Xenomorph Warrior
When I began buying NECA action figures from the Predator and Alien series of movies, one figure I kept my eye out for was precisely any of the different Alien creatures.
I was aware that NECA had a figure made a couple of years ago, and that I would probably not find it cheap anymore, but on one of my trips downtown I was able to find the more recent version released for Series 2 in their Aliens line.
The sculpture on this Xenomorph Warrior is nothing short of impressive. The H.R.Giger-inspired design is full of interesting shapes and details that are replicated very well onto the figure.
One particular thing I like about this version of the creature is that it was developed in such a way that the body proportions are quite different from those of a human, thus avoiding completely the man-in-rubber-suit silhouette. It is also a very tall character when standing straight up,
Articulation is very extensive and perfectly hidden in the character design. A lot of the chitinous armored plates on the creature’s torso are actually made from flexible plastic, which allows a very ample range of movement.
The articulation spread for the alien Warrior goes like this:
• Barbell mounted neck.
• Barbell mounted shoulders.
• Upper biceps swivel.
• Upper and lower elbow swivels.
• Double hinged elbows.
• Pegged hinge wrists.
• Barbell mounted torso.
• Barbell mounted hips.
• Upper thigh swivels.
• Double hinged knees.
• Barbell mounted ankles.
• Hinged toes.
In addition to the articulation, the Alien Warrior also has a few more features in it, like the hinged jaw, the projecting inner mandibles and the wire frame skeleton in the rubber tailpiece.
This last feature is incredibly useful as a stand-aid, since even though the articulation is great, some of the joints in the legs are way too thin to support the full weight of the creature in more extreme, dynamic poses.
The main difference between this release of this Xenomorph Warrior and the original one lies in the paintjob. This alien is molded out of black plastic, painted over in glossy black paint and then given blue highlights, for a less roach-like appearance.
The teeth on the outer and inner jaws were painted white but given a rather heavy shading wash that works really well in toning down the contrast with the surrounding areas.
This Xenomorph comes with no accessories to speak of, although the curved spike in the middle of its shoulder blades can be detached.
In sum, I find this Xenomorph Warrior to be a really nice figure to have, either as part of a collection or simply as a one-off display piece.
Errex Score: 98/100
Category: Featured, Other Film, Toy Reviews
I’m a bigger fan of the first film design, but the articulation really sells this one. Nice!