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Introduction
The Conjuring series of films have been extremely successful, and one character - the Nun Valak - was such a fan favorite she got her own spin off movie.
Star Ace has produced a number of excellent horror figures in their Defo-Real series, and now follows them up with a pair of nuns. This line is the 'deformed' style, with larger heads and smaller bodies.
In fact, there are four versions, because each of the closed mouth and open mouth figures have a 'deluxe' release as well, which includes extra accessories. I'm looking at the deluxe closed mouth figure today, and will look at the deluxe open mouth figure next week.
Expect to pay around $60 for the regular release, and $70 for the deluxe.
Packaging - ***
Nothing particularly unique, but the window does show off the figure, and the overall box is sturdy and collector friendly. It also declares its
deluxe status right up front, and includes some basic instructions.
Sculpting - ****
These are the deformed style - the heads are much larger than the bodies, normally taking up about half the figure's height. If that's not your
thing, you're not going to appreciate the overall look.
If it is your thing, you should be extremely happy. Overall, they've been killing it with this series so far, and Valak is another hit. The old, textured, wrinkled skin looks great, and the creepy veins are sculpted, not just painted. There's a realism to the look, even in this style, that's really impressive.
The old, nasty look continues with the gnarly hands, grasping for your throat.
The figure stands about 6 inches tall without the display base.
Paint - ****
The production paint work is quite nice with these, and I hope we see this level of quality across future sixth scale releases as well. Whatever
they are doing here, they need to do more of it.
The pale, dead skin looks great, and the dark eyes and creepy veins stand out against this background of fish belly flesh. The hands sport a similar scheme, adding to the scary theme.
The eyes glow in the dark, a nice touch as well. Particularly if you forget about it, and wake up in the middle of the night to see her on the shelf...
Articulation - **
The figure is much more articulated than the usual vinyl figure. However, I had one big issue that pulled down what would otherwise be a good score.
The neck is on a ball joint, with reasonable tilt, lean, and turn. There's nothing really in the torso, but the shoulders, elbows, and wrists are rotating hinge joints, just like your average action figure. This gives you some nice options when posing.
The legs only have a cut joint, so you can turn the feet to get a better plant, and it does help. Perhaps most interesting, there is a wire threaded through the costume at key areas, like around the veil or at the bottom of the skirt, which allows you to get a nice smooth flow with the clothing.
So why only two stars? The right elbow snapped on me, with very little pressure. It was quite a surprise, and I'm hoping they aren't having issues with brittle joints. I haven't opened up the second Valak yet, but I didn't have any trouble with previous Defo-Real figures. Of course, most of them are not this articulated.
Accessories - ***
The regular release gets a Bupkis here - no accessories at all. Of course, that's not at all unusual with a vinyl figure.
The deluxe has four extras. There's a second set of gripping hands, as well as the painting of the Nun. In combination, she can use these to hold the painting in front of her.
She also has a base, sculpted to look like a stone floor. It's a nice extra as well, and does add some value to the figure.
Outfit - ***1/2
Now here's the REALLY unusual part - this figure has a cloth costume! Yep, cloth dress, veil, habit, belt - it's an actual costume. The
tailoring is quite good for such a small figure, and the veil and habit are particularly well fit.
There's also a small cross on a rope around her neck, a nice touch. Giving us a fabric costume elevates this series quite a bit.
Fun Factor - ***
I'm not exactly sure these are 'fun', but you can get some decent poses out of her, and she will creep out your kids. That can be fun!
Value - **
At $70, the deluxe versions are pushing it, but not a lot. Remember, you're getting way more articulation, several accessories, and a cloth costume
here, something you don't normally see in this market.
Things to Watch Out For -
Obviously, you'll want to be gentle with the elbows. I know I will when I open the other Valak.
Overall - ***
The Defo-Real series has only been around a few months, but already has made its mark. This is another excellent release, and the cloth outfit and
glow in the dark eyes take this particular release to a new level.
If I did not have the issue with breakage, this lovely lady would have gotten a full four stars. However, I have to judge the one I get, and the elbow break was concerning. I'm hoping it was merely a fluke, and not a consistent manufacturing issue.
Score Recap (out of ****):
Packaging - ***
Sculpting - ****
Paint - ****
Articulation - **
Accessories - ***
Outfit - ****
Fun Factor - ***
Value - **
Overall - ***
Where to Buy
Online options include these site sponsors:
- or you can search ebay for a deal.
Related Links -
Next week I'll be looking at the other Defo-Real version (open mouth), and awhile back I checked out the sixth
scale Valak from Qmx as well.
Other Defo-Real figures include the 2001 Astronauts, the Lord of the Rings Nazgul, Jason, the special Pennywise with light up feature, and the regular release Pennywise.
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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This product was provided for the review by the manufacturer. Photos and text by Michael Crawford.
