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Review : Aliens Creature Pack NECA Aliens Series (30th Anniversary) Wave/Series : N/A Released : Summer 2016 Price : £22.99 One thing NECA always do so well is the dioramas they build to show off their figures both at shows like SDCC, but also on their packaging and promotional online images. Over the past year or so we have been able to get our hands on some of these pieces with the release initially of the Planet of the Apes Lawgiver statue, and more recently the Alien Egg 6-pack. NECA have now taken these diorama accessories one stage further with their release of the Aliens 30th Anniversary Creature pack. This is essentially an accessory add on, perfectly scaled to their 7" Aliens range and can be used to enhance displays and dioramas. Unlike most of the Aliens range from NECA that comes on a blister card, the Creature pack arrives boxed with a front window that shows off the contents of the pack. The familiar Aliens logo sits bottom and central to this window, with the "creature pack" text underneath. To the top right is a circular cut in that states "stasis chambers feature working LEDs". All of this is set against a dark glossy background, which then turns into a grid-work pattern on the sides of the box. Each side repeats with the Aliens logo and the "creature pack" text and at the bottom of each side is a circular 30th Anniversary logo featuring the familiar Xenomorph head. Round the back are more repeating 30th Anniversary circular logo's and another Aliens "Creature Pack" text flash. These are also set around a diorama image of 7" figures Hicks and Hudson (not included) inspecting the Stasis tubes as they do in the scene in the 1986 Aliens movie. Crawling around the Stasis tubes are a couple more Facehuggers and two Chestbursters. We wouldn't normally inspect the bottom of a box too carefully, but here it is worth noting that the instructions for changing the LED batteries is positioned on the box - so certainly one to check out or keep for future reference. Once out of the box you have a single inner tray into which is slotted the two Stasis Tubes, and each of these have a Facehugger already inserted. To either side of the Tubes are more Facehuggers - the left facing upwards and the right facing downward. And next to each of these are the two Chestbursters. Let's look at the Facehuggers first. All four included are pretty much identical, although paint applications may vary slightly. They are also a direct re-use of the Facehugger that was released first with Bishop and later with the Alien Egg 6-pack. Considering their size the Facehuggers are nicely sculpted, and with a suitably gruesome paint job, including that reddened underbelly that surrounds the mouth. Articulation as such is provided by the tail being sculpted over a flexible metal armature. This allows the tail to be bent and curled around to your hearts content. As a watch out, the metal will fatigue over time and likely break if you are over using this function. I have also experienced the metal breaking through the plastic if over bent. The Chestbursters are a new addition to the 7" Aliens line, and one I suspect we will see again at some point in future releases. As they stand they are also sculpted really well and painted to the same level as the Facehuggers. You can even make out the fetal under-developed arms and the premature teeth if you look closely enough. Like the Facehuggers, the elongated tail of the Chestburster is over a flexible metal armature allowing the Chestburster to also be posed by wrapping or bending the tail as you see fit. As above, the same watch outs would apply. So its now onto the main event, the two Stasis tubes with their LED function. First, let's take a look at the design - which is, as you would expect from NECA, a great match up to the actual props from the movie. The base is relatively simple with just three brackets around the perimeter. The tube is clear and crisp and gives a good view of the Facehugger within. The top contains a lot more detail with a cut out section, in which is a tapered top piece containing a number of controls and what look like pipe connections. Top and bottom pieces are cast in a brushed silver, and there are no paint applications to speak of. And if I am being honest, a touch of weathering or dirtying up these tanks might have added to the character. The top and bottom sections are connected not only with the clear tube itself, but with three rods that slot in the bottom brackets and then into the top. Each rod is a bright metallic silver, and when you actually get hold of one you will find it is actually metal. The top section twists and then pulls free to give access to the tube and the Facehugger within. As a practical piece this doesn;t work all that well as each of the three metal rods are loose within the two brackets, so removing the top causes all three rods to come away. In looks however you can see how NECA have designed the piece this way rather than going with a sculpted plastic rod that would have had to be attached to the tube itself and therefore would not be sympathetic to the original design. The LED is controlled by a small switch on the base. This is not the ideal location, particularly when the tube is filled with water, but works well enough - but would have been much better on the reverse of the base. The LED works well enough when the unit is empty, but comes into its own when the tube is filled with water (see the right hand tube on the images above). The same can be said of the Facehugger which looks good enough to start with, but takes on an eerie quality when submerged - accentuating the sculpt and the whole look of the piece. I must admit though it is a tricky operation to get the rods lined back up once the piece is filled, and you must also be careful turning the unit over to switch on the LED once the water is in place. Not having any clear instructions is also a bit of a pain and I wonder how many of these get broken by over enthusiastic collectors trying to unscrew the top or pull it open. As I mentioned at the top of the review there is some directions on the box to at least access the battery compartment Overall, and for the same price as a figure, this is a very nice set. The Facehuggers and Chestbursters are great little pieces, and with that flexible armature tail they can be used within scenery or if you are feeling more adventurous you can pose them on your figures. The Stasis tubes are the main piece and work well. I would have preferred a bit of weathering and an easier to get at switch - but once they are filled and lit, they look superb. Looking at the price and what you get for your money, I award the 30th Anniversary Aliens Creature Pack a 4 out of 5 score. Buy from Amazon UK Buy from Amazon US Buy from Forbidden Planet

Review : Xenomorph Drone Albino NECA, Aliens Wave/Series : Aliens Series 9 Released : October/November 2016 £19.99 - £22.99 NECA have never been a company who will shy away from taking their existing molds and figures and re-inserting them into the range as new and innovative product. In the past few years of the Alien range in particular we have had figures re-duxed as Comic versions like the Genocide Red Aliens, and others tweaked to be Video Game or Kenner inspired figures like the Dog Alien and Space Marine Ripley. Another avenue NECA have explored are early concepts for the Alien movies, releasing the 1979 concept for the Big Chap from Alien before it was changed to the creature colour scheme we saw in the final cut of the movie. And it is to this area that NECA have returned for this wave 9 release. Unlike the first Big Chap, there was no prop or design model as far as we know for the Albino Alien. It simply was a concept explored by James Cameron in early scripts for the 1986 sequel. He described the creature as having an extending probe from it's mouth, rather than the inner jaw. The concept was taken out in later revisions of the script, but some 30 years later as part of the 30th Anniversary releases NECA have brought this creature to life. The packaging remains the clam shell design that have been in use for the Alien range since it's first wave in 2013. Being an Aliens release, the predominantly black packaging is embued with a blue tone starting with the electric blue Aliens film logo on the header card. Around the card wrap at the base of the blister is a name plate which starts to blend to a green grid design. The figure's name is given as Xenomorph, with the words Albino Drone in brackets underneath. To the side of this figure name is a circular logo containing an Alien head and the 30th Anniversary text. The rest of the packaging at the front is given over to a view of the figure itself, with a circular sticker placed top right that confirms this is a concept figure - the same sticker as was used on the Translucent Big Chap although here it is given a blue tone not the green as was used on the Alien packaging. After a couple of waves without the side art, NECA brought it back with Series 8 and it continues into this Series 9 release. The art used on these side panels is arguably some of the best that NECA have inserted. The right hand spine contains what looks like the Marine monitors that Gorman used to monitor the Marines while he remained aboard the APC. Each screen shows a different view of the actual Albino Alien figure. The monitor then displays the name Crowe, and with blood splashes down each screen. The left hand spine then carries a full look at the figure, and this same image is used on the rear of the card. Over this rear image is a paragraph explaining the Albino concept from Cameron, presented in the same font as the Alien logo with electric blue glow. The card back header is another use of the Aliens logo and the only other details are a section at the base that shows the text "Also Available" and has three head shots of the three figures that make up Series 9 - this Albino Alien, Private Frost and Private Vasquez. Once open you will be presented by the figure, strapped securely into the insert, with its flexible tail wrapped around the base in a curve. The tongue piece isn't obvious at first and is slotted in behind the figure and interestingly not attached to the figure. Now let's get this straight, this figure is a straight up re-use of the Series 1 and 2 Aliens Xenomorph, the same mold that was then used for the Genocide Aliens and the damaged versions in the Hicks & Hudson 2-packs. That being said, this has always been a highly impressive sculpt and when you present it in such a light base colour the beauty of the intricate detail really stand out. The head starts with the ridged dome that is a trademark of the 1986 drone vs the original Big Chap. The ridge detail is crisp but organic and works its way down to the eyeless skull front that sits over the gaping jaw. Down each side of the skull are more ridged pieces along with tubing, veins and tendons. The chest is an exposed rib-cage with a central section that looks like a frontal spine with more ridged detail. Under this chest there is a return to the more "engineered" looking parts of the creature - more ribbed tubing connecting into each other and cross sections, this splays out to the groin area from which the legs splay downwards. Each leg is boney and with inner cut out panels that include the ribbed flesh and across these lies more tubing. The legs work down through very bony knees to a slimmer shin area and finally splayed feet with three toes to the front and one to the side, each with a wicked claw. The arms, like the legs, are an outer bone structure with cut out panels that are ridged and ribbed. Another feature of the 1986 Xeno is the extra section that juts out of the elbow and connects again down at the wrist. Each arm finishes in a three fingered skeletal hand. The paint job, as I mentioned early, really shows off this sculpt in all its glory and you will see detail on this figure that was never truly exposed on the darker Series 1 and 2 creatures. The initial colouring s that of a bone white, but there is a very subtle pink shade within this making the creature give off a pale fleshy kind of look, more so under intense lighting. There are parts, like the hands and feet, where the pink tone is a little too heavy and you do end up with a line of difference where the shades meet - as though these parts were perhaps painted separately in the factory and then fitted? There is also quite an ugly patch under the groin where the two sections don't meet and you are left with an exposed under joint that is smooth and a clear plastic. This exists on the previous 86 Xeno's, but was never as noticeable under a much darker colour scheme. The figure is finished in a darker wash that has crept into the recessed areas like the rib cage and added depth and shadow and further shows of the grotesque nature of the Alien. Articulation has not, as far as I can see, been improved on this figure. The head is on a ball joint and can look to each side within the raised shoulder sections but seems to spring back from most positions to a standard forward looking position. The arms are ball jointed at the shoulders, and this shoulder joint allows the arms to raise about 45 degrees from the body. This shoulder also rotates to allow the arms to get higher. Directly under the shoulder is a bicep swivel. This seems to add nothing to the movement considering the shoulder already rotates, and when spun it does ruin the lines of the arm. Each elbow is double jointed, and this allows the arm to pretty much bend back on itself. This elbow also rotates where the joint meets the upper arm. Arm movement ends with a swivel on the wrist, this is also on a pivot so the hand can be bent forward to almost 90 degrees to the forearm. There is no waist joint on these figures, but there is a torso swivel that is worked into the design of the creature to sit under the rib cage. This joint will let the torso swivel to each side, but there is very little movement to lean the figure forward or backward. My issue with the NECA Xeno's, of any flavour, starts at the legs as they are all so difficult to stand and pose - something borne out of the design of the creatures spindly legs on camera. The hips here are ball jointed, but with the angle of the groin section their movement is limited in all directions. There is enough movement for wider stances, and a crouching position, but not to curl the creature up. The knees are double jointed, which allows the crouch, and there is a further joint in the ankle which rotates the feet, and a final joint that pivots the front of the foot. The saving grace for posing the figure is the tail, which you can bend in any position and is used as a counterpoint to the spindly legs which don't hold up such a top heavy figure very well. The tail is a rubbery material that has been cast over a metal armature. This makes the tail supremely flexible and once posed it should hold its shape. As a watch out, and as we have seen on smaller examples of this technique like the facehuggers, this armature has a life span and will deteriorate over time as will the rubber - so be careful of being overly heavy handed with the tail. So we are yet to talk about this enormous tongue which is packed independently of the figure. There are no instructions, and therefore I feel sorry for new collectors who would have a bit of trial and error to work this out. As I have handled and posed these Aliens before I know that what looks like a fixed jaw is actually hinged. If it doesn't open straight away then try a little heat from a hairdryer and tease the jaw open by holding the head and gently pulling downward. In the previous Xeno's you would have found an inner jaw here that could slide forward - this is not included on the Albino. In stead the tongue can be slotted into the head and into the slot that looks to have been designed for the inner jaw - clever stuff. This tongue is made the same way as the tail - rubber over a metal armature. Here you can start to see the engineering of this method, as holes are punched in the rubber to allow for expansion and retraction as the metal armature is posed - these aren't an issue if you ensure they are facing backward. The tongue is painted a thicker pink than the body, with a ribbed section at the end and an off white proboscis that Cameron had conceptualised to be used to create the Alien cocoons. This end is washed to dirty it up nicely. As a figure, this Albino Alien is pretty horrific looking - in a good way - and like the Translucent Big Chap will add some variation to your Alien Hive. The question here is, and as sales will eventually tell, is if fans will embrace this figure into their collection despite it never making it on screen - or will they simply hoover up Vasquez and Frost and leave this one peg warming for months and years to come? The decision to include him was a brave one, and I expect nothing less of NECA. Hindsight will show if this was the right choice or whether re-releasing the original 1986 Xeno would have been a better business decision and would have maybe pleased fans, particularly those who may have missed out on the original Aliens first time round. Like all our reviews I am going to score the Albino on looks, articulation and paint job - all against the RRP of the figure. With that in mind it is hard to deny this Albino is a looker and will enhance most Alien displays. Articulation is about as good as it gets, although the figures ability to stand continues to be an ongoing issue. Paint is great, apart from those patches of stark paint tone change rather than it being blended. That all stacks up to score the Albino a 4 out of 5, a consistent store with most of the NECA Xenos to date. Buy from Amazon UK Buy from Amazon US Buy from Forbidden Planet

Review : Private Ricco Frost NECA, Aliens Wave/Series : Aliens Series 9 Released : October/November 2016 £19.99 - £22.99 On Alien Day (April 26th) 2016 many had already predicted the announcement of Vasquez joining NECA's 7 inch Alien range, what was a surprise was the announcement soon after that Private Frost would also get a release. Due to the nature of merchandise rights of older movie's like Aliens, every likeness that NECA want to make has to be negotiated with the actor concerned. It was therefore brilliant news to find out that Ricco Ross had signed up to allow Frost to bolster the Marines in the Aliens series. Like Vasquez and the Albino Xeno from Series 9, and all releases to date in the Alien range, Frost arrives on the standard blister card, headed up with the Aliens logo in electric blue. The electric blue lighting theme continues down into the card back and blends into a corridor backdrop from Hadley's Hope. At the base of the figure, positioned on the front of the blister, is the name card. This starts with the circular 30th Anniversary Logo and then the name Private Ricco Frost. In the movie Frost was only ever referenced as R. Frost - the actors first initial used on the head up displays - later the name Ricco would be made canon via source material like Aliens : The Weyland-Yutani Report The side spines of the Aliens figures - apart from wave 6 and 7 where they went AWOL - are always superb and Series 9 is no exception. The right hand spine replicates the monitor screens from the APC, with three screens each showing an atmospheric head shot of Frost. The other side is a full length image of the figure in one of NECA's stunning diorama settings. The rear of the card has a further image of Frost, full length with his flamethrower against an Alien nest diorama backdrop. Over this shot is a text overview of Frost. starting with some brief military details and then a paragraph of expanded universe text that expands on Frost's background. The card back is finished off with a bottom section of "also available" here you get three headshots of the three figures who make up series 9. Out of the pack and within the inner blister you will find Frost, surrounded by a variety of gear and weaponry. Now let's be clear at this stage that the only new item on Frost is the head sculpt and the shoulder strap & belt everything else appears to be recycled from previous Alien figures. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this, it is a clever use of resources and keeps the cost low for collectors. The body of frost is taken directly from the Sergeant Windrix figure from series 2. The flame thrower is also from Windrix, while the helmet looks to be a re-use of the one packed with SDCC Newt. Starting with the head sculpt, and this is a good likeness for actor Ricco Ross. The sculpt has gone with the more serious look of Frost, very apt considering this figure represents Frost just before he gets roasted by friendly fire in the Alien nest. The eyes are particularly intense, while the crew cut does square off the head a little too much making it look angular. The paint job for the skin tone is a matt finish, and you do wonder what the glossier plastic that they used on Vasquez would have added to Frost in terms of making him look clammy and sweating. Despite being a re-use, the sculpt on the armour is fantastic and is a mix of fabric camouflage gear with rigid armour plates on top. Where the cloth sections sit, like the arms and legs, the sculpt is detailed with the folds and creases of the fabric. The armour sits on top of this with the large chest panel clipped in place with shoulder pads and clasps round either side that connect to a rear piece. The decoration is fantastic and with so many layers. It starts with the camouflage pattern itself, a little lighter and varying to the one used on Hicks, Hudson and Windrix. Over this are the various decors and decals. There is the name FROST printed on the top of the chest plate. There is then the heart motif that Frost had painted on his armour with an arrow through this and the name Heath written across the middle. Round the back is another quote "1 universe ride or die, Arnjmm Forever!" this is decal printed and applied. Above this, but hidden when the shoulder light is clipped in, is a tribal illustration of a side on female face. The strapping that comes from the shoulder pads and down over the chest and then clips into the belt is new. It is a sculpted rubber with a ribbed pattern built in. There are ammunition rounds clipped in at either side, with some painted with a red cap and other blue - this is film accurate if you look at stills from the movie, well done NECA. The belt holds a couple more ammunition clips, painted in grey, and round the back are a couple of pouches. The first item we will add to the figure is the shoulder light. This, as on all Marine figures to date, is a fiddly affair as you have to line up the hole on both the armour and the body underneath - only when both are aligned will the shoulder light clip slide in securely. Once in place this sits nicely up over Frost's left shoulder. The lamp is cast in a black plastic, with a white painted lens. It comes with a wire attached that connects the back plate to the top piece, this is not a rubber material and is quite brittle and snapped on our review copy too easily for my liking. The helmet is a nice addition, and fits remarkably well. It is a harder plastic than I expected, but this allows it to hold the textured detail that is clearly visible under the camouflage pattern. A camera sits on the right hand side, painted in black. A neck protector hangs from the rear and this is positioned so it slides down neatly onto the figure without clashing with any of the body armour or the shoulder lamp. The straps for the helmet hang down at either side and are ribbed like a standard fastening for a helmet. You can leave them hanging loose, or if you want to secure Frost a little more ready for action the clasps do actually hook together under the chin - albeit you will need little fingers to get the two parts connected Frost comes with a hand gun, which fits into his right hand. This is a cast black plastic and is quite a plain design. There is a touch of silver paint just above the barrel, but this isn't enough in itself to bring out any detail. When not being fired the gun slots neatly into a holster on Frost's right hand hip and this holster clips shut with a rubber peg and hole. Frost was of course the marine tasked with collecting all the ammunition from the squad when they were ordered not to use their pulse rifle rounds whilst exploring the Alien nest. Frost the figure comes with this same bag, a new sculpted item, which is cast in a rubber material and can be slung easily enough over either shoulder. Despite being soft rubber, it holds some neat details like defined clasps and side pockets. With Pulse Rifle slung, the Flame Unit that Frost wielded became a crucial weapon in the Alien hive. We've seen this sculpt of weapon before with Windrix, and it's a direct re-use for Frost. The detailing of this weapon is really good, the best of the accessories so far, and the sculpt is further enhanced with a wash over the army green. I could never get Windrix to hold the weapon all to well, and the same can be said of Frost. The arms aren't quite manoeuvrable enough to get a two handed firing position. The arm articulation is made up of a ball jointed shoulder and single jointed rotating elbow. It is this elbow that doesn't go far enough to give Frost that two handed weapon pose he screams out for. The head is ball jointed so rotates round to either side as well as looking up ever so slightly. This all still works even with the helmet in place. There is a waist joint that sits hidden behind the armour. This moves really smoothly and allows the legs to be swung round to the side so Frost looks like he is twisting to the side to check out some movement. All Marine legs to date haven't added much more than the ability for wider stances, and Frost is no different. The ball jointed hips bend out by about 45 degrees. This wont allow crouching, but you could pose Frost with his foot raised on a step or similar. The knees are double jointed, hidden behind a knee pad, and these will bend almost back on themselves. This will let Frost kneel on both knees if you feel the need, not that this is a particularly impressive pose for a Marine. The final joints are in the feet, with a rocker joint and an articulated toe section. These leg joints feel much improved, stiffer and robust than the Series 1 and 2 marines - and I have had no issues in getting Frost to stand. The sheer determination from NECA to chase down and get us another Marine character is to be applauded. And the re-use of parts is innovative and works well, this doesn't feel like a tweak or a repaint. The likeness is good, the paint job excellent and the articulation is about what I expect from any NECA figure - nothing staggering as this would ruin the look of the figure, but enough to add character to your display when posing him. For circa £20 you won't find a better figure, and he looks awesome alongside Vasquez - and if you have them Hicks, Hudson and Windrix (checkout the upcoming 2-pack of Hicks & Hudson if you missed these first time round). I score Frost a 4 out of 5, let down by the fragile wiring on that light and the clunky way he has to hold the flame thrower. Here's to more Marines from NECA! Buy from Amazon UK Buy from Amazon US Buy from Forbidden Planet

Review : Private Jenette Vasquez NECA, Aliens Wave/Series : Aliens Series 9 Released : October/November 2016 £19.99 - £22.99 Unlike most modern Blockbuster movies where the merchandising is tied into the film, most movies made in the 70's and 80's had no such deal - particularly where they were never really seen as a kids movie. That has left NECA, the leader in releasing figures from cult 70's-80's movies, with a real difficult job on their hands when trying to expand a range like their Aliens series. And yet the team at NECA continue to strive towards character licences, and we have seen them bring us some real key characters like Bishop, Hudson and even Ripley herself after negotiating directly with the actor and their representatives. Series 9 is the cumulation of two further huge, and likely complex, likeness details with the NECA Marine stable expanded to include Private Frost, and the figure we are looking at here - Private Jenette Vasquez. Vasquez is packed, like all Aliens releases, in a clam-shell with dark backing card enhanced with a blue glow that is indicative of all the Aliens releases. The Aliens logo sits top and centre, and then under this is the full window displaying the figure. The base of the blister contains the name card - detailing this as Private Jenette Vasquez, and aside this sits the circular Aliens 30th Anniversary logo that we see across the Series 9 figures - but also on the other 2016 releases including the Creature Pack. The side panels are back on either spine of the blister, and the Series 9 theme down the right hand spine is a representation of the screens that we see in the APC scene while the Marines are searching the Alien nest. On the three screens we see atmospheric images of the Vasquez figure, overlaid with the HUD details including the mission time. The left spine captures the figure in an action stance firing the Smart gun. This same image is replicated around the card back and over the centre of this is a short bio. This bio talks about Vasquez back-story in the Marines, taken from several expanded universe books as its never really explored in the movie. The base of the card back shows the usual "also available" slot with head shots of each of the Series 9 figures - the Albino Xenomorph and Frost sitting alongside Vasquez. Out the box and you are presented with Vasquez front and centre. To the left as you look is her shoulder lamp, and to the right the Smart Gun itself - looking significantly more impressive than it's first appearance in the Kenner inspired Space Marine Ripley. Taking the figure first, and Vasquez stands quite dimunatively at 6 1/4 inches high. That puts her considerably shorter than fellow Marines like Hicks and Hudson, but is accurate to Jenette Goldstein's reported height of 1.6m. The likeness of Goldstein, or at least Goldstein as Vasquez, is exceptional. It is also not sculpted as a neutral look, but rather with a pouty scowl that represents the no nonsense focused look Vasquez has in most of the movie. Her trademark bandanna is a sculpted detail on top of slicked back gelled hair and this head scarf tapers as it gets round the back to a very neat tied knot. The paint applications really make the most of the sculpt with dark intense eyes painted over the waxy skin tone. The bandanna is also beautifully decorated with tiny designs on top of the base red. Fans have already commented on the choice of not including the teardrop tattoo that Vasquez has under her right eye. For me this would have been too difficult to scale down considering how faint it is on the movie and I am not bothered by the omission. The true beauty of the head is the equipment that NECA have intricately installed either side of her face as a headset. Most headsets on figures end up looking too clunky or at least oversized, on Vasquez they are perfectly in scale whilst holding a lot of detail. To the left of Vasquez head is the microphone for her headset, this loops down from a connection on the head band and sits under her chin. To the other side is the eyepiece for the targeting system. As you unpack Vasquez this is positioned away from her face. I didn't expect this to be anything other than a static sculpt, but the eyepiece is actually articulated and swings in to cover Vasquez's right eye. From this eyepiece comes a trailing wire that connects to her chest unit, and this snakes down naturally and is flexible enough to move when the head does. Vasquez is wearing the standard camo type trousers we saw on Hicks, Hudson and Windrix although perhaps a tad lighter. The camo design is neat and varied and most importantly natural looking, not a forced paint job you often see on military figures. Unlike the other marines, Vasquez carries no other leg armour on top of these trousers, so they simply tuck into combat boots at the ankle. These boots are a deep brown leather colour with sculpted laces and lace holes - both of which are painted, with silver eyelets and black laces. The sole of the boots is also a different colour transitioning to a black and there is even tread sculpted under the sole - despite this hardly ever being on show. Skipping back up to the torso, and it is here that Vasquez carries most of her armour and bulk. Under the chest piece you can see a sculpted camo vest which carries the same design as the trousers. At first I questioned the choice of camo on this vest as I always remember Vasquez's vest being a plain olive green. Turns out I was wrong and the olive vest is worn on the Sulaco as they wake from hyper-sleep and is replaced with a camouflage version for the operation on LV-426! Call myself a fan? Well done NECA for this attention to detail. Just visible on the neck is a crucifix, this is a sculpted relief piece and could have easily been left off, again well done NECA. The arms are both bare and cast in the waxy deep skin tone which gives them a sweaty look which is perfect for the scene in the movie. There are tied wraps on the biceps painted an off white, and Vasquez then sports finger-less leather gloves. The key part of the armour is the solid chest plate which is strapped over the shoulders and that then supports the Smart Gun. This is cast as a separate piece, indicating there is at least an option of another Vasquez in the future - perhaps the Sulaco version, or the look at the end of the film when she and Gorman try and escape in the air ducts. Despite this it cannot be removed unless you are willing to cut some pieces away. The piece starts with a padded shoulder, that is coloured a matt black. Over this are two olive green shoulder straps that connect it to the centre chest piece. Two further olive green straps stretch under the arms to connect sideways. Hanging off the chest plate is a connection for the Smart Gun - we will look at this in a moment. The front of the armour is a black paint job, but I can see some level of dry-brushing at the edges with a very subtle silver that adds some sheen and a worn look. The slogan "El Riesgo Seimpre Vive" (The Risk always Lives) is applied as a decal on the chest plate and looks brilliant. The final part of the outfit is a combat belt, complete with ammo pouches, that wraps the waist and connects with a very detailed clasp at the rear, and this is again painted with a silver finish to replicate the metal buckle. To the accessories now and the first is the shoulder lamp, an accessory we have seen on all the Marines to date. This should slot into a hole on Vasquez back and then sits up over her left shoulder. Anyone who has tried to fit one of these before knows it is not that simple as you need to line up the hole in the armour to the hole in the figure underneath otherwise the lamp fails to lock. The piece is cast in matt black, but the base section is then painted in an olive green and the lamp lens picked out in a flat white. The Smart Gun is a more complex affair than the version packed with Space Marine Ripley. The core gun is identical but there is a further armature supplied which brings the whole thing to life once assembled. Anyone who followed the early announcements of Vasquez and who paid attention to the promo images would have seen the "Adios" graffiti on the side of the Smart Gun. Sadly this has not made its way to the final production piece, and the decision to omit such a key on screen element is very odd when you consider other more subtle parts that have been included. There are no clear instructions, but referring to the packaging and a little common sense let me figure it out. If you start with Vasquez you will first find the joint at the left hand side of the armoured vest is articulated and ends in a silver clamp. The armature, the piece with the wiring and with the hinged centre, slots into this and needs to be positioned with the wiring loom at the top not the bottom. The other side of this centre arm clips into a corresponding piece on the gun, but before you do this I would recommend positioning the gun into the hands. The best way is to get the left into the top handle and then slide the back piece into the right hand. With gun in hand connect up the gun to the arm and there is a left over cable which can be slotted into a whole in the gun, or back up under the chest plate. NECA have been including a number of firing or exploding effects in recent releases, and have done the same here. In the past I have found these firing effects to be very comical and never look realistic enough. This one however is an exception as they have taken the exact look of the Smart Gun firing and captured that in a sculpted plastic piece with a central stream of sculpted smoke, with 8 smaller plumes trailing off to either side. It isn't cast in a clear plastic either, but rather subtly painted in a smokey white with tinges of yellow at each stream end. It is optional, for those who still aren't keen, but fits into a corresponding slot in the end of the gun and holds itself in place quite well. We've already talked about some of the intricate small scale articulation, the very delicate eye piece and the articulation on the Smart Gun support. But of course Vasquez also sports a full set of articulation that we would see in any NECA release. The head is ball jointed and can swing either side, taking the eyepiece and microphone along neatly. The arms are ball jointed and being so slim have a full range of movement. The elbows are a 90 degree joint with swivel and the wrists a jointed peg. This allows Vasquez to hold the Smart Gun as we talked about earlier, and to be fair would you want her doing anything else on your display? It is a bit odd that the right hand is sculpted with a finger ready to sit into a trigger, something I can't find a need for on the Smart Gun - perhaps another indication of a future figure? There is no torso joint, but the waist isn't a simple swivel, you can feel a ball joint under there and this moves the torso to either side and gives some movement to lean Vasquez forward and backward. This work perfectly to balance the figure with the extent of the Smart Gun, a pose she has to achieve on the movie too when firing with just a touch of a lean back. The legs are ball jointed hips which can swing to the side and the front. They wont go to a full sitting position, but do allow for a wider stance if your firing pose desires. The knees, beautifully hidden as always, are only a single joint but they do also rotate. Here the knee joint is more for stability and the slight bend you may need in a firing stance and not for sitting Vasquez down or kneeling. The figure is finally supported with a pair of ankle rockers, cut seamlessly into the boots, which helps the overall posing. What NECA have produced here is a masterpiece of a figure in 7" scale with a sculpt and paint job worthy of a higher end collectable. The details are amazing with plenty of options to cut corners, like the crucifix, ignored in the pursuit of perfection. The Smart Gun, once assembled, works beautifully and even the firing effect is exceptional - but the Adios graffiti is a big loss. Fans will also argue over the lack of the tear drop tattoo - but to them I say try and spot it on the film and then tell me how it would scale down so small without looking ridiculous. Vasquez is certainly something special and is already up there with the best of the best that NECA have produced so far in the Aliens range, if not across any of their ranges. Considering the price sits at just £20 or thereabouts then there is no question that Vasquez receives a 5 out of 5 review score. Buy from Amazon UK Buy from Amazon US Buy from Forbidden Planet

Review : Space Marine Ripley NECA, Kenner Inspired Wave/Series : one off release, Alien Day 2016 Released : limited release April 2016 / then again June 2016 £22.99 2016 saw the first ever "Alien Day" held on the 26th of April and supported by a variety of Alien licencees. One of the key releases on the day was from NECA who released, albeit in limited numbers in the US, a Kenner inspired Space Marine Ripley. This figure was based on the 1992 release from Kenner, where Ellen Ripley was re-imagined as a Smart Gun toting Space Marine. Ripley arrives in a standard clam shell package, in line with all of NECA's Alien releases to date and the header card uses the Aliens movie blue electric logo. Under the logo and running down now into the card back is a more comic book inspired Alien Xenomorph head and a green background that mirrors the cards used by Kenner in 1992. Ripley herself is clearly visible against this green backdrop, and is packed independently of her Smart gun which is strapped at the left hand side (as you look) of the blister. The character name comes in on an insert that straddles the bottom section of the front blister and wraps round the two sides. Again a comic book artistic approach has been used to replicate Ripley who is shown firing her Smart gun up into the blister itself. Her name is presented in a militaristic silver flash with red trim - another nod to the original Kenner packaging. There are no side art panels, but down the right spine as you look at the front you will see a folded comic book which we will talk about a little later. Round the back and NECA's homage to 80's and 90's toys continues with a checklist affair of their own figures from the Alien and Predator series. An actual image of the Ripley figure sits in the top left underneath which is a very basic bio of Ripley followed by a small yellow text panel that sets up the Space Marines in the Kenner universe. Once open then you will find Ripley and her gun in the usual perspex inner tray, and tucked down one side is a folded Dark Horse style mini-comic. The comic is reasonably decent with a Dark Horse Comics cover and an inner cover that positions the story. There are then 14 pages of 1990's style comic artwork that tells a short story that sets up a confrontation between Ripley and her Space Marines on a remote farming world. My issue with the comic is the bizarre choice to fold it and stuff it into the side of the blister rather than packing it flat at the back of the card? So onto the figure, and I should be clear at this point that Space Marine Ripley is simply a repainted version of the Series 5 Aliens Ripley. The only thing that has been changed sculpturally is the addition of a neckerchief. Being based on the S5 Ripley, the facial and head sculpt is really good. However, unlike S5 Ripley the choice has been made to paint this figure, rightly so, in a comic book rather than realistic style. This means a very glossy single skin tone only broken by a blush colour towards the jar. There are then very defined and bold eyes and simply painted lips and eyes. It works and is actually not much different to how say Hasbro paints human figures in their Star Wars 6 inch line. However, stick it next to any other movie figure from the NECA range and it starts to look out of place. From the head you go down into a simple T-shirt painted in a flat burgundy shade, although that being said there is plenty of folds and creases. Across the T-shirt are two straps containing flares, and then slung over this is the ammo belt. Around the neck is the cream coloured neckerchief. Both the outer ammo belt and the neckerchief are loose to the body and you could remove both if you wishes - although the head would have to come off to remove the neck piece. The legs are the closest in colour to the original S5 figure with a blue colouring. This is a flat colour though and unlike the S5 version does not pick out any depth to the cloth. Neither is there any detail on the zips or straps, which are picked up in the S5 version. The boots are a huge contrast to their original look, painted in a gaudy yellow with blue soles - finishing off the outfit as a direct match to the colours used in the 1992 Kenner version. Articulation is overall very strong, with little in the way of "bulk" to block movement in any of the limbs. The head fully rotates and looks up and down. The arms move out to a full 90 degrees on their ball joint and can also rotate to go up above Ripley's head. The elbows bend to 90 degrees and will also rotate at the same joint. Both wrists will rotate, but are on very fragile pins so watch out for these popping out. There is a waist joint and this allows a movement of about a cm to either side. The hip joints are also ball jointed and sit under this semi flexible crotch area that NECA are using a lot recently. This means the legs can get out to the side and in front without looking too unnatural "rounded". The knees are single jointed and bend to 90 degrees and like the elbows also rotate. Like most modern NECA figures the knee joint is also beautifully integrated into the sculpt so is as unobtrusive to the looks as possible. The legs end with rocker ankles. The sole accessory is the Smart Gun, an accessory that will be better received in a few weeks when Vasquez is released. The original Kenner Ripley came with a much bulkier weapon, but it was a sensible choice for NECA to stick their newly sculpted Smart gun into this release rather than commission a whole new piece. Thanks to the arm articulation and that waist movement Ripley can be posed with and hold the Smart gun with both hands, although not as firmly as I would have liked. Sadly the Smart gun is quite fragile and mine has already snapped after a very minor tumble forward. One to watch on here and when Vasquez arrives. The movement into Comic book, and Kenner inspired figures, is a move I do applaud NECA for as it will please many many fans - as it did when they took the same approach in their Predator series. It also means sculpts can be reused or re-imagined, which in the bigger scheme will allow NECA the funds / resource to expand the range. As a figure it is true to its purpose, an homage to the original Kenner version, and because of this it does make compromises in paint applications to mimic a comic book look as opposed to a more realistic style you expect of NECA. That makes Space Marine Ripley difficult to score. We gave the S5 Ripley a 5 out of 5 when she was released, and you would argue this is the same figure. It is difficult to argue marking her down due to the paint as the paint job is specifically flat and garish to meet the homage brief. The weak wrists are an issue, and in hindsight are the same on the S5 Ripley. In the end its two issues that cost this figure the same 5 out of 5 mark. First off is the potentially weak plastic on the Smart Gun. And secondly it's the frustration over packing in a beautiful mini comic, but then folding it in half and stuffing it out of the way. This leaves Kenner Space Marine Ripley entering the archives with a 4 out of 5 score.

Review : Weyland Yutani Commando NECA, Alien 3 Wave/Series : Aliens Series 8 Released : June/July 2016 £22.99 Even with a Ripley in Series 8, the figure many have been excited about is the inclusion of the Weyland Yutani Commando. These masked troopers were seen briefly at the climax of Alien 3, but for a Toy Company like NECA there immediate appeal would be the fact that no actor likeness rights have to be negotiated. They also obviously provide "army building" potential which should lead to multiple sales from some collectors. NECA are sticking to the clam-shell packaging for the Alien series, with the card back tailored for each range. All the Series 8 cards are dominated by a crisp Alien 3 logo on the top of the card, and under this providing a background to the figure is the circular Alien 3 logo. The back of the packaging is also headed by the vibrant green A3 logo overlaid on top of an actual image of the figure itself in one of NECA's beautiful diorama photographic backdrops. Half way down the card back and overlaid on the figure image is a paragraph that details the setup plot for Alien 3, this text is the same on all of the Series 8 figures. Underneath this is the Also Available section with head shots of the Weyland Yutani Commando, Ripley and the Dog Alien. Interestingly it seems that NECA are not differentiating the two Dog Aliens at this point. Back round the front and the character name is positioned on a card insert at the front of the blister. And for the first time since Series 5, the card side inserts are back with further artwork of the figures down both the left and right side of the blister. Out of the pack and the Commando is packed with a Pulse rifle and a short knife. He stands 6 3/4 inches high which does put him a touch shorter than some of the other Alien figures and on par with Ripley. The sculpt is quite literally out of this world, and one the best I have seen from NECA. Even the promotional images don't do this thing justice and you just have to have it in hand and inspect all the details and paint applications to really appreciate the love and time that went into this one. The head is masked and when the figure comes out of the box the eye holes are open, and through this you can see a painted head and two perfectly painted eyes. That in itself screams attention to detail. These eye holes then have two options of goggles open or goggles shut, and you achieve these looks by swapping in the two alternative goggle pieces. The mechanics of this are relatively simple with a slot in the head to lock in each piece. Both look awesome, but my preference is the goggles open so you can still see those eyes underneath. The helmet sits on top of a large mouth piece that is locked around the Commando's neck, this is solid at one side and an open grill at the other and through this grill you can see a sculpted chin wearing the bottom of a balaclava. This chin is also sculpted so you can see folds in the cloth and the outline of the mouth. The whole helmet and mouth piece are painted silver, but with a black wash that dirties up the metal and brings out the little details like rivets and welding lines. The outfit is reminiscent of the Pressure Suits we saw in Alien, and that NECA have released in figure form for both Alien and Alien Isolation. But it's not just a pressure suit as within the design is a mix of cold weather looking gear and layer after layer of detail. There is a fur lined collar, sculpted with a fur like texture. This sits on an outer collar of some under jacket and then on top of this are a couple of shoulder pads, one a smooth material, the other the quilted texture we saw on the Nostromo Pressure Suits. Down into the jacket itself and you will find bags of detail from stitching lines, buttons through to straps and buckles. There is also weaponry to remind you this is a soldier. Throwing stars in a strap round the left arm and a couple of grenades hanging from the chest. The hands are also a nice touch, with the right being gloved but the left being a metallic armoured hand of some kind. This is not something that is massively clear on the film so we assume is accurate to the props considering the depth NECA have gone with accuracy on this figure. Round the back is the backpack which is embossed with a Weyland Yutani logo. The pack itself is quite plain and smooth in design and then extends two arms around the waist of the figure with each of these having a corrugated rectangular tube design and then into some controls or nozzles, and these nozzles vary on the two sides, it's not a reuse of parts. Trousers continue with the stitching and are trimmed with a double grey stripe down the side, and again this is a sculpted element not just a painted line. The trousers tuck into knee high boots, again of a similar design to the pressure suit and the whole thing ends with some steel coloured boots. Although all of this is reminiscent of the Nostromo suits, I can't find one piece that is a direct reuse. The paint is what makes the figure as it's not just a clean trooper who has just stepped out on his first mission. This is a dirty, grimy commando who has seen some action - not least trekking to reach the Forge area on Fiorina 161. The majority of the paint work is quite simply beige or sandy brown - but this is all washed to bring out the detail and folds in the cloth whilst also making it look grimy and "used". So the looks are out of the park on this £22 figure, what about articulation? Well, it's there - but it's not that good considering the bulk of the figure. The head moves slightly, but is locked into the collar by the mouth guard. The arms are on ball joints and the right can get up to about 45 degrees before being blocked by the shoulder. The left goes a little further to just under 90 degrees. Neither can rotate above the head due to the shoulder padding. Each elbow is jointed with a single joint and these bend to 90 degrees and also rotate really well. I was a little disappointed that the elbow peg is not the same colour as the arm so is visible when you straighten out the arm. Both hands are on pegs so rotate fully and have a degree of back and forth movement up to the point they hit the sleeve. There is a waist joint, cleverly positioned under the belt when you would have expected it to be further up. This again doesn't give much movement, but enough to twist the torso to either side to vary poses - go any further and the lines break up and you will see a pretty ugly joint between legs and torso. The two arms to the backpack are also on a joint so they can be raised up and down the body if you wish. The legs can actually get out to almost 90 degrees to the side and into a semi sitting position. This means that although your Commando won't kneel, he can be placed into some wider shooting or action stances. The knee joint are hidden behind the cricket pad looking top of the boots. They are single joint and while not bending to a complete right angle to the thigh, they do go most of the way - further supporting the wider action poses. The ankles are rockers and its a clever decision to put that joint under the shin pad and allowing the shin pad and boot to move rather than the boot being restricted under the pad. This rocker means the figure stands really well and is very stable in a lot of poses. Aside from the goggle parts, the Commando comes with a small knife and a Pulse Rifle. The knife is not great and was a little bent out of the box. I understand why as they need to make sharp objects in a flexible plastic, but it does look a bit "meh". It also doesn't fit too well in either hand, nor is there a sheath (that I have found) to slot it into. The Pulse Rifle on the other hand is much better and this fits into the right hand with the trigger finger slotting into the trigger. Despite the bulky arms, with a bit of playing you can also get the Commando to adopt a two handed weapon pose. The rifle itself is pretty much the exact same sculpt as that packed with Hicks & Hudson back in Series 1. It is a little crisper in detail, but that is predominantly because it is cast in black plastic with zero paint applications. So the final part of the review should be about the added bonus that NECA have thrown into this figure, and that is a set of water-slide transfers that allow you to customise the back of the helmet of your Commando into four individual commandos from the film - Boss, Animal, Hunter and Cruncher. Sadly, and I know a number have had this issue, there were no decals in my figure. I am now trying to speak to the retailer and NECA Customer Service to understand what to do next. So decals aside, this figure is beyond a 5 out of 5 score. NECA have raised their own bar yet again and if you put this figure alongside say the Series 4 Ripley (who I gave 5 out of 5) then the Commando stands out as the superior figure. The one thing that will work against the figure is the availability. Collectors will want more than one, and NECA may have to consider adding him into a future series as a re-release or producing solid cases of him to satisfy demand. The Weyland Yutani gets a special 5+ out of 5 as it is a special figure and it will be interesting to see if this continual improvement series by series from NECA will continue into Series 9 and the long awaited Vasquez figure. Buy from Amazon UK Buy from Amazon US Buy from Forbidden Planet

Review : Dog Alien NECA, Alien 3 Wave/Series : Aliens Series 8 Released : June/July 2016 £22.99 When the Dog Alien was initially released in 2014 as part of Series 3 of the Alien range it stole the show and soon outsold both Bishop and Kane and saw its secondary market price begin to climb. It was therefore logical as NECA returned to Alien 3 with Series 8 for the Dog Alien to be re-introduced to the wild. And as this is NECA there was of course an extra nod to fans who may already have the first release with two variant colourings released within the wave. The Dog Alien is presented in the usual blister card, and retains the same card art on the front as the Series 3 release. The Alien 3 green logo adorns the card top, with the green curled alien graphic down the back of the card behind the figure. The two side inserts depict the figure in an atmospheric shot and the character name is then positioned in white text in a card insert. While the front was a re-use, the back of the pack has been adjusted. The main image is new, but along the same lines as the side art with the figure itself in an atmospheric diorama shot. The bio of the film is word for word vs Series 3 and details the circumstances that Ripley finds herself in for Alien 3. And of course the "also available" section is updated to show off the Alien 3 Ripley and the Weyland Yutani Commando. It is interesting that at no point on the packaging is it indicated their are two variant colours of the figure. Out of the box and you will find your Alien curled up within the plastic insert. Beneath him is then a two part clear acrylic stand that we will discuss a little later. Those who have the original Series 3 "brown" Dog Alien will find nothing new in this Series 8 release. Unlike some other Xeno's, NECA saw no need to update any articulation or sculpting on this figure. That being said, the Series 3 figure was pretty awesome anyway - and the sculpt is amazing. We start with the clear domed head, under which you can see the defined skull ridges. There is then two extended shoulder ridges, with a rib cage under this that encircles the whole chest area. Beneath this is a smaller exoskeleton that links into the hips, and round the back it is this section that eventually transitions seamlessly into the articulated rubber tail. The two arms are gangly and slim with a continuation of that ridged exoskeleton, but more so with ridges and panels down the length of the arm. The arm ends in four spindly and wickedly sharp looking fingers. Likewise the legs continue this theme with interconnecting outer skeletal joints and ending in an almost cloven hoof. The tail is huge and whips out from the body and out to a 2 inch long curved blade. All of this is painted with a base colour, and then a number of darker washes applied to bring out all of this skeletal detail. Although I loved the brown version, it is the grey variant that stands out a little more. The brown is much darker and therefore even with the washes a lot of the detail feels lost unless inspected close up. The grey however is a lighter base colour so as the washes are applied the figure has a wider transition from light outer skeleton to darker recesses. Articulation starts with an innovative neck joint that allows the head to be positioned in what you would call a standard position, but then also to slide it back more horizontal to the back so that you can position the figure in a running position on all fours. The jaw remains articulated also, although I found the grey version we bought to review a tad tight to open the jaw and bring out the inner jaw piece. The arms are ball joined, and as the arms are so slim they have a full range of movement out to the sides and rotating round. The elbows are double jointed, so the forearm can almost fold back against the upper arm. The arm then ends with a swivel jointed wrist which can bend the hand to a 90 degree position to the arm as well as rotate fully. Legs have always been an issue on NECA Alien figures, more so due to the design of the Alien on screen making it a near impossible job translating that look to a figure that can also stand on its own. The Dog Alien does have a couple of advantages over previous Xeno's, particularly as it is often depicted on screen on all fours anyway. The other benefit of course is the stand. The hip joints on the Dog Alien are articulated, but unlike the arms, the outer carapace that extends around the hip does block some of the movement. Down into the legs and the knees, like the elbows, are double jointed with a further joint further down the shin and a final ankle rocker just above the feet. The tail is fully articulated a a rubber piece over a metal armature and this pretty much means you can shape the tail anyway you like and the shape will hold in place. The key to a good pose with the Dog Alien is therefore a combination of the tail as a counter weight or even a point of contact with the floor. You are also probably going to need at least one hand on the floor also to keep the thing from falling over - the leg joints themselves are too weak to do that job - even if they were pegged into a foot stand. In fact both the knee and elbow joints all feel a bit too floppy for my liking. The most stable option, and one that has been thought through by NECA as a solution to the posing problem, is to use the stand. The stand consists of a round floor disk, into which slots the arm section which is joined just under the U shaped hook. It is this inverted horseshoe section that cups the underside of the Alien and allows him to be positioned in a running, standing or even attacking position without awkward posing and more importantly without risking the figure falling over. I was quite harsh when scoring the S3 Dog Alien, and this time round I think it is fair to award either flavour a 4 out of 5. The grey, for me, is a touch ahead on overall looks but nothing significant enough to warrant scoring him any higher than his brown counterpart. Buy from Amazon UK Buy from Amazon US Buy from Forbidden Planet

Review : Ellen Ripley, Fiorina 161 Prisoner NECA, Alien 3 Wave/Series : Aliens Series 8 Released : June/July 2016 £22.99 This is now the 4th Ripley figure (based on the movies at least) that NECA have released since acquiring the Sigourney Weaver likeness. With two from the original 1979 Alien, and another from the 1986 Aliens sequel - this one moves on to the 3rd film in the series, Alien 3 from 1992. NECA are sticking to the clam-shell packaging for the Alien series, with the card back tailored for each range. All the Series 8 cards are dominated by a crisp Alien 3 logo on the top of the card, and under this providing a background to the figure is the circular Alien 3 logo. The back of the packaging is also headed by the vibrant green A3 logo overlaid on top of an actual image of the figure itself in one of NECA's beautiful diorama photographic backdrops. Half way down the card back and overlaid on the figure image is a paragraph that details the setup plot for Alien 3, this text is the same on all of the Series 8 figures. Underneath this is the Also Available section with head shots of the Weyland Yutani Commando, Ripley and the Dog Alien. Interestingly it seems that NECA are not differentiating the two Dog Aliens at this point. Back round the front and the character name is positioned on a card insert at the front of the blister. And for the first time since Series 5, the card side inserts are back with further artwork of the figures down both the left and right side of the blister. Out of the box and you will find yourself presented by Ripley in her jacket as well as two spare arms, a flashlight and an open flame gas torch - we will look at these in a few minutes. Ripley stands 6 3/4 inches high, consistent with the height on the other NECA Alien Ripley figures. I was worried from some early images of the production figure that the likeness we saw on the prototype of this figure had been lost, but I needn't have been concerned. The likeness is arguably the best one of Sigourney Weaver to date. I thought Aliens Ripley was really good, but this one takes the realism to a new level with a more pronounced cheek bone structure, and an improved facial paint job that makes the facial sculpt pop. There is tonnes of detail in the head alone, with extremely intense eyes, nostrils actually sculpted into the nose and a bruise to the left of Ripley's temple. The hair doesn't quite work as being shaved, but it doesn't look bad at all with a subtle lighter shade dry-brushed on top. I have seen other collectors who have rubbed off some of the paint detail on the hair to get a closer look but I appreciated achieving that in a factory is nigh on impossible. The detail continues down into the outfit. The beauty of the clothing, and what NECA always does really well, is getting the worn look. And on Ripley this goes to another level again with moth holes and rips in the trousers and a paint job that makes them look worn and used - not fresh off the rail. The boots have individual laces and lace holes sculpted with each lace painted a differing brown colour to the rest of the boot. The jacket is made as a removable item, yet still sits naturally on the shoulders and down the chest and back of the figure. The jacket also carries on the worn look and with a padded quilted effect sculpted down the dies and into the arms. There are also sculpted press-stud buttons down the front, each of which is painted in a gold finish. The arms end in a pair of black gloves, and even here there is folds and creases sculpted into the fabric. You have to look at NECA and say a big well done for choosing to release this Ripley with two distinctive looks and not to come back in a future series with a jacketless Ripley and making fans double dip. The process of removing the arms is relatively simple, but the do require a tad more force than I felt comfortable with. Once the arms have been popped out a the shoulder then the jacket slides off and the bare skin arms then simply pop back into the joint. In this guise, the vest is fully uncovered and here again you can see the attention to detail. The vest, albeit very plain looking from a distance, carries a texture and even has individual stitching sculpted around the V of the neck. Once again it is painted and weathered with a darker wash to bring out the folds and creases. The bare skinned arms are cast in a flesh tone and this adds a sheen and a depth to them. The same method was used recently on the Rocky figures, and it does really work particularly if you want a hot and sweaty skin look. Each arm ends in the same black gloved hands as the jacket version. Articulation starts with the ball jointed head which rotates fully and looks up and down. Despite being swap-able, the shoulder joints remain fully flexible and can be moved out to the side and rotated around the head. The elbows are a single joint, but nicely hidden on both the jacket and bare arm version and bend to a 90 degree angle, and then rotate. The gloved hands feel like they are on a pin, but you will only really get them to rotate. Although I missed it at first look, there is a chest joint. It's expertly hidden in the folds of the vest - although is obviously more visible when the jacket is taken off. The movement on this joint is subtle, but it works with the waist joint to give some pose-ability to the upper torso. NECA's latest hip joints are nicely hidden, but don't quite have the range of movement as other similar figures. The hips will get out to the side and to the front but not enough to allow Ripley to sit or kneel. The other issue is the wider you pose the legs the more of the internal ball joint is revealed, and it almost starts to make it look like Ripley has split the seam of her trousers. Like the elbows the knees are hidden under the fold of the cloth, and again this does restrict them from bending a full 90 degrees - but in my opinion it is a perfect compromise between looks and articulation and still allows some action stances from Ripley. The articulation ends with rockers in the ankles. These are a little bit more visible as they do split the line of the boot. But they are also necessary to keep Ripley's feet planted flat to the floor and to keep the figure upright. Despite the arm alternatives, Ripley is still packed with two other accessories. The first of these is a basic flashlight. This is cast in black plastic with a white painted lens at the end. The sculpt includes a grip and a defined button, but there is no attempt to bring out this detail with paint applications. The torch on the other hand is much more detailed with a metallic, but discoloured paint job. It also has a flexible wrist strap which can actually be looped round Ripley's wrist if needed. Both of these accessories will fit into the right hand on either arm option. But you won't be able to have Ripley holding both as the left hands have been produced as an open hand pose. Regardless of what you think of Alien 3 as a movie, this for me is the best Ripley to date. Not only is it a stunning sculpt, but it "fits" into the murky and dirty Alien universe and although not as iconic as the first or second versions of Ripley, she will hold her own on any display. I have a habit of scoring NECA figures 5 out of 5 and this is a habit I will not be changing for this figure. In fact you could argue that this is even better than previous 5 out of 5 figures, with NECA raising their own bar and their own expectations with each consecutive release. Buy from Amazon UK Buy from Amazon US Buy from Forbidden Planet

Review : Xenomorph Warrior Alien (Alien vs Predator) NECA, Alien Series Wave/Series : Series 7 Released : March 2016 Price : £19.99 - £22.99 The AvP Xeno Warrior is the 3rd figure from Series 7 of the NECA Alien series, and if I am being very honest I initially passed on this figure intending only to pick up the Grid Alien as I believed both were too similar to justify both. How wrong was I? With the AvP Xeno being voted into the Top 10 of Alien figures in our Alien Day 2016 poll I needed to pickup the figure to include him in the countdown and felt a full review of him on Alien Day itself was a nice touch. Like the Grid Alien, the Warrior comes in the standard clam-shell packaging with the electric blue Alien vs Predator logo on the header. The insert card is a shaped cut out of the Warrior head, again identical to the packaging used on the Grid Alien. Round the back is the standard NECA card back design with a blown up atmospheric image of the figure itself over which is some background blurb relating to the basic plot of the 2004 Alien vs Predator movie. Underneath this we find the "Also Available" checklist where all three Series 7 figures are pictured. Out of the box and the Warrior is packed in an almost fetal position, very reminiscent of scenes in Aliens where they uncurl themselves from the Hive as they prepare to attack the Marines. A few twisty ties later and the Warrior is in hand, and is very hefty piece. He stands close to 9 inches tall when at full stance, and is close to 18 inches from tail to head. The articulation on these new AvP Xeno's, Grid and Warrior, is a massive improvement on all the other Aliens we have seen from NECA to date. The head moves from side to side on a ball joint which sits half way down the neck rather than in the dome, opening up the head to much more movement. The jaw is articulated and drops open and the inner jaw can then be pulled outward, a feature carried forward from all the other NECA Aliens to date. The ball jointed shoulders can move fully out to the side and above the head and are then enhanced further with double jointed elbows which allow the arm to almost bend back on itself. The wrists sit on a swivel so rotate all the way round and even the fingers are articulated with the two longest fingers on a joint so you can expand them as a raking claw or clench them against the shorter fingers. The torso holds another joint, neatly hidden under the Alien's rib cage and like the head this opens up so many more poses allowing the top half to move independently from the legs. The legs have seen big improvements since the line starter. The hips are now ball jointed and feel more robust. The double jointed knees allow the Warrior to kneel, crawl or stand upright and stances are enhanced with the ankle rockers and the articulated toes. This whole lower section now means you can stand your Alien more naturally and in fact this is the first Alien figure I have had from NECA that has stood on its own - even without the tail supporting. The Tail is the biggest and bulkiest to date, matching the AvP warriors look on screen, finishing in a wicked looking stinger. Like all Aliens to date the tail is a rubberised material over a metal armature which means the whole tail is fully pose-able. Although as stated the figure stands well enough alone, the tail provides a counter balance point and expands the figures ability in achieving even more poses. Moving onto the sculpt and yes this is pretty much identical to the Grid Alien with the exception of the head dome which is now clear and you can see the skull detail underneath. The whole body is sculpted in grotesque detail with the exoskeleton, bones and tendons stretching throughout. It is the paint job that then makes the sculpt, and where as the Grid Alien was more blue, this one is a browner tone - so there is more variation on your shelf. The paint textures are built up from dark to light, with the chest and jaw area particularly well defined with an almost sandy wash. All the time the body retains a high gloss sheen representing the actual wet-look of the Alien. There is not a bad thing to say about the AvP Warrior. The articulation is pretty much spot on, sculpt and paint are great and he poses really well. I gave the Grid Alien a 5 out of 5, and this one is arguably better. Not sure what that means for my rating system, but a 5+ wouldn't be far off for this figure - and I can now see why he beat off some other awesome figures to get into the NECA Alien Top 10. Buy from AMAZON UK Buy from AMAZON US Buy from FORBIDDEN PLANET

Review : Grid Alien (Alien vs Predator) NECA, Alien Series Wave/Series : Series 7 Released : March 2016 Price : £19.99 - £22.99 NECA's Alien series has finally reached the 2004 Alien vs Predator movie, and cleverly NECA have aligned both their Alien and Predator series to release figures from the movie around the same time - so not only do you get your Xenomorphs here in Series 7, but you can pop over to Predator series 14 and 15 and get some Predator's to face off against your Aliens. The Grid Alien arrives in the NECA clamshell packaging, and for the first time this is resplendent in AvP livery. The top header has the blue neon abrieviated AvP logo, and underneath the Alien vs Predator sub-text. The insert card contains a big cut out of the Alien head and the card reads "Grid Alien". Like the more recent releases, NECA have abandoned the side inserts which used to contain atmospheric shots of the figure. On the card back, is an image of the figure and a basic plot summary for the AvP movie. For those unfamiliar with the film or the Grid Alien origin there is no explanation of how the Xeno came to look this way, and this is a shame considering the write up that went on the back of the Series 7 Concept figure. For those who don't know, the Grid Alien went head to head with a Predator armed with a laser net and came away with the grid pattern across his dome. Out of the pack and the Grid Alien stands 9 inches high. Although you would suspect a re-use somewhere on the figure, considering all the prior Alien figures NECA have at their disposal, every part looks to be brand new. Both the Grid Alien, the one we are looking at here, and the standard AvP Xenomorph share the same sculpt in essence and that sculpt is absolutely amazing - as we have come to expect from NECA. Each element of the exoskeleton is really intricately detailed and very crisp and well defined. The head grid pattern is actually sculpted not just painted and as you run your finger over the dome you can feel the grid damage. Having seen this on the dome my one criticism on the sculpt is that this isn't carried forward onto the shoulder pieces where the damage is just painted. Articulation on the Alien Xeno's is getting better and better, and on the Grid Alien there some more improvements. The head is articulated half way down the neck rather than at the base of the dome. This means Grid Alien can look left and right as well as up and down, a much wider range than any of his predecessors. The arms remain ball joined at the shoulder and like the Concept Alien the elbows are joined with a joint and a swivel. Down to the hands and you will find more improvements with the new pegged hand and now joined fingers. This joint moves the middle two fingers together and allows the Grid alien to present either a clenched hand or open palm. The torso joint, in my opinion, is becoming one of the most critical joints on these Alien figures. By adding in a torso joint with a wide range of movement has opened up posing considerably with my favourite being where the torso is twisted to one side as though the Alien is turning to face a new victim. The improved ball jointed hips are also making standing much easier, supported by the double jointed knees and rocker ankles. Grid Alien still needs help from the tail for support, and what a tail this is - much bulkier than its predecessors with a wicked looking barb at the end. Because of its weight the tail is also heavier which then acts as a counterweight to the figure and further supports standing poses. I would go as much as stating that this is the most articulated and pose-able Alien Xenomorph to date, and you will have a blast posing him in a myriad of positions from crouching to running to attacking - I've even seen a fellow reviewer hang him upside down in some kind of Spider-man pose. Many of these action poses will need a support stand, and NECA themselves are adding one of these to their range later this year. On first review I thought that the jaw articulation had been withdrawn, but I can confirm it is still there although unlike others it is quite tough to move and the inner jaw is difficult to get out - you will probably need to employ some tweezers or similar. Paint application starts with the all over shiny black colour and this is made up of a number of layers and washes which bring out all these sculpted details on the exoskeleton. The grid damage is painted in a rich green, although as I mentioned earlier it looks much better on the dome where the damage is sculpted vs the shoulders where it is just painted. It is worth noting at this point that my figure came packed funny which had bent one of the rear protrusions - you can see this on the pictures. For me it adds character so I am not overly bothered, but I can confirm after looking at other examples of this figure that this is a one off. Putting this damage aside as it's not a wider issue, then the Grid Alien is practically perfect. Articulation is moved on another level with this release, the paint is awesome and the sculpt is world class - this new AvP Xeno sculpt is my new favourite. I score Grid Alien a 5 out of 5. Buy from Amazon UK Buy from Amazon US

Review : Amanda Ripley, Spacesuit (Alien Isolation) NECA, Alien Series Wave/Series : Series 6 Released : January 2016 Price : £19.99 When planning the Alien Isolation themed series 6, NECA obviously used a similar approach to series 4 where the main character would appear in two guises and the series would then be finished off with a Xenomorph, which NECA confirm are always the biggest seller. Having used the Ellen Ripley 1979 figure to create a flightsuit Amanda Ripley, NECA have turned to their well used 1979 Spacesuit sculpt to allow them to release Amanda in Spacesuit. The use of the spacesuit isn't just a gimic to fill a gap, with the suit actually appearing in the game in a number of scenes. Like the other Series 6 figures, Spacesuit Amanda comes in a blister pack with Alien Isolation header and name card. The side panels are missing vs the earlier series releases and the rear panel is identical in terms of the text and also available sections - with only the image of the figure changing. Out of the pack, and Amanda is packed alongside her hand gun and the helmet - which is pre-assembled, but will actually split into two parts when we come to put it on a bit later. Although it must have been tempting to utilise the Amanda head-sculpt from the flight-suit version, the one on here is either new or a considerable tweak - with the head sculpted with the 1940's style flight helmet. The likeness to Amanda is very good, although not as striking as the other release. The head is painted neatly with the eyes particularly good yet again. On first glance you may think there is some paint bleed around the edge of the inner helmet, but as you get closer you will see this is an intentional coloured trim to imitate an inner padded section before the leather helmet's outer coating. The spacesuit is a direct re-use of the base model we have seen on Kane, Dallas and Ripley. There are a couple of minor tweaks. The first is the box that sits around Amanda's waste, under the chest panel, which is a new design. The other is a variation on the rear life support pack where the lower piece has been changed. As we already know from the other 3 spacesuit figures to date, the actual suit sculpt is a real work of art with varying panels of different textures and overlaid with various panels and pads. Paint is similar to Kane, but not an exact match with the bronze in particular missing and replaced with a more deep yellow colouring. Everything is neat and crisp and its all weathered so well. There are a couple of beautiful details considering the scale in which we are working - the first being the Ripley name plate on the chest, and the other being the various colours used on the life support pack buttons. The helmet is again identical to earlier releases, and is presented in two parts. The first is the lower collar which on earlier figures has slotted neatly into corresponding slots in the figure - but on Amanda is not really a clean fit with some obvious gaps. Once the lower piece is in place the upper piece slots on top and this does fit better into each other, but not perfectly. It is as though on this figure the helmet is a harder plastic and doesn't have the give to lock in with the corresponding piece. The rounded clear perspex window is thin enough and clear enough to still show all of the facial features of the figure underneath. Round the back there are two pipes that slot into corresponding holes on the helmet and these do line up and attach neatly. Articulation, on such a bulky figure, is not great. But there is enough to tweak poses. The head rotates and there is plenty of space under the helmet to do this when the helmet is on. Arms are on ball jointed shoulders, and the attached pads on each shoulder are a softer material to move with the arms so they can be raised upwards and outwards. Elbows are jointed, but with the bulk of the arm won't bend much. Above the elbow is a bicep swivel and that can support the elbow by being able to twist the arm in towards, or out away from, the body. Even with the puffy sleeves, the gloves/hands are able to rotate fully and pivot around under the sleeve. The chest has a torso joint, and this is tucked away cleanly behind the chest panel and this does have a wide range of movement so Amanda can be turned indpendently to her leg position for a more dynamic look. Legs have more movement than you would perhaps credit them with on first inspection, with joints at the hip and knee. Amanda will never sit, but she can adopt a wider stance and some degree of squatting. The only accessory, not including the helmet, is a newly sculpted hand gun which is taken directly from the game. This is a tight fit, but will go into Amanda's right hand. My only other noted point before I sum up is a bit of a frustration that within 5 minutes of opening this figure the lower box that sits under the chest plate dropped off. It is plugged with a slot but this pops off too easily and I will now need to glue this back in place in order to display Amanda. This is another tweaked release, using nearly all recycled parts. It is however a lovely looking figure and will look great either stand-alone or even lined up with the other Alien Spacesuited figures. It is a shame the helmet doesn't quite fit cleanly, particularly as this wasn't as big an issue on the other. I am still glad I got this one, and I still score her a high 4 out of 5. Buy from Amazon UK Buy from Amazon US

Review : Amanda Ripley, Flight Suit (Alien Isolation) NECA, Alien Series Wave/Series : Series 6 Released : January 2016 Price : £19.99 Before I start this review I must admit to have not seen or played any of the Alien Isolation game. In fact, with the Archives (and my own collection) focusing on Movie & TV figures - and having already skipped the Genocide figures - I was considering missing Series 6 completely. In the end, the figures managed to sell themselves and in my opinion they do fit within the Aliens Cinematic figures really well and are sensitive to the designs of the 1979 original movie in particular. The first of the Isolation trio that I will look at is the Amanda Ripley figure in flight suit. Amanda comes in the standard Alien/NECA clamshell packaging with Alien Isolation logo on the header card and an insert at the bottom of the blister to detail the characters name. Alongside this on this name card is a green lined image of Amanda in her spacesuit. It is interesting that on this series NECA have abandoned the side inserts which usually sit either side of the blister and include atmospheric shots of the actual figure. Whether this is for the Isolation wave only, or a more permanent change we will have to wait and see. The rear of the blister is taken up predominantly by an image of the actual Amanda figure, and overlaid onto this is a short paragraph that sets the scene for the Isolation Video Game. Underneath all of this is the usual "also available" section with three flashed inserts of the full wave - Amanda in Spacesuit and the Isolation Xenomorph being the other two. Once open, Amanda comes packed in her blister and is flanked by her kit bag, weapon and a version of the motion tracker that was used in the 1986 Aliens sequel. Out of the pack Amanda stands 6 3/4 inches high. As you inspect your new figure you may get a sense of Deja Vu, this is down to the big re-use of parts from her mother - the 1979 Alien Ellen Ripley that we saw in Series 4. The entire jumpsuit torso and legs is a direct re-use of the Ripley figure, with the only variance being some retooling of the arms which now have a much shorter sleeve. The colours have obviously all been changed, and that means that Amanda has visually more detail - particularly round the back - where the paint used is more contrasting vs the original blue's used on Ellen. The trainers are a direct re-use as well, I suppose footwear taste can run in the family. Amanda also sports a decal logo's on each arm and these are screen accurate to the game. Talking about accuracy though, there are some issues with the re-use of the Ellen 1979 body - most noticeable the black vest which in the game is much lower cut and then has a pendent worn on top. The head is obviously a brand new sculpt, and is a good likeness for Amanda from the game and for Kezia Burrows, who was the motion capture model for Amanda. The hair is sculpted in a ponytail with a couple of strands loose down the forehead, and over the hair piece is sculpted the head piece with camera and microphone. Paint application is great, as we would expect from NECA. The hair has a variation of colour within it to give depth and the headset is very neatly painted on top of this, with no bleed or splashing - there is even some tiny red detailing on the camera. If you do look very closely at my figure, the skin tone of the head is still visible on the alternative side (right as you look) of the headset - so its not an absolute perfect job right across. Facially the eyes are very neat and so intense and the face itself has some oh so subtle shading variations towards the cheeks and chin and of course on the lips. The brown jumpsuit has some wash applied to dirty it up slightly, but more so to bring out the detail of the folds in the cloth. Pockets are picked out in black with a gold zipper on each. Round the back, the stitching that runs from the middle of the back down to her bottom is a very stark cream colour with zips either side also in gold. The under shirt is a green colour and perhaps is a little shiny if I am nit-picking, and that vest is then a flat black. Trainers, like Ellens, are a cream finish with red line detail round the top of the sole. Articulation is identical to her mother. Arms are on ball jointed shoulders which allow a good range of movement, although like Ellen I would be concerned about rubbing of those shoulder decals when the shoulder withdraws into the torso when raised. Elbows are swivel and pivot and the hands are on pegs so both rotate and flex up and down to a small degree. There is a joint just below the torso which allows the top half of Amanda to twist, but not by much. Legs start with a hip joint which doesn't really move very much at all. Amanda will never sit or crouch. The knee joints are perfectly hidden, something NECA is doing really well at present, and these do bend to about 45 degrees. This means you can get some running positions or action poses in conjunction with a stand if you want something more dynamic in your display. The ankles rotate, and this is essential to getting Amanda balance when she is holding out her weapon or the scanner, or both. Looking at the accessories now, and starting with the kit bag. The bag is nicely designed and has been painted in a two tone black & grey design with plenty of wash on the grey to dirty it up. It carries a US flag on the top right quarter, and this is painted really well. Buckles and buttons are picked out in silver and the strap itself a cream. The whole thing has been sculpted to go on Amanda's right shoulder only, and once hooked over it sits nicely. There are three round straps at the base of the bag which you would thing should hold something - but am not exactly sure what. The weapon packed with Amanda is a direct re-use of the flame thrower that came with 1979 Ellen. In the game, based on some quick Google research looking at screen-shots, Amanda picks up and uses lots of different guns and although the flame thrower is one of them, perhaps a different pack in would have increased the uniqueness of this release. That being said the flame-unit has had a repaint to a slightly lighter grey with the white and red tanks still in place. Silver detailing is used on the strap clasps, and the barrel - with the whole gun having a black wash to weather it. The strap doesn't quite fit neatly over the shoulder and head, and wont go over the shoulder alone neatly when the kit bag is also in play. The gun does fit neatly into Amanda's right hand. Although reminiscent of the Aliens Motion Tracker, the one packed with Amanda is a more compact design and therefore a new sculpt for NECA. The unit is coloured in a dark green finish with a black wash to dirty it up. The screen has a decal applied to mimic the one on the film/game prop with the concentric circles expanding outwards and some data readings either side. There is no shoulder strap, with the unit being hand-held only in Amanda's left hand. All in all, I love this figure. As I suspected from the early images, she is sympathetic in design and execution to both the 1979 and 1986 movie's and like Windrix won't look out of place in an Alien themed display despite never appearing on the big screen. Yes, she is a mainly recycled figure with just a new head sculpt - but in a way that is quite innovative. If recycling and not being 100% accurate in places was the difference between getting this figure or not seeing it released at all - then I applaud them. Although not as iconic, Amanda is as good a human figure as any in the Alien series to date - on par with her mother. Unless you are majorly offended by re-used figures, there is very little to complain about with Amanda and I think a 5 out of 5 score is more than fair. Buy from Amazon UK Buy from Amazon US