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!

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.

Boy, I sure am digging NECA’s Ultimate Series! But, if you’ve been reading FFZ for the last year or so, you already knew that. While the half-dozen or so figures in this line have hit on several different and classic points of action and horror cinema, this newest offerings are going back to T2: Judgement Day, the greatest sci-fi action flick ever produced (IMNSHO) with the most quintessential bad-ass mom of them all, Sarah Connor!

Sarah joins the first T2 figure in the line, the T-800, with beautifully matched packaging. It’s the same chunky box with a front flap and I dig the way it like an oversized VHS tape sleeve. The flap opens up to allow a look at the figure and all her accessories and there’s a little blurb about the character on the back. Everything is collector friendly, and that’s great because there’s a lot of stuff here to store in it.

Sarah is sculpted wearing the tactical gear she donned after hooking up with her merc friends and getting ready to go after Dyson. The outfit features high laced combat boots, pocketed pants, a sleeveless t-shirt, and a tactical rig. Everything here is reproduced with NECA’s usual uncanny attention to detail, which includes stitching on the pants, textures on the shirt, individual pouches and straps on the rig, individually painted fixtures on the belt, and a combat knife sheath with removable knife.

Not to be outdone by the T-800 figure, Sarah also comes with three different portraits. The figure is packaged with the ponytail, military cap, and sunglasses. This one is a great look for the character and a nice likeness even with the glasses on. The glasses appear to be a separate sculpt and are permanently attached. My only point of contention here is that I wish the paint used for the silver rims of the glasses was a little sharper. There’s a lot of slop when you get up close with the lens, but it’s clearly not as bad with the naked eye. Want to take the hat and glasses off? Just pop on the next head…

This one is the same ponytail, sans hat and glasses, with her bangs down in her eyes. Another great likeness, and I really dig the way they sculpted the bangs as a separate piece. You can actually pull them back and see her eyes under there. Neat!

Finally, you get a portrait with her hair down and another pretty solid likeness. I think they got a little heavy handed with the eyebrow paint, but I’ve got no other complaints. And even with all that hair, NECA was still able to salvage the neck articulation thanks to the use of soft plastic and the cuts on each side where the hair falls in front of and behind her shoulders.

Speaking of articulation, the articulation here is pretty solid. You get rotating hinges at the shoulders, elbows, hips, and knees. There are ball joints in the waist and neck. The wrists have swivels and the ankles have both hinges and lateral rockers. Some extra points could have been justified, but I suspect some, like bicep cuts, were left out so as not to compromise the sculpt. If I could have one improvement here it would have been a better range of motion in the elbows. The sculpt stops them about halfway, which makes it more difficult than it should be to achieve certain poses with her guns.

Naturally, Sarah comes with a nice selection of weaponry, in addition to the combat knife included in the sheath, she has three guns. Starting off with the pistol, she has the Colt-Detonics M1911 Hybrid, which the T-800 acquired at the bikier bar and Sarah picked up in the escape from the mental hospital. There’s some beautiful detailing on this, particularly in the distinctive grip.

Next up, you get the Remington 870 police shotgun. This is a great looking accessory, which includes a hinged stock with the extra cartridges sculpted on top.

And finally, you get a really great recreation of the Colt Commando. This one includes the laser site she used to target Dyson outside his home. Owning this figure and the T-800 results in a damn fine collection of iconic weapons in the 7-inch scale.

Once again the term “Ultimate” is aptly used to describe this line. Sarah is a fantastic figure and with a bevy of weapons and extra likeness options, you get a lot more here then one is inclined to expect from a mass market figure in this scale and all for the ridiculously reasonable price of $21. Needless to say I’m continuing to be on board with every figure NECA puts out in this line, and the next one will keep the T2 love alive with the Ultimate T-1000.

I still consider T2 to be the greatest sci-fi action flick ever made. It’s one of those handful of older movies that I can still remember seeing in the theater because it had such a big impact on me. It’s also a prime example of a franchise that should have been laid to rest after the second installment, not just because most of the subsequent movies have been sub par, but because T2 is almost an impossible act to follow. So, it’s nice to see after all this time, the movie is still getting action figure love, and after a bumpy ride with McFarlane, it’s also nice to see T2 in the far more capable hands of NECA Toys, a company that is proving to be masters at their craft.

NECA’s relatively new”Ultimate” line of action figures spans many movies and genres and features some damn snazzy packaging. We last saw it when I looked at their Ultimate Freddy Kruger figure and you’ll be seeing it again here many times, possibly as soon as next week. The T-800 comes in a great looking box with an opening front flap that reveals a window, allowing for a good look at the figure and all his accessories. And man, does he come with a lot! With three different head sculpts and a mini arsenal of weapons, it’s no wonder NECA calls this the “Ultimate” T-800! The box features some stills from the movie, and some shots of the figure that practically look like stills from the movie. Everything is collector friendly and that’s a good thing because this box is definitely a keeper.

The T-800 comes in his bad-ass biker outfit looking like he just stepped right off the screen. The attention to detail on this guy is staggering. From the stitching and wrinkles in the pants, stitching on the gloves, to a jacket that uses every modicum of surface space to pack in more detail. The use of matte black for the pants, boots, and gloves and gloss black for the jacket is a welcome sight and the various silver zippers are all neatly painted on the jacket. This is one of those figures that clearly represents a labor of love on the part of everyone involved in its production.

I think this is one of the best examples of a figure using the old “vest with sculpted sleeves” trick to mimic an actual jacket. The area around the shoulders where the jacket and sleeves meet just looks like part of the jointing. The back of the jacket features all the individual bullet holes sustained in battle, and the figure comes out of the box wearing the bandoleer strap of M-79 grenade rounds with one round missing.

As mentioned, you get three different head sculpts with the figure and doing the pop and swap is super easy. The stock head is regular old Arnold featuring a solid likeness and some pretty clean paint. You really need to get in close to see any degree of uneven lines. Also, the neck joint is set deep enough into the shirt collar that you can’t even really see it when the head is attached.

Next up, we have Arnold with shades. This is my favorite of all three of the portraits. I think the likeness is even better than the stock head and I like the more determined expression on his lips. The creasing between his eyebrows is more pronounced and the muscle definition in his chin is particularly good. This is likely the head that this figure will wear the most on my shelf, although I have been entertaining getting one more of these guys for a couple different display options, because…

…ripped up cyborg head!!! This thing is a mess and I mean that in every positive way. The meat from half of the T-800’s head is blown off revealing the cyborg parts. The sculpt is fantastic, but what really sells this head is the paint, which is spectacular for a figure in this price range. Yup, if I buy a second one of these guys, this is the other head that will always be on display.

Articulation is this figure is very solid, which has been one of my biggest gripes with Terminator figures in the past. The arms feature rotating hinges in the shoulders, elbows, and wrists, while the legs feature the same in the hips, knees, and ankles. The neck is ball jointed and the torso can swivel at the waist. The only odd thing worth mentioning is that the left leg has swivels in the thigh and boot, while the right leg has only the one swivel at the boot. I found that odd, but it really doesn’t affect the poseability of the figure much. All the joints are nice and strong.

Moving on to accessories, let’s start small and work our way up. The automatic pistol is pretty standard stuff. It’s a nice sculpt with a detailed paint job. The trigger guard is very soft plastic so you can theoretically get his trigger finger in there, but I’ve avoided it because I don’t want it to tear. That’s happened before on at least one of my DC Collectibles figures.

Next up is the M1887 lever-action shotgun. Man, I loved the way Arnold worked this thing while on the motorcycle. When I first got the film on DVD I must have watched that scene a dozen times. The sculpt and paint on this piece is great, right down to the wood grain on the stock. It also fits beautifully into his left hand, which of course was the hand Arnold used in the film to show off his flip-cocking prowess.

Next up is the M79 Grenade Launcher. Just like the shotgun, this little piece is expertly sculpted with great paintwork to pick out the detail between the metal and wooden components. This piece also includes a carry strap. I think this one is designed for his right hand, but I rather like the way he holds it in his left hand too. And you know that one round missing from his bandoleer is in that pipe and ready to go! I’m sure it’s just teargas. Afterall, he did swear not to kill anybody.

Lastly, we have the grand daddy of all his arsenal… the minigun, which comes complete with the shoulder satchel full of ammo and the belt running from the satchel to the gun. Holy hell, is this a cool ensemble! The satchel wears well on the figure’s shoulder and he can hold the minigun perfectly. I was a little dubious on how well all these weapons would work with the figure only having two hands, but I’m really impressed to find that they all do. There’s a crazy amount of detail in the minigun and I love the silver paint they used on it.

Honestly, I’m happy with most figures that I buy (and obviously I buy a lot of action figures}, but I honestly can’t remember the last time I was a) blown away by a finished product this much, and b) amazed by the value of a piece. I bought this figure for $22 (regular price, not on sale) and I’m floored that NECA can produce something this good and with so many accessories for that kind of price. I mean, that’s right around the price I’m paying for Hasbro’s 6-inch Black, Marvel Legends and DC Collectibles these days and in terms of craftsmanship, accessories, and even overall packaging and presentation, NECA is blowing those other companies out of the water. Not to mention that producing figures off a 25-year old movie is what some might call a niche-market. When it comes time to start doing my Favorites of 2015 Feature, this figure is going to be damn hard to beat.