checking out some Aliens figures from NECA? Today I’m opening up the Alien Warrior and Sgt. Windrix…

The figures come in sealed blisters very much like the ones used for the figures based off of the original Alien film. In fact, the only real difference is that the inserts here are branded for the sequel Aliens. The packaged figures look outstanding, but they’re not really collector friendly, as you’ll need a plasma cutter, blow torch or a vile of alien blood to get into them. Also, scissors work too. Let’s kick things off with the Xenomorph Warrior.

Of course, the Xenomorph received a cosmetic makeover between the original film and Aliens and this figure reflects all the design changes. The majority of the buck is the same as the one we saw from the first film and in the AvP Two Pack, but there are significant changes as well. The hands and feet are brand new, featuring longer and creepier fingers on the hands and an extra toe jutting out on the feet that gives the creature a bit of a simian look. You also get the weird “handles” added to the forearms.

The head sculpt is also brand new. Gone is the smooth and shiny dome of its cousins and in its place is one that better reflects the bio-architecture of the rest of the body. You get some disgusting sinewy bits around the jaws and the inner mouth seems to project out a lot further in this one than my other Xenos. So which Alien head is my favorite? Pfft. That’s like asking me what my favorite ice cream is. I happen to love whatever is in the bowl in front of me. They all have their charms. I happen to find the smooth head a little more creepy, but this one has a lot more cool Giger stuff going on.

The paint features a blue-gray wash over the lovely high gloss black, which nicely picks out all those incredible details in the body sculpt. I’ve opened three different Xenos from NECA now and I fall in love with this mold each and every time.

The articulation is the same as we’ve seen on the previous figures. The arms have rotating hinges in the shoulders, with some nice ratcheting action. The elbows are hinged and have swivels, and the wrists have rotating hinges. The legs have rotating hinges in the hips, double hinges in the knees, and rotating hinges again in the ankles. The toes are even hinged! The head is ball jointed on the neck and has a hinged mouth. Finally, the tail has that lovely bendy wire in it that lets you pose it in a myriad of ways. The Xenomorph is fun to pose and he’s balanced enough to maintain a surprising number of poses. I don’t think I’m engaging in hyperbole when I say that NECA’s Xenomorphs are among the finest figures to ever swing on a peg at this price point. And thankfully, we’ve got a brave Space Marine to fight him…

If you aren’t already familiar with the both heartwarming and heartbreaking story, Marine Sgt. Craig Windrix is a loving nod to real life Craig Windrix who the world lost to cancer back in 2014. He is the brother of Kyle Windrix, lead sculpting wizard at NECA Toys. Craig was immortalized in plastic form by NECA’s Randy Falk and the rest is history. As if it wasn’t enough that the folks at NECA make some wonderful toys, they seem like a bunch of wonderful human beings as well. It’s a beautiful story and I actually had to stop typing this paragraph about halfway through and collect myself, because… well, you know.

Besides the great story behind the figure, I really wanted to get Sgt. Windrix, because quite frankly, I’m not fond of any of the Marines in Aliens. I find them all to be incredibly annoying. So Craig is, and will likely continue to stand as my one and only human representative in the war against the Xenomorphs. Having no others in my collection, I’m going to assume this is built on the same body as Hicks and Hudson. The majority of the buck is a beautifully camouflaged set of fatigues with sculpted knee pads and shin guards. The patches on the shoulders are actually part of the sculpt too!

Wrapped around the torso is a soft plastic vest, which includes a harness and all sorts of sculpted gear, as well as a removable shoulder light. Windrix’s name is printed across the front just under the neckline and he has all sorts of lovingly painted graffiti, which are references to real life Craig’s girlfriend and his other favorite things.

The articulation on the figure is quite good, especially when you consider how much gear and armor he’s wearing. The arms feature rotating hinges in the shoulders, elbows, and wrists. The legs are ball jointed at the hips, double hinged at the knees, and have ball jointed ankles. There’s a ball joint in the chest under the armor vest and the neck is ball jointed.

No Marine can go into battle without his gear and Sgt. Windrix has some cool stuff. For starters, he comes with a cutting tool that attaches to his belt. This is a very simple accessory that actually looks like part of the web gear, but it can indeed come off and be held by the figure. It’s also worth noting that the shoulder light can come off and be held by the figure.

Next up, you get the motion tracker, which includes a shoulder strap for easy carrying. The sculpt on this thing is fantastic and the tiny screen even has a detailed instrument panel, because being you have to be well-informed when you’re on a bug hunt.

Finally, you get the military grade flamethrower. It’s another excellent accessory with great sculpt and paintwork, but it’s a little tough to get him to hold it convincingly. The way the handle is shaped doesn’t jibe all that well with Windrix’s gun-toting hand forcing him to hold it rather awkwardly. Having him cradle the barrel in his off hand does help things a bit. I’m guessing that the right hand on the figure came from Hicks and/or Hudson and was designed to hold a different kind of weapon.

I’ve had this pair waiting to be opened for a while now, so I’m glad Alien Day came up and gave me the motivation to do it. NECA has really made this franchise (along with the Predators) into their bread and butter and it’s easy to see they have a deep love and respect for the property. Opening up this figures finally catches me up on the Alien figures that I own. My next acquisitions from this line will likely be the figures based on the Alien: Isolation game as well as the Kenner-inspired Ellen Ripley that I just pre-ordered. Beyond that we’ve got another killer wave coming up soon inspired by Alien 3, a film that many people hate, but I hold a lot of affection for.

Apr 19 2016

Heroes of the Storm: Tyrael (Diablo) by NECA

I’m continuing to work my way through a rather large receivings pile that dates back at least a month and it includes loads of great stuff by NECA. So, with that in mind let’s check back in with NECA’s Heroes of the Storm line. This time e’re dipping into the Diablo franchise with Tyrael, one of the five Archangels of the Angiris Council and the personification of Justice itself! Damn, those are some impressive credentials!

As we already saw with Terra Nova and Illidan, the figures come in sealed clamshells with the logo on top and an insert customized to the character. These are not collector friendly, but they do look nice and offer a great look at the figure inside. I’ve gone on record before saying that I don’t actually play the Heroes of the Storm game, but rather I’m in this line more for the Blizzard franchises that originally spawned these characters. Today’s figure fits nicely as I recently grabbed Diablo III off my pile of unplayed games and started taking it for a whirl.

And here he is out of the package and looking rather the imposing chap! This version of Tyrael is spawned from Diablo II before he was condemned by The Council and stripped of his angelic status. His full plate armor is absolutely stunning with a silver and dull copper paint scheme and some crisp scrollwork designs scattered throughout. Between many of the plates, the cross-thatched chain mail can be seen, and he wears a cream colored sash that starts at his hood and flows down between his legs. This is a pretty complex design even for a 7-inch scale figure but NECA nails it perfectly.

His armored angelic wings are particularly impressive as the feather motif forged in steel takes on a sharp-edged plumage, rising above his already impressive shoulders. Further spiked feathery motifs are added to the points on his knees and ankles. Damn, this guy looks great!

As far as articulation goes, Tyrael has a lot of serviceable points, but the sculpt does work against them in a few areas. He has rotating hinges in the shoulders, elbows, wrists, hips, knees, and ankles, as well as his two wings. His head is ball jointed. The large shoulder plates and the hip plates are made of soft, rubbery plastic to allow for movement. The biggest restrictions are in the elbows. They will swivel, but the sculpted plates don’t offer a lot of room for them to bend. With, that having been said I’d say articulation is overall on par with what you would expect from a heavy suit of armor.

The portrait is… empty! Yes, Tyrael just sports an eerie empty hood, which works rather well on the figure. I’ve always had a fascination with empty-hooded fantasy characters. My notebooks in Middle School were probably littered with sketches of this sort of thing, along with flaming swords and other metal AD&D-fueled references.

Tyrael comes with one accessory, his rather large sword, El’Druin. It’s a magnificent piece of sculpting and paintwork and cast in a stiff plastic, so no worries about warping. The spiked appendages coming off the hilt nicely mirror the steel wings on his armor. The pommel pulls off of the hilt, so you can slide it into his closed grip and then pop it back on and he’s good to go.

While some restrictive articulation means Tyrael isn’t as fun to play around with as Illidan was, he’s still an amazing looking figure which continues to makes me very happy that I’ve decided to collect this line. Oddly enough, he’s also made me all the more anxious to get my hands on T4H’s Mythic Legion figures, because I think this guy will fit right in with them in terms of scale and aesthetics.

Apr 13 2016

God of War III: Ultimate Kratos “Ghost of Sparta” by NECA

NECA’s Ultimate Series continues to blow me away with each new figure I pick up. In fact, it’s doing such a great job, that I even find myself buying figures from properties that I otherwise wouldn’t think of. Now, God of War is a decent series of video games, I will not deny that. I’ve played most of them, even one of the PSP releases, and while I wouldn’t rank it at the top of my list of personal favorites, I’d consider these games a guilty pleasure. I certainly never played any of them for the story or even that much for Kratos himself. What I’m getting at here is that, apart from being a cool badass, Kratos doesn’t mean that much to me as a character, but that doesn’t matter so much when NECA is working their magic on the figure.

Behold! Just when I thought the Ultimate Series packaging couldn’t get any better, they go and do this. While the previous packages have been unifrom in size and shape, this one is most definitely a stand-alone piece. It’s still a window box with a front flap, but this one is much wider across when compared to the regular releases and it’s designed to look like a mock up of a PS2 game. Or in this case, a large PS2 accessory of some sort. I love it.

Open it up and you get some lovely artwork on the inside of the front flap and a good look at the figure and all the accessories within. One side panel has the franchise name on it and the other has three shots of Kratos in action. This is some killer presentation and it feels more like a limited edition or exclusive than an off-the-shelf release. The Gods would indeed be pleased.

Even at NECA’s regular 7-inch scale, Kratos feels like a big figure in hand and he’s a beautifully crafted piece. NECA has reproduced his ashen skin perfectly, thanks to gray plastic and a white wash, and coupled it with some splendid detail on all the components of his costume. You have the Boots of Hermes, which are really more like sandals, but they still feature the sculpted wraps, bronzed fixtures and crimson wings on the sides. His belt is engraved with a decorative pattern and his loin cloth blows off to the side. The detail on the chains around his bracers is impressive, as is the bronzed armor plates on his right arm, all of which feature a nice, shiny gold finish with some bright red splatter on the upper pieces.

On his back, Kratos wears the twin Blades of Chaos, secured in place with chains and ready to be drawn at the hint of danger. From behind, you can also get a better look at the individual straps that make up his “skirt.” I can’t think of too many companies, outside of NECA, putting this kind of effort in sculpt and paintwork in their figures.

You get two portraits for Kratos. The regular, slightly perturbed, visage and the angry one he flashes right before he starts tearing shit up. Both of these head sculpts are little works of art and both manage to capture the character perfectly. Whether you’re going for a standard “museum style” pose or something with a little action, these two noggins have you covered.

The articulation on this fella includes just about everything I could ask for in my video game action figures. The legs have rotating hinges at the hips, double hinges in the knees, and rotating hinges in the ankles. The torso can swivel at the waist and has an ab crunch hinge. The arms have rotating hinges at the shoulders and wrists, double hinges in the elbows, and swivels in the biceps. The head is ball jointed. Some lateral rockers in the ankles would have been nice for those wide stances, but he can get by without them.

The Blades of Chaos are beautifully recreated here as if they flew right out of the game. They feature blazing orange blades fashioned in translucent plastic at the edges. The hilts are intricately sculpted, gnarled and ancient-looking and Kratos can comfortably grasp them in his hands.

You also get the Nemean Cestus, the massive pair of gauntlets, which fit over Kratos’ hands. As far as accessories go, these things are absolutely stunning. Not only are the enormous, but they represent a hell of a lot more sculpted detail than I’m used to seeing in some companies’ entire figures. They are, however, extremely heavy, so getting Kratos’ joints to support all that weight in certain poses can be problematic.

I’m going to pay Kratos the highest compliment I can: He ranks up there with my treasured Raziel as my favorite video game action figures of all time. Now, Raziel, also one of NECA’s Player Select figures, still holds the top spot, but that’s mostly because I’m far more vested in that character and series. But in terms of craftsmanship, these figures are leagues above anything other companies are putting out in this scale. The real kick in the jumblies is the price. If you handed this box to me and let me play around with Kratos for a while, I would probably guess an MSRP of around $40-50. Nope, try $25. TWENTY FIVE DOLLARS. Even laying aside all the sculpt work and paint that went into this guy, the amount of plastic alone makes that seem like a great value. Add to that the fact that when compared to the stuff Hasbro and Mattel are putting out, these are really niche figures aimed at a much smaller market. I seriously don’t know how they do it, but I’m glad they can!

Mar 30 2016

Terminator 2 Judgement Day: Ultimate T-1000 by NECA

It’s time to gush once again all over another of NECA’s Ultimate figures. And what better subject for an Ultimate line of figures than the Ultimate Summer Sci-Fi Action Blockbuster, Terminator 2? This is the third time this series is dipping into the Terminator franchise, and we know it won’t be the last. I’ve already checked out the T-800 and Sarah Connor, so today let’s check out the relentless, liquid metal killing machine that is, the T-1000!

As usual, the figure comes in a collector friendly window box with a front flap. The deco here matches the other T2 figures perfectly and these look amazing all lined up on a shelf. You get some great stills from the film as well as shots of the figure itself. I’ve already gone on and on about how much I love these boxes, so rather than dawdle any longer, let’s look inside…

Yup, there’s a reason this line is called Ultimate. I mean, just look at all that stuff! Naturally, I’ll be looking at everything in turn, but let me just run it all down here: An automatic pistol (missing from the tray because I already put it in his holster), a gun-holding right hand, two pry bar arms, two hands with pointy metal index fingers… and if all that isn’t enough you get an extra head, which is split down the middle, and a head and front torso with bullet damage. Wow! The tray is set against an illustrated backdrop that looks like the interior of The Pescadero State Hospital. Brilliant!

The base figure is quite solid and includes all sorts of detail on the police uniform, from the creases down the front of the trousers, the pen in his pocket, the badge and the individual buttons and rumples across the front of the shirt. Apart from some seams running down the sides of the torso, it’s pretty hard to tell that the top half of this figure is meant to split apart and take a replacement.

The belt rig is quite detailed and includes a functional holster for his pistol and some non-removable items, like a police radio and a pouch for his handcuffs. Despite having the removable front torso, the articulation is not hampered at all. It does look like they probably built the rotating shoulders on exposed front pins to make it work, but you still get a great range of motion there. You also get rotating hinges in the elbows, knees, and ankles. There are ball joints in the hips, wrists, waist, and neck.

The likeness to Robert Patrick is pretty spot on. I really dig the way his eyes are painted to look up so they appear natural when the head is pointing down slightly. It achieves that wonderful stern and creepy look he frequently gave in the film, especially when waggling his finger like a cross teacher. No, he doesn’t come with a waggling finger, but let’s get into some of the stuff he does come with…

The pistol is pretty straightforward and as mentioned it fits in his holster and he comes with a hand made to hold it. It’s the only weapon included with the T-1000 because, let’s face it, he is a weapon unto himself. His liquid metal construction makes him the equivalent of a humanoid swiss army knife.

The pry-bars are achieved by pulling out the forearms and pegging these into their place. The way the paint transitions from the blue uniform to the silver metal is well done. These are, of course, handy whether you’re chasing down a car and need to hitch a ride or prying open the doors of an elevator when they just won’t hold it for you.

The two metal pointy “I know this hurts” fingers are just pop-and-swap hands with one metal finger longer than the other. The metal index fingers are naturally a little bendy so you need to finesse them a bit, but they look great. Next up, let’s swap some noggins…

It’s a testament to the film that they were able to pull off all these Looney Tune injuries and still have it work, oh so well. The first one that the figure lets you recreate is the split head as it’s in the process of being “zipped” back up from the bottom. I love this piece, it looks wonderful right down to the metal paint inside the head. Mine was actually pretty tough to get on the figure, though, and I had to do a little shaving inside the socket to finally get it in.

Next up is the the hole head that comes attached to the swap-out torso front. The front of the torso simply un-pegs and pulls off allowing you to peg on the replacement. Oddly enough, the first time I’ve seen engineering like this was in Character Options’ Doctor Who line. They did something very similar for their Professor Bracewell figure as well as the Time of the Doctor 11th/12th Doctors. It’s a great gimmick that allows a large variation to the figure without having to create a whole new body. The metal impacts from the bullets are very well done.

The head is no slouch either. Again, there’s some wonderful paintwork inside the hole and along where the “flesh” has changed back into metal. It’s also worth noting that since the neck posts are on the torso fronts, you can use any head with either torso, so mix and match until your heart’s content!

When I’m writing up these features on NECA’s Ultimate line, I always feel like I should play it off like one of those infomercials. You get the gun, the gun, hand, the pry bars, and the pointy metal figures. Now how much would you pay? But wait… there’s more… you also get the two extra heads and the replacement torso… all for $21.99! Yes, that’s how much this figure cost me, and I’m continually stunned that NECA can put these figures out there at such great prices. Hey, I love my Marvel Legends as much as the next guy, but there’s so much more craftsmanship that goes into these NECA Ultimate figures and all at the same price, not to mention that they’re based off of a 25-year old film.

Mar 27 2016

Alien Eggs by NECA

It’s Easter and what better day is there to check out some Xenomorph eggs? This pack was released by NECA last year and it works as a wonderful novelty piece as well as accessories for your 7-inch scale Aliens figures. And best of all, you don’t have to color them for Easter because they look amazing right out of the carton!

Yes, carton! These half-dozen cage-free Xenomorph eggs come fresh from LV-426 and straight to your grocer’s refrigerator. The presentation here is absolutely killer. The eggs come in an authentic looking cardboard egg carton with a colorful label on the front that includes “Nutrition Facts” and a hazard image that shows the life cycle of the Xenomorph. This is some fantastic stuff!

Open up the carton and the eggs come in a staggered layout, three closed and three opened. There are also “Safe Handling Instructions” printed on the inside of the top flap.

The closed eggs are just that, eggs, which have not yet popped to eject the facehuggers within. The fact that NECA can take a simple solid plastic egg and make it something so fantastic is a real testament to their workmanship. The sculpts on these are unbelievable and the quality of the paintwork is there to match it. They look slimy and they’ve even managed to replicate the interior glow effect of the facehugger inside with simple paint applications. They also have a really nice heft.

The open eggs each contain an individually wrapped facehugger. These eggs are even more disgusting than the closed ones. The membranes are folded back to show the pink and squishy interior. There’s sculpted mucus stretched between the flaps, and once again the whole thing looks slimy to the touch, thanks to some gorgeous high gloss paintwork.

The three facehuggers are identical, static pieces. They’re tiny, but that didn’t stop NECA from packing them with sculpted detail both top and bottom. Nothing has been spared on these little huggers, and I find the undercarriage to be particularly unsettling. Ewwww!

A half-dozen of these Alien eggs ran me about $20, which is a damn good deal for the amount of craftsmanship that went into these. Most of the marketing I’ve seen has treated these as a novelty item, but make no mistake, these are made to be displayed and interact with NECA’s Aliens figures and they do that splendidly. So, grab yourself a carton of these babies, this Easter, hide them for the kiddies, and make sure to have your phone ready to snap those priceless pictures of little Jimmy or Suzie coming out from behind the sofa with a facehugger attached to their head. HAPPY EASTER!

Mar 15 2016

Alien: Dallas and Kane in Compression Suits by NECA

Today I’m polishing off NECA’s 35th Anniversary tribute to the original Alien film with the final two figures in Series 4 of their Aliens line. Last week, we got a good look at the magnificent sculpt NECA did for the Compression Suits used on the Nostromo. This week we’re going to see it again featured on two new figures. And yes, while these figures are largely the same recycled body as that Ripley, each of these releases have their own special charms.

The packages are right in line with what we saw for the last three figures in Series 4. You get sealed clam shells designed to keep the figures fresh and tasty. It’s attractive, but not at all collector friendly. The fact that Dallas has (Compression Suit) pointed out on his insert makes me wonder if they had planned to do a jumpsuit version of him like they did Ripley. NECA has recently shown off a new sculpt of Lambert from the film, so it’ll be interesting to see how they fill out the rest of that figure’s wave. Anyway, let me go ahead and slice these open and we’ll start off with Captain Arthur Dallas.

Dallas is a man who is comfortable in his own sexuality, as evidenced by his pink suit. This sculpt was amazing enough when cast in Ripley’s all white version, but now that it’s got some color to pick out all the details, it looks even better. The only difference in the sculpt from the neck down is the addition of a strap on the right hip for a holster and all the same points of articulation are here as well. I can’t say enough about how impressed I am with the detail on this suit. The wrinkles in the padding under the traps, the cross-laced sections, it’s all so impressive and the work put into it strikes me as a clear labor of love. Besides the pink deco, there’s also a lot more weathering to this one over Ripley’s, so you get some nice yellowed stains on the lower leg pads and around the collar insulation. Little touches like this really drive home the whole “used future” aesthetic. Dallas also has his name on the chest plate, which might as well read: Hands off, bitches, the pink suit is mine!

The backpack on mine is actually missing one of the furnace knobs. I may have to steal one of Kane’s and just say his was knocked out in the Facehugger attack. The pitting on the backpack is more defined thanks to the copper paint. You also get some additional paint hits on the lights and two tampos on the tanks that were absent from Ripley’s suit. The butt cheek patch is still there. The brown paint on the straps really bring out the subtle sculpted stitching around the edges.

I don’t think the likeness here is quite as good as Ripley’s, but it’s not bad. The paint is a little rough in a few areas, but this guy is going to spend most of his time with his helmet on, so that’s not a big deal.

The helmet works exactly the same way as Ripley’s. It splits into two halves. You pop the head off the figure and put on the bottom half, reattach the head and position it to your liking and then pop the top half on. The hoses then plug into the sockets on the back of the helmet. The only change to the helmet from Ripley’s is the addition of the light piece on top. Again, the coppery finish makes all those wonderful little details easier to see and appreciate. I particularly love the relief work done on the shoulder pads and the helmet. A subtle green wash on the coppery bits gives these parts a nice worn patina.

The accessories include the pistol and the flashlight. The pistol is a great sculpt of a pretty cool and distinctive design and features some red and silver paint hits. The holster, on the other hand is pretty wonky. Since it’s just a loop you have to basically hook the grip and scope on it to get it to stay put. I would imagine that you were pretty screwed if you need to quick draw this baby.

dalkane11

The light is the same cumbersome design used in the film. It’s basically just a box with a handle on the top. This reminds me of the terrible “palm beacons” the Away Teams used in Star Trek: The Next Generation. Why is it that people think in the future something as elegant as the flashlight is going to become all awkward. It’s still a welcome accessory, although I would have liked the cobbled together motion tracker from the original film. And that brings us to poor Kane…

Yes, straight from the egg field and experiencing a full-on Facehugger attack, Kane is having a very bad day. He’s a straight repaint of Dallas from the neck down, this time rendered in yellow and with his name on the front of the chest plate. Overall, Kane’s suit looks like it’s in a bit of a better state than Kane’s, apart from the added ventilation in the helmet visor, of course. The helmet, backpack, and other plates are a little brighter copper, although they still have the same amount of green tarnish. The belts and straps are painted a little darker brown on this suit as well. Otherwise, the key differences are from the neck up.

The broken visor effect is magnificently done. The plastic is melted and pushed in leaving a hole where the little bugger got inside. Now, I’d be lying if I said I wouldn’t have liked a John Hurt portrait to go along with this figure. Given how generous NECA usually is with extras, I’m guessing that they had problems securing the likeness and this was a very clever way around it. Although, considering Character Options was able to get his likeness for their Doctor Who line, it could be that it just didn’t cost out for this line. Either way, the effect here is brilliantly done. And yes, you can still remove the helmet.

The un-helmeted head is pretty ghastly. It almost really does look like they sculpted a head and then attached a Facehugger to it. It has a suitably glossy sheen to it and the tail is sculpted around Kane’s neck.

Kane comes with the same accessories as Dallas; A pistol and flashlight. For all the good they did him!

It was my adoration for the original movie, as well as my overall respect for NECA’s great work that compelled me to buy this assortment and I’m certainly glad I did. Display space is a premium around my place, but I’m actually pulling down a shelf of other figures to make room so that I can prominently display these. On the downside, I’ve already picked up a handful of more Aliens figures and even a couple of Predators, so I have a sinking feeling that I’m hooked. In fact, I’ve even ordered a carton of Free Range Alien Eggs, so look for a lot more NECA Aliens Features in the weeks ahead.

FigureFan Zero

Action Figure Reviews, Toys & Collectibles…

Tag Archives: neca

The Terminator: Ultimate T-800 (Tech Noir) by NECA

Heroes of the Storm: Arthas (Warcraft) by NECA

Aliens: Space Marine Lt. Ripley (Kenner Version) by NECA

E.T. The Extra Terrestrial (Series 2) by NECA

Aliens: Xenomorph Warrior and Sgt. Craig Windrix by NECA

Heroes of the Storm: Tyrael (Diablo) by NECA

God of War III: Ultimate Kratos “Ghost of Sparta” by NECA

Terminator 2 Judgement Day: Ultimate T-1000 by NECA

Alien Eggs by NECA

Alien: Dallas and Kane in Compression Suits by NECA

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