Review of James Dean and Horse
Sixth Scale Action Figure

Introduction

Star Ace remains one of the few sixth scale companies doing truly unique and unusual licenses. While most of the rest chase the big number lines, like Star Wars, DC, Marvel, etc., Star Ace explores some lesser known characters, bundling them under their general umbrella titles.

One of those titles is "My Favorite Legends", and they have covered several iconic movie stars from the 50's and 60's. The latest release is James Dean, done in his cowboy outfit from the 1956 classic Giant. Alongside stars Rock Hudson and Elizabeth Taylor, Dean stole the film. Sadly, it was his last, and he was already dead by the time it was released.

The figure comes as a stand alone release, or you can pick it up with a horse in a deluxe set. I'm reviewing the deluxe tonight, which sells for around $300. The single figure is closer to $220.

Packaging - ****
The two figures come packed each in their own brown box, with a cigar band wrapper holding them together. Inside the Dean box is another more traditional box, and everything is attractive and packed in a very collector friendly way.

Inside the horse's box, the horse is cradled by soft foam. It's also very collector friendly - although there's a few pieces of plastic wrap you'll need to remove, protecting the horse from the saddle parts - and it gives you an impression of quality and care.

Sculpting - ***1/2
I believe this is one of their better movie icon sculpts, capturing the look of Dean extremely well. From the thin nose to the pouty lips, any fan will know who this is instantly. It's also fairly realistic, with a nice skin texture and good stranding in the hair.

I do think the paint lets it down a bit, making it slightly less realistic than it could be. More on that in the next section, but a repaint by a great customizer would really make him pop.

The expression works great as well, with squinted eyes and steely gaze. All that smoldering attitude is here, without any excessive emotion.

He stands just north of 11 1/2" tall, which is about right. He was billed as 5' 8", although that's probably generous. If you want to be super anal, he could use another 1/8" or so, but I'm not that picky.

The horse almost pulled this score down a half star, but then I did a little research. It's his size, not his detail or realism, that had me going 'hmmmm'.

The horse is all one piece (minus the bridle and saddle of course), sculpted in resin. He's heavy, with the legs posed perfectly for him to remain standing solidly and safely. The hair is sculpted with great detail, and thicker hair - like the mane and tail - are rooted. There's a lifelike glimmer in the eye, and because they skipped articulation and went after appearance only, he is one of the best looking horses I now own.

But I thought he was too small. He stands just over 9 1/2" tall at the withers, and while it seemed like he was about right when Dean was in the saddle, when Dean was next to him he seemed short. It bugged me a bit...and then I looked up horse height and size, and realized they actually got it just about right.

He is on the small side of a horse, but not outside the normal range. Considering Dean's height, it's likely his horse would have been on the smaller side of the range, and with him perched on the saddle, he really does look good.

Paint - ***
While I'm quite happy with the sculpt, I do think the paint work on the face let's it down a bit. It's not terrible, but there are a few issues that make it less realistic.

The hair looks good, and the hairline is particularly nice. The skin tone is good, if a bit too consistent, but the eyebrows are heavy, lacking a subtle touch. The lower lip seems a bit off too, not quite matching the sculpted lip.

Still, overall the work on Dean's face is good, and the paint work on the horse, while more simplistic is solid. The horse's hair has a nice wash to bring out the detail, and the big dark eyes have a twinkle. The hair also transitions from the white nose to the darker brown in a very realistic way.

Articulation - ***
This is the same underlying body they've used before, and it has some of the same pluses and minuses.

The ball neck, with a joint at the body and neckline, allows for good tilt and lean. The shoulders, elbows, and wrists, can manage good arm poses, particularly on the horse. The hips and knees allow him to sit naturally on the saddle, and while the ankles are pretty much restricted by the boots, on the horse it's not an issue. Yep, standing on his own can be tricky because of the ankle issue, but you're going to use this version with the horse anyway.

However, that means I'd knock another half star off here if I were looking at the figure on his own.

As I mentioned earlier, the horse is not articulated - he's one solid piece. I prefer this, as every articulated horse I have ends up having issues trying to take and maintain realistic poses.

Accessories - ***
I'm not counting the horse as an 'accessory', but rather an second figure in a set. The horse has his bridle and saddle, nicely sculpted and painted, and with cloth bits where appropriate.

Dean has five extra hands, but four of them are rights. It would have been nice to get one or two additional lefts for more posing potential, but these do work pretty well with the other accessories, and they swap easily.

When you swap those hands, you can pop the watch on as well. And as this is Dean, he has his glasses as well as his comb. Gotta work that BrylCream don't ya know.

More appropriate to the film, there's a shotgun, pistol, lariat, and pack of Winston's. There are also two loose cigarettes, and you can insert one in the pack, so it looks like he's pulling it out. The lariat is white - I don't remember it being white in the movie.

Finally, there's a basic display stand, with crotch support rod.

Outfit - ***
The outfit includes his hat, shirt, vest, pants, belt, and boots.  It's not complex, but that doesn't mean it's easy to do it well.

It's serviceable, but it's not great. The tailoring is a little wonky, not way off but far enough to look odd. The straight leg jeans hang stiffly, the vest is a little too thick, and the shirt collar is slightly big. None of these things are extreme on their own, but together add up to a wonky appearance.

In the photos with the vest, I kept it closed. It really should be open, but it doesn't hang naturally that way. The closure is smart though - they went with magnets, which work great. Still, skipping the vest was my preferred look.

Oh, and let's not forget the hat. This hat has a plastic brim, with a soft top and plastic insert. It is designed to look good one way and only one way, pushed back on his head. If you put this hat straight down over his forehead, it will look horrendous - that's not what it was designed for. Use it the right way, and it looks great.

Fun Factor - ***
This isn't a figure you're likely to return to over and over, but there's enough variety possible with the horse that you'll still have some fun posing him.

Value - **
I'm grading the deluxe set, which runs $300. The figure by himself is around $220, a price point that's at least $20 too high. However, getting the horse for $80? That's a great price, and helps even out the value.

Things to Watch Out For -
Not a thing. Everything was sturdy and well made, with no worries about breaking anything. Don't drop the horse though - remember, he's a resin sculpture.

Overall - ***
While I have some issues with the costume, I have to say I'm quite pleased overall. The horse is excellent, and Dean looks great in the saddle. While there's plenty of MCU figures out there in sixth scale, we just don't get enough of these unique characters and movie stars, and fans of Dean should be quite happy. I wish they'd give us an iconic Eastwood, or even an Erol Flynn.

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

Where to Buy 
Online options include these site sponsors:

- or you can search ebay for a deal.

Related Links -
Other classic movie icons produced by Star Ace in sixth scale include Audrey Hepburn, Steve McQueen, and Marilyn Monroe.

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