Review of Jungle Hunter Predator
1/4 scale action figure

Introduction

Several years ago, NECA treated fans of their quarter scale figures to the classic Predator, called the 'jungle hunter'. He was - and is - a great figure, but has been long sold out, commanding prices of $150 - $200 on ebay. NECA has returned to the character, this time creating a masked version that includes not one but two light features.

This guy will run you around $100 at most retailers right now, and should be available any day, if not already.

Packaging - ***
The big box is sturdy, but not collector friendly. To keep the heavy figure safe, there's a huge number of twisty ties, so have those wire snips handy.  I like the graphics, and there's a reasonable amount of text.  There are no instructions inside the box for the light up feature, but there is a small graphic on the bottom of the box itself that will give you the general idea on operation.

Sculpting - ***
One of the selling points of this figure over the previous is the light feature. But to have the light feature on the mask requires him to be masked, which also hurts the appeal of the figure somewhat.

Let's face it, the ugly countenance of the hunter was a huge part of his appeal, and the masked version loses that.  The mask itself is nicely done, with a worn, rough, metallic texture, but it's not quite the same thing as having all that predatory fugliness.

The long 'hair' is made from a softer rubber, allowing the head to turn and tilt with relative freedom.  From the neck down, the body texture and detail is outstanding, as it was the first time around.  This Predator has a chunkier, thicker appearance than many that came after him, and it seems much more appropriate to the character and concept. They've managed that nicely here, and the netting on the torso and legs looks great as well.

The armor has a very realistic, machined texture, while the small detail work on the gauntlets is outstanding.  The blades on his right arm are extendable, and made from a sturdy plastic. He has two strings of trophies around his torso, one with various skulls, and one with spinal bones. There's also a bone necklace, and all these look quite realistic.

The tubes and hoses on the arms are soft enough to be flexible, and don't restrict the arm movement in any extreme way. There's several wires and a tube that also run off the mask and don't really go anywhere (which is a good thing, since it would make removing the mask all that much more difficult), but you can neatly tuck them back in the hair and it looks fine.

This guy is big of course, coming in at a full 19" tall.  He looks great partnered up with their Dutch quarter scale figure as well, and I've included a shot of the two of them together.

Paint - ***1/2
While the lack of a creature portrait might make him slightly less impressive in the sculpt department, there's no shortage of gorgeous work when it comes to the paint.  Lots of small details, and there's a nice use of color and finish to imply different materials and compositions.

I particularly like the work on the skin and flesh. There's a slightly glossy shine to it that implies a reptilian or amphibian nature. This also contrasts nicely with the duller faux metal and leather pieces, creating a more interesting and realistic visual. The transition between the lighter and darker colors on the skin is also quite nice, creating a subtle look of skin patterns, rather than paint.

Articulation - ***
There's a fair number of joints here, perhaps more than you'd expect considering the size and weight, but the usefulness and range of movement are somewhat hindered.

The ball jointed neck works well however, and allows for plenty of tilt and lean.  When the large cannon support is in place on his left shoulder, you'll be more restricted in the head poses, but that's a minor issue.

The rotating hinge shoulders and elbows work fairly well, but don't have quite the range of bend that I'd like. I really want the right hand to be able to touch the control pad on the left forearm, and that's not going to happen. The ball wrists work well however, even with the restrictive gauntlets.

I'm not sure if there's a cut waist or not - it looks like it, but mine is pretty much stuck tight, and it might be on purpose to avoid damaging the netting.  The hips are cut joints, V shaped, and the knees and ankles are rotating hinges, similar to the elbows. There's also a cut thigh, and between these joints you can get some reasonable if not extreme leg poses.

There's a couple spots I mentioned earlier that are also articulated - the blades on his right arm, and the cannon on his shoulder. The cannon is quite posable, allowing him to aim at just about anything within his vision. The controls on his left forearm also open up - more on that in the Light Feature section.

You're not going to get anything too wild or dynamic out of this guy, but you should be able to find a pose and stance that works for you and remains steady over time.

Accessories - ***
Technically, he has two accessories. Or at least what I'd count as accessories.

He has the extra right hand posed to push the controls on his wrist pad. The hand can't actually reach the pad due to the limitations on the arm articulation, but he can also do a thumbs up. I don't know when he'd do something like that, but he can.

He also has his cannon and shoulder harness, which snap onto his left shoulder. It looks good, and I like the extra articulation in the cannon itself. He doesn't have to wear it either, if you'd rather go with a less encumbered appearance.

That's really it though, since the trophies on the two strings around his chest aren't really meant to be removed. You'll notice the skulls are missing in a couple of my photos (and I rarely got them to stay turned around properly), but that was because the string was disconnected in the package. Nothing a little glue couldn't fix, but I shot a few photos sans skulls as well.

Light Feature - **1/2
There are two areas that light up on this figure - the tracking lasers on his helmet, and the read out on the panel on his left arm.

Both of these come with batteries already installed. The plastic tab on the forearm is obvious and easy to slip out, but the one on the mask is actually inside. The mask is removable - pop the top edge up and it should come right off - and inside is the battery compartment and plastic tab. Pull the tab and put the mask back in place (chin first), and you're good to go.

The switch for the mask is on the opposite side. The wires enter the mask on a round 'bump', and pressing this inward turns on the laser lights.  These red lights are NOT very bright however, and you'll need to turn down (or off) the room lights to appreciate them.

The lights on the panel inside the pad on his left arm are much brighter.  There's a large, square button on the back, and pressing this will turn them on and off. The button on mine tended to stick, but I cleaned off a little of the paint around the edge, and it worked much better.

These are light features that are easy to use, with buttons that are reachable in any pose. The laser sights on the helmet are so dim as to be useless though, and I am concerned about the long term health of the button on the arm. Swapping in new batteries might help with the former, however.

Fun Factor - ***
With the light up feature and reasonable articulation, this is a figure you can pose and alter over time, depending on your mood and display.  You're not going to get too crazy with the pose, but you can get something reasonable, and there's certainly more than one look he can pull off.

Value - **1/2
I'm going with an average score here, and regular readers understand that this means it has no affect on my personal overall, up or down.  The $100 price tag for the 1/4 scale NECA figures has been pretty consistent for a couple years now, and this same figure was only $20 cheaper 5 years ago. While there's some serious re-use here, you are getting the additional light feature to make it worth your while.

Things to Watch Out For -
I was a little worried about the on/off button on his arm, so take a little care when using it.

Overall - ***
Another winning 1/4 scale figure from NECA, even if we have seen it before - and slightly better. That's going to depend on your point of view of course, but for me, the unmasked head is preferable to this masked version with the light up features. For others, the addition of the lights might win out.  Having both isn't a bad idea though, and when it comes to Predators, I'm a believer in the more the merrier.

I do think including the unmasked face would have been a great idea here, particularly since the mask is removable and could have easily been replaced by a face plate. That's a minor complaint though, and what we did get was a solid release.

Score Recap (out of ****):
Packaging - ***
Sculpting - ***
Paint - ***1/2
Articulation - ***
Accessories - ***
Light Feature - **1/2
Fun Factor - ***
Value - **1/2
Overall - ***

Where to Buy 
Online options include these site sponsors:

- Entertainment Earth has a great deal at just $95 plus free shipping!

- or you can search ebay for a deal.

Related Links -
A few years back, NECA did this same guy but with the unmasked face. They followed that up with a 1/4 scale version of Dutch. NECA has also done their share of 7" figures based on the license, including Jungle Disguise Dutch and Water Emergence Predator, and the Jungle Hunter Predator and Jungle Patrol Dutch.

Hot Toys has done a bunch as well, including the City Hunter Predator, the very cool Samurai version, the Classic Predator from Predators, Noland, and Royce, Falconer Predator, and Berserker Predator. Hot Toys has done several figures from the original Predator flic as well, including the big guy himself, Billy and Dutch. Then there's the Hot Toys Lost Predator, and the Machiko She Predator.

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

Discussion:
Want to chat about this review?  Try out one of these terrific forums where I'll be discussing it!

Enjoyed this review? Be sure to head back to the main page to find thousands more just like it!