Dallas Arthur was the captain of the ill fated Nostromo that touched down on LV426 and picked up a very unwelcome hitch hiker.
2015 and NECA have brought us the first Dallas Action Figure in 7" scale to compliment their every expanding Alien range of figures.
Dallas comes in the green and black 35th Anniversary clam shell with art work panels on both sides and rear which depict atmospheric shots of the actual figure. Dallas is part of series 4 and the rear of the packaging shows the other figures in the series, namely Ripley in flight-suit and Ripley in space-suit.
Out of the packet and the sculpt on Dallas is immense. Yes, it is a repaint of the space suit that came with Kane in series 3, but with such a detailed sculpt - why not re-use it. Working from the boots upward there are a wealth of details to admire. From the cricket pad type shin guards, the stitching across the thighs and the pouches on the belt. There is then the centre panel, with personalised name plate, shoulder guards and then a replication of the leg detail down the arm to a couple of wrist panels and some heavy duty gloves.
The crowning glory, pun intended, is the two part helmet which clips neatly into the neck of the space suit with it's own pipes that connect from the rear air supply up into the helmet.
Unlike Kane, who's face was obscured by a facehugger (likeness issues), Dallas is fully sculpted and is a great likeness to Tom Skerritt.
The paint detail is brilliant with so many shades and textures across the suit - I have yet to find one area of paint bleed. I do however have two niggles about the paint on the suit. The first is the same issue as I had with Kane that the bronze paint feels tacky and if you press too hard comes off in your hand. Having revisited Kane who has been on display around 3 months now the paint seems to have air dried, so am hoping the same happens with Dallas. The other issue I have is probably a nit-pick, but I find the space suit too clean particularly on the white areas. Some grime wash may have been nice.
The face paint detail is lovely and along with the sculpt gives the figure a real character as Dallas has a stern expression - rather than the neutral look many other companies would go with.
Articulation is good, especially considering the bulk of the space suit. The head looks up and down and can move to look to both sides. The arms are on a ball jointed shoulder and can move out to a full 90 degrees to the body, unhindered by the shoulder pad which moves with the arm. The elbows are jointed but cant bend fully, just a bit of a bend. The wrists are on a twist and swivel so the hands move well enough - and it is interesting that the hands are different to that on the Kane figure even though the accessories are all the same?
There is a chest pivot which is hidden behind the chest panel and allows Dallas to pivot a little bit from side to side. The hips are deceptively articulated as at first glance they look like they wouldn't move at all. In fact you can get Dallas into the splits, or a sitting position if you want. The knees are not so good, but do bend to about 30 degrees - but not enough to get Dallas kneeling to inspect an Alien egg.
The feet are on a rocker so are easily planted and therefore the figure is very stable, helped by its weight.
Accessories, as mentioned, are the same as came with Kane. The first is a torch which will fit into either hand with a bit of force. The gun also goes into both hands, and can be hung (tentatively) by the belt loop. I am not convinced on either accessories and wonder if packing Dallas (and Kane) with an Alien egg may have been better received.
There is not a lot wrong with Dallas, and in terms of display he is very striking with the pink and white colouring of the suit. He certainly stands out along side the muted greens, blues and blacks of the other figures in the Alien series.
I score Dallas the same as his counterpart Kane, a solid 4 out of 5. Marks were lost purely on a lack of weathering on the suit and limited elbow and knee articulation. The tacky paint is a frustration, but am hoping it will sort it's self out.
