Review of Predator 2 Exquisite Mini action figures
Elder, Warrior, Boar

Introduction

I'm a huge Predator fan - it's one of my three all time favorite 'man in a suit' monster designs, and it helps that the original film kicked ass. Predator 2 wasn't quite Predator, but it had its moments, and more importantly, introduced some cool new variations on the original design.

Hiya Toys is doing some terrific Predator (and Alien) figures in their 'Exquisite Mini' series.  These guys are 1/18 scale, or about 4 1/2" tall. They've just released three new figures: Elder Predator, Warrior Predator, and Boar Predator. They'll run you around $20 each, depending on the retailer.

Packaging - ***
Simple boxes work well, showing off the figure and accessories through the large window. Inside, the plastic tray keeps things safe, and it's all relatively collector friendly. There is some tape used to hold the smaller accessories in place, but the plastic tray has a lid that should be able to do that job just fine if you need to replace the accessories later.

Sculpting - Boar, Warrior ***1/2; Elder ****
Remember - these guys are little, designed to fit in with other 1/18 lines like Star Wars, or G.I. Joe. These three are in the 4 1/2" to 4 5/8" range - Predators are tall bad asses!

The amount of detail is pretty amazing, especially on the Elder version. All three have detailed surface textures, including the webbing across the chest and legs. The armor appears metallic, like hammered iron, and the soft, rubbery 'hair' is pliable enough to allow for neck/head posing.

My one issue that I'll put here for lack of a better place is the connection between the disc and the hip holster. A couple of the figures have the throwing disc, which is supposed to snap into a holster on his right hip. It doesn't work well, however, and I ended up giving up trying to keep them in place. If it's important for you, gluing it in will be your likely option.

Paint - ****
Another area that's really impressive - and even more so with this set than the previous figures I looked at - is the production paint work. Again, these guys are tiny, and the complex patterns on the body, the hammered faux metal surfaces, and the multi-colored helmets look fantastic. I could nit pick a couple things - the teeth or fangs on the Elder could be more bone colored - but they are really, really minor nits with an otherwise fantastic paint job.

Articulation - ***1/2
I'm upping the score in this category from the first set I reviewed, thanks to the joints - of which there are many - having a greater range of mobility.

As I mentioned, the soft hair doesn't affect the neck much at all, and you can get some good tilt and lean out of it. The Elder also has an articulated shoulder cannon, which can point in a variety of forward directions.

The rotating hinge shoulders, pin elbows, and ball wrists provide decent arm poses, and there's some arm rotation provided by the cut bicep. The rolling chest joint leans, turns, and tilts, and the ball hips, double pin knees, and ball ankles combine for good stances. The ankles could use a little more rocker movement, but these worked better than the previous wave.

Swapping hands was easy, at least with the left hands. Two of the figures have extended blades on the right wrist, which can get in the way of swapping.

Accessories - Boar ***; Warrior ***1/2; Elder ****
All three figures come with a small, rectangular, textured base. There's one foot peg molded on this base, and there are two connectors included. These allow you to connect one of these rectangles to another to build a bigger diorama.

All three figures also have two extra hands, each set in the appropriate color. Both the Elder and the Boar have wide splayed extra hands to go with their gripping hands, but the Warrior has the identical left splayed hand...but a unique right.

These are the only accessories that are common across all three figures. Two of the three - Elder and Boar - have the extended spear, with slightly different color handles. Boar also has the compacted spear, but the Elder does not. Instead, the Warrior has a compacted spear (but not the extended). Got it?

Two of the three also have the 'smart' discs - Boar and Warrior. And just to make it all the more confusing, Elder has two of his own special accessories, a machete and a flintlock pistol. He also has a pack around his chest and a skull necklace, and I'm betting you could remove these if you popped off his head.

Fun Factor - ***1/2
I was able to get a little more out fo the articulation this time, making these a bit more fun than the previous release. If you know kids who love the movie(s), or kids just looking to add to their battle lines in the 1/18 action figure war, these make for excellent additions.

Value - **
These guys are small, and coming in at the usual price for a 1/12 scale figure might seem a bit much. But they do sport much higher paint and sculpt quality than the usual mass market 1/18 figure, and there's plenty of extras. I still think they're a couple bucks over priced, but it's not a deal breaker.

Things to Watch Out For -
Not a thing. I had no worries about damage or breakage while I was working with them and posing them.

Overall - Boar ***; Warrior ***1/2; Elder ****
Hiya Toys continues to improve on their Exquisite Mini concept, giving fans of the Predator and Alien franchises some excellent action figures in a 1/18th scale. They have a ton of additional figures planned for 2019 as well, allowing you to build an army of Predators on the shelf.

With these three, I gave the edge to the Elder. He has more accessories, a more complex sculpt thanks to the shoulder cannon, and more visual pop than the other two. But you won't go wrong with any of these if you're a fan of the films.

Score Recap (out of ****):
Packaging - ***
Sculpting - Boar, Warrior ***1/2; Elder ****
Paint - ****
Articulation - ***1/2
Accessories - Boar ***; Warrior ***1/2; Elder ****
Fun Factor - ***1/2
Value - **
Overall - Boar, Warrior ***1/2; Elder ****

Where to Buy 
Online options include these site sponsors:

- Entertainment Earth has them for $20, still on pre-order.

- or you can search ebay for a deal.

Related Links -
I've looked at some other Hiya figures, including several other Predators, some Colonial Marines, and a Xenomorph Crusher and Xenomorph Raven.

You should also hit the Search Reviews page, in case any other applicable reviews were done after this one was published.

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