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Captain Toy/Michael's Review of the Week

Review of Jason Voorhees - Friday the 13th
Exclusive Sixth Scale Action Figure

Sideshow Collectibles
Date Published: 2017-04-12
Written By: Michael Crawford
Overall Average Rating: 3 out of 4

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Jason Friday the 13th sixth scale action figure by Sideshow Collectibles

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Introduction

It's been quite awhile since Sideshow gave us a Jason or Freddy sixth scale action figure. Go back 12 years or so, and it was a pretty regular occurrence, and they were well done...for the time. But the world has moved on, and the quality of 1/6th action figures has vastly improved over the last decade. The powers that be at Sideshow have wisely decided to revisit these classic horror licenses, and their new Jason Voorhees is now shipping. And yes, Freddy is on his way as well!

Jason comes in both a regular release and an exclusive version. I'm looking at the exclusive tonight, which includes two additional accessories, but the price for both the regular and exclusive was originally $210.

By the way, the exclusive Jason is now sold out. Getting that extra accessory for the same price is a good deal, and the Freddy is in a similar situation. You can still get the exclusive Freddy at Sideshow for just $200, the same price as the regular release, and considering the improved quality of the recent Sideshow figures, you'd be smart to pre-order him now rather than regret it later this year.

If you're a big Jason fan, you should also check out the new Premium Format statue that Sideshow has coming soon.

Click on the image below for a Life Size version
Jason Friday the 13th sixth scale action figure by Sideshow Collectibles

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Packaging - ***
The figure is packed in a compact shoe box style package. There's two stacked plastic trays that hold the figure and accessories, and of course it's all collector friendly. Like Ash and Beetlejuice, there's a cigar band style cardboard wrapper around the set of trays. The exclusive includes the silver sticker on the front of the box as well.

Jason Friday the 13th sixth scale action figure by Sideshow Collectibles

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Sculpting - ***1/2
Sideshow went a slightly different direction this time, making the hockey mask permanently affixed to his head. It appears the permanence is achieved by gluing the straps in place on the back of the head, and not actually attaching the mask to the face itself, and it can be removed without *too* much trouble. There's a partially sculpted face under there, and the eyes and area around them is complete.  Aim the light just right and you can see those soulful eyes, and get lost in their allure...

But the face is not complete, particularly around the mouth. Don't assume you can pop the mask off and have another look for your Jason, because it's not going to happen.

Jason Friday the 13th sixth scale action figure by Sideshow Collectibles

The exposed areas of the sculpted head look great though, with the rough bald skin around the back, ears, and top. This sculpt translates nicely down onto the neck and torso, and there's a proper hump to the back. The hands match the gruesome texture and style of the skin on the head and neck, but you'll need to do what you can to cover the smooth forearms with the shirt.

In the photos below, I highlight the biggest issue - the neck gap. The head does not quite sit properly down on the neck, thanks to a large cylindrical plug inside. You've seen these plugs on a number of other recent figures.  This time, it's simply too large, and causes the head to sit well above the neck itself, creating a gap in many poses. The photo on the left (or top, depending on your device) shows this gap clearly.

You can adjust this though, if you'd prefer.  Removing the plug is quite simple - it merely pops off the ball post. Of course, the space inside the head is much too large to fit on this ball, but you can use either blue poster tack or plumber's tape to add a little bulk to the ball and get a decent fit. This will allow you to sit the head down on the neck properly and still get a reasonable range of movement. The photo on the right shows the head after this adjustment. It also shows the collar futzed, but more on that in the Outfit section.

Jason is a pretty big boy, standing just over 12 1/2 inches tall. Some collectors have bulked him up a bit in the torso with a fat suit, but I prefer the look straight out of the box.

Jason Friday the 13th sixth scale action figure by Sideshow CollectiblesJason Friday the 13th sixth scale action figure by Sideshow Collectibles

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Paint - **1/2
This figure has a handful of minor nits, but only one major one (other than the neck, which is fixable) that really bugs me. And it lands in this category.

The mask has three chevrons - those red triangular designs - on the front. Remember, this is an actual hockey mask in the movie, not some homemade knockoff. The chevrons should be straight and properly aligned...and they are most certainly not. I haven't seen any that have been properly centered, sized, and aligned, so this is not a one off issue on only mine. It's pretty obvious too, and I don't know how they didn't catch it in quality control.

The rest of the paint work is great. The eyes, difficult to see in photos but clear in person, look great.  The dirt and wear on the mask is well done, and there's some nice realism to the skin tone. The additional blood work on the axe and machete looks good as well. Had the chevrons been properly aligned, he would have gotten another full star in this category, easy peasy.

Jason Friday the 13th sixth scale action figure by Sideshow Collectibles

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Articulation - ***
We've discussed the neck issue, and while it is fixable, it's part of the reason for the reduced score here. The rest of the body works great, however, and the joints are tight with a nice range of movement. The outfit isn't particularly restrictive, and you should have no trouble getting a wide variety of menacing stances.

I did have one major issue that drove me nuts, however, and is the biggest problem with this particular body.  Perhaps mine will be a one off, and you'll have no trouble at all - in that case, add another half star here. But the Jason I received can't seem to keep his left boot on.  The slightest touch and it pops off. Of course, it's easy to pop back on again, but repeatedly replacing it gets very old very quickly.

The hands swap easily enough though, and each one comes with its own post. You'll want to do some minor work on the neck, but overall the body is solid and well made.

Jason Friday the 13th sixth scale action figure by Sideshow Collectibles

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Accessories - ***
I'm grading the exclusive here, and he has a nice set of extras.  Nothing amazing, but enough to create a good looking display and have options to change things up in the future.

The regular version comes with a bloody machete and axe, as well as a set of hands to hold them. He comes wearing relaxed hands, so these tighter gripping hands are critical. The sculpting and bloody paint on the weapons looks good, and the scale is about right. The hands are made from a very hard plastic, so be careful working the weapons in and out of the grip.

The exclusive includes one additional weapon - the spear gun. Jason has used a lot of different things, some of them quite unique, to kill his various victims, but the spear gun is a classic. The exclusive version also has a special right hand designed to properly hold it.

Lastly, he has the usual black display stand with crotch support and logo on the base.  Nothing too exciting, but a standard extra from Sideshow.

Jason Friday the 13th sixth scale action figure by Sideshow Collectibles

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Outfit - ***
This is not a super complicated outfit, but what's here is good quality stuff.

There's a shirt, undershirt, pants, and boots. I mentioned the desire of the left boot to distance itself from the body at every chance, but the boot sculpts and paint work are quite good. The uppers are soft plastic, so the ankles have a good range of movement - when the foot stays on.

The tailoring on the pants and t-shirt is excellent, but the work shirt could use a little help. First, there's the goofy collar. Right out of the box it sticks up weirdly, and is quite disconcerting. In the earlier photo of the neck issue, you'll see how high it sits in the photo on the left. In the photo on the right (and the rest of the photos as well), I worked the shirt down a bit on the body and folded the collar back further, working with the very back of it to get it flatter on the shoulders. This looks a lot better, and a little fabric glue will go a long way to keeping it there. The fit still isn't perfect thanks to the hump in his back, but I suppose that's fairly accurate. An off the shelf shirt would never quite fit the deformed upper body of Jason, and here you can see the full effect.

I suspect most people will wish there was more dirt, blood, and wear on the shirt and pants. They are fairly clean, considering the character wearing them. You may want to spend a little time adding some of these effects yourself, but I would have preferred if Sideshow had gone the extra mile here.

Jason Friday the 13th sixth scale action figure by Sideshow Collectibles

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Fun Factor - ***
Thanks to the sturdy body and a nice assortment of weapons, this guy has a decent amount of re-pose potential.  The annoying left foot hurts it a bit for me, but hopefully you'll have slightly better luck on that count.

Jason Friday the 13th sixth scale action figure by Sideshow Collectibles

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Value - **1/2
$220 is about the going rate for high end sixth scale figures right now. Hot Toys tried pushing it up to $240 - $250 a couple years ago, but it has since dropped back down again, indicating that sales took a hit at that level.

This figure isn't quite a $220 creation, but I have no problem with the lower $200 - $210 that you'll find this for at most places.  Retail was $210, but the regular version can be had for a bit less than that, if you choose the right retailer.

Jason Friday the 13th sixth scale action figure by Sideshow Collectibles

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Things to Watch Out For -
As I mentioned earlier, the hands are made from a very hard plastic, so you'll want to take a little extra care inserting and removing the weapons. Otherwise, you should be good to go.

Overall - ***
While the first Friday the 13th is still my favorite of the franchise (and of course, Jason was not who he would eventually become), I have to say I've always loved the character. It's that mindlessness, that relentlessness of his evil. There's simply no stopping it, much like death itself.

I'm glad Sideshow has revisited the character, because we were sorely lacking a modern quality version. While this guy isn't perfect, he's a damn sight better than the versions from 15 years ago, and I have no issue putting him on the shelf next to other modern releases.

Let's hope we see this resurgence of classic slasher characters continue, with updates of some of our other favorites.

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

Jason Friday the 13th sixth scale action figure by Sideshow Collectibles

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Where to Buy 
Online options include these site sponsors:

- Sideshow still has the regular at $210, but you'll need to get on the wait list for the exclusive, also $210.

- has him in stock for $200.

- is at $210, but still says pre-order.

- or you can search ebay for a deal.

Related Links -
This is far from the first time we've seen Jason in sixth scale, or even from Sideshow. They've done a number of versions, including Jason Goes to Hell, Part 6, Part 2, Part 3, and Freddy vs. Jason. Sideshow also did a great Premium Format statue, and has another one coming. And don't forget the real start of Friday the 13t, Pamela Voorhees!

Smaller versions include the terrific 4" Jason from Mezco, the Cinema of Fear Jason based on the remake (also from Mezco), Mezco's Part VII version, Mezco's cool stylized Jason, and NECA's Freddy Vs Jason set.

If you can find this set now, the Bits and Pieces collection can add a couple useful items for your Jason display!

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!

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This product was purchased for the review by the reviewer. Photos and text by Michael Crawford.

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