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Review : Qui-Gon Jinn (The Phantom Menace) Star Wars Black Series (Hasbro) Wave/Series : Wave 11 Released : July 2017 Price : £24.99 Pros : Articulation, Head Sculpt, Robe Weathering Cons : No Jedi Cloak included When the Black Series launched in 2013, the Phantom Menace was well represented in the first wave with the inclusion of the very impressive Darth Maul figure. Roll on nearly 5 years and 19 waves and we are now finally getting our 2nd figure from Episode 1, making it the least represented property in the Black Series - unless we count the Clone Wars cartoon? This 11th wave of Phase 3 was released in the very dangerous Summer period. It was sandwiched between the Rogue One releases who were still filling shelves and the reset for The Last Jedi. It also hit just after the 40th Anniversary hype. All of these factors have conspired to make Wave 11 pretty sought after, particularly as it never hit any major retailer as far as I am aware. Qui-Gon arrives in the black and red Phase 3 packaging. He carries the larger bottom frame that was introduced in wave 10. This increased frame allows for a larger. and very impressive, grey lined image of Qui-Gon. The Star Wars Black Series header remains the more subtle grey - the final wave to see this before it will be tweaked to a brighter white text. The red spine denotes Qui-Gon as number 40 in the 3rd phase. This numbering is repeated on the rear, as is the image of Qui-Gon. Over this sits the four language text giving some background on Qui-Gon and talks about his status as a bit of maverick within the Jedi order and his "feel, don't think" philosophy. The rest of the box rear is turned over to safety and legal notices with the Disney and Hasbro logo's side by side. The figure is accessed, as usual, by the top or bottom flap - both of which are taped across to seal the figure. Qui-Gon slides out in his deep red background tray and sits into the clear plastic inner tray. His lightsaber sits to one side, and under his right hand sits his spare left hand which is a touch confusing. The sculpt on Qui-Gon is for me one of the better human likenesses that Hasbro have put out. It is on par with recent figures like Krennic and harks back to some of the likenesses we saw in the first couple of phases before the human head sculpt went a little flat with no paint apps to accentuate the sculpt. The likeness to Liam Neeson is recogniseable, with emphasis on that deeply furrowed brow and the prominent nose. While the skin tone remains a single flesh colour, there is enough depth in the features (as was the same with Krennic) to allow the natural light to shade the figures features. The eyes are neatly painted and are more realistic than some I have seen. There is no thick black lining, just a white pupil and blue and brown iris. The hair is well realised with the two side locks and the rear ponytail. There is even a dark brown ribbon in the rear to hold the ponytail in place. The beard is also neat and angular. All the hair is painted in a flat brown and at one side of mine is very glossy? Dare I say the hair is "one wash away" from looking spot on? Qui-Gon has been released in his Jedi outfit, but without the outer cloak or the poncho he wore on Tatooine. This puts his look as the one he was sporting while fighting Darth Maul at the end of the movie. This pigeon holes the figure a little in terms of options for display. COnsidering that a cloak was worn for most of the movie, the lack of a cloak is disappointing. Even sticking in the one used on the recent Obi-Wan would have been better than nothing and allowed collectors some variation. Cloak aside, the robes are very well presented with various layers and folds and creases. They are cast in a cream colour with a darker brown over the top to weather the robes. The undershirt is a darker brown as are the trousers. The boots are a darker finish. Neither the trousers or boots carry the weathering we see on the rest of the outfit. Qui-Gon's belt is a very dark grey with brown leather look strapping as well as some pouches. There is also a silver clasp and silver rivets. Articulation on Qui-Gon is standard fare. The head is a ball joint with a further pivot joint. While turning the head to either side is restricted by the hair, the ability for Qui-Gon to look forward is unrestricted and he can essentially put his chin on his chest - a good look if we ever get a young Anakin for him to look down on? Shoulders are ball jointed, moving out to the side and up above the head with ease. Elbows are a rotating joint and bend to 90 degrees. The hands are a peg with a pivot so they will rotate and bend forward and backward. There is no torso joint on Qui-Gon, just a rotatig waist which is disguised nicely by the waist sash The legs are trapped a little under the bottom of the robes. They can be spread into a wider stance, and if you want Qui-Gon can kneel on both knees thanks to the double jointed knees. The ankle rockers are stiff thankfully and feel like they are ratcheted. Qui-Gon has zero problems with standing. Qui-Gon comes with one alternative hand, and this is packed to his right in the box - leading me to go pulling at his right hand on the figure to swap it out. Its actually his left, and only the left appears to be designed for alternating. Once you get the correct hand, the mechanism for swapping is very smooth and the hands click in reasonably well - with the alternative still retaining the articulation. The hand is sculpted in the two fingered gesture that Qui-Gon uses for the Jedi mind trick. The left hand is the one he uses in the scene with Watto, on what I guess this is based. It could have been either hand really as he uses his right in the Gungan city - but at least the left allows for the gesture while still holding his lightsaber. The lightsaber is packed as a single piece, but I can confirm that like the others before it - the blade can be removed from the hilt, although there is a bit of resistance initially. The hilt is gorgeous with black grip, silver ends and detailing and even a red ignition button. There is a short peg on the hilt that allows the hilt to plug into the belt if you want to display Qui-Gon as such. Qui-Gon is right handed when fighting with his saber and the figure reflects that with the hilt fitting snugly into the right hand. It can also be held in the left (not the mind trick hand) if you wish - but less securely. Thanks to the arm articulation, Qui-Gon can hold the saber in a two handed pose. Qui-Gon has a number of iconic poses from the movie including the stance with his saber as he prepares for battle. A lot of these can be replicated on the figure pretty well. Alongside the only other fellow Episode 1 figure, Darth Maul, Qui-Gon stands a good half inch higher and this is accurate to the movie and to Neeson's height of 6ft 4in. With a bit of playing (mine isn't brilliant) you should be able to get Maul and Qui-Gon into a decent dual pose. There is a lot of Qui-Gon Jinn to be impressed about. From the head sculpt, to the articulation and the weathering on the majority of the outfit. With his height and imposing features he will be a stand out figure in any collection. What I cannot do however is look past what is missing. The cloak is a big miss as Qui-Gon wore it for most of the movie, and without it you can't do his hands in sleeves pose that we see on so many images from the film. Even the poncho would have been a nice inclusion to recreate his disguise look on Tatooine. I guess I should not be surprised by the lack of a cloak. Accessories in the main have been dialled back considerably since the huge wealth of options you got with Darth Maul back in 2013. It's also not unrecoverable however thanks to the talented cloak makers for the secondary/custom market. Qui-Gon is one of my favourite releases of 2017, but just doesn't have enough extras for a 5 out of 5 scoring. I award him a 4 out of 5. Buy now from

Review : Lando Calrissian Star Wars Black Series (Hasbro) Wave/Series : Wave 11 Released : July 2017 Price : £22.99 It has taken nearly 4 years to get everyone's favourite smugger, gambler & card player into the 6" Black Series. Lando Calrissian is one of three new figures in Wave 11 of Phase 3 (red box). He is accompanied in the wave by the Emperors Royal Guard and Qui-Gon Jinn. The Tusken Raider, first released on the 40th Anniversary card gets his standard packaging debut in wave 11. The case is rounded off with re-releases of Director Krennic and K-2S0. Lando arrives in the standard sized black series box. The front holds a large wrap round window through which you can see the figure. This window wraps round to the left spine. There was a running change in Wave 10 that increased the size of the base of the window. In here we find the character name in bold red. Under here sit the age appropriate information and general warnings of small parts & choking. To the side of the text is the grey lined art of Lando, with a small Hasbro logo sitting to the bottom right. The frame of the window goes up the right hand side and then across the top of the box front. The Star Wars Black Series logo sits central to this top frame. Down the left hand side black box colouring is broken with some oversize grey text - this is a blown up "Lando" and on top of this is a repeat of the character name in red. The right spine is gloss red with the number 39 in bold black at the top. Round the back of the box we find a larger version of the grey lined Lando portrait, this is aligned more to the right of the box rear as we look, and to the left of this is a white text bio of Lando which details (albeit briefly) his previous career and his move to Rebellion General. This same bio is repeated in three other languages. The top of the box see's a repeat of the Star Wars Black Series logo, and to the side of this the release number - now in bold red against the black background. The bottom third of the box contains the legal information and the Disney & Hasbro logo's. Lando slides out from the outer box from either the top or bottom flap. He is set into a plain glossy red card insert with the figure itself in a plastic insert. Lando comes with his communicator and the DH-17 blaster. There are no messy ties or straps holding the figure in place, but if you want to unpack and repack Lando then be careful not to crush or crack the inner tray. Lando looks like he comes with cloak already worn but the cloak is filled with a further plastic insert to keep it positioned in the pack. Putting the cloak to one side for the moment, let's look at the figure. The likeness to Billy Dee Williams, as he was in 1981, is evident although the mustache and eye brows are a little too pronounced, with too much of a gap between the two sides of the 'tache. The skin tone appears to be the cast plastic itself rather than being painted. The eyes are neatly done and the lip tone is realistic enough. The hair is well sculpted with lots of detail, but is painted in a one tone black which is a shade too shiny. Our review figure also had skin tone showing through on the head where the paint hadn't covered all the hair areas. The neck, which is not cast in the skin tone plastic, is a slightly different shade to the head. The neck colouring then also bleeds a little to the gloss black collar of Lando's shirt. The shirt itself has plenty of floaty folds and creases but it looks dirty as though someone with dirty hands has been handling the figure. I think this is deliberate as you can see slightly yellowing patches up close on the shirt - but there was no real point in the film where Lando was filthy? The belt is also high black gloss, but it does have the screen accurate geometric design at the front. It would have benefited from being dialed back to a semi-gloss dark grey and then washed, The trousers are plain blue and sadly the thigh split is quite rough and not particularly attractive. The figure ends in more black gloss, this time the boots. There is one other detail on the figure on Lando's right wrist. The Wrist Comm is a silver segment on more black gloss - the strap. Despite its size it holds some neat details including individually painted orange buttons. The cloak, once out of the pack, has a clear plastic insert to keep it's shape. This will need removing before Lando can wear it. The cloak is quite hefty and is a rubbery plastic that allows quite a bit of movement. The folds of the cloak are quite natural, with the outer cloak painted in a deep blue - differing in shade from both the shirt & trousers. The collar see's more gloss black paint and we then get into the interior of the cloak which is a sculpted inner pattern and then painted in rich gold. The cloak is engineered to simply "hang" on the figures shoulders. This works really well and the cloak is shaped well enough so it doesn't look oversized or unnatural. The cloak will impeded full articulation of the arms. It is possible to bring the arms out from the body while the cloak is being worn but most poses look unnatural. The cloak is shaped at one side so that the protrude to fire his gun. Taking off the cloak to look at the articulation now and we start with a ball jointed head that can rotate but will barely look up or down. The shoulders are ball joints as usual and can move out to a full 90 degrees, and also rotate fully over the head if you wish. Elbows are a single joint that bends to 90 degrees while also rotating. The wrists will also rotate in the sleeves. There is a torso joint that cuts across the shirt. Like the neck this allows full rotating, but barely any forward or backward leaning motion. There is no waist movement, so we start the lower articulation at the two hips which are ball jointed and can move to both a sitting movement or do the splits. We've talked about the thigh swivels which are about the roughest I have seen on a Black Series figure. Even when they are where they are meant to be they don't line up the top of the trousers to the bottom. The only value I can find they add is a slightly wider pose to spread the feet for more stability. The knees are double jointed and can bend right the way back against the leg - beware the top half of the joint moves easily, but the bottom half is a bit stiff. The feet should be ankle rockers, but these too are very stiff and are locked in by the wider hem of the trousers. While standing Lando on his own is not an issue, his feet can look a little turned in - this is where the thigh swivel may have to come into play. The DH17 blaster was first included on the 40th Anniversary Death Trooper. Everything about Lando's version is identical. The plastic is quite stiff and holds a lot of detail for a small weapon. The blaster is cast in black plastic, with silver paint on the barrel. The blaster fits into Lando's right hand securely, but the trigger of the blaster is too far out from the grip for the flexible trigger finger to sit in securely - instead it kind of just rests on the outside. Lando's other accessory is the communicator that he keeps on his belt and uses to direct Lobot. Like the blaster this is a nice piece considering the size. The bottom is a round silver cylinder, and onto this is a black ring and then some bronze sections before it ends in a silver nozzle. The communicator fits into both hands, but fits better into the left. Sadly there is no mechanism for hanging this on Lando's belt as seen in the movie. Height wise, Lando is dead on 6" high when stood up straight. This puts him half a head taller than Luke, and just a touch under Han Solo. Again, this is screen accurate to the height variance between Harrison Ford & Billy Dee Williams. While we may have waited 4-years for Lando, I kind of feel a tad disappointed with this release. While I can't put my finger on it, there is something off about the figure. The legs and in-turned feet are also frustrating. The likeness is on par with the usual facial likeness the Black Series delivers. The accessories are OK, but it is the cloak design that swings the figure for me - the plastic working and looking so much better than a soft goods cloak might of. All in all, Lando is a standard release. It carries a few flaws, but does the job and I score it 3 out of 5.

Review : Imperial Royal Guard Star Wars Black Series (Hasbro) Wave/Series : Wave 11 (Phase 3) Released : July 2017 £22.99 Pros : Visually impressive and the bonus of a whole different Expanded Universe (Legends) figure underneath Cons : The cloak is fragile compared to most soft goods. The Force Pike is misshapen. The ankles are a touch too loose. After 34 years, I've pretty much made up my mind that Return of the Jedi is my favourite Star Wars movie (to date). While I love Empire, I look at ROTJ and look at how many brilliant characters and troopers came out of that film - Jabba, Scout Troopers, Bib Fortuna, Gamorrean Guards and the figure we are going to look at here - the stunning Imperial Royal Guard. Even back in the Kenner days, this guy was one of my favourites. Not just because of the design - but the mystery of the trooper and how awesome he must be in battle to be guarding The Emperor - something that was obviously later explored in the Expanded Universe with Crimson Empire. The Imperial Royal Guard is number 38 in the Black Series, Phase 3. As a Summer release he is in that difficult position of being in a wave that doesn't quite make it to UK retail and that made him quite sought after initially. He's since got a repack in the Guards of Evil 4-pack and looks to be being re-packed in the first wave of 2018 (wave 15). While the red design of the box backdrop works well for some figures, it does work against the Royal Guard in terms of visibility and he is a little lost against that gloss red background. The name is quite specific on the lower part of the box as the Imperial Royal Guard, I think that may be slightly deliberate to move away from the Emperor's Royal Guard title this figure often goes by - and therefore the release becomes one that can fit in both a Return of the Jedi and Rogue One display - the latter having him guard Vader rather than Palpatine. The grayscale artwork on the box front and repeated on the rear is perhaps a bit pedestrian compared to the usual illustrations, although there is not a lot of expression and dynamism you can put into a helmet and a cloak. The bio text talks about the guards being "resplendent in robes of crimson" and then goes on to flash me back to the curiosity of my 7 year old self with the line "rumours abounding about the sentinels backgrounds and combat capabilities". Out of the box, via the top or bottom flap, the guard is strapped into the inner tray by means of a clear elastic band that is holding his robe secure more than anything. The Force Pike sits to one side and to the other side next to the head a small blaster pistol. Be careful taking the elastic band off as the robe is not as robust as some of the other soft goods we've had in the range. Hasbro have always done very well in bringing armoured figures to the range. The Royal Guard is no exception, and the helmet cast is impeccable with sweeping smooth lines, the mysterious gloss black visor and the red overall paint job. There is no need for anything else paint wise as the light reflections do the rest to bring this head cast to life. The robes are the best soft goods we've had on a Black Series figure, with a material that flows and looks natural to the scale. This comes at a price and the material is very fragile and can be pulled or snagged with the smallest touch - I snagged a line down mine with just the end of my finger nail. The band that holds the robe in place in the pack also leaves a mark that has yet to come out of mine after a good couple of weeks. I am not brave enough to try and iron it flat, so will see how it goes. Handled with care, and the robe is very rewarding in terms of posing and displaying the Guard. While no-one would have blamed Hasbro for sticking a basic buck under the cloak - or indeed red Stormtrooper armour - they have gone significantly further and given us a full sculpted armored guard underneath, a look they have taken from the Dark Horse Crimson Empire Comic Book Series. While they haven't gone as far as saying this in any of the promotional text, there is no reason that fans of the EU (Legends) can't use this figure as Kir Kanos. The armour is designed like most Imperial armour. It starts with what would be a cloth body suit or uniform, and this is painted a deep crimson on the figure - flat colouring, no detail or shading. Over this are a number of segmented armoured parts. We have a chest plate that covers both the front and back of the torso and extends with further segmented parts down to the belt. Here the belt has some familiar pouches (Stormtrooper) and some other parts which are more ornate like the cod piece. There is also a holster which is useable. The arms have shoulder armour, while the leg armour starts at the thighs and goes all the way down to the armoured boots. Here we do get a touch of paint detail as the boots get black painted buckles. All the armoured parts are the same hard plastic and gloss red like the helmet. If you want to display the armoured guard, then the cloak is designed to rotate under the head and can therefore be slung over the shoulder. It takes some work as there is a lot of material to hang at the back, but looks great and is a decent feature. Articulation on our Guard is excellent, even with his hidden armour. While the head is fixed, the shoulders are ball jointed and can be raised up fully as the shoulder panels slide under the chest section as they are raised. Elbows are rotating joints and there is a pivot joint on the wrist. A torso joint is hidden under the chest armour and allows a small degree of forward and backward lean as well as being able to rotate the torso. With no armour at the hips, there is a good level of leg movement - including the ability to kneel in the presence of his master. This is possible thanks to the thigh swivel, double jointed knees and ankle rockers. Interestingly the thigh swivel see's a paint variation between upper thighs which are glossy and lower thighs which are a matt finish - an issue we've seen on other figures this year? The ankles are too loose for my liking, and there are stability issues. The Guard comes with the EC-17 Hold Out Blaster, the same weapon wielded by the Scout Troopers. This is a new cast and more robust than the one that came with the Black Series scouts which had a tendency to snap. It is a simple black plastic cast with no paint apps. It fits reasonably well into the left hand, but not as easily in the right. When not in use it sits in the belt holster. The blaster was never seen on screen, and therefore is a bonus from Hasbro and is potentially the sort of hidden blaster I'd expect on these guys. The other weapon is the Force Pike, the more common weapon we see in both Rogue One and Return of the Jedi. This is cast in a softer plastic and is prone to coming misshapen (see image above). It is held in the right hand and with some teasing the cloak then flows around the exposed arm to replicate the stance we see in the films. The Force Pike is painted in black and silver and has some intricate sculpted detail up close like the rings at the top end and what seems to be a control button near the base. There is not a lot to complain about with the Royal Guard. He looks awesome and the bonys of the CrimsoN Empire armour underneath, the rotating robe to expose said armour and the hidden blaster & holster are brilliant. Be careful with the robes which are fragile, but its worth it to have them hang naturally rather than some of the stiffer robes we've had so far in the range. The minor criticisms are therefore with the loose ankles (a common issue on Black Series) which may have longevity issues with standing - and that misshapen Force Pike, which can be fixed with some warm water treatment. I score the Imperial Royal Guard a 4 out of 5 and look forward to adding more to my ranks in coming months.

More details and images have been released by Medicom for their MAFEX 1/12 scale Miles Morales Action Figure. This is the adult Miles, as featured in the Gwenpool comic series, and comes with two masked and one unmasked head. As with any Spider-Man release we also get plenty of hand options as well as those neat magnetic hands & feet that can be used to pose Miles in a climbing pose on a metal surface. Miles is scheduled for an August 2019 release "The Miles Morales Spider-Man now joins the MAFEX line from Medicom. Spider-Man stands over 6 inches tall and features newly designed joints for maximum posing options. He includes several interchangeable accessories, including several pieces of webbing." Product Features 6.30 inches (16cm) Made of plastic Newly designed joints for maximum posing Pair of magnetic hands and feet for posing on metal surfaces Box Contents Spider-Man (Miles Morales) figure Open hands Gripping hands Fists Web sling hands 2 Masked heads Unmasked head Magnetic hands Magnetic feet Mask 7 Pieces of webbing #Medicom #MAFEX #Spiderman

Review : Ultimate T-1000 Motorcycle Cop Terminator 2, NECA Wave/Series : Ultimate Series Released : January 2017 £22.99 - £25.99 After the initial release of an Ultimate T-1000 figure from NECA, it was almost inevitable that the figure would be tweaked and updated for a further pack - making the most profit out of a sculpt. The second Ultimate T-1000 figure was released in early 2017 and was the "motorcycle cop" disguise that the T-1000 adopted while chasing down John Connor. Like all Ultimate releases, the T1000 is a closed boxed packaging - adorned with the Terminator 2 text logo and an image of Robert Patrick as the T1000 in his motorcycle helmet and sunglasses. The box is black around this artwork with a blue steel trim and name plate which confirms the release as the T-1000, Motorcycle Cop. This same theme continues round the sides and onto the back. Here we now get individual steel blue frames containing images of the figure. There is then a text breakdown on the top left of the rear which breaks down the plot of Terminator 2 and the events of Judgement Day when Skynet started its war against the Humans. The packaging isn't quite closed box as the front flap is an opening door held back by a Velcro tab. Behind this on the inner flap is a very atmospheric shot of the T-1000 figure. Opening the flap also reveals the figure in a window. The T-1000 is front and centre with the array of accessories arranged around the figure. The box opens by the top or bottom flap. The figure then slides out in a fully enclosed cardboard tray. The accessories are taped in place, and you need to be careful not to take off any paint when pulling the tape away. The figure itself is held in by black twisty ties. The figure comes with the Robert Patrick head in place and this is a good likeness to the actor although it is a bit too thin and tall, a touch out of proportion Skin tone is quite bronzed but there are variations in tone to bring out the features on the face. The eyes are very intense and on our figure are painted a little cross-eyed/ Other details include the LAPD badges on each shoulder which are a decal of some kind. These are bright and easily legible, although there is a grey paint splodge on one of mine. There is also the more metallic PD badge on the front. This is a sculpted item and painted on top so is less clear in regards reading the text printed into this. The rest of the body is well done. The motorcycle jacked is baggy as you'd expect being worn over the standard uniform. The trousers are trim and tuck down into the motorcycle boots. While the radio in his back pouch looks like it is removable and is an accessory, this is actually sculpted as part of the belt and can't be removed. When you line up this new T-1000 to the original Ultimate release you can clearly see the skin tone variation. Aside from this the head sculpt remains identical. It is also as we compare that we see this is far from a tweaked re-release and that the whole body has been resculpted, with only a few parts like the head and some accessories carried forward. The figure has 14 points of articulation which commence at the head. This is not a traditional ball jointed head on a neck peg, but rather the head and neck are one piece with the ball set further down in the torso, The head clips onto this. Once in place it still rotates and leans forward and backward but this is arguably more realistic that the neck moves with the head. Arms are ball jointed at shoulder and there is then a single rotating elbow joint. The hands are not pivoted and are simply plugged into the sleeve by a ball on the end of the hand. This allows rotation of the hand but not much other movement. The waist can be rotated, but only on one axis. We have no lean forward or backward. The legs are ball jointed with the joints then hidden under the flexible rubber crotch that NECA use on most figures. THat makes the legs look more realistic, but does hold back leg articulation to wider stances only. The knees are a single joint which is a touch disappointing. We then get an ankle rocker and this helps the T-1000 stand very easily. Being an Ultimate release there are various swap out options, starting with alternative heads. The whole head piece snaps off that internal ball joint and the new head can be clipped into position without much fuss. For me the Motorcycle helmet is more iconic for this version of the T-1000 and is also a better looking piece than the original head. The helmet is smooth and glossy but does have a very soft sculpted silver badge. The visor is crisp and almost reflective, and the same can be said of the sunglasses which are painted in highly reflective, almost mirrored, silver. The face, or rather than parts of it that are then visible, is a very nice likeness to Patrick and the skin tone is a more toned down and subtly shaded with the features of the face. The other head option is the damaged version where the whole liquid metal head has been spit asunder. Again this clips in with ease. While similar to the original release, this is a new (or at the very least updated) head as the split is much more pronounced with each half at almost 90 degrees to the neck. The inner centre is painted silver while the exposed skin and eyes are still painted in the same way NECA would paint a complete un-damaged head. Your T-1000 comes with variety of armaments, starting with the very basic Police Issue pistol. This is the same sculpt as the original T-1000 but it has lost its paint apps and is now simply cast in a black plastic. The gun is designed to fit into the T-1000 right hand with the trigger finger slotting into the trigger. When not in use this fits into the working holster on the T-1000 belt. There is a second conventional weapon with the assault rifle, a new piece to this set. Again this is cast in black plastic with no paint apps. It also fits in the right hand with trigger finger slotting into place. Now if you want to wield the weapons left handed, or indeed have a weapon in each hand, then NECA have you covered with an alternative set of hands that includes a trigger finger posed left hand. The hands pop out of the sleeve easily enough - a bit too easily sometimes. There is also a set of hands where the pointing finger has been extended using that liquid metal into a sharp spear. These are a direct re-pack from the original. They are painted well with a neat blend from skin to the silver of the spike. Sadly they are misshapen due to the softer plastic used, even heating and reshaping makes little difference. It ends up looking less menacing, but more like the T-1000 has a very long badly bent fingernail. What is more impressive is the left forearm piece. On the original release these were hooked for the scene where he grips onto the rear of the car. This time we only get the one but it is shaped like a sword. This is the toughest part to remove and change being very stiff and also sat on a very delicate part like an elbow joint. Once swapped the arm can still be bet and posed. It again is painted in silver, but a duller colour with less of a gradient between the jacket sleeves to the metal part. There is still some bending of the softer plastic, but this is an easier shape to even out. There is no doubt that the Ultimate T-1000 Motorcyle Cop gives you a whole range of looks for display. From battle damaged to brandishing those liquid metal arm weapons, from full Motorcycle Gear to gun toting attack mode. Most parts swap in and out really well, and the difficulty will really be choosing what look to go for. At a UK RRP of circa £27, this release is a few pounds more expensive than a basic release - but the additional parts certainly justify the extra spend. THis is essentially three figures in one box and you have to thank NECA for making it this way, and not doing what they originally did and to re-release a blister pack single figure of each of the T-1000 look. The figure is not perfect as it has limited articulation in some areas. There are also paint errors like the face skin tone on the standard head, and the splodges on the decals. But you cannot fault the sculpting or the accessories. I score this updated Motorcycle Cop T-1000 an impressive 4 out of 5. #neca #terminator #terminator2 #judegementday #T1000 #T1000 #robertpatrick #actionfigure #ultimate #toy #review

Review : Ultimate T-1000 Terminator Terminator 2, NECA Wave/Series : Ultimate Series Released : Jan 2016 £22.99 - £25.99 Following NECA's release of Ultimate T800 and Sarah Connor last year, the trinity is now complete with the release of the T1000 Terminator from Terminator 2 : Judgement Day. Like all Ultimate releases to date, the T1000 arrives in a fully enclosed black glossy box. The T2 logo is used as a header on both the front and back of the box, and as a spine label on either side. The front is then decorated with a large profile shot of the T1000 as seen in the film played by Robert Patrick. This image is surrounded in a brushed metal frame, with a T1000 name plate at the base of the image. This same image is replicated on the two sides, with the very bottom of the side spine having the NECA logo printed on the same brushed metal coloured panel. The back of the box picks up actual images of the figure. The larger of these, offset to the left as you look, is of the figure in a diorama environment reflecting the asylum where Sarah Connor first encounters the T1000. To the right are two smaller torso shots showing a couple of the various options that you can set-up your figure with on display. The remaining space on the back is taken up with a couple of paragraphs, identical to the ones used on the other T2 Ultimates, which sets up the basic plot of the film. The figure itself can be seen by opening the front of the box, which is held in place with a Velcro fastener. The inner side of this outer door is another full size image of the T1000 figure. The figure is presented in a clear window, and around him are arranged the variety of swap out parts. This window is framed with a dark frame, which contains images from the Apocalyptic future we see in T2 - with laser blasts, explosions, drifting smoke and a floor of skulls. Once opened, the tray is backed in a cardboard insert which again uses the Asylum diorama image. To keep things simple I will review the figure as he comes out of the box first. I will then talk about each of the swap-out options that come packed with the T1000. The T1000 figure stands at 6 3/4 inches high. This puts him slightly shorter than Arnie's T800, but taller than the Sarah Connor figure. The head sculpt is a wonderful representation of actor Robert Patrick and like all NECA releases, it doesn't just capture a blank expression - but that dispassionate, quizzical look that Patrick holds through the film. The skin tone on the face is supported with some shading variety to bring out the character of the face, with the eyes and mouth detailed really well. The hair is a base brown, with additional dry-brushing to add depth. The only gripe on my figure is a splodge of brown hair colour on the T1000 right ear and a bit of hair sculpt behind the same ear not fully covered. On first look it is quite possible to not appreciate the detail that has gone into the Police Uniform that the T1000 is wearing. However, look closely at the name badge on the left chest - and see how the name Austin is sculpted into the figure (Austin is the name of the officer that the T1000 kills and assumes as his identity). On the other side the Police badge is coloured in both silver and gold, and although not as clear as the name badge - there is also engraved writing in the badge. Round the belt are a number of pouches, a walkie-talkie with flexible aerial and a working holster for the T1000's hand gun. The whole uniform is a rich deep blue, but with some texture in the sculpt - particularly the trousers which are a corduroy effect. Articulation starts with the jointed head, which can rotate fully round and look up and down and side to side. Shoulders are ball jointed allowing the arms to rotate up over the head and to a 90 degree angle out to the side. Elbows are a single joint and can bend fully to 90 degrees to the upper arm. The elbow joint also rotates which expands the arm range somewhat. The hands are on a pegged joint so slot into the cuff of the sleeve and will rotate as well as moving to some degree to either side. The waist is jointed, and you can therefore swivel the T1000 Torso completely round independently of his legs - well he is made of liquid metal. The hips are nicely disguised under a rubberised groin area, and they can still move out to the side and to the front with the rubber section moving with the legs up to a certain points. The T1000 will not sit or kneel, but the hip movement will allow some more action orientated stances. I love NECA knees, they are always really well disguised and the T1000 is no exception. They are however only single jointed, and bend maybe 20 degrees or so backward. They do however rotate at the joint like the elbows. This rotation doesn't look the best when applied but can help balance the figure a little better. The figure ends with jointed ankles, but restricted within the trouser legs, so only very minor adjustments are possible. Your first option for the T1000 is to arm him with a hand gun, and this is done by swapping out the right hand for the shooting position hand that is supplied. This pops in and out relatively easily and the gun will then slot neatly in place with the trigger finger fitting neatly into the trigger. The gun will also slot into the holster on the left hand side of the figure. If gun's aren't your thing, then the hands on both arms can be swapped out in the same manor for the finger needles. Each hand has an elongated index finger that blends from skin tone to silver and ends in a pretty nasty point - the left hand point being longer than the right. This is how the T1000 disposes of John Connor's adopted parents. For such a slim piece of plastic you will be pleased their is some give in the points, but I suspect if mishandled these will snap under very little force. But what if a liquid metal finger isn't enough? Well why not swap out the whole forearm for the metal claws that the T1000 uses to chase our heroes in the parking garage. If you grip the forearm and pull straight down from the joint you will find the forearm, complete with joint, pops out and can be swapped with one or both of the hook arms. Each arm has a paint variation effect from dark blue of the uniform through to a silver finish. Each arm ends in a 90 degree hook and, like the finger spikes, although there is a degree of give - these would be at risk of snapping. But of course the T1000 isn't immune to a bit of damage himself. So swap out parts are provided here too. The first of these mimics what we saw on the T1000 from the Genisys range with the entire chest section popping off the body and then replaced with a variant version. This chest has three liquid metal bullet holes sculpted on top of the torso. Like the Genisys version, my issue with these is that they look stuck-on rather than being holes in the body itself. With a hollow chest cavity underneath I do not see why this couldn't have been sculpted through the torso so they look like the shells have indeed buried a hole into the torso. This aside the engineering is sound and the torso's swap in and out very easily. The final options are to swap out the heads for additional damaged versions. The heads pop off under a bit of pressure, and should leave a peg in the torso section onto which you add your replacement head. I found that the plain torso achieves this really well, but the damaged torso had a tendency for the peg to come out with the head so watch out for that issue. Damaged head one is where the T1000 is shot through the eye. Unlike the chest damage, it is quite clear that this damage extends right through the figure as there is a hole straight through the head. This is really well done, and well painted, and best of all the T1000 retains that same expression despite the damage. The other head is where the entire T1000 head is split in half. Again, this is really well done with the T1000 still holding that same expression while it's head flaps to either side. Inside the damage is fully painted to match the liquid metal of the T1000 make up. So there he is, and by my reckoning this one set gives you in the region of 30 different combinations that you can select to display your T1000, so certainly value for money. Niggles include the factory paint issues, the chest damage and that slightly stubborn neck pin in the damaged torso. These are really insignificant though, and with no other flaws on such a stunning looking figure there really is no other option to award the T1000 Terminator a 5 out of 5. Buy now from Amazon UK Buy now from Amazon US Buy now from Forbidden Planet

Review : T800 Guardian ("Pops" 2017 Version) NECA, Terminator Genisys Wave/Series : N/A Released : January 2016 Price : £19.99 The "Pops" T800 Terminator is the 3rd, and likely final, figure that NECA have released from the 2015 Terminator Genisys movie. Like the preceding two figures, the 1984 T800 and the T1000 in Police Disguise, Pops arrives in a red themed box with display window to show off the figure. The top two thirds of the box reflect a future war scene, with T800 Endoskeleton's stalking a futuristic landscape. The lower third of the box front is a gloss black panel in which is the Endoskeleton head logo and the character name, specifically in this case the T800 Guardian. The exact same wording comes on the younger version. The red background extends round both sides of the box and round onto the back where a large Hunter Killer joins the scenery in the top right corner. A black flash on the right hand of the box back encloses a paragraph which details the description, strengths and weaknesses of a T800, this is the same wording as the younger 1984 T800 Guardian. At the base of the box are the other "also available" figures - in this case the younger guardian and the T1000. Under this are three different images of the Pops figure showing different combinations of the figure using the inbox parts. Out of the box and Pops is presented against a grey card insert and comes packed with an alternative head, arm stump and a shotgun. Pops stands at 7 1/4" high, and this is a tad taller than the Ultimate Terminator that was released just before Xmas. I don't mind that too much as they won't really be displayed together - but it seems odd that after years of making Schwarzenegger as the Terminator NECA still adjust his height from figure to figure. This is a very very good looking figure. When I first saw the Genisys figures I thought they looked a little cheap considering they were from NECA, but in hand they stand up robustly to any other NECA release and in fact this Pops figure has arguably the best Schwarzenegger head to date, beating the aforementioned Ultimate T2. Pops comes with two heads, one standard and one damaged. Both are beautifully presented and painted to perfection, in fact the NECA painters should go and show the Hasbro painters how to do greying hair as if we could replicate this on the Episode 7 Han Solo we would all be very happy. The damaged head has the extra detail with the Endoskeleton skull exposed on the left hand side as you look at it. The sculpt has given the depth to this damage so you the skull is set back from the level of the face, something other Terminator figures have not quite captured. If I had one issue with the heads is that is is quite tough to swap them out, it shouldn't really be a battle to swap heads on a figure that has been designed with that very feature. The outfit, which looks quite plain in the box, is bursting with detail. The coat is a multi-pocketed afair with varying ribbed panels on the shoulders and arms. It's cast in a dark black colour, but has some level of paint wash to give a shine to some raised areas and each button shines when you turn the figure in the light. Under the jacket is a grey t-shirt and in the middle of this is another damaged area with both the cloth and skin ripped and more silver Endoskeleton on display underneath. And if that damage isn't enough, you can swap out Pops' left arm with the damages stump. Now if you think the head was tough to swap, then the arm is even more stubborn and you will risk breaking the figure if you don't boil Pops in hot water first, or heat him up with a hair-dryer. Again this is a frustrating element of a figure that was designed to have swap out parts. The arm stump itself is well done, and doesn't do much other than plug the hole once in. Like the other damaged parts it is nicely detailed, and gory with metallic parts showing underneath the flesh. Trousers are grey cargo pants, sculpted with folds and creases in the cloth and with intricate stitching around the pockets and down the side seams. The outfit is finished with a pair of boots, which look plain black but are actually really detailed up close with laces and panels sculpted on top of a different coloured sole and with real tread sculpted underneath. It is therefore frustrating when you see that detail to spin the figure round and see a significantly different coloured joint on the knee - a black plastic against the dark grey of the trousers? Articulation is standard fair for a NECA figure. The head is on a peg/ball jointed mechanism so either head have the ability to rotate fully and then adjust up and down and to the side, this gives some character to poses where you can cock Pops head to one side, or have him looking down menacingly. The arms are ball jointed and can rotate round and then out to the side by about 45 degree. The left arm, due to it's swappable joint, is a little less manoeuvrable than the right. Elbows rotate and bend to another 45 degree angle and then the wrists rotate and also pivot on their peg within the restrictions of the sleeve. A waist joint sits under the shirt and there is a fair bit of movement on this so you can swivel Pops off to either side to perhaps have him in a firing position with his shotgun. Knees, which are beautifully concealed at the front (less so on the back as we have discussed) bend almost 90 degrees, and with the ball jointed hips above them you can essentially get Pops to kneel, crouch or even sit - all quite awkwardly, but the range of movement is there. The final joint is on the shoes/ankles which can rotate to adjust Pops stance. With such a heavy set figure, and heavy in terms of the plastic used, you will have no trouble getting Pops to stand. Pops comes with just the one weapon, a futuristic shotgun with shoulder strap. This fits into either hand, but more snugly in the right. Sadly, because of the way the hand grip has been designed and the angle of the but on the gun, Pops can only hold this pointing down, almost as though he is about to load it. Stick the arm out straight to fire, and the gun looks like it is cocked down in his hand, and if you spin the elbow to put it in a two handed grip, it just can't be done as the gun doesn't sit out straight enough, nor does the elbow bend enough, to get the barrel into the left hand. What ever you think of Genisys as a film, this is a really good Arnie / Terminator figure. The box doesn't do the figure justice, and neither does the promotional images - something that is usually the other way round. You need to get this thing out and in hand to appreciate it fully. Had it not been for the tight swappable part and that frustrating gun position, Pops would have strolled away with a 5 star review. Instead he gets a very strong 4 and a place front and centre of my Terminator archive. Buy now from Amazon UK Buy now from Amazon US

Review : Ultimate Sarah Connor NECA, Terminator Wave/Series : Ultimate Series Released : December 2015 Price : £22.99-£24.99 When NECA ran their first Terminator series of figures, they never got as far as releasing a Sarah Connor figure. It was therefore a bonus to fans that when the Terminator figures moved to an Ultimate Format that NECA announced that the 2nd figure in that line would be Sarah. For anyone unfamiliar with NECA's Ultimate Format - these are figures that are packed with various swappable parts and accessories so that you can choose which version of the character to have on display. Other released to date include the T800 from Terminator 2, as well as John Matrix from Commando and Freddie Krueger. Sarah Connor arrives in the black/blue Terminator themed glossy box. Design wise it is identical to the T800 box from last year, and will be used again on the upcoming Ultimate T1000. The front cover is updated to show an image of Sarah directly from the movie as played by Linda Hamilton. This image, or at least the head shot, is repeated on each spine. Round the back and the figure is now photographed and sits alongside a short piece of text that summarises the plot of Terminator 2. Underneath the text are a couple of inserts showing the alternative heads that Sarah is packed with. Like all Ultimates, the actual figure is not on immediate show, being hidden behind a Velcro fastened flap. Once opened the inner part of the flap has a larger image of the Sarah figure from the back of the packaging. You can then view the figure via the viewing window. Opened up and Sarah is laid out with a number of accessories around the main figure. She comes with one head fitted, and two more alongside. She is then armed with a hand gun, rifle and shotgun. We will look at each of these in due course. Sarah stands 6 1/2 inches high, comparable with the movie where Linda Hamilton stands 1.6m tall vs the 1.8m (6ft) frame of Arnie. Starting with the feet upward for a change, and Sarah comes with a pair of black army boots which are sculpted to include laces all the way up through the shin area. These have a very subtle wash on top of the base colour to just raise those lace details. Combat trousers are relatively plain, but with folds and creases where you would expect them and a couple of pockets down the side. There is more detail round the back of these trousers where you can see the stitching on around the seams. Like the boots I think there is a very subtle second wash on top of the base black colour. Sarah's belt is studded, and with a fairly intricate buckle and all of this details is crisply sculpted and more importantly crisply painted in a silver finish. A knife sheath hangs from the belt at Sarah's right hand side, and rather than be sculpted the knife actually slides in and out as an extra accessory. Unfortunately NECA have chosen to attach a very odd piece of elasticated thread to the knife, and at this scale it just looks wrong and sits sticking out to the side. The upper torso is made up of an grey vest, on top of which is the combat vest. The shirt is quite plain and coloured a lighter grey than the rest of the outfit. The combat vest contains much more detail with straps, pouches, pockets and stitching right round from front to back. Unusually it has been left a flat black colour with no attempt to bring any of these details out? The vest is a separate piece, but there is no function to remove this to create another look for Sarah. This is a shame, but I can see how the extra engineering and getting a removable vest to fit snugly may be a step too far. Sarah's arms are bare skin, and despite this are really well done with some defined muscle tone and with the joints treated sympathetically so not to ruin the look of the figure. The left arm has a sweatband at the wrist, and this does show some signs of paint bleed with the skin tone creeping round the sides of the green band. The initial head that Sarah comes "wearing" is the capped version. The sculpt is nothing short of stunning, with a really good likeness to Hamilton. The hat sits neatly and naturally on the head, but like the vest is not removable. Round the back is a pony tail, washed and shaded to add depth and hanging neatly down the back of Sarah's vest - not stuck out or looking unnatural as can often happen with sculpted long hair. The glasses are perhaps a tad too big, but that is only really evident up close. All of the skin tone is painted well and with very subtle hints of a "blusher" to bring out the cheekbones. Swapping the heads is quite traumatic. Although not as bad as the recent Genisys T800, it is still quite tough to get them off, and even harder to get them back on. That much handling will also have a negative effect on paint, so watch out for paint wear if you are changing the head look frequently. Head number two is the hair down head, and like the first is a really good likeness. Each head sculpt is going to be using the same base head, but it is important to any likeness that hair and any accessories don't ruin a good base sculpt. The hair down version is perfect with loads of layers in the hair style and with it all sculpted to flow either side of the shoulders once popped into position. Head number three is the pony tail, and like the hatted version the hair is well painted and sits nicely down the back of the figure. To me though the fringe feels too big on this figure, and it has a habit to be looking down rather than straight ahead. The head is on a ball joint of such, and therefore all three versions have a good range of articulation. The shoulders are also ball jointed and can be moved out to the side to almost 90 degrees while then rotating fully. Both elbows rotate and bend to just under 90 degrees. Watch out for wrongly positioned elbows, as my left arm was fitted backwards in the box so I almost snapped it when trying to bend it the wrong way. A quick swivel and all was well. Both wrists are on a peg so can also rotate and bend up and down. There is a pretty impressive waist joint, which not only rotates - as you would expect - but also pivots up and down like a torso joint. The hips are jointed but like many NECA figures are not particularly manoeuvrable. There is also an issue if you move the hips too much that they start to push out the newly designed crotch area, which is now a rubber piece over the inner "skeleton" of the figure. Knees, like always, are really well hidden and still work well - but again like the recent Genisys figure the back of the knee joint is a different colour plastic and stands out considerably. The final joints are smack bang in the middle of the boots which does spoil the look slightly. However, these rockers are crucial for getting Sarah to stand firmly. Looking at the weapons, and each of them is sculpted with a good deal of accuracy. The handgun sits snugly in Sarah's right hand with her trigger finger sitting into the trigger of the gun. The handgun is painted with a different coloured grip and my only criticism is there is no holster to tuck this away when not being used. The rifle is quite plain, but the central section is painted a different shade to the rest of the weapon. Again, it sits neatly into the right hand and with a bit of faffing you can get the barrel to be held in Sarah's left hand. It's not particularly natural though and you will need to be either pointing the barrel down into the ground, or have Sarah's right hand almost popping out of its wrist joint. To me the Rifle looks best shoulder slung using the strap provided. The final weapon is a shotgun, which has a folding shoulder rest which also holds additional cartridges. This is the most intricate paint job, with each cartridge painted out in blue with bronze caps. The shoulder rest also actually folds in or out, but is prone to dropping off quite easily considering its held in with two small pins. Like the rifle the shotgun is easily held one handed, but two handed is more of a challenge. It can be done, but again will start to pull the hand out of the joint. The shotgun is also not as snug a fit in the right hand and the grip feels quite loose and I suspect the hand will get weaker over time considering it is quite slender on the fingers. Considering the only other Sarah Connor figure we've had at this scale is now 14 years old, that was the McFarlane Movie Maniacs Sarah, then this release was always going to be a massive improvement. In fact it is even better than that, allowing the collector to tweak the look to at least three specific looks of Sarah from the T2 movie. There are very minor flaws, but nothing substantial and I can't in good conscious award Ultimate Sarah Connor anything other than 5 stars. Buy from Amazon UK Buy from Amazon US

It is fair to say that over at NECA it is their older licences that always out perform their new licences. Prometheus was a flop, where as Aliens goes from strength to strength. Planet of the Apes Classic was better received than the modern POTA interpretation. And now the Terminator licence is looking likely to follow that trend with the Genisys line being short lived, whilst characters from the earlier movies will eclipse them this year and next. I must applaud NECA for still going after the modern licences, and I believe in time that these short lived modern lines like POTA, Prometheus and Genisys will be highly sought after due to their limited runs. Of the Genisys figures that have hit shelves to date (Nov 2016), we are today reviewing the T-1000. NECA continue the boxed packaging with Genisys, and the box design is particularly striking vs the more muted darker tones that NECA have preferred on other licences. The box base colour is predominantly a striking red within which is a background scene including T800 Endoskeletons and on the rear a hovering Hunter Killer. The window is cut out at an angular shape, and the bottom of the box moves to a gun metal colouring emblazoned by a T800 Endoskeleton skull logo. The character's full name in this bottom panel is T-1000 Police Disguise, and a top this sits the Genisys movie logo. Both box sides repeat the Endoskeleton head logo, with the character name printed at the base of each side spine and the Genisys movie logo at the very top. On the reverse you will find a black box to the right hand side, in which is a breakdown of the T-1000 under the headers Description, Strengths, Weaknesses and Interesting Facts, the last one feeling a bit out of place. Under this biography box are torso images of the T-800 Guardian, which was released at the same time, and the T-800 2017 Guardian ("Pops") who is marked as Coming Soon. At the very base of the rear are three images of the T-1000 figure, each showing a different configuration of parts. Upon opening the box there is the usual inner perspex tray and a dark grey cardboard back insert. You cannot knock this figure for a lack of options or accessories. The T-1000 comes out of the box with two head options, two chest options, a swap-able arm, alternative hands, a Police revolver and a liquid metal spear. The head & chest combinations alone allow for four different configurations, and loose collectors will spend a while deciding how best to display the T-1000, or perhaps invest in one or two more to display variant options. Let's look at the sculpt first, and it is as strong as any other NECA property. The heads, both of them, are a strong likeness for Lee Byung-hun and both portray that dead pan emotionless face that we have come to associate with any Terminator, be it Arnie, the original T-1000 Robert Patrick or indeed Lee Byung-hun's portrayal in Genisys. The damaged head is my personal favourite as it shows the T-1000 for what it is and the liquid metal crater here is really well done as it goes back into the head cavity itself giving depth to the damage. The body sculpt is reasonably plain, so doesn't lend itself to large amounts of detail. The Police Uniform is neatly done with the relevant pockets, buttons and lapels. The belt and holster accommodate the supplied revolver and the Police Department Badge is replicated well enough on the chest. Where the head damage was really well done, I found myself disappointed with the damaged chest option. Rather than any extension back into the torso, the liquid metal holes here look more stuck on and float on top of the uniform rather than extend into it. Paint applications are a bit muted vs usual NECA standards. Compare the T-1000 head for example to that of the recent T-800 Ultimate Terminator and it just looks and feels a bit soft. I can't put my finger on why as the eyes are neatly done and the lips a good natural colour. I think the fact there is some bleed of skin tone into the hair makes it look a bit sloppy, and the skin tone is just that - one tone - so doesn't pick out any depth. It may also just be that the actor's face is relatively smooth and featureless? The Uniform is painted a flat black, but there is definition in finish between uniform and the shoes which are a glossier finish and have a defined brown sole. The detail, such as it is, is picked up in silver paint - buttons, belt buckle and the officer ID. The Police Badge has a silver base, with blue detail on top. All the silver damage is just that, one tone solid silver and again the head one looks a lot better as there is more depth into the head to give some shadow. Before we hit articulation, let's look at the swap-able elements. The idea of a complete Torso exchange is a new one on me, but it works well enough with pegs within the body to accept either of the two chests. I am going to drift back to the body damage here which as I mentioned earlier looks "stuck on". The fact that they went with two different Torso's makes this even more frustrating as the damage could have been sculpted back into the body. The way it is presented here could have probably been achieved with stuck on parts on magnets or similar? The hands are a little easier to swap than some other NECA figures we have had recently. All the hand options are a right hand, giving three different versions - one flat palmed, one to hold the gun and another to hold the spear. The left hand option is a liquid metal stump mimicking damage sustained in the film. The left arm pops off at the elbow joint, and this again works well - although I don't feel it looks particularly effective vs what we saw in the film. The spear doesn't quite fit snugly into any hand provided and has a tendency to slide out of the grip. It is also a bit of a let down when you consider the overriding image of a T-1000 (from either Genisys or Judgement Day) is him turning his arms into hook like weapons, and I wish NECA had dropped the damage arm, one of the hands and the spear - and gone with some swap-able hook arm weapons (although I appreciate this is what they are doing with their 2016 Ultimate T-1000 fro T2). Articulation is very good on the T-1000. Even though it is changeable and not a ball joint, the head still rotates a decent way either side and can look up and down with a good range of motion. Ball jointed shoulders allow the arms to move out perpendicular to the body - which is great for "aiming his pistol" shots. They can also rotate and go above his head, which works well for a spear throwing pose. The arms are further bolstered with a rotating elbow joint and pegged wrists which rotate. Because of the torso arrangements, there is no mid torso joint, but there is a waist joint which allows some swivel in the top half vs the legs. The ball jointed hips can get out into the splits, or into a sitting position. They are aided in this by a flexible crotch which is made out of a rubber material and moves with the legs. No thigh swivel, so the next leg option is the wonderful NECA hidden knee joint and the figure ends with an ankle rocker. T-1000 is really easy to pose and stands well enough. He can be made to look like he is aiming his spear or sword or dropped into a neutral pose, or you can even get close to that menacing arms by side march that will eventually turn into a run as he makes chase to our heroes. For value for money, this figure is packed with options - NECA could have easily badged it as an Ultimate version. Sadly I think the chest damage isn;t done well enough, and I wanted the arm weapons, not the pretty poor spear or the chopped off at the elbow look. The paint on the head is lacking just a touch and the whole figure doesn't look "NECA" enough - which shows how high they had set the bar of late. I am going to score the T-1000 a 3 out of 5. Buy from Amazon UK Buy from Amazon US

Review : T800 Guardian NECA, Terminator Genisys Wave/Series : N/A Released : September 2015 Price : £19.99 The NECA Terminator Genisys range saw 3 figures released across the back end of 2015. With the movie not performing as expected in the cinema, the figures suffered a similar fate. The range comprised of a first "wave" of two figures - the T1000 Terminator in Police disguise, and the figure we are reviewing here - the T800 Guardian Terminator from 1984. These would be followed a couple of months later by the "Pops" T800, the older version of the titular character. Like many of NECA's newer licences, the Genisys figures arrived in a cardboard window box. The box is predominantly a red design, depicting the infra red view of a terminator and throughout the box art you can make out Terminator Endoskeletons and Hunter Killers. Contrast on the box comes from a black flash that circles the bottom quarter of the box. On the front, it is this black band that contains the Terminator Genisys logo, the character name and a circular logo depicting the Endoskeleton Terminator Skull. Above this, and through the clear cut out window, is the figure itself. Round the sides, the red theme continues with a repeat of the logo at the top of the spine, the skull mid way and the character name on the black band at the bottom. On the back and offset to the right is a panel that details some characteristics of the T800, with strengths, weaknesses and "interesting facts". Directly under this panel are two insert showing the T1000 figure as "also available" and next to him the "Pops" T800 and this one is labelled "coming soon". The bottom black panel on the reverse is populated with three images of the actual guardian figure. Out of the box and The Guardian sits in a plastic tray, and that into a grey back panel - which at closer inspection contains a number of read-outs and targeting scopes, again reflecting the technical view of an active Terminator. The Guardian comes packed with just a single accessory, a shotgun, and no swap-out parts. This is a big difference in this release vs the other two in the range - with the T1000 and Pops Terminator coming with significantly more options to amend the look of the figure. There is an element of feeling "short changed", but when you look at the movie there is very little NECA could have included, other than that very creepy smiling head. The Guardian stands exactly 7 inches high, bang on with most of the other Arnie figures that NECA have given us in recent years. The sculpt is the usual high quality and perfect likeness we would expect from the NECA sculpting team. They have still managed to inject some personality into the facial expression, with Arnie exhibiting a very subtle grimace. It is these facial expressions, capturing the actors mannerisms, that is keeping NECA ahead of the competition. Sadly the paint, on my version, wasn't as good as the head sculpt. The eyebrows and the front of the hair line had paint missing, so you were simply seeing the flesh tone underneath. They had also completely missed the hair around his ear on his right hand side, making Arnie look like he had been attacked by an angry barber. The clothing is fairly standard and quite plain, with a hooded jacket sculpted over a plain grey T-shirt. The jacket has some nice sculpt and paint detail, with a bronze zip to the front and on the back of the arm cuffs, even though you don't really see them. Same with the zips on the back section of the upper arms. The jacket is coloured in a slightly glossy effect, so naturally picks up it's own detail. There is no paint wash on either the jacket or t-shirt. The trousers are a cargo type effect, and again like the top half of the figure they do have loads of detail worked into the sculpt and there is a very subtle wash to bring out this detail. The trousers, and the black shoes, would go on to be re-used fully for the Pops version of the T800. Articulation is always a fine balance on a NECA figure between preserving the looks, but allowing the figure to get into some variant poses. The Guardian is no different, and the joints are all really well disguised at first look. The head, on a ball joint, will rotate fully round and look up and down as well as being able to cock to either side. The ball jointed shoulders withdraw under the jacket when raised, and the arms can be raised to almost a 90 degree angle to the body. They also rotate to go above the head. The elbow joints are a single 90 degree bend, but they do also rotate, as do the wrists, which allows the Guardian to hold his shot gun in that familiar position that we see in the movie. The waist swivels and, unlike many figures, can rotate a full 360 degrees. The hip joints are well hidden, but not as manoeuvrable as other ranges - so the Guardian won't sit, or kneel particularly well. The knees are single jointed also, not double like we are finding more and more on this scale. There is then an ankle joint, although this is restricted by the trouser leg and can only really shuffle a bit either way to square of the stance. The only accessory to speak of is the Shotgun, which is really well sculpted and painted in at least three different colours, all of which are perfectly applied with no bleed or drips. It fits snugly into the right hand and can then be cradled, if you wish, in the left hand to that mid-rift firing position. My only gripe with the gun is that I am already getting paint rub on the barrel from the hand. The T800 Genisys Guardian is by no way a bad figure. In fact it suffers more because of the high bar NECA has set with other releases in the same price bracket, and indeed in the same range. The paint issues are factory problems, and if I had the opportunity to look through a few I would find out without issues. The problem with the figure lies with what is not there.... an alternative head maybe or alternative weaponry. There are certainly better, and more iconic Terminator figures out there - for example the Ultimate T2 Terminator at just a fiver more. In terms of a score, I give the Genisys Guardian a safe 3 out of 5, just behind the older "Pops" version who benefits from more packed in options. Buy from Amazon UK Buy from Amazon US Buy from Forbidden Planet

NECA's Terminator licence saw its first figures in 2009, and from then through to 2012 it saw NECA turn out some awesome figures from the first two Terminator movies. As with any licence, the bulk of the figures were of the main character - the Terminator itself as played by Arnold Schwarzenegger. In 2015 NECA is returning to the Terminator licence, however this time it is doing it within their Ultimate format. The Ultimate format appears to borrow some elements from Far East figure companies like Figma, where they release figures which include a quantity of interchangeable parts so that the collector has a range of "looks" that they can achieve to display their figure. The Ultimate T-800 arrives in a boxed packaging which is a world away from the standard clamshells that the 2009-12 range utilised. Unlike the Endoskeleton (not an Ultimate figure) that arrived ahead of this figure the Ultimate T2 has now window through which to see the figure, but rather a front flap that opens via a Velcro closer so you can view the contents. I am not a MIB collector, but if I was I wouldn't be a huge fan of this packaging format. Although very attractive, it could just as well be an empty box on display unless you found a way to prop the front flap open. The box is essentially a gloss black in colour and is accentuated with a blue steel trim and flashes. The imagery on the front is of Arnie from Terminator 2 as opposed to the actual figure itself. Both side panels see a repeat of the Arnie image and the Terminator 2 : Judgment Day text is emblazoned down either spine. The rear contains actual images of the figure, with three of its "looks" illustrated. There is also a paragraph of blurb detailing the plot overview for T2. Inside of the front flap is a full size image of the figure in an atmospheric blue lit shot which looks pretty impressive. The figure slides out of the box in an outer cardboard tray which is coloured to match the blue/black colour scheme. Inside the inner perspex tray is the figure itself, two alternative heads and a quantity of weaponry which we will cover as we move through the review. Let's start with the figure as it comes out of the box, and this is essentially the Cyberdyne showdown Terminator with its bandoleer of grenades. The sculpt is perfectly done and you can tell NECA have had a number of years and licences to capture Arnold's body shape and features. The body starts with a grey vest onto which is added a seperate leather jacket piece. The jacket is extremely well detailed with zips and fasteners and a number of bullet holes across both the front and the back. The jacket works down to the hands which are gloved. The trousers are again a leather look and include two zip detail at the boot area and the figure is finished in the black motorcycle boots. Considering the figure is essentially one colour, black, the paint application is really well done with washes and highlights to bring out the folds in the fabric. All the zips and buckles are picked out in silver, and without a hint of paint bleed or splashes. The three heads all reflect a slightly different look. The first is the plain undamaged head that is the one we saw originally on the Cyberdown Showdown figure. There is then a head with the sunglasses as originally included on the Pescadero Escape and the Battle Across Time. The final, and most detailed head, is the battle damaged version where sections of the face are blasted away to reveal the T-800 Endoskeleton underneath. This is the one we got on the Steel Mill figure. All three heads are really well done, capturing Arnie's look and expression from the movie. All are really well painted with a base skin tone and the battle damaged in particular has a lot of realistic paint apps around the damage and down into the silver Endoskeleton skull and that iconic red eye. When I first saw the heads were solid pieces with the neck, rather than the usual ball jointed head that pops onto the neck, I was concerned about movement. Thankfully even with this type of joint the head can rotate a full 360 degrees and can also look up and down. The arms are on ball joints and can just about sneak out to just under 90 degrees to the body. They can also be raised above his head. The elbows both bend and swivel and along with the swivel wrists it allows the T800 to hold all three of the larger weapons with both hands if you wish. Unlike a lot of modern figures, NECA have put in a waste swivel and this allows the figure to stand side on when being posed. The hips have a good range of movement and if you did want to sit Arnie down he could sit or kneel. NECA always do an awesome job of disguising joints, and the knees on this figure are a prime example with the joint designed into the folds of the trousers so that it is almost invisible. Neither knee bends a full 90 degrees, but again who wants T800 Arnie bending down or crouching. The final articulation is within the boots which are on rockers to allow the T800 to stand flat footed. Outside of the heads the figure comes with a small armoury. The bandoleer is removable and pops off over the head if you don't want it on display. The shotgun (my favourite) fits snugly into the right hand and can be held in a two handed pose if needed, as can the grenade launcher. The hand gun fits in the right hand only and is a bit "meh" compared to the others. They all however pale into insignificance with the mini-gun which comes with its own ammo bag that slings over Arnie's shoulder. All of this adds up to a near perfect figure and with it you can replicate almost all the looks from the T2 movie. The only real look missing is the man or machine look which would have needed the jacket to be removable and with two alternative arms - I can live without these. Picky me would maybe have liked alternative flesh coloured hands for the Pescadero look - but sometimes you can have so much choice. Ultimate T-800 can walk away with nothing less than a perfect 5 out of 5 score. Packaging aside, there are no flaws what so ever with the figure and if this is the benchmark for future Ultimate Terminator figures then I am really excited for what is yet to come. Buy from Amazon UK Buy from Amazon US

The first Terminator Endoskeleton from NECA came out in 2006 as part of their Cult Classics range. In 2009 the figure was re-packed into the Terminator series of releases and went on onto become highly sought after on the secondary market. In 2014 the sculpt was given a new lease of life as part of the NECA Video Game line, Robocop vs Terminator. In this incarnation the Endo came single packed with a machine gun, and then in a twin pack with the original guns - both painted in "video game" colours. In 2015 NECA announced that the Endoskeleton would be re-released as a stand-alone release, very likely to take advantage of the release of Terminator : Genisys. But regardless of the reason, fans welcomed the new figure particularly as NECA were initially releasing it via Walmart in the US (Walmart had not carried NECA before) and at a lower price point than usual NECA 7" figures. The Endo comes in a box rather than the usual blister-pack. The Box itself is not new as NECA have used it on the Planet of the Apes figure and of course the Robo vs Terminator range. There is likely nothing more suspicious in NECA using a box this time other than the packaging was already in use for the Video Game version so all that was needed was new box artwork. The box is very reminiscent of the 1980's with a metallic look and the red "matrix" style graphics. The front has a head shot of the actual figure, and the figure itself can be seen in the window with that red squared background behind it as an insert. Both sides have a Cyberdyne logo and the rear then has a bit of bio about the T-800 Endoskeleton. Out of the box and the Endo is an impressive piece in hand. Now this is certainly not 100% screen accurate, making such a thing in this scale and in this plastic (and at this price point) would be near impossible. NECA have gone with a very clever sculpt that is very close to the original, and certainly matches what 12 year old me imagines a T-800 Endoskeleton should look like. Starting at the head and the sculpt has captured that grinning skull so well. The eyes are nicely sunk back into the head and painted with bright red to replicate the glowing red LED eyes. The teeth are nicely yellowed and grin in that disturbing way the original did in the movie. Around the head are plenty of panels, wires and detail and the whole thing is bang on creepy. The head however does not move and is fixed in place. Moving down to the body and you realise this figure was not so much sculpted, but more designed and the way this thing moves is nothing short of genius. The whole body is full of detail - pipes and wires, panels and joints. And the pistons are the crowning glory, as not only are they aesthetically good, a lot of them are actually functional. The arms are articulated on a shoulder joint which can move the arms out and then rotate them forward or backwards. There is a bicep swivel and then down into an elbow joint and it is here you can see these pistons in action as they move in and out with the arm elbow movement. Down to the hands and they are very skeletal and quite a soft plastic. The hands rotate at the wrist, and the soft plastic is probably intentional to get that massive gun into the Endo's hands. Back at the torso and there is a weird flap just under the chest which I assumed was designed to move when the figure was bent at the torso joint. The problem is the torso joint only rotates a few degrees side to side, so am not sure what this particular flap is for - or if it is just a hangover piece from earlier articulation that has since been removed. Like the arms the legs move out to the side then back and forth and as you do this two more pistons do their job between the thigh and the groin. The knees have a standard joint and this means you can get Endo into a sitting position, albeit a bit wide legged. The feet rotate on the ankles and there is then a joint in the toes, which is something you don't find very often on NECA figures. The whole figure is done in a pretty decent silver finish and is then washed in black to bring out the detail. If there is any criticism of the paint, then the wash is a bit too thick in places. But it does certainly make the Endo look battle worn. The gun is a basic piece, and faithful to the move. This too is painted in a black and silver finish with a wash. All good so far? Well yes, there is very little to fault in the design, the sculpt or the articulation and only a minor gripe with the paint. But own this figure for a day or so and you will soon find out its biggest flaw. Sadly, Endo is a serial shelf diver. First off he doesn't stand all that well on his own, the feet are designed with those ball heels that are seen on the original prop - and that is effectively putting him into high heels and making him quite unsteady. There is thankfully peg holes so you would think dropping him onto a NECA stand would fix the problem? Again, sadly not. The figure still gradually leans, even on the stand and will eventually fall over. Looking closely at the stability problem and it is a perfect storm of issues. First, although the figure is very light it is still top heavy. Secondly, the plastic is quite soft and gets softer if the room temperature gets warmer. Thirdly the knee and hip joints aren't ratcheted and are quite "loose". And fourthly, and this is the key issue, those articulated toes mean that as the figure begins to lean the feet don't stop the lean and instead the toe joint begins to bend and eventually gravity will take over. I have owned this figure 4-days now and he has fallen down from every position I have put him in. I am now considering dropping him onto a Kaiser stand with a hip clasp, or even gluing his leg joints. The T-800 Endoskeleton was a strong 4 out of 5 when he came out of the box. Unfortunately the stability issues are a flaw across all the figures as reported by many collectors online, this takes at least one star away and leaves the Endo with an average 3 out of 5 rating. Should you buy the NECA Endo, well absolutely if you haven't got the NECA version. It is a real step up from the older McFarlane Movie Maniac version (see comparison pictures) but be warned about the shelf diving - keep him safe and away from other figures or you will have a plastic avalanche. Buy from Amazon UK Buy from Amazon US