I wasn’t sure if I was going to buy the single-carded Xenomorph. Originally, I was figuring that I’d have the Genocide 2pk and wouldn’t need this release. I wasn’t sure how different the two figures would be painted. So I asked on Twitter… and NECA answered to let me know about the different decos. Now that’s service.
I snagged my Xenomorph while on a trip to KC. My TRU* has had Hicks & Hudson holding down the fort for awhile, so I was happy to have a chance to check the four stores up there and even happier that one of them had the Xenomorph.
* – (And just to let you know how much I dislike my TRU, this trip was the first time I saw the spring-loaded Robocop, Rambo, and some older Terminator & Rocky figures that I didn’t know existed).
The Xenomorph and I had a long car ride home after I picked him up. I had nothing in the car to free him from his all-plastic prison – otherwise there’d be no package shot in this review! It also allowed me to notice that the Alien was trying to escape! The package is a tight squeeze for the little guy and his feet were clawing through the insert at the bottom of the packaging.
Once I got home and freed the Xenomorph (generally not a good idea, I know) I was even more impressed with the size. I was happy with the size relation of the Predators to Dutch, but the Xenomorph even towers over the Predator. Clocking in at 9”, that translates to an 8’ height for the Xenomorph, which is a little big, but I can’t deny that he looks great at this size.
The sculpt is again NECA’s strongest point. NECA has made some Alien figures in the past, but I don’t have them to compare. From the images I’ve seen, those previous figures, particular the Requiem Alien, seem to also be on the high end in terms of good sculpting and NECA is just continuing that tradition here.
The detail is amazing throughout the figure. I wasn’t able to get a great picture of it, but if you have this figure and really want to appreciate the sculpt, turn out the lights. Well, most of ‘em. The figure looks fantastic in low-light. This is partially due to the brown highlights and high gloss paint, but the sculpt comes alive when it reflects what little light there is in a room. It sounds odd, but it’s how we’re used to seeing these guys, right?
The aforementioned paintwork originally struck me as odd. I hadn’t ever noticed any brown coloring in Aliens, but as I said above, they like to run around in the dark. When you put the figure in low-light, the brown pretty much washes out and it’s easy to see how moviegoers weren’t always able to see the brown aspect to the Xenomorphs in the film.
The brown wash affords the figure some slop throughout, you just wouldn’t really notice it along with everything else. The only area where the paint work is really crucial is around the jaw… and that does turn out to be a weak spot for the figure. My Xenomorph’s bottom teeth aren’t quite fully painted, but the real oddity is the gray paint work on the sides of the mouth. I’m not sure why it’s grey, but it’s dull, flat color just makes it look out of place on an otherwise really nice presentation.
Like the Predators, what really sets this NECA release apart from previous versions is the articulation. This guy is articulated everywhere, possibly venturing into that “too much” ML area. Most of the articulation is excellent – the arms feature ball shoulders & wrists, bicep swivels, and my favorite, double ball-jointed elbows. Now, not every figure’s sculpt can work with double ball-jointed elbows but they are my new favorite thing! And combined with the bicep swivel and other articulation, theses arms can pose pretty much anyway you want them too. Continue to Page 2…
Argh! I have to wait until my vacation next week to pick up this guy from out of town! The annoying part is I passed him up last time I saw it!
Which Predator is that in your pics? The basic Jungle Hunter?
*adds to list*
I remember my cousin had the original ’79 18″ Xenomorph with the retractable inner mouth and that was the epitome of cool back then. The 90s Alien line was funky in it’s variations, so I don’t know what variants you’re taking about, simple color decos or more in line with that previous series?
LOL at last gag.
and KC has *four* TRUs? when I was up there about two years ago, my gps only hit on the one on I-70, just east of town? Westphalia? nothing else until Col/Jeff.
Yeah, NECA is really starting to seperate themselves from the pack. They just need to stay consistent with these recent offerings, & all will be good in the Toy World.
Excellent review, pics, and hilarious comics!
I keep having to tell myself “You can’t start another line. You can’t start another line. You can’t start another line.” And then this site goes and tempts me even more.
Man, NECA is making me SO happy lately. That mud-Dutch is just a work of art, too. Looking forward to the review. Still haven’t picked up the Alien, but I might just wait for the two-pack. That red Alien looks awesome to me.
I love that last pic, too.
As for Prometheus… you.. aren’t… missing… anything……..
Noisy, imagine astronauts landing on an alien planet, encountering the mysterious space jockeys from Alien, and becoming infected with proto-Xenomorphs.
Whatever you’re picturing in your head is better than the actual film.
I wish I could go back to the time when I could only speculate about what the movie was about…
I never really cared about getting any Alien or Predator toys until NECA stepped up their game with these recent additions of the movie characters and am glad (my wallet saying otherwise) to see how great these figures have become now with all the articulation.
It’s like you’re almost buying something from the late 90s/early 00s when Toy Biz was around, or buying import Figuarts for how many possibility options they give you now.
I got two w fused left hips that tore off almost immediately out of the box 🙁 TRU hasn’t restocked and while NECA’s twitter said CS would get me a replacement, the actual CS department has been ignoring me for 2 weeks now 🙁
From speaking to others apparently NECA’s Customer Service is near non-existent and I shouldn’t expect to ever hear from them. Such a shame. I really want to like NECA but this experience has soured my enthusiasm. I’d still really like to get a good QC alien. It’s seem like it would be such a nice plaything unbroken. :/
NECA CS has never gotten back to me from when I had my Kratos figures and various Gears figures break on me due to the fragile plastic they used on the joints.
The aliens look great!
The fan term “xenomorph” always gets me though. “foreign body” = “alien”. Same difference!