I
haven’t bought all of the Predator figures that NECA has released,
but I do have a nice little collection. As with almost every line I
collect, I tend to pick and choose what I buy. I am able to pass on
figures that look too heavily farmed or just don’t interest me, but
when they’re vastly different or just zany-looking I can’t
resist.
This one
is definitely the latter.
I owned
a bunch of the Kenner Predator and Alien figures. I started with the
Aliens because the third movie had totally sold me on the idea of
different xenomorphs as a result of which creature they gestated in.
The gorilla alien was my favorite. I’d love it if NECA would redo
some of those as well, but that would require all-new tooling and I
think they might be a bit too niche for that.
Now that
I think about it, I had a lot more of the Aliens than I did the
Predators. While the Aliens had a good reason for lots of variety,
the Predators tended to look kind of goofy if they strayed too far
from the movie look. Back in those days, for instance, I never would
have bought a translucent red Predator because I would have thought
it was too goofy. I needed my toys to be serious,
dammit.
FIRST
GLANCE
Beautiful.
What really makes this one work is the deco. I probably still would
have bought it if it were just the translucent red, but those paint
apps really give it a strong look – more than just a clear variant.
PACKAGING
The
whole blister card is a throwback to the Kenner figures. From the
artwork to the grid on the back, this is very much what those cards
looked like. It would have been neat if they had gone so far as to
Kenner-fy the NECA logo, but I guess the ReAction line has cornered – or is
that Kennered? – the market on that.
I love
that NECA actually explains what the deal is with this guy rather
than just throwing a Predator that looks like a lollipop on the
market.
Also –
creator credits! Love ‘em.
LOOKS
I’ve
got the Stealth Mode Predator that NECA released
as an SDCC Exclusive, but this one is a major step up. Not just for
the paint apps (the Stealth Predator was translucent with no paint),
but the quality of the figure itself. Most of the figure is made up
of parts from previous releases, but a new head and right forearm
make a big difference.
The new
head features the same flexible and detailed dreadlocks as other
Predators. I’m still amazed at how little these interfere with head
movement. I mean, they obviously do, but not nearly as much as you’d
think. Most figures with hair (or whatever) this long would have
immobile heads. The new mask is very insectile. The sculpt has a
segmented look and the mandible pieces look like something from a
beetle. It’s a distinctive and interesting style that sets this
Predator apart. The paint here is interesting as well. I like the
black wash on the flat red.
The body
features some fairly standard armor. The right side matches the mask
deco and the left is a more traditional gunmetal. The torso has the
netting sculpted on over the musculature. The armor on the back is a
new piece with similar features to other releases. The shoulder
mounted cannon is on a track that allows it to retract onto the
figure’s back.
That arm
has a new housing for a new and different set of blades. Rather than
the standard dual blades, the Lava Planet Predator has a sort of dual
pronged claw that fits in with the insectile look of the mask:
It
extends just like the other Predators’ weapons:
The left
gauntlet and both hands are parts we’ve seen before. The paint on
the upper body is restricted to the front. This probably saves on
costs and is explained with the line in the bio about “constantly
moving and shifting”. So the back just happens to be camouflaged at
the moment.
The
belt, loincloth, and legs are all parts we’ve seen before but
that’s okay. Like the rest of the figure, the colors make it work.
All of the pant apps below the neck are designed to look like the
undulating camouflaging of the Predators, right down to there being
“shimmering” edges on the armored portions. The leg armor is
painted to match the mask and has what is actually the coolest deco
because it is the most apparent for the effect.
ACCESSORIES
This
native of Yautja Prime comes with a distinctive machete with a wicked
looking hooked end. The blade is an almost metallic red and the hilt
is wrapped in dark… um… wrappings. The figure can hold it in its
left hand and it fits perfectly. It’s not hard to get into the hand
and it isn’t too loose once it’s there.
FUN
While
the Lava Planet figure is loaded with articulation, NECA still hasn’t
managed the perfect Predator. Like all of the others they’ve
released, the shoulders and ankles of this one just don’t quite do
enough. The double-jointed knees are great, but they’re only so
effective when combined with ankles that barely pivot.
The rest
of the joints all work quite well and the figure can still achieve a
pretty wide range of poses. It’s always fun to test the limits of
these guys and see if NECA has made slight improvements in range from
figure to figure. This one – using the shared parts – is still
pretty much the apex of what they’ve achieved.
The
translucence added a lot of fun and value to this figure for me:
It adds
a whole new visual dimension that made it fun to inspect this thing
while posing and taking pictures. This is one that will still be cool
long after it has been opened.
OVERALL
This is
a must-have for nostalgia nuts. Anybody that’s buying the video
game styled figures or Masters of the Universe Classics should be
interested in these Kenner throwbacks. Even if you’re just a fan of
gimmicks this is a great figure.
It isn’t
perfect. The ankles really limit this range and I do wish there was
some kind of paint on the back. But I’m stoked to own this guy and
found him to be well worth the eighteen bucks I spent to get him.
4
out of 5
Amazon
and BigBad are probably your best bets, but you might
still be able to find this one lingering in stores. You should buy
one. It’s a fun figure and a big step up over NECA’s last
translucent Predator.
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